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Simple ways to help heal our food system
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1. Thank store owners
Yes, we vote with our dollars, but taking the time (it's doesn't take long) to thank a store owner or manager when you notice an increasing number of organic and local selections helps inspire more. We all like to feel validated and it's important to encourage healthy choices among the people who make a difference in our lives. Is there an item that compels you to keep going back to one store over another? Make sure the owner knows! It goes a long way towards showing a store owner that you notice items and don't just blindly throw them in your cart.
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2. Nurture your relationship with food
A lot of us eat on the go and, consequently, don't pay a lot of attention to what we're putting into our bodies. Getting something quick and easy becomes routine.
Or, we can be distracted by television or the Internet or work as we're gobbling up our meal or snack.
Taking the time to pay attention to what we are eating, to savor and enjoy our food, makes us more likely to make healthy choices. 'Cause, really, if you were paying attention, really tasting each bite, would you find a lot to enjoy about processed food?
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3. Talk to strangers
You need to be smart about this obviously, but just striking up a conversation with a random person at the grocery store or library or gas station can help save our food system.
Mention something you find important or interesting about our food system to people who cross your path.
It doesn't have to be a long talk (although it could turn into that) but putting out there things that you find relevant could plant seeds for other people's thinking.
So, it's not the weather, but it can change the climate of a different type.
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4. Pay attention to how you feel after you eat
Similar to #2, noticing food choices can change the world.
I remember working in an office where one of my co-workers was going to get take-out from McDonald's. The others in the office asked him to get something for them - except for me.
Soon after they ate, they were all ready to take a nap and feeling really out of it. I was feeling good after eating something undoubtedly more healthy.
I thought of this tip a week ago or so and have since been making food choices based on how something made me feel after eating it. What a difference!
This doesn't even have to be junk food vs. healthy food. We all have different nutritional needs and food sensitivities.
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5. Spread the wealth
There are a few different stores that carry healthy, organic items that I like and I try to not buy everything at the same one repeatedly. It's easy to get into routines and always shop at the same store or farm stand. But, I think it is healthy for our food system to make sure we vary where we shop. (Once we have vetted our choices.) Besides trying new things, it helps promote competition in pricing and quality of the items you particularly like. Plus, you're just doing your part in encouraging healthy selections at several stores. Whether it's the natural food section at a chain supermarket, a Whole Foods, a specialty store or independently owned market, spread the love ... and the money.
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6. Cut up organic fruit and veggies ahead of time
This is something I don't think of all the time, but am always glad when I do. Taking some time to chop up a cucumber, carrots, celery or otherwise prepare produce you enjoy on a regular basis is a big help for our food system.
Keeping them in the fridge or in a bag in your purse, pocket or car for when you get hungry can cut down on processed or prepared food consumption.
And that's a really good thing for the environment in general - and our food system specifically.
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This is a new regular feature of questions to ask when buying food.
They are questions that want to be part of what is normal and everyday.
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1. How do you nourish, protect, sustain your soil?
This question comes from Dave Hartshorn and if you read what he has to say about soil you will know why he thinks that farmers should be using cover crops in order to get the best results.
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2. Does the feed for your animals contain GMOs? Is it organic?
People who want to avoid GMOs and eat organically sometimes overlook what the animals producing their food eat. Whether it's for meat, eggs or milk, know what the animals themselves are eating so you know what you are eating.
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The mission of this newsletter is to reawaken awareness of the basics of our food system - and nothing is more elemental, or key, to its health than the soil where food is grown. And so this month I will be going over some central ingredients of soil health that I think you will find helpful - whether or not you grow food. Why do I need to know this, you might be asking yourself, if you are not a farmer or gardener. Well, I hope you will find as we continue to spend time together that the more understanding you have of what goes into growing our food, the more you can contribute to its betterment. Through knowing questions to ask growers and retailers. By understanding what to look for and what to expect. And by a recognition of the big picture. You should come to see that nature provides what we need to grow nutrient-rich, delicious food. That our society has moved away from knowing how to work with nature as we try to beat it into submission. Whatever your role in the chain of the food system, we all have a contribution to make. Last week, I talked to Dave Hartshorn, of Hartshorn's Certified Organic Farm in Waitsfield, VT, about soil - and it was incredibly interesting and inspiring to me. He has been working on a farm since age five, when he milked cows on his dad's dairy farm. He's now 55-years-old. Read "Digging the Dirt" as well as "Let it snow..." and the first FAQ Wannabe to hear what he had to say. Also in this issue, you will find simple everyday ways you can help heal our food system, a featured recipe by Alicia Ghio of localfoodrocks.com, "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth is the featured book... AND a new feature called FAQ Wannabes, which provides questions that want to make their way back into everyday use to help our food system.... Thank you for being a part of the community for A Return to Simple. We are happy to have you here. All the best, Laura Modlin President, Aspetuck Media, LLC Publisher, A Return to Simple
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Okay, so you're not always going to find an underground oil tank (like this one) when you dig up some dirt, but there is a lot going on down there.
And whether you're growing food, or buying it, there are some basics for nurturing the healthiest and most sustainable soil that Dave Hartshorn would like you to know.
Two of the things we talked about are keeping the land where you grow "covered" at all times and preventing run-off as much as possible.
Being "covered" means having plants/vegetation in the soil at all time.
"You shouldn't go into winter with nothing growing in [the soil]," Dave said.
He uses cover crops (planting that is done to return nutrients to the soil) such as buckwheat and oat all year round. About 30% of his 55 acres are growing cover crops at all times through the year.
Dave rotates where he is growing the cover crops to be sure that all of his land gets a chance each year to have nutrients returned to it.
Fruit and vegetables take nutrients from the soil to grow.
"Every time you take something out of your garden or farm, you have to put something back," Dave said. "So you've replaced the organic matter you've 'stolen.'"
Deficient soil makes for deficient food, he said.
Some farms use fertilizer as a short-cut, Dave said, but that doesn't put anything into the soil.
"If there are no microbes in the soil, the plant's ability to take up nutrients is compromised," he said.
Cover crops are like fertilizer and organic matter together. Without the organic matter you can't feed plants.
"There's no biological activity [without organic matter]," Dave said.
Going deep
Some fertilizer has living material added in but it's not the same.
"It won't hold itself in place in soil," Dave said. "[Also], it doesn't put anything into the soil to sustain it."
Compost is a fertilizer that adds microbes to the soil, but it also won't hold in place, Dave said.
Cover crops create roots into the sub-soil, he said, which pull up nutrients for the soil and into plants.
"You can't do that just by throwing [stuff] onto the surface," he said.
Also, the roots will eventually decompose and create channels for water to flow under the surface.
"As they decompose, [the roots] are putting nutrients into soil as well," Dave said.
"Having a cover crop or mulch [also] protects soil from the winds that damage soil," he said.
Cover crops pull biomass into the soil from the sunshine, giving the soil energy in addition to rest.
And once you're ready to plant a vegetable or fruit crop you dig up the cover crops and till them into the soil - enriching it with all the things that feed plants and humans well.
"It's a win-win-win situation," Dave said.
So, why don't all farmers use cover crops?
"Farmers might not do it because of the time and expense," Dave said.
On the surface
Another thing I want to share with you is what Dave told me about preventing soil loss, which takes away its accompanying nutrients.
"If you're on a slope, you'd want to try and find the flattest part," he said. Or create a platform of sorts with strips of grass and vegetable. So your land doesn't end up in a stream.
Basically, you want to create a buffer between crops and streams with what he called a sod strip. This is helpful during winter and then you can use the sod strip in spring to nourish your soil.
Cover crops help prevent run-off, too, and they reduce the use of fertilizer and subsequently lower the amount of phosphorous and nitrogen that goes into the waterways. The amount of phosphorous and nitrogen in waterways due to fertilizer run-off has become a real problem in some areas.
If you take care of your soil, it will sustain the land, waterways, plants, and you for years to come.
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Featured Recipe
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Slow Cooked Beef Stew
by Alicia Ghio
localfoodrocks.com  (Photo by Renato Ghio)
I don't know about you, but in winter, I crave hearty meals. I think it's a part of the natural rhythms of the seasons. In the summer, we're active and fresh light meals are what our bodies want. In the winter, we enter a bit of a hibernation phase and our instincts are to gravitate towards "stick-to-your-ribs" food. I find that as the snow falls there is nothing better than the scent of a slow cooking stew or soup bubbling away on the counter. My slow cooker truly earns its keep at this time of year. Thus, I present to you this recipe for Slow Cooked Beef Stew, full of root vegetables and grass-fed beef. Where your meat comes from is just as important as where you produce comes from. I source sustainably raised meat. Yes, it's more expensive but I rather consume quality over quantity. In a nutshell, I look for beef from cows that are raised and finished on pasture, where the cows have eaten grasses (not corn) for their entire life and have not been injected with antibiotics or hormones. This beef is leaner and also richer in Omega 3 fatty acids. The best advice I can give is to look for third-party certification such as the American Grass-fed Association, Certified Humane Raised and Handled, Animal Welfare Approved or USDA Organic. Or, get to know your rancher. Nothing beats a personal relationship where you can ask all the important questions. Sustainable Table is a great resource to learn more: http://www.sustainabletable.org/1649/the-meat-to-eat. Slow Cooked Beef Stew Serves 4-6 Ingredients - 1.5 lbs beef chuck, cubed
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 parsnip, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- � teaspoon dried sage
- � teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions - In the slow cooker insert, add the diced carrots, parsnip, onion, potatoes and minced garlic.
- Season the cubed beef chuck with salt and pepper and place on top of the vegetables.
- Sprinkle in the dried sage and thyme.
- Whisk together the tomato paste and beef broth. Pour over the top of the meat and vegetables. Drop in the bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Alternate Inspiration - If you're a beer lover like me, you can always swap in rich stout beer for one of the cups of broth.
Editor's note: Alicia uses a Crock-Pot Programmable Touchscreen Slow Cooker - and loves it. Here is a model that is similar to the one she uses:
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Alicia Ghio is a passionate home cook on a mission to inspire people to know where their food comes from, to know what's in it and to savor the flavors of fresh ingredients. She is the founder/writer of the blog Local Food Rocks (localfoodrocks.com).
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Let it snow, let it snow ... for soil's sake!
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Things are going on beneath the snow
People here in New England are snow-weary. There have been tons of school delays and cancellations, entire states have been shut down at times, it can be tough to get around and dig out and a lot of folks are just plain irritated. I personally like the snow though - and so does the soil. If it's cold in the winter without a lot of snow that can cause problems for the soil. Dave was telling me that last January his Vermont farm had very little snow and it was bitter cold. This caused the ground to freeze down deep and it took longer for it to thaw in spring, delaying crops like strawberries and blueberries - two relatively early summer crops. "Snow is a good insulator," Dave said. It helps protect perennials, he said. Perennials are plants that grow year after year with roots and bulbs staying alive beneath the surface. And when it snows early and often, the ground can stay unfrozen a bit below the surface. "[The soil] will thaw up quicker in spring," Dave said. Another helpful aspect of snow is it prevents soil erosion. "You can get a fair amount of soil erosion without snow," Dave said. He said that a lack of snow can indirectly effect soil nutrients because the soil can end up in the woods or streams thanks to wind and animals. And then you miss out on what you have (hopefully) nurtured in the ground during the time leading up to winter. So, for those dreading more snow this winter, I hope you will keep in mind the benefits it has for the upcoming crops in spring, summer and fall. Remember, food isn't grown in the back room of your supermarket. |
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Featured Book
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 In order for healthy soil to do its magic well it needs seeds that are designed to grow in nature, as opposed to in chemicals.
Suzanne Ashworth's "Seed to Seed" book will help you understand growing techniques from the perspective of the seeds. It will also teach you about seed saving.
To be clear, the seeds you save are not from the seed packets you get at stores (although you can do that, too), they are from the fruit and vegetables you grow.
And, actually, seeds that are saved from one year to the next are more acclimated to the environment in the second generation.
Think of it this way - seeds, like soil, are alive. And life finds a way, it learns, it adapts. It registers information about its environment that gets carried from one generation to the next. Just like people.
Saving seeds is nothing new. In fact, it's very old. People used to highly value their particular seeds (and some still feel that way). I have heard tell that way back when immigrants to the US would travel with seeds from their home countries.
I wonder how the seeds adapted to their new homes. It must have been nice for the growers to have flavors from home with them - sometimes passed down from one generation to the next.
Every seed has a story. This book will help you create your own heritage. |
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Well, that wraps up another issue of A Return to Simple's newsletter. I hope you get as much out of reading it as I do putting it together. My time working on this newsletter (it doesn't feel like work!) has rapidly become meaningful for me and I am grateful that you want to be a part of helping to heal our food system.
Thanks to Alicia Ghio for another wonderful recipe along with her helpful information! Remember to check out her blog - localfoodrocks.com - for more recipes and food insight. She is the real deal!
Go to hartshornfarm.com to learn more about Dave and his farm.
A Return to Simple's next newsletter will be coming to you on the March 20 super moon new moon. And it's also the first day of spring.
In the meantime, there will be stories posted at areturntosimple.com.
Take care,
Laura Modlin
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