Waste = Food, Homes, Future
June 28, 2010
Waste = Food
URBAN PEASANTS
June 19, 2010
More chickens, this time in an upscale neighborhood overlooking Lake Washington in Seattle…a beautiful setting for a small coop of clean & well managed chickens…Eric says he has been keeping chickens since 1974 when he was named an “Urban Peasant” by a major publication…I like the term, let’s take back – both the urban chicken & the term Peasant – it is very close to pleasant…a word that pleases me…
JASON’S GARDEN
June 18, 2010
The Backyard Homestead is coming of age! 40 years after the “Back to the Land” Movement took us all out onto our remote 20 acre parcel…
The newest generation to begin farming is making their wave on front lawns, in backyards across America. It is now very hip to keep chickens in town, and the movable mini-coop (Chicken tractor) that can clean up & fertilize a garden bed is a wonderful invention being built just about anywhere!
Jason Bradford – localization spark plug & recently of my hometown – Willits, CA – has moved to Corvallis, OR – in search of a wide & fertile valley to farm organically. His dream is to organize Organic farming for thousands of prime farmland – revolutionize the future of our basic grain crops. As that bigger dream unfolds, he is making a cozy home with wife – Kristin Bradford – a full time MD & very good baker of scratch German Chocolate cakes, 
beautiful young mother of 2 extraordinary boys, a Tai Kuan Do student, ballet dancer extraordinaire, and – well – you get it – these are not your ordinary backyard gardeners….but, wait – they are extra ordinary just as are we all, each in our own way.
So find your extra-out-of-the-ordinary time & dig a patch in your front yard, your side patio, your balcony pot of soil…
plant a tomato & savor the goodness of the connection to your food. Meanwhile, you can get inspired & informed by books such as The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan. 
I have learned something new on every page!
BEES – SWARMS, DISAPPEARING COLONY, DISAPPOINTMENTS
June 13, 2010
It started with my first phone call – while I was out of town, darn it!
SWARM Again!
So – the ‘Queen of the Hood’ – which was the first spring swarm from the Mother Hive last year (2009) has now swarmed twice…or was it another hive that made the first swarm?
The first swarm (was it my hive? I’ll never know)…June 1st
Was found hanging in the neighbor’s fruit tree – just across the fence – low to the ground, & easily taken. Matt Crawley took it away, but rumor is that he lost it…I will check to see if he got it again. Ron took some pix, so I am eager to see them when I return…yes…the swarms happened while I was away to Michigan!
A late & wet spring makes for late swarms, I guess.
I have often wondered if that hive would swarm, it has seems so highly populated, with so much traffic & lots of activity on the front of the boxes…swarm…even though I put extra boxes on top. I am curious – when I open it up – soon – what it will look like inside…have they really used up all that space, or are they predisposed to swarm like their “Mother Hive”?
This latest swarm was caught by Ron – using no protective equipment – into my swarm box I had at ready. Will check the box for frame placement this week. The amazingly fast build of rogue comb into spaces left by lazy beekeepers should not be repeated by those who have done it once already…
A further note – this hive appears to have been reproduced with the traits of its mother hive…swarming twice a year, into a low hanging fruit tree branch…coincidences? Can the Queen carry this type of colony behavior genetically or what?
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June 10th – Feeding the New Hive & the Swarm
MADE A ½ Gal of syrup (1:1) for my gals…the 2 feeders were pretty messed up – the lower (leaky) one was empty but lots of dead bees – I am guessing the weakest ones from the rainy starvation week… the upper feeder was full of fermenting sugar from over a week ago, why didn’t they eat it? I am not sure – but removed the lower feeder – must reline the pans – and cleaned the good one out – replacing with fresh syrup, will check it in 2 days to see if they are partaking. The Blackberry blossoms are now out in force, so there is a good flow on, I am sure….
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June 13th – Hive Checks
David Partch’s hive is dead – gone – disappeared! A thriving colony reduced to several frames of comb with bits if pollen & some uncapped nectar. How weird. Was it the cold, rainy spring – they ate everything & then starved to death? If so – wouldn’t there be bodies in the hive? Is that hive the “swarm” that was caught in my neighbor’s yard, not so unlikely – only a couple of blocks away. The hive was a stack of ready frames, about 20 frames showing comb development, many with pollen stores, some uncapped nectar, the bottom deep box & first shallow box had been brood chamber for awhile – well developed black comb with lots of old cocoons, pollen & yet – now – with a spotty brood pattern of only a few dozen capped cells, & no queen cells.
By the time I saw it today – the wax moths are already at work in one section. Partch puts the exodus at after May 31st, last time they can remember seeing bees making regular forage entrances. David says he saw lots of fighting around the entrance before then, and it appeared that they were using the top as an entrance also. Some aggressive behavior toward him as well. I have taken the boxes home to expose them or freeze to rid the wax moths, and will create a storage until they are needed or David wants to try again. Too sad. I have taken pictures of the odd white stuff I found on several frames, in most boxes. At forst I thought it was the cappigs from the upper boxes, as they were robbed. But – I actually put one in my mouth & it was hard & grainey, not sure what it is. They are irregular sizes & shapes, seems unlikely that they are eggs of any kind – although the hive is filled with small ants doing clean up. Does anyone know?
I checked the new hive, and they have not eaten all of the syrup in top tray. In fact – I am unsure if they have used any of it. There are a lot of bees hanging around in the trays & the entrance, so I assume they are using it. So, I will check & refill with another ½ gallon on Tuesday before I leave. The front entrance is being used, as I counted about 30 bees landing in one minute, so I assume they are doing ok inside .
Attached pictures of the white grains – anyone got ideas? They were on top of the frames also clinging to the outside edges of comb, as if they had been falling down the spaces & got caught by the sticky nature of the comb.
Buying Organic Eggs – what to know…
June 7, 2010
What to Know Before You Buy Organic Eggs at the Grocery Store
One of our favorite breakfasts is Local Fram Eggs..scrambled with lots of garlic & fresh garden greens, especially Dino Kale or Spinach. Some times – if I had made Goat Cheese, we add that too! I know that breakfast lasts for me most all morning & into the afternoon if I am busy & forget lunch until late…
I love buying my eggs from a neighbor or friend & knowing how they were handled & what life the chickens had. I have contemplated geting some chickens, but adding yet another daily task on our little homestead brings resistance…so, local eggs = local economy!
Eggs are one of the most beneficial foods you can eat, and it’s a shame they’ve been vilified for so long in the United States. In the U. S., roughly 280 million birds give us about 75 billion eggs per year, which is about 10 percent of the world supply.
But not all eggs are created equal.
Here’s what Dr Mercola’s site has to say about all of this – in detail…
Eggs from truly organic, free-range chickens are FAR less likely to contain dangerous bacteria such as salmonella, and their nutrient content is also much higher than commercially raised eggs. The dramatically superior nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free ranging, pastured hens and commercially farmed hens.
If you are eating organically, then you have learned how important the diet and care of an animal is to the quality of its meat, and in this case, their eggs. But have you ever thought about what happens to these eggs AFTER they are collected?
You would think that organic eggs would be your best choice when picking them up at the grocery store. However, most states have laws that make them illegal unless all the eggs that are sold commercially are processed in a way that could damage them.
Some states require that all eggs receive a chlorine bath and mineral oil coating before they are nestled into their cartons.
There are vast differences in how eggs are processed and handled, even under the “certified organic” label.
As it turns out, what happens outside the shell is as important as what happens inside the shell, and that is the focus of this report.
Your Egg’s Journey from Hen to Market
Ideally, eggs should be processed the day after they are laid. The USDA requires processing within 30 days of lay. High quality eggs are processed within seven days of lay.
Egg processing involves the following six steps:
1. Egg collecting
2. Cooling
3. Cleaning/Disinfecting
4. Candling (a measure for assessing the interior quality of the eggs whereby eggs are held up in front of a high-intensity light and visually examined; among other problems, cracks can be identified that necessitate disposal of the egg)
5. Grading
6. Packing/Labeling
It is the cleaning process that you as a consumer should be aware of, because in this step, chemicals and contaminants may be introduced that compromise your eggs’ quality.
Why Eggshells are Like Your Skin
Did you know that, like your skin, eggshells are actually a porous membrane rather than an impermeable barrier?
An eggshell contains approximately 7,500 pores or openings. The outer surface is covered with a waxy cuticle (called the bloom when on a chicken egg), sealing the egg and helping prevent bacteria from entering.
Gases are transferred and moisture is lost through these pores.
When moisture is lost, carbon dioxide is also lost, speeding up the breakdown of the egg.[i] Loss of carbon dioxide causes the egg’s pH to increase, which results in thinning of the albumen.
Why is this important?
Because commercial processing regularly destroys this protective cuticle.
As it turns out, it is standard industry practice to wash chicken eggs. Depending on the method of washing, the cuticle can be easily damaged, which leaves your eggs vulnerable to contamination and faster spoilage. The egg industry knows this, so to replace what Mother Nature put there for good reason, they must coat the egg with something—often mineral oil. It’s akin to adding preservatives to processed foods.
Not only is mineral oil a non-natural agent, but it’s a petroleum product that was never intended for you to eat.
Some egg producers use vegetable oil as a more natural alternative.
If you are a culinary talent, you might be surprised to hear that using eggs whose shells were oiled will prevent those “stiff peaks” from happening, because some percentage of the oil seeps into the egg white.
Not all eggs undergo oiling, but many larger producers do, particularly if they are preparing their eggs for long-distance shipment and/or storage.
According to the “incredible edible egg[ii]” website, about 10 percent of all eggs are oiled. I could find no statistic about what percentage of eggs are cleaned in a way that their cuticle has been wiped out, but I suspect it is much higher than 10 percent.
Like your skin, what’s put ON your egg goes INTO your egg. Meaning, whatever the eggshell comes into contact with can cross over this semi-permeable membrane and end up in your scrambled eggs, from chlorine to mineral oil to dish soap — to salmonella.
Your Organic Eggs May Be Chlorinated or Rinsed in Lye
According to A Guide to On-Farm Processing for Organic Producers: Table Eggs[iii], detergents and other chemicals used for “wet cleaning” eggs must either be non-synthetic or among the allowed synthetics on the National List of allowed non-agricultural substances (205.603 of the National Organic Standard).
These synthetics include:
• Chlorine (sodium hypochlorate)
• Potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide (lye)
• Sodium carbonate
• Ozone
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Peracetic acid (peroxyacetic acid) — a mixture of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide
These agents serve mostly as sanitizers, rather than washing agents.
If chlorine is used at levels over 4 ppm, it must be followed with a clean water rinse at no more than 4 ppm residual levels. Chlorine itself is relatively benign and breaks down to chloride in your body — which is not much different from the chloride ion in table salt.
However, chlorine can interact with organic materials to form highly toxic compounds called DBPs (Disinfection Byproducts), which can be carcinogenic and mutagenic. And eggs are an “organic material,” which bears the question of what chemical interactions are occurring in a chlorinated egg that have yet to be discovered?
Instead of harsh chemicals, the guide cited above4 recommends cleaning eggs with plain vinegar (mixed with 3 parts water) because it is non-synthetic and quite effective at removing both bacteria and stains on the eggshells (which some people find objectionable).
Some farmers report rinsing eggs very quickly in water, just to dislodge any debris, and believe this is adequate. Others use a dry brushing process — no liquids at all — just a brush, sandpaper, or a loofah sponge.
This dry brushing technique is highly recommended for small producers.
If eggs are rinsed in water, it is very important that the wash water be about 20 degrees warmer than the eggs, and at least 90 degrees F, but not more than 40 degrees above the eggs’ temperature because of the risk of thermal cracking. This proper temperature gradient encourages the contents of the egg to swell and push the dirt out of the pores.
If the water is too cold relative to the egg, the egg can literally “suck in” the washing solution — along with the bacteria in it. Water exposure should be as brief as possible to minimize the potential for contamination, and the eggs dried immediately.
Mineral oil is not listed in the National List of allowed substances.
I think it is unlikely that an organic farmer would choose to use mineral oil, but the regulations are so variable from state to state, and the national guidelines so nebulous, that there is lots of wiggle room.
Scrambled Federal and State Regulations on Eggs
There are different federal and state regulations for egg farmers, depending on what the eggs are intended for.
Eggs that are going to be used in egg products (i.e., those that will be cracked and emptied) are subjected to one set of regulations, and eggs that are sold as “table eggs” or “shell eggs,” which are sold fresh and whole “in the shell,” are subject to another set of regulations.
And then there are state regulations, in addition to federal regulations.
In 1970, Congress passed the Egg Products Inspection Act (administered by the USDA) to ensure that eggs and egg products are safe for consumption. This act imposes specific inspection requirements for both shell eggs and egg products for anyone who sells eggs to retailers (grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.).
In 1972, on-site inspections of all shell egg producers became required quarterly. However, any producer with a flock of less than 3,000 birds is EXEMPT from this act.
Every state has its own specific egg laws, which makes it more complicated to figure out what process your eggs have gone through. Although the USDA does not allow immersion washing (allowing eggs to soak in water), most small producers are not subject to those restrictions.
And most state egg laws do not specify washing methods.
For an extensive list of egg regulatory agencies, you can refer to this USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service “fact sheet.”
Egg Cleaners and Sanitizers
According to the USDA’s publication “Guidance for Shell Egg Cleaners and Sanitizers”[iv]:
“Compounds used to wash and destain shell eggs are potential food additives. Therefore, they are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unfortunately, FDA does not have any published regulations dealing with shell egg cleaning and destaining compounds.”
Leaves it wide open, doesn’t it?
The publication goes on to give some guidelines for egg cleaning chemicals, basically instructing farmers to use substances that are “GRAS” (Generally Recognized as Safe), but these substances are not limited in any way.
Since organic egg producers are interested in producing high-quality eggs, many of them—especially small, local farming operations—have implemented gentle washing methods that don’t compromise the cuticle.
Interestingly, in Europe, Grade A eggs are not washed. According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service[v]:
“This practice is a result of research done in the early 1900s that indicated washing eggs before storage resulted in unpredictable and sometimes deleterious results. However, the length of wash time, cleanliness and temperature of the water and the proper use of sanitizers varied widely in these studies.
Older egg production books do not recommend washing eggs at all. In the past, it was important to protect the cuticle because refrigeration was not always possible.”
To Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate
Despite what you’ve heard, eggs that are fresh and have an intact cuticle do not need to be refrigerated, as long as you are going to consume them within a relatively short period of time.
In other countries, including most of Europe, eggs are frequently not refrigerated.
In the U.S., refrigeration of eggs became the cultural norm when mass production caused eggs to travel long distances and sit in storage for weeks to months before arriving at your superstore. The general lack of cleanliness of factory farms has increased the likelihood that your eggs have come into contact with pathogens, amplifying the need for disinfection and refrigeration.
Not only that, but as a culture, we are rather “germ phobic” here in the U.S., compared to other countries.
So, IF your eggs are very fresh, and IF their cuticle is intact, you do not have to refrigerate them. According to Hilary Thesmar, director of the American Egg Board’s Egg Safety Center[vi]:
“The bottom line is shelf life. The shelf life for an unrefrigerated egg is 7 to 10 days and for refrigerated, it’s 30 to 45 days. A good rule of thumb is one day at room temperature is equal to one week under refrigeration.”
Eggs purchased from grocery stores are typically already three weeks old, or older. USDA certified eggs must have a pack date on the carton, and a sell-by date. Realize that the eggs were often laid many days prior to the pack date.
For cracking the egg carton dates code, click here.
For more information about how to maximize the health benefits of your eggs, please review my earlier article.
Hello, Big Farma
About 95 percent of the eggs produced in the U.S. come from gigantic egg factories housing millions of hens under one roof.
According to the American Egg Board:
• Prior to World War II, most egg production came from farm flocks of less than 400 hens. By the early 1960s, technological innovations caused a shift from small farms to huge commercial operations.
• There are currently about 245 egg companies with flocks of 75,000 or more.
• Of these 245 companies, 60 have at least one million laying hens, and 12 have more than 5 million hens.
You can only imagine how difficult — if not impossible — it is to keep 5 million hens healthy and happy, under one roof… a clucking nightmare!
This is just another reason you should buy from your local organic farmer.
According to Robert Plamondon’s Poultry Pages[vii], the most common sources of dirty eggs are the following:
• Hens who sleep and poop in the nest boxes
• Hens who enter the nests with muddy feet
• Broken eggs (from insufficient nest litter, or too many hens jammed together)
• Traffic (too many hens coming and going in a small area)
It is much easier to produce clean eggs than to clean dirty eggs.
Preventing dirty eggs is best done through better management of the hens and their nesting spaces, which greatly reduces the need for egg cleaning in the first place.
As the guide states, “Disease prevention in organic systems starts with clean birds.” Your egg farmer should be paying attention to proper nutrition, clean water, adequate housing space, and good ventilation to reduce stress on the hens and support their immunity.
Crowded conditions in factory farms are a major reason why so many commercial eggs have to be bathed in caustic chemicals in order to be “safe” for you to eat!
How Can You Guarantee Clean, Fresh Eggs?
So, how can you tell if your eggs have been washed in chlorine or lye, or in some other chemical, or coated with mineral oil?
You certainly can’t tell by looking at them.
The only way to know if your eggs have been washed or oiled (and using what agents) is to ask the producer — and the only way to do that is to buy from small local farmers you have direct contact with.
It is important to know where your food comes from. And if you don’t ask, they won’t tell you.
The key here is to buy your eggs locally. About the only time I purchase eggs from the store is when I am travelling or for some reason I miss my local egg pickup.
But finding high quality organic eggs locally is FAR easier than finding raw milk as virtually every rural area has individuals with chickens. If you live in an urban area visiting the local health food stores is typically the quickest route to finding the high quality local egg sources.
Farmers markets are another great way to meet the people who produce your food. With face-to-face contact, you can get your questions answered and know exactly what you’re buying. Better yet, visit the farm — ask for a tour. If they have nothing to hide, they should be eager to show you their operation.
Remember, clean and happy chickens lead to healthy eggs.
[i] “Fresh Farm Eggs—Marketing and Regulations” (Agricultural and Natural Resources Fact Sheet #511), Washington State University Cooperative Extension for King County http://king.wsu.edu/foodandfarms/documents/eggfsfnl.pdf
[ii] American Egg Board (AEB) http://www.incredibleegg.org/
[iii] Fanatico, A and Keupper G. “A Guide to on-farm processing for organic producers: Table eggs”
[iv] “Guidance for shell egg cleaners and sanitizers,” USDA Regulations and Policies, Food Safety and Inspection Service
[v] Fanatico A. and Conner B. (2009) “Small-scale egg handling,” National Sustainable Agricultural Service (ATTRA Publication #IP348/346)
[vi] “Storing eggs differs in Europe, America” (May 6, 2009)
[vii] Plamondon R. “Egg quality/egg washing”
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/08/why-you-dont-want-to-buy-organic-eggs-at-the-grocery-store-.aspx
JAMIE MAKES A HOME VISIT
June 1, 2010
Just when you thought it was safe to eat some doughnuts & chips…Jamie Oliver shows up & puts it ALL on the table! See it at this link –
Time magazine has some good thoughts on it all too…
There are lots of ideas on how to fool ourselves into eating less – or better…
Even after eating a large meal, we often “make room” for dessert, because a desire for sweets hasn’t been satisfied. Ann Gaba, a registered dietitian at New York Presbyterian Hospital, says that sometimes all it takes is a bit of fruit in a salad during a meal to curb a sugar craving.
start seeing farmers!
June 1, 2010
START SEEING FARMERS!
Hey – I do hope we all “Start seeing Farmers” …around town, around our county, around our nation… small farmers that is – ones that grow “real food”!!!
There is an exciting new farmer movement – young people who realize that farming is sexy & that feeding people is where it is at – for survival into the next human phase.
SO-
Come on farmers – stand up & be counted! WWOOFers, PERMACULTURISTS, TREE PLANTERS, Green Uprising Farmers all Farmers who go to Market or sell from a CSA…
Why do we need a farming revolution? Yep, since the 1970’s (or earlier) we have been losing the ancient farm web – a structure that fed all of us for millennia. In just a few decades, we became dependant on Big Ag. Large farms are not feeding us in a healthy way, they are part of the corporate food complex, creating obesity & health concerns with the use of fields & choice of crops. Too bad for everyone… It is about Government Farm Subsidies as much as anything else.
A decade ago, an American woman’s waist, on average, was close to two inches smaller than it is today. Eighteen year olds are at least 15 pounds heavier than they were in the 1970s. That is a bad start on adult life & habits.
One reason is federal subsidies for food production.
Check out these numbers:
- Meat/Dairy — 73.8 percent
- Grains — 13.2 percent
- Sugar/Oil/Starch/Alcohol — 10.7 percent
- Nuts/Legumes — 1.9 percent
- Vegetables/Fruits — 0.4 percent
That’s right – just 1.9 percent for nuts and legumes and 0.4 percent for fruits and vegetables. As a result, a salad often costs you more than a Big Mac.
Follow the money – & it should come as no surprise that federal subsidies for certain kinds of food will directly influence the production and subsequent consumption of that food.
As you can see in the list above, the US food subsidies are grossly skewed, creating a diet excessively high in factory-farmed meats, grains and sugars, with very little fresh fruits and vegetables or healthy fats from nuts and seeds.
The food crops currently subsidized are corn, soy, wheat and rice. What do you end up with?
A fast food diet!
It’s quite clear that the farm bill creates a negative feedback loop that maintains the status quo of the standard American diet, which is directly responsible for our current epidemic of diabetes & obesity. By subsidizing the farming of corn and soy, the US government is actively supporting a diet that consists of these crops. And, the food processing industry is using the bulk of these crops to either feed animals before slaughter or to be used as foodstuffs in their processed form – so what we are getting for all of our tax supported farm subsidies is a lot of high fructose corn syrup (GMO), soybean oil (GMO), and grain-fed cattle (GMO) – all of which are known contributors to obesity and chronic diseases.
(See my reminders that the vast majority of these two crops are also genetically modified, which in and of itself is a major health hazard that has hardly begun to play out in our lifestyle or timeline of health & genetics of future generations)
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is perhaps the most obvious example of how the farm subsidies are destroying our health, as opposed to promoting the production of food that is actually worthy of being called “food.” I’ve done a few rants (posts) on this subject, http://anniegreenjeans.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=406
and it is all over the information field that this stuff is bad news. I am traveling right now, and (am not in my normal zone of food selections – including homemade salad dressings, natural ice cream, carefully chosen foods – even is they are from the Grocery Outlet)…checking a few labels from my friend’s cupboards, I find that the proliferation of corn syrup is amazing! It is truly in almost everything. I am sure that when I was a kid – hot fudge syrup did not have corn syrup to sweeten it (of course we didn’t have it in our cupboards actually – only as an occasional treat from the dairy queen), so those recipes have been altered & I bet – are much cheaper to make without regular sugar. Funny – to think we have come to a point where “sugar” is considered a “healthy alternative”. Yikes! Everyone – check those labels & refuse to buy that stuff…maybe we can get it off the shelves if we just don’t vote with our dollars. Cheap food is not better if it kills us sooner…
Get involved with your food. You don’t have to be an activist to make a few healthy choices at the grocery store. Your budget can handle it. Your kids will thank you when they don’t get diabetes.
Thanks to K Krizanovich for the fun photo that started this entire rant…
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