Potato Greatness

I am currently back in Pennsylvania. I have been eating some tremendous food since I arrived home. Also, being in the independence state has enabled me to purchase raw goat's milk and plenty of raw jersey milk from cows. I love it. It is a bit more humid here than in Kamloops. Below is a nice slide on potatoes and it is provided by the BBC. Very interesting and informative. I love when my mother's potatoes come in, especially the classic sweet potato. Occasionally, we end up with sweet potatoes around 2-3 pounds.

A Slideshow from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/1.stm
The humble potato in all its thousands of varieties is gaining more and more importance as a food source for developing
nations, and the UN has declared 2008 the international year of the potato.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/2.stm
The tubers were first cultivated on the Altiplano of modern-day Peru and Bolivia, and after being introduced to Europe
around in the 16th Century, potatoes are now the world's third biggest staple food.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/3.stm
More potatoes are grown in developing countries than in the developed countries, providing poor nations with valuable
food and some income.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/4.stm
One of their big attractions is that potatoes provide higher yields in less time than other staple foods.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/5.stm
Amid the growing food crisis, potato prices have also remained relatively stable as they are not traded much across borders.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/6.stm
When boiled, a single medium-sized potato contains about 3g of protein, half the daily adult requirement of vitamin C,
and substantial amounts of vitamin B, as well as iron, potassium and zinc.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/7.stm
Pre-Incan cultures and the Incas used the freezing night temperatures and the hot sunshine of the daylight hours to
dehydrate and freeze-dry potatoes, a process that is still used today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/8.stm
About 130 countries are potato producers, growing a total of 315 million tonnes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/9.stm
China now is the world's largest potato producer, growing 70 million metric tonnes in 2006, but potatoes are
increasingly popular across Asia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/in_pictures_the_potato_/html/10.stm
Still, experts say it has yet to realise its full potential as a global food source.

Food Crisis

It seems that the world is gradually starting to realize it's growing food problem. The issue here is that it may indeed be too late to do something productive. Numerous countries have the lost the traditional wisdom to have sustainable agriculture. As Weston Price noted in the 1930's and 40's and more modern authors are also noting, fruits and vegetables both have significantly lower amounts of vitamins when compared to food produced under sustainable systems in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Vitamins and minerals are not being put back into the soil and thus food is weakening, the yield is not as high and people are reaping the repercussions. The global population continues to grow but the availability of food is not growing along with the demand. Cheap, low quality food is definitely the global enemy. Anyway, here is a very interesting article that goes deep into the issue. It is a very good analysis of our current system and the problems that humanity is facing.

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2008/05/19/080519crat_atlarge_wilson?currentPage=2

Supermarket Secrets

Here is Part I of a very, very interesting study on industrial farming and their relationship with supermarkets. I think this video is quite informative and shows the importance of healthy farming and a balanced society.

http://video.google.ca/videosearch?q=Supermarket+Secrets&hl=en&sitesearch=#

The Failures of Industrial Agriculture

Recently, the World Bank and the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization concluded a study that was in the works for the past four years. The study was done to find problems and solutions to the ever present global hunger issue. Surprisingly, it seems that the World Bank has finally gotten something right in regards to the future of the world. The report discusses the countless problems that have come to the forefront because of factory/industrial farming. Of these negatives aspects, there are certainly three problems that would definitely put a damper on the sustainability of the world's food sources. The report addressed the fact that factory farming has had an increased negative impact on the soil, water and biodiversity. In essence, if these mass production methods are continued, it will be extremely difficult to sustain a healthy food system.

The report applauds small farmers that use sustainable methods of production and it also continued to promote the usage of more localized economic systems. According to the report, industrial farming focuses on one immediate issue and then researches a quick fix. This is in contrast to the traditional farmer that finds a problem with their overall farming system and attempts to address the system as a whole, instead of finding one quick cure that may lead to even more production degradation. The report is a good sign for the future of local farmers and may also influence the World Bank and UN to promote much more traditional farming methods in "devleoping" countries throughout the world.

The saddest part behind this study is that key countries like Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have yet to sign onto the report and support the reports findings. Of course, in the lands of Cargill, Safeway, ConAgra, Archer Daniels Midland and ASDA it does not come as much of a surprise. Perhaps these companies have too much of a lobbying hold to allow their governments to support a much more traditional state of existence.

Hopefully, through the continued support of local co-ops like Heartland Quality Foods and numerous local farmers the future will provide us with a healthier food product that will also stem the problem of global hunger.

Factory Farming and Unacceptable Risks to the Public

Below is a link I came across today that deals with a thorough investigation of factory farming. The report was a 2 and a half year study of modern industrial food systems. They have addressed numerous health, environmental and sociological effects. The report also discusses the abuse of animals and the absolute neglect these animals face in the modern factory system. I highly recommend reading this brief abstract for the study.

http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=38438

The harmful health effects can easily be avoided by eating pastured meats, grass fed products and locally grown, sustainable foods. These are all widely available at the Co-op. Consuming health conscious foods would in turn push more support to a healthier society and a better environmental system. A better environment provides healthier air, soil and water that are crucial for the proper growth of nutrient dense food sources.

Grassfed Lamb

Numerous research has been done on products that are raised on pasture/grass in comparison with animals raised in a feedlot/factory farm system. The nutritional advantages are quite clear in the case of grass fed lamb. Scientists that were working together with the USDA found that lamb raised on pasture and grass contained about 14% less fat and 8% more protein when compared with grain fed lamb. These results are quite intriguing when considering caloric intake and fossil fuel consumption. The same portion of meat would have significantly less calories from grass fed lamb when compared with grain fed lamb and those calories would surely add up over the course of one year, let alone a lifetime. It also takes a significant amount of energy to raise a lamb in a grain fed factory farming system. On the other hand, a pastured lamb exists solely off the energy of the sun and works in a much more balanced food system. Choosing grass fed lamb is a win-win situation in regards to the environment, as well as the nutritional consumption.

At Heartland, numerous grass fed lamb products are offered by a local farmer which makes for a very diversified lamb palate that truly never grows old of the distinct lamb taste.

You Are What Your Animals Eat...Consider Grassfed

There is the old saying, "You are what you eat." This holds true in the vast majority of cases. Since the inception of factory farming, things have changed a bit. Factory farms generally fed their cattle, pigs and other grazers a mix of corn and grain. These two types of feed are not part of the native diets of most grazing animals, especially cattle and lamb. Now the feedlot farms have taken a new turn and it seems that the old saying can be turned into a new modified version, courtesy of the factory farm. "You are what the animal you eat...eats."

Factory farms are concerned about making money. The most expensive part of raising these animals is the feed that goes into fattening the sedentary beasts. Factory farmers have taken a new turn and instead of feeding them the lesser grains or corn (in comparison to grass), they have decided to cut input costs even more and feed their animals things such as banana chips, yogurt-covered raisin, cookies, licorice, cheese curls, frosted wheat cereal, Tater Tots, Kit Kat bars, uncooked French fries, pretzels and chocolate bars. Some of these "farmers" have even admitted to feeding their animals an entire by-product based diet.

As it happens, the consumer is the only person losing out. The cost of meat products is actually rising but the animal products are no longer a nutrient based option. Grass is the native diet to these animals and it provides them with a healthy base for proteins, antioxidants and omega - 3 fatty acids. Consequently, no one has even measured the nutritional value of the junk fed animals but I can assure that their quality would not compare to the grass fed animal.

Below is the link to an article that discusses the candy fed animals.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117971270570109153-zOC0IHWiWPWox_jaHb4rBiWVpIo_20070528.html?mod=blogs