Drinkwell Soda

What Can We Do To Make Our Food Safer?

Plenty.  This morning, like most mornings, I read the latest post on the Food Politics blog by Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and author of  Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (2002, 2nd ed. 2007).  Today's post was The Latest In Food Ingredients: Bribery! It is a quick link to a story in the NY Times about a broker who was bribing ingredient buyers at KRAFT,  Frito-Lay, Safeway and B&G Foods, to unload inferior (moldy) tomatoes.

The story is yet another example of why we need to take more control of our food.  The closer we get to the source the less risk of human error, corruption and greed.  I'm not saying we can eliminate them all together, but at least we should work on reducing the number of people involved and hopefully reduce the overall risk. 

One of the biggest obstacles that I see is in making a change is  the amount of time this requires.  Changing our food economy from prepared, packaged foods (I use the term very loosely here) to actual food ingredients means we have to take the time to cook and prepare.  It seems that a large portion of our country has lost the pride we used to have for preparing our own food.  Baking pies, baking bread, "putting up vegetables" etc. were things that people were known for.  As the greater we lost interest we also lost our connection to one of the most vital acts of everyday living - eating! 

I don't believe there is one simple solution, but I do have a few suggestions.  First, if you have children involve them.  Cooking is one of the best educational tools around, it teaches them to read, to follow instructions, to follow the order or process of something, math skills, history, botany, anatomy and geography can all be incorporated in the time spent together in the kitchen.  Make canning tomatoes, baking cookies, or cooking dinner a family event! 

A second suggestion is to share the time with friends.  This can be done in a couple of ways, either together for a larger event such as summer time canning, or throughout the year by divvying up responsibilities of food preparation.  As an example, if a few people agree to cook one or two items per week, make  larger batches, enough to share with the group, then you can have a week's worth of food but only have to cook one or two dishes. Lots of people are bringing back the barter and trade system.  This is an excellent way of taking advantage of individual skills and passions.  

As much as the news of tainted food, the exploits of big business or corrupt people upsets me, I am encouraged by the changes I see and the voices I hear (or read).  We can make a difference and sharing ideas for positive change is a wonderful way to start.  I invite you to contribute any ideas for making the transition back a little more easy.

Cheers!

Lorraine

What Does Our Food Really Cost?

Today Nigel and I attended a workshop on mentorship put on by California Farmlink.  Nigel was one of the guest speakers.  Since farming is not my background I enjoy tagging along to these events because I always learn a lot. 

 

During the break I had a thought provoking conversation with Mark Pasternak from Devils Gulch Ranch.  They grow wine grapes and asparagus, and raise rabbits, pigs, sheep, and quail.  A very interesting man, he and his wife have been working in Haiti for the past several years on a rabbit project that will provide a source of easy and inexpensive protein.  By the way, they happened to be in Haiti at the time of the earthquake.  You can find out more about Devils Gulch Ranch and their experience in Haiti at their website.

 

Getting back to the subject of this blog though, Mark and I were discussing how much cheap food actually costs us.  Do we really have any concept, at all?  I would say, no we don’t.

 

Michael Pollan writes in his book In Defense of Food “In 1960 Americans spent 17.5 percent of their income on food and 5.2 percent of national income on health care.  Since then, those numbers have flipped:  Spending on food has fallen to 9.9 percent, while spending on health care has climbed to 16 percent of national income.”  Our food costs have dropped significantly but since many of the most expensive illnesses and some of the fastest growing have a strong relationship to diet it is clear that we aren’t saving anything here.

 

The relationship between health care versus food is just one of the hidden costs most of us never factor in.  Farm subsidies are another food expense we foot the bill for that most of us don’t take into consideration as a personal expense.  Between 1995 and 2006 corn received $56,170,875,257.00, wheat $22,051,566200.00, soybeans $14,239,702,740, the total amount of money handed out in subsidies was $177.6 billion.  These were not organic family farms that were cashing in on government money; as a matter of fact among subsidy recipients 10% collected 74% of all subsidies.  (Figures come from EWG website Farm Subsidy Database )

 

Mark brought up yet another interesting point, one I had not even considered.  What does it cost us to clean up the huge toxic mess that massive agribusiness creates.  It pollutes our water systems, streams, rivers and ground water.  And they pollute the air and destroy the soil.  The corporations don’t take responsibility for the disasters they create rather they are masters of avoiding responsibility.  The consequence is that we, the taxpayers, end up footing the bill.  As a matter of fact we are footing the bill for all of this.  Our tax dollars are the farm subsidies and the rates we pay for an out of control health system is just another form of taxation.  So you see our cheap food really isn’t so cheap after all.  It is time to make a change.

Make Mine a Local Beverage, Please

Like millions of people I have read Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal Vegetable Miracle. If you haven’t read it, consider picking up a copy.  AVM is an enjoyable read, a fun and fascinating story about their family’s yearlong commitment to eating only locally produced food.  Barbara’s husband and oldest daughter contribute to the book drawing from their unique interests and backgrounds.  Steven adds substance to the story with the scientific view of what has and is happening to our food systems and for our own practical enjoyment Camille gives us the seasonal recipes they enjoyed during the year. 

 

The book made me think.  How do I eat, how do I shop?  I must admit I am extremely spoiled.  I have my own personal farmer, and as most farmers do we trade A LOT with other farmers at the market, so most of my food is local and the best you could ever dream of eating.  Clearly I can’t get everything I need at the Market, so what happens when I do shop in a store?  I began reading labels again, only this time it wasn’t for the ingredients; it was to find out where my food choices were coming from.  I realized, with the exception of milk, I did not apply this scrutiny to beverages, and that made me think.

 

How many of us focus our food choices on local, seasonal, organic but don’t apply those standards to what we drink?  I would wager the vast majority of people who are dedicated to their Saturday morning Farmer’s Market culinary excursions do not necessarily apply the same standards to their potations.  What we drink is as important as what we eat. 

 

In a somewhat related story I was intrigued and saddened by one of the items in this week’s CUESA Newsletter regarding Orange Juice.  To sum it up I have copied an excerpt from the Yale Press site:

 

In the enlightening book Squeezed, Alissa Hamilton explores the hidden history of orange juice. She looks at the early forces that propelled orange juice to prominence, including a surplus of oranges that plagued Florida during most of the twentieth century and the army’s need to provide vitamin C to troops overseas during World War II. She tells the stories of the FDA’s decision in the early 1960s to standardize orange juice, and the juice equivalent of the cola wars that followed between Coca-Cola (which owns Minute Maid) and Pepsi (which owns Tropicana). Of particular interest to OJ drinkers will be the revelation that most orange juice comes from Brazil, not Florida, and that even “not from concentrate” orange juice is heated, stripped of flavor, stored for up to a year, and then reflavored before it is packaged and sold. The book concludes with a thought-provoking discussion of why consumers have the right to know how their food is produced. http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300124712

 

 I want to be part of the solution, to make a difference by providing local consumers a viable option.  Although I have chosen to use organic cane sugar and I do make some sodas with teas and herbs that are not local, the majority of flavors we offer are from our farm or other local farms.  Drinkwell Sodas are made locally, they are perishable and must be enjoyed fresh and alive.  As my little soda venture grows we will be able to grow some of the herbs I am now sourcing elsewhere.  We are even giving sugarcane a try.  Imagine how fabulous it would be to make Drinkwell Sodas with Eatwell Farm organic cane juice?  Although the possibilities are not limitless we are making every effort to improve.  My dream for the future is a Drinkwell Soda made from local ingredients only and growing opportunities to teach people all over the country how to do what I am doing; Fresh Sodas Stands at Farmer’s Markets everywhere!

 

Cheers,

Lorraine