World Food Programme

Freerice.com

Another important aspect of food sustainability and environmental security is making sure that people around the globe have enough food to eat. The World Food Programme is an organization that works to fight worldwide hunger. One way that you can help bring food to the people who need it the most is to simply play a word game on Freerice.com. You are given a word and you must decide the correct definition from a list of choices. For each word you get correct, ten grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Programme. So in addition to buying healthy and sustainable foods for yourself, reach out to others in need and help them get enough nutritional food to eat. Also, check out the World Food Programme website to find out about more ways that you can make a difference.

Food Politics

Happy 5th Birthday: Pew Commission

Foodpolitics.com

Marion Nestle, author of the book Food Politics, shares valuable insight about the politics involved in food production and distribution in her blog. Check out this link to an article about the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, specifically the report Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America. Nestle was a member of the Commission herself, and she explains in her article that the  most concerning aspect of industrialized farming is the "overuse of antibiotics and the shocking environmental impact of vast amounts of animal waste."

A Bushel of What?: Orzo Salad

A Bushel of What?: Orzo Salad: Yesterday was my birthday. I celebrated by hanging out with my two favorite boys (one little, one big) and doing nothing special, in particu...


Above is an excerpt from a food blog called A Bushel of What? The site has a number of yummy looking recipes that incorporate different organic and sustainable ingredients. Check out this recipe for an orzo salad.

Farmers vs. Frackers

Organic farmer Greg Swartz explains that nearby fracking operations are causing serious environmental issues on his Willow Wisp Organic Farm near the Delaware River in northern Pennsylvania. Fracking has also been linked to a number of detrimental health problems. Watch the video to learn more about the serious risks that fracking operations pose on both the environment and human safety.

Visit the Ecocentric blog for more information about Greg Swartz's farm and the issue of fracking.

The Curse of Fertilizer - Photo Gallery

The Curse of Fertilizer - Photo Gallery

Check out this amazing collection of photographs by National Geographic's Peter Essick called "Our Fertilized World." Essick explains that "if we don't watch out, agriculture could destroy our planet."

National Geographic: How to Go Green With Food

How to Go Green With Food | National Geographic

Highlights from the article about how to eat more sustainably:
1. visit a local C.S.A
2. find local food vendors and ask about where the food comes from
3. check for "USDA Organic" seal
4. visit the Environmental Working Group Shopper's Guide to Pesticides
5. check for independent humane labeling
6. visit the Blue Ocean Institute website
7. think about becoming a vegetarian! (my favorite)

USDA Organic Guide, United States Department of Agriculture

You can find more articles about sustainable living and food systems on the National Geographic Green Living page.

JMU Environmental Stewardship

James Madison University - JMU environmental stewardship efforts earn more praise

Image Source: http://www.clarkedailynews.com/page/63/

Go James Madison! The University has recently been recognized by the governor's office, the Virginia Recycling Association, the League of American Bicyclists, and the Princeton Review for its dedication to environmental stewardship.

Urban Spoon

To search for local restaurants that offer organic, vegetarian, and vegan food options visit the urbanspoon website. You can narrow your search by location, price, cuisine, and extra features. So the next time you're in the mood for organic food in Harrisonburg, try the Local Twin Oaks Tofu Steak at the Local Chop & Grill House or the Eggs-ceptional Sandwich at the A Bowl of Good Cafe.

urbanspoon.com, Harrisonburg Organic Restaurants

Sustainable Eats at JMU

View the whole Sustainability pdf here

One of the reasons that I wanted to create this blog was so that I could share information about food sustainability as J.M.U. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the J.M.U dining services do a pretty good job at upholding and maintaining "environmental stewardship." Above is a page from the sustainability pdf that explains in detail J.M.U's commitment to environmental conservation. Check on the rest of the slides by clicking the link above, and visit the "Sustainability at J.M.U Dining" homepage to learn more about the various sustainable food options available on campus. You can also sign up to volunteer in the J.M.U student garden here! (betcha didn't know we had one of those)

Sustainability Humor with Jimmy Fallon

With all of the melting polar icecaps, and the dying bees, and the impending extinction of various kinds of plants and animals it's sometimes hard to to see our environment as anything more than a ticking clock of death and destruction. So I offer you this clip of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" as a little "pick me up" to help us all keep fighting the good fight.

The Little Grill

The Little Grill located at 621 North Main Street in Harrisonburg, VA offers a wide selection of foods for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike. This cash-only institution works as a collective business in which the workers share joint ownership and responsibility. The menu boasts organic, free range, local, and fair trade foods, and the restaurant regularly recycles, re-uses, and composts. So for "sustainable eats" in downtown Harrisonburg, check out the LGC. 

C-Ville: Beyond Organic

Beyond Organic: Local Farmer Michael Clark's Produce Thrives Despite Growing Pains

Photo Source: C-Ville.com, John Robinson

Read this interesting article in C-Ville by Preston Long that talks about organic produce in the Stanardsville, Virginia area. Pictured above is organic farmer Michael Clark, the article's focus. I have also embedded the YouTube video "Growing Ginger in Virginia." In addition to organic farming, Clark also helps design the motion graphics for the YouTube channel Planet Earth, and this is one of their more recent productions. Take a look and let me know what you think.

How Much Do We Care?

Poll Finds Americans Less Concerned About the Environment Now Than When Earth Day Began

Huffington Post GREEN's Emily Swanson writes that a HuffPost/YouGov Poll shows Americans view environmental problems as less significant than they did in 1971, a year after the first Earth Day. However, the poll also shows that more Americans are making an effort to reduce the negative environmental impacts of their lifestyle choices, including using less electricity, eating organic foods, and recycling. Click on the link above to read the whole article, and please comment on how you feel about the poll results. 

Here is a sample of some of the questions asked and the responses given. You can also take the survey yourself by visiting the website. 

Poll Source: HuffPost/YouGov, http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/toplines_earthday411.pdf

Harrisonburg's Friendly City Food Co-Op

Above is an excerpt from the Friendly City Food Co-Op Blog about local ramps.  Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Co-Op sells a variety of organic foods produced by local farmers. Though you don't have to become a member to shop at Friendly City, members enjoy benefits such as discounts, newsletters, and voting privileges. You can also find recipe ideas on their website.  Do you shop at this or any other food co-op? Let me know in the comments what you think about this kind of food venue.

TED: "The Route to a Sustainable Future"

Here's another TED Talk that discusses sustainability in general and the future of our planet. Speaker Alex Steffen is also the founder of Worldchanging, a project by Architecture for Humanity designed to bring together creative minds in an effort to improve global living conditions through "innovative and sustainable design." Watch the short video to learn about the importance and urgency of reducing our ecological footprints. Along with food sustainability, Steffen also covers a number of other factors that affect the overall health and well-being of the environment. 

If an 11 Year Old Can Do It, So Can You!

TED Talks are a great resource for information on a wide variety of social issues, food sustainability included. 11 year old Birke Baehr shares his take on "What's Wrong with our Food Systems" in this humorous but precise presentation. Baehr is described as a future organic farmer who thinks that everyone should be able to identify how "food is made, where it comes from, and what's in it."

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day! In honor of our precious planet, go outside and plant a tree, have a sustainable lunch, or visit this link to learn about more ways that you can positively impact the environmental health of your community!

JMU Food Day

James Madison University - It Takes More Than a Day to Observe Food Day

Last October, James Madison University celebrated "National Food Day," or in this case, Food Week! JMU decided to devote a whole week to educating our community about local and sustainable foods! Visit the website to learn more about the events that took place, and keep an eye out for next year's sustainable food celebrations!

Image Source: http://fooddayshenvalley.wordpress.com/home-3/

NPR: Michael Pollan's "Cooked"

Fire,Water, Air, Earth: Michael Pollan Gets Elemental In 'Cooked'

Click on the link to listen to NPR host Rachel Martin's interview with author Michael Pollan about his new book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. In the book, Pollan discusses how the four elements fire, water, air, and earth work to turn various flora and fauna into the foods we eat.

Photo Source: NPR.org

Harrisonburg Downtown Farmer's Market

The Harrisonburg Farmer's Market is located on 228 South Liberty Street in downtown Harrisonburg. The market is a great place to find sustainable foods and products produced locally. Vendors sell a variety of environmentally friendly goods, ranging from sausage biscuits and homemade breads to local honey and a variety of crafts. Visit them this Saturday and see all of the wonderful foods and goods available locally.


Regular Market Hours:
Every Tuesday and Saturday, April through Thanksgiving
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.



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The Meatrix

Learn about the horrors of factory farming in this clever video satirically based off of the movie The Matrix.

NYTimes: "What are the Three Best Basic Recipes?"

Image Source: The New York Times

Check out this article I found on The New York Times website called "Chop, Fry, Broil: Eating for One, or 6 Billion." The author Mark Bittman boasts that the three best basic recipes are "a stir-fry, a chopped salad, and the basic combination of rice and lentils." Bittman further explains that these recipes are easy to learn, easy to make, and that they are "nutritionally sound and environmentally friendly." Click on the link above to read the whole article and to learn more about the basics of sustainable cooking.

Virginia Seasonal Foods

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides a handy chart that clearly shows what time of year different kinds of fruits and vegetables are in season. Currently, foods like asparagus, spinach, onions, and strawberries are ripe for the picking. You can find information about seasonal foods in other areas by clicking on this link to the Field to Plate website.

edible Harrisonburg!

edible Blue Ridge, Spring 2013

edible Blue Ridge is a member of the Edible Communities, and this publication offers a variety of information about how and where to find the freshest and most environmentally conscious ingredients locally. Edible Communities also publishes a number of other edible magazines such as edible Cape Cod, edible Phoenix, edible San Francisco, edible Manhattan, and edible Toronto, to name a few. Chances are there is an edible version of your hometown too! Check out the Spring 2013 issue of edible Blue Ridge here and see all of the healthy and sustainable food options available locally. 

Guide to Buying Sustainable Food

Yale University composed a fairly comprehensive guide about how to find and purchase sustainable food.  The guide breaks down the information into sections based on the type of food such as dairy, fruits and vegetables, eggs, poultry, etc... Questions to consider include the location and size of the farm, the types of food the animal in question eats, the farming practices used, as well as many other specifically tailored questions. Click on the link to see the guide, and maybe try it out the next time you go grocery shopping.

Yale Sustainable Food Purchasing Guide

Below is an overview provided by the Yale Sustainable Food Project about how to decide what dairy products to purchase.

Best:
"Cows are grazing animals, and their stomachs are made to digest grass. Their diets can be supplemented with grain but should not be primarily composed of it. They should never be given rBST or other growth hormones. Animals should be outdoors year round, and their pasture should be free from chemical sprays. Any additional feed they receive should be organic. In the ideal system, cow manure is used as a resource to fertilize pasture."

Avoid:
"Animals raised in CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) are crowded in and fed a grain (usually corn-based) diet, and they are routinely given growth hormones. Their diets might also include animal by-products (the remains of other animals). In this system, manure is a waste product, and it collects in lagoons or is dumped."

Work Cited:

 Sustainable Food Purchasing Guide. Yale Sustainable Food Project, n.d. Web 13 Apr. 2013

The Breeze: JMU Dining Services

SGA-sponsored forum encourages student participation and discussion on campus issues - The Breeze: News

Image Source: http://twtrland.com/profile/SGAjmu/conversations

I found this article in the James Madison University student newspaper The Breeze, and one of the main issues discussed during the forum was about the variety of foods available on campus. Students suggested that the dining services should offer more specialty diet foods, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher options, to name a few. Maybe sustainable and environmentally friendly food choices should be advocated for as well.

Sustainability on a Budget

Screenshot of the Oregon Environmental Council Website

Tips from local “Sustainability on a Budget” expert Monique Dupre — Oregon Environmental Council

Even poor college students can eat sustainably! Check out this link to find great tips on how to find healthy and sustainable foods on any budget.

Sustainable Food Systems

I found this video on YouTube that provides an interesting take on food sustainability.  This organization explains a number of ways that individuals and communities can move towards more sustainable food systems, factoring in environmental, social, and economic concerns. Let me know what you think.

Cheesy Deliciousness, Sustainability Style

Photo Source: http://courgegirl-foodporn.tumblr.com/post/46967935749

The best food in the world can be sustainable and environmentally friendly too! To make your own grilled cheese, go for whole grain, locally sourced bread and organic cheese produced by free range and hormone-free cows! Yummy!

Polyface Farms

Polyface or "the farm of many faces" is a local farming operation located in Swoope, Virginia. This farm utilizes a variety of environmentally friendly agricultural practices including free range animal living conditions and grass feeding. As I mentioned in a previous article, Polyface also incorporates several unconventional farming practices in the mix. Techniques such as "pigaerating" (see The Pigaerator!) keep their animals fat and happy. The Salatin family, the owners of Polyface, boast five guiding principles in their commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly farming. They promise to adhere to transparency, grass-based feeding practices, individuality, community, nature's template, and last but not least, earthworms! Click on the link to check out the Polyface website and to learn more about their unique farming practices.

Find them here!

View Larger Map

Also, click through the slideshow to see some of the shots I took during my visit to the farm.

The Pigaerator!

Last weekend I visited Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, and I had the opportunity to witness the rare "pigaerator" process that only takes place for a short period of time. The farm staff members explained that first their cows feed on hay and produce manure in the barn. After that, the cows pack down this mixture of manure and hay, and this process effectively ferments the bedding. Corn is then added into the mixture, and the pigs are brought in to root around in the bedding for their prize. The "pigaerator" essentially refers to the aeration that takes place when the pigs dig in the ground for the corn. The resulting well oxygenated and composted soil provides nutrients for the farm's croplands. Check out some of the pictures I took of the cute little piggies!

The pigs work hard to find the corn!

The "pigaerator" at work

Food Documentaries

Speaking from experience, you can learn a lot about the world around you just by queuing up a good documentary on Netflix. So, here is a list of a few of my favorite documentaries that focus on sustainable food practices and the environment. Enjoy!

1. Food Inc. (featuring Polyface Farm's own Joel Salatin!)

2. Fresh

3. King Corn

4. Super Size Me (discusses the horrors of the "fast food diet")

5. Dirt: The Movie (I haven't personally see this one yet, but I've heard good things)

Check them out, and let me know what you think!