Ostrich Egg

Is that an ostrich egg, or are you just happy to see me?

Stored Ojibwe American Indian wild rice, harvested in Wisconsin, that will feed us through the long winter

Including water.

Last year on Blog Action Day, we wrote about Climate Change. No climate change isn’t over – did you not see LA’s record high 113 degrees in late September? I strongly recommend this important new book by Bill McKibben.

This year, we’re talking water.

When we talk about food scarcity and food insecurity, we often forget to talk about water. Sure, we see the $20 bottle of artisenal water collected drop by drop by butterflies served in fancy restaurants. We hear about celebrities washing their hair with Evian water.

The more environmentally conscious places now serve tap water in recycled bottles. I carry my water bottle, especially after the news came out about BPA leaching into water bottles. Almost everyone seems concerned about the overuse of plastic bottles for water.

Check out this video by the Story of Stuff Project on plastic bottles (no surprise, it’s received some controversy!)

With all this controversy, it’s easy to think that water always comes in plastic bottles and that it is ours for the taking without limits, whether in plastic, recycled glass, or aluminum.

But is water really a right or is it a privilege?

According to Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke of the Nation, “Water promises to be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th century: the precious commodity that determines the wealth of nations.” Oil and water may not mix, but they certainly have something in common: who has right over their sources has a lot of power. According to their 2002 research, our source of fresh water is limited – it makes up less than half of 1% of the world’s water stock. With pollution, factory farms, and climate change, these sources become even scarcer.:

• 31 countries and over 1 billion people completely lack access to clean water
• A child dies every 8 seconds a child dies from drinking contaminated water

As is the case with scarcity, inequity results, usually along socio-economic and ethnic lines. In South Africa, for example, water has become another barrier to integration. Although the right to water is written in their Constitution, in 2002, 600,000 white farmers consumed 60% of the country’s water while 15 million Blacks had no direct access to water. Read Barlow and Clark’s article here.

The World Health Organization has  published quite a bit on the right to clean water that you can check out here. When deciding between that bottled water or “vitamin-infused” water, or dumping water down the drain as it were a limitless thing for our taking, take a look first at our right to water.

My friends at the amazing Ever Laughter Farm threw an AMAZING Summer Solstice party on the farm…waking up in the morning with chickens clucking in the background is simply…lovely. (Mind you, I had no tent, had a fabulous tarp though).

Little did I know that farmlife can be chaotic as well.

Two years around this time, I found an organic farm in the mountains of northern Georgia which looked for volunteers through a great group called WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms). You can find farms everywhere, from New Zealand to Canada.

So I packed a suitcase, several pairs of overalls, left the City, and found myself waiting at a bus “station” for my ride to the farm.

No, your eyes do not deceive. There are no buses nor people. But there’s my little suitcase in red with a pillow waiting. I was no longer in New York City.

Someone finally came by to pick me up and we drove to Wal-Mart to buy me some good rubber boots (for stepping in…stuff). After driving through winding mountain roads, we arrived at the Farm, which turned out to be also a RV camp. They had incredible water falls

and a 3-acre farm with some of the best organic soil in the state of Georgia. With three horses, many goats, three cows, rabbits and chickens, our days were full.

Every morning, I made myself a breakfast sandwich with the fresh eggs gathered the day before and a glass of raw cow’s milk milked the day before. Deliciousness. (FYI: most people who are “lactose-intolerant” can digest raw milk).

Then I’d hit the garden, picking chard, mustard greens, kale…planting strawberries…weeding, harvesting mushrooms…getting everything prepared for the farm/RV guests that day. Everything was organic and sustainably-grown. The picking was hot, sweaty, dirty, and simply lovely.

Once the sun was high in the sky, I went up to the main kitchen (I lived down at the “Farm” with the “Boys” without indoor plumbing. Yes, this meant no bathrooms, so the trees by the outhouse did the trick late at night) to help chop all the veggies I picked. I’d head back out to the garden in the afternoon to weed or plant.

On other days, I got milk duty. Here’s where chaos can happen in a hot Georgia minute. I got one lesson and the next day, it was just me, five goats and two cows.

The goat were great – like big dogs. But I gotta admit, poor Flo got handled not as gently as I wanted because her udders were…HUGE…and I couldn’t figure out to get them into the little pump. She was what we would consider a 38DD…and the pump was like a 32A bra. I guess just like humans, a goat’s mammary comes in all shapes and sizes.

After the goats came the cows. I learned to back a cow out of the tiny milking shed: you put one hand on its hip and push it out like you’re moving a stalled Chevy truck. I can’t move a stalled Chevy truck.

The milking shed was a tiny little wooden structure that could fit ONE cow or maybe 4-5 goats if you can manage them. If you bring it more than one goat, you have to tether them to the wall or they’ll go find wherever you stash that sweet feed. Sweet feed is some sort of crunchy, molasses treat that makes cows and goats go bananas.

I mean BANANAS.

The milking started out okay. Cow Number 1 was happily situated and tethered her to the post so she couldn’t move (not that there was room to move). However, before I could hook her up and close the door, Cow Number 2 comes storming in looking for some sweet feed. Mind you, the milking shed is SMALL. See this? Cow Number’s 2 butt was hanging out the door because there is no room for two cows…or shouldn’t be any room.

I tried to put my hand on Cow Number 2′s hip and push her out like I was taught, but it might as well been a brick wall because Cow Number 2 was not going anywhere.

Before I knew it, one goat jumps in the shed. Then another. Then another. Soon, there were five goats and 1 and ½ cows in this tiny place. Seven animals were scrambling for the sweet feed located in large metal trash bins. The milking shed was shaking. SHAKING.

Great, I just broke the milking shed, I thought.

I quickly latched all seven animals in the shaking little milkshed, hopped in the farmtruck (with no door and the steering wheel needed to pop out to drive), and raced up to find some help.

Help came. Soon, all seven animals were out of the shed, which was still standing. There was zero sweet feed left. They ate it all.

Long story short, I learned that because I have no ability to push a cow, I could back a cow out of a milk shed with a tap with a leather strap on the hindparts, wave my hand in front of a cow’s face, or make really deep sounds.

That was my peace and quiet on the Farm.

We’ve all heard  that drinking gallons of water can not only keep your insides running right, but also help you with clear skin. So it’s no surprise to any of us that what you eat and drink can impact not just your weight and love handles, but also the clearness and elasticity of skin – which also happens to be signs of health.

Skin health is also linked to foods like cabbage, carrots, and pumpkins because they help our skin to release the gabillion toxins that get into our bodies. But just as I am careful of the food I buy, I have become more and more conscious of what I put on my skin. After all, 60% of chemicals get directly absorbed through our skin into our bloodstream - why do you think nicotine patches work?.

We see organic soaps at the farmer’s markets. We’ve written about how BPA can leech into our food. So if we care about what we ingest, why do we sometimes view natural or organic cosmetics and household products a luxury? Yes, I use bamboo pillows (cool to the touch) and my duvet is made of recycled materials. Before you think I have exorbitant amounts of money – I wish – I don’t.

I just don’t have that much stuff.

The few items I do buy I spend a little more money because I’d rather not use a dangerous toxic chemical to clean my dishes, even if it’s on sale for $0.99. I went through my entire house and pulled out all the products that my skin potentially absorbs. I thought I would share them here and why I use them. Three things of note:

• No company paid me for writing about them – I just use them
• This might be TMI – but I’m gonna share with you my daily habits
• This is ALL the household cleansers and toiletries and cosmetics I use.The only exception is that I do have a bottle of that goo-ey orange stuff that helps in sticky situations.  The point is: it doesn’t require a lot of money – just buy fewer, higher quality items.

My day starts with brushing teeth with all-natural Tom’s of Maine. They are free of artificial preservatives and colorings, and do a ton of research. And if you’re like me and you sometimes swallow your toothpaste by mistake, I want to be careful I’m not eating some weird toxin.

I use Avalon Organics for my facial cleanser and moisturizer for several reasons. They’re affordable, the moisturizer has SPF 15 and I’m often forgetful to use it (when I do, my favorite is California Baby – fabulous and doesn’t clog your skin. They are also paraben-free, petroleum-free, and propylene glycol-free (propy-huh?), which is known to negatively impact the kidney and liver. Petroleum doesn’t allow the skin to breathe properly.

What are parabens? They are chemicals that preserve stuff. They are also know to be carcinogenic (link to breast cancer) and screw up your endocrine systems by mocking estrogen.

I don’t use deodorant. OK, before you wrinkle your noses, I use a stone instead, the Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal. They don’t contain the type of aluminum that is tied to kidney problems and if I’m putting this near my lymphnodes, I want to be as safe as possible.

I use an eyeliner by Gabriel Cosmetics, as they also use natural preservatives. I use Earth Science’s Chamomile & Green Tea Eye Make Up Remover – it’s hypo-allergenic, non-irritating, and paraben-free.

Bored of my daily routine yet? In the bathroom, I keep Nature’s Gate Organics soaps and hand moisturizer. They not only smell good, but they are a company dedicated to supporting clean water.

My body wash is from Burt’s Bees, a recognized leader in environmental sustainability and social responsibility. I’m a night showerer, so this feels fabulous after a long day, but you don’t need a lot so a bottle goes a long way.

If you have a dry scalp like me, finding the right shampoo is not easy. TheraNeem Organix uses neem, which is made from the seed of a fruit and rich in fatty acids and anti-oxidants, and known for its positive effects on skin.

My two skin indulgences that I splurge on are my Evan Healy products. I have this terrible sun spot on my cheek and I use their Pomegranate Repair Serum with Sea Buckthorn Oil. Sounds fancy, huh. Sea buckhorn is known to have restorative properties to help with skin sensitivities and serve as an antioxidant.

Their French Rose Clay is also a lovely (and less expensive) way to give myself a facial at home.

And for you ladies, I use Seventh Generation’s Chlorine-Free pantyliners and pads. They’re safe, chlorine-free and absorbant!

Did I gross you out? Sorry…but it’s life. Moving to the kitchen (almost done …), I also use Seventh Generation’s Natural Dish Liquid. They are hypo-allergenic, bio-degradable, and free of phosphates.

This brand also finds its way to my laundry with its Natural 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent. It saves me money because I can use less and it’s non-toxic for my skin.

Kitchen soap is Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, which has “a near neutral pH that makes them safe for skin contact.”

Lastly, my floors and countertops.  I use Method. Their almond Wood for Good Floor Cleaner makes your house smell amazing and their non-toxic cleaners are perfect. They make me feel more comfortable that if I drop some food on the countertop, it’s not going to be touching some dangerous chemical.

Whew. If you got to this line, thanks for sticking with me. It seems like a lot, and I probably could just use vinegar and water in some cases, but given that this is my entire use of personal and household products, I think I’m doing OK. I also like these companies because what they stand for.

It’s amazing when you go through your house, how much stuff has the potential to hurt you – and it’s not only with what we ingest. If you have children or thinking about having them, this is even more important. There’s just a lot we don’t know, but I’d rather be a bit safer. Consider going through your house and do an inventory. You don’t have to spend a lot, just spend it smarter.

A great site to check the safety of your products is from the Environmental Working Group.

Our skin requires healthy food, too.

This is definitely a dilemma for me. I love animals. I love dogs. I think pigs are really smart animals. I care about the environment. I recycle. I reuse bags. I pay extra for the recycled business cards.

Am I a hypocrite?

For those of you who eat meat, I’m sure you understand. For those of you who don’t, please don’t prejudge me yet. I have tried to go vegetarian, but I really like meat and my body doesn’t really do well with only vegetables (or only grains).

A few weeks ago, we joined Blog Action Day on the issue of climate change. BTW, I thought I was so clever today and made up the word “carbon fooDprint.” Turns out, there’s a neat organization – Cool Foods Campaign –  where you can learn more about how to reduce your carbon “foodprint” via your food!

ANYWAYS, this issue just gets more interesting…let’s see a run-down just the last couple weeks…

Lord Stern of the UK (not a vegetarian himself) warned the public they need to turn vegetarian in the Times October 27, 2009. You’re probably familiar with the argument that cattle and pig emissions (i.e. farts and stuff) are more dangerous than carbon dioxide to global warming.

The first country to take this connection seriously is Sweden. In Elisabeth Rosenthal’s October 22, 2009 article, she reports that the Swedish  government is taking steps to literally track their food by labeling the carbon dioxide emissions on food products and menus, from pastas to burgers.

Has this changed anything? Well, it seems that restaurants have found up to 75% of their carbon footprint attributable to meat. But even when they put these labels on their menu items and the more “climate-friendly items” have seen an increase in sales, some people just want a burger. They may feel a bit guilty ordering it, but they do anyways.

Moreover, she notes that the environmental cost is not just because of meat. Rosenthal notes that there are other factors like the type of soil used to grow the cattle’s food. So if we cannot cut meat entirely out of the human diet (which I don’t anticipate happening), then as Michael Pollan and others argue, we really should be paying more attention to where the meat comes from and how the animals are raised.

Rancher Nicolette Hahn Niman wrote in the New York Times on October 30, 2009 about this exact dilemma and raises some provoking points, affirming Rosenthal’s contention that it’s not as simple as meat/no meat, but how the land and surroundings are cared for in the raising of said meat. She points out that smaller, traditional, local farms don’t really have these carbon emissions that lead to global warming whether it is because of distance to market or little reliance on machinery (which sucks up energy).

And can vegetarians eat completely guiltless? Niman points out the reliance on soy for protein…and the most common soy and tofu found in supermarkets are from deforested lands overseas. Between large agribusiness emitting carbons to ship soy from overseas to large agribusiness companies like Monsanto destroying entire ecosystems in the Midwest to grow soybeans, we might have to think again whether meat is the only culprit to massive carbon “foodprints”.

Photo Source: Ecolitics Now

So what does this all mean? As Michael Pollan says, eat less meat. Eat more locally. By buying organic and local meat (which is also more expensive), I naturally buy and eat less. If I can’t get to the farmer’s market, I buy my meat at Whole Foods, where I know they have actually walked the walk with their involvement with the Animal Compassion Fund and Animal Welfare Standards.

I’m not sure I can ever fully resolve this dilemma. I sleep on organic cotton sheets, but my towels are not. I bike or walk where I can, but my car still gets lots of usage. But if Elisabeth Rosenthal is right that “”changing one’s diet can be as effective in reducing emissions of climate-changing gases as changing the car one drives or doing away with the clothes dryer,” then is it possible for me to care about the planet and animals, but still eat a little locally-, organically-, humanely-raised meat once in a while?

Starting today, I’ll start by cutting out meat 3 days a week.

I am an absolute novice when it comes to coffee. Remember, I’m the one with the baby taste buds and so yes, coffee has traditionally been too bitter for me. And it makes me pee like nobody’s business.

But when I heard there was two-day coffee camp at Counter Culture, the awesomest, coolest, happiest place, I jumped at the chance. Counter Culture is headquartered in Durham, NC and have training centers from New York to Atlanta. It was started in 1995 to challenge the existing paradigm of cheap, tasteless, lonely coffee. The founders imagined up a company with a passion for “coffee perfection…real sustainability…cutting-edge education.”

A company that hand-selects the best handcrafted coffees from around the world DIRECTLY from coffee farmers and not through anonymous coffee “buyers” and wholesalers? A company that cares about working conditions of its farmers AND the coffee experience of its consumers? A company that develops real relationships? Is that possible?

Folks as far as Wisconsin came for Counter Culture’s inaugural Counter Intelligence Camp, an incredible learning experience that included workshops on everything from the history and origins of coffee, to the coffee buying industry, to how to brew coffee in a gazillion ways. There were café owners, baristas, home enthusiasts. And me.

There is far more that I learned than I can fit here, so stay tuned for a next piece on my hands-on coffee fun. For now, I’m just blown away by the complete harmony between their ethics, philosophy, and action. They KNOW their coffee. They KNOW their farmers. They KNOW their stories. Many companies talk about being green, going organic, but how many actually live and breathe their talking points?

Counter Culture (I swear they are not paying me or even know I’m writing this, I don’t even buy coffee!) is the first coffee roaster to be certified organically in the state of North Carolina. What does certified organic even mean? Well, we’ve all heard the argument that you can be organic without being certified, and while technically true, it’s not so simple. Being certified is more than not using pesticides or using organic soil, it’s an entire philosophy. It’s about complete ecosystems in harmony.

Organic also impacts taste and flavor. I have heard from many coffee enthusiasts that Counter Culture’s coffee is truly one of the best, and this is no doubt in part due to the fact that they proactively reach out to farmers and hand-selects their crops. Their roasts can be seasonal because, well, it depends on what’s good, where it’s growing, and when. There’s no all-purpose blend of non-descript coffee remains. This is the real deal.

At the heart of everything they do are people, fairness, and sustainability. They set the bar, paying the highest prices to ensure the highest quality, partnering with each artisan farmer to ensure environmental, social, and fiscal responsibility. They investigate and evaluate every working condition, including seemingly small details like changing the chairs to be more ergonomic. One story that I was particularly touched was of an intrepid 30-something year old woman named Aida Battle who goes to El Salvador to run her family’s coffee farm without any previous experience and ends up with award-winning and record-setting coffee. Read about Aida here.

How many coffee roasters can equal that? Or the more important question is: why don’t other coffee roasters equal that? That is exactly what Counter Culture is trying to do: change the existing culture and current thinking that coffee should be cheap, tasteless and empty. Coffee is not just caffeine. It is about people; it is about life.

Note: local restaurant favorites with their own personalized coffees. Relationships are global AND local. It can be done.

Join the Rebellion.

Source: CNN

Ah, yes, the outburst heard ’round the world. What is it about health care that leads our politicians, who are supposed to be erudite, well-behaved, and level-headed (stop laughing), to act like 3-year olds in the sandbox? Make that 2-year olds.

Unless you haven’t turned on the news or been traveling, you probably cannot ignore the recent debates/fights/nasty fights over our health care system. I don’t think anyone – Republican, Democrat, Alien – can argue with a straight face that our health care system doesn’t need some overhauling. But what and how are other questions.

I don’t purport to know all the details, but I have been reading some of the op-eds and comments. One of the most popular articles that have been circulating is by one of my favorite heroes, Michael Pollan.  In his piece, he writes that we are arguing on the the wrong premise: while we fight about health care reform, we continue to promote a food system that encourages fast food and poor diets, “probably because reforming the food system is politically even more difficult than reforming the health care system.”

My interpretation of his essential argument is that without bringing into the national debate FOOD SYSTEM reform, health care reform is like putting on a bandaid over a scab you just keep picking at. Bigger scab, bigger bandaid. Scab is still there.

But not everyone agrees with this interpretation. The Center for Consumer Freedom posted a short response accusing Pollan of “fuzzy math” that misleads readers, raising alarm where alarm is not warranted.   Others, such as Don Hoyt Gorman, argue that pesticide issues aside, there is no nutritional difference between organic and conventional foods.

So who is telling the truth? Is Pollan just a fanatic who is freaking us out to sell books? Is there really no linkage between the American diet and food system and our health care system?

Well, while the debate on organic versus conventional and what our health care reform should look like rages on, my little brain reminds me of the adage, “You are what you eat.” Intuitively, I strongly believe that eating healthier, having more accessibility to organic foods, and living more actively can prevent many conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension. Granted, much of this is hereditary, but I’m not so sure I want to think that the guy-who-eats-a-Big-Mac-a-day-and-has-a-cholesterol-level-of-a-20-year-old is the rule and not the exception.

Not to mention, I would rather have my funny-looking, juicy tomatoes that taste like tomatoes from my local farmer than to eat a perfectly round, red, tomato-like tomato from who-knows-where.

While the country is mired in angry lies and arguements born out of fear of the unknown, I hope that my own little mission to eat productively, locally, and healthily (most of the time) will help me to be less of a burden to our health care system – however it will end up looking like. Inshallah.

Who doesn’t want us to know or question?

Check out this book: it may surprise you.