The Holland Town Center in Holland, MI is a mostly empty, struggling strip mall with an engaging, unique story. Located in what is described as a food desert – a low-income population center that has limited access to supermarkets or large grocery stores – the mall management contacted Eighth Day Farm about tearing up 1.3 acres of parking lot to grow a sustainable food garden, feeding and educating the local community from it. Produce from the farm will go to Eighth Day’s CSA program, with a farm stand on the property selling directly to the local public.
As one would imagine, there were significant challenges to overcome just in getting the soil ready for planting. After stripping off the asphalt, the top 2 feet of soil were removed and replaced with quality topsoil. Irrigation had to be completely established, compost worked into the soil, fencing built, beds planned and made before planting could even be thought of. They were starting a lot further back than just vacant land.
The Holland Town Center location is much larger than their other property, allowing them to expand the amount of food they can grow and reach many more people that do not otherwise have reasonable access to fresh and healthy food. In reaching this new market segment, people will have the opportunity not only to visit the farm when buying food at the farmstand, but participate in learning how and where some of their food is grown including picking their own food. There has been incredible community interest and support in the early stages of the new project.
Strip Mall Parking Lot Torn Up to Make Way for Sustainable Urban Farm Oasis in Food Desert
Fresh Coffee Grounds Are Great Source of Minerals and Nutrients
Looking to perk up your compost pile? Do you drink coffee? You might be holding the answer in your hands this very moment, or at least part of the answer. Coffee grounds have been used for many years by those “in the know” to boost the quality of their compost, making a superior soil amendment for free. The grounds are considered part of the “green” portion of the composting, speeding up the decomposition process while keeping temperatures high enough to kill off pathogens.
Coffee grounds provide energy in the form of nitrogen to the hard working bacteria doing all of the work in the compost. They also encourage beneficial microbe growth, contributing to a healthier soil. Another benefit is the minerals added to the compost such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper – all very necessary to the growing process. Earthworms absolutely love coffee grounds, preferring them to other food sources and turning them into highly prized vermicompost. For many years coffee grounds have been thought of as slightly acidic, but recent research shows that the grounds are usually pretty neutral in pH, but have a very high buffering capacity. This means that whether the soil is acidic or alkaline, the grounds will bring the pH back toward neutral, so they are good for any soil types. The moisture holding ability is very beneficial for loose soils, yet it acts to loosen heavy clay soils at the same time.
Some gardeners have worked the grounds directly into the soil, but it is best to add them to the compost pile and let decomposition release their nutrients first, then add the aged compost to the garden soil, working it into the top 2 – 3 inches in early spring and late fall. The grounds can make up to 25% by volume of the compost, and be used as a manure replacement for gardeners who don’t have ready access to those sources. Some city gardeners make their compost of leaves, cardboard and newspapers for the carbon side with coffee grounds and fresh grass clippings supplying the nitrogen to keep the pile going. It is best to let the compost decompose or age for at least 6 months, with a year time-frame yielding a higher quality amendment that looks very much like soil all by itself.
Food prices are expected to increase due to the worst drought in more than 50 years pushing more than 1,000 counties in 26 states into natural-disaster status. The USDA announced the news last week, stating that about 55% of the US has been designated as experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, the worst since December of 1956. The worst conditions might not have arrived yet, either. If the weather doesn’t turn and deliver some desperately needed rain, the majority of food crops could be impacted. Right now corn and soybeans are feeling the biggest hit, as the worst of the drought conditions are centered around the Corn Belt.
Let’s look at how this plays out for you and me as everyday citizens.
Corn has a huge economic ripple effect in both the food and energy markets, as #2 field corn is the commodity of choice when the word “Corn” is mentioned. Most likely genetically modified to be Roundup Ready, #2 field corn is not used much as corn, but disassembled into components used in the processed food industry. If you haven’t looked at what food ingredients are derived from corn, you are in for a surprise! Google “Ingredients derived from corn” and start reading. There are a few hundred commonly used food ingredients the corn supplies us via the extraction process! Pretty much any food that has a wrapper or is processed has some form of corn in it, unless it is Certified Organic. Corn is also a major ingredient in commercial beef feed, so expect to see a resultant increase in the price of store-bought beef.
There could be a loss of almost 40 – 50% of this year’s corn harvest.
Obviously if this year’s corn crop is wiped out in a significant number of areas – many farmers in the Corn Belt are calling 2012 a total loss – the commodity or base price for corn will rise. It has already doubled in the past 2 months and is expected to double again or even more. Any packaged or processed food could see a noticeable increase in price in the coming months.
Now would be a perfect time to take a hard look at what packaged and processed foods you routinely buy and look for alternatives. Look for fresh, locally grown or minimally processed replacements. Find a local baker, butcher and get to know them or know them better. Your local farmer’s market is a great resource for locally made replacements to processed and packaged foods, often tasting much better and being healthier in the bargain. You might be surprised to find that they just might cost the same or even less! This way, you are less dependent on price fluctuations from a major food supply shock while supporting your local economy and keeping your money closer to home.
Cooking Up A Story has written a new editorial that addresses many folks concern with the New York Times article “Has Organic Been Oversized?” We talked about this article in Does “Big Food” and “Big Ag” Control “Organic”? There has been quite a bit of controversy about the article, partly due to the misreading of some that the article was about organic agriculture, when in fact it is about organic certification. Don’t get the two confused!
To many, the process of organic certification has been corrupted and co-opted by large companies wanting to gain a share of the very lucrative organic market. Cooking Up A Story (CUPS) advances the point that not all corporations are predatory and solely profit driven, which is true. They have a very valid statement in that being able to reach, teach and move 300 million consumers, you need more than a good blogging site!
The main, salient point that needs recognition is that despite it’s shortcomings, organic certification has definite, positive and meaningful benefits. Yes it needs work and a watchful eye to ensure that it doesn’t get made into a mouthpiece for Big Ag and Big Food, but let’s be careful to not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
https://w9j002.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/certified-organic.jpg?time=1730917219250250Stephen Scotthttps://w9j002.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Survey-Header.jpgStephen Scott2012-07-24 09:03:382024-04-30 17:34:02Has ‘Organic’ Been Oversized: Avoiding Tragedy On Maple Street
Heirloom tomatoes vs standard supermarket “red slicing” tomatoes
One has created a following based solely on its incredible flavor, the other has long been the benchmark of mediocre, tasteless, pithy but brightly colored tomatoes. Available 365 days a year, it’s only offering to the salad or sandwich is a bit of bright red. Why do these universally yucky tomatoes exist, and why do the supermarkets continue to sell such an obviously inferior product?
Consumer demand is the main reason, as most commercial growers state that they are only paid on the weight, not the flavor, of their tomatoes. This traces back to the tomato breeders, as they are responding to the grower’s inputs of what they need – a plant that will yield as much as possible over as long of a time as possible. The fruits must withstand being harvested, packed, and stored in a warehouse where they are turned orange with ethylene gas, then shipped by truck several states away and continue to look good a minimum of 7 – 10 days later when displayed on the grocery store shelves. If the grower has no financial incentive to produce flavor, they won’t.
Here’s a new wrinkle to the story. The growers are not completely at fault, it turns out. Recent research published in the journal Science isolates a gene mutation that is responsible for the almost artificially bright red, at the cost of flavor. This gene mutation was accidentally discovered by commercial tomato breeders and then bred into the majority of tomatoes used in supplying the food chain, especially in the off-season. This is not a genetically modified organism (or GMO) as the gene mutation happened spontaneously, and not through mechanical gene manipulation.
This is truly a story of unintended consequences, as it clearly shows the unwanted results of focusing and breeding too closely on one desired characteristic while ignoring others. The color mutation also turns off the ripening sequence gene, which disables the tomatoes’ ability to manufacture sugar in the body of the fruit, explaining why the lack of flavor. Dr. Ann Powell, a lead author in the Science paper offered this solution to the flavor issue – heirloom tomatoes, as they do not have the genetic mutation!
https://w9j002.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Picking-TomatoWeb.jpg?time=1730917219250250Stephen Scotthttps://w9j002.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Survey-Header.jpgStephen Scott2012-07-23 09:03:112024-04-30 17:34:02Heirloom Tomatoes Have Flavor Lost in Commercial Varieties
The upcoming GMO labeling vote, known as California Proposition 37 or popularly called the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act is shaping up to be a huge fight for both sides. Those that support labeling of foods that contain GMO ingredients –about 70 – 80% of all processed foods– believe that there are many unanswered questions about the impacts of GMO foods on our health, both now and in the future. Advocates of the safety of GMOs say the passage of the proposition will be too costly and complex to enforce, while not doing enough to protect public health. They also assert that there is no scientifically proven dangers of the GMO ingredients.
The battle lines are very clearly drawn with scientific studies, experts of all kinds, parents and lots of emotional appeal being deployed by both sides of the argument. So far other GMO labeling efforts have failed in 20 states, most recently Oregon, New York and Vermont. Much media attention was paid to the Vermont case, as public opinion and votes were seemingly disregarded after threats of lawsuits from Monsanto against elected officials turned the tide. California is very important to this issue due to the historical trend of what has been adopted as agricultural practices has spread to other states. As California goes, so goes the nation. Labeling advocates point to recent studies showing consumers support Prop 37 by an almost 3 – 1 margin, with 64.9% in favor and 23.9% opposed. This follows several years of national public opinion polls showing the same or greater trending.
This isn’t just about a label appearing on the box of cereal you might choose for breakfast. This is about huge amounts of money and profits at stake for large food corporations. Research has shown overwhelmingly that consumers will be reluctant to buy packaged foods that have a “Made with GMO” label on them. This will create a sea change in the packaged foods industry, with earthshaking consequences. New food ingredient suppliers will be needed, supply will most likely not be able to keep up with demand for some time, certifying the non-GMO ingredients will cost money, and the new ingredients will most likely be more expensive. These increased costs will be partially passed on to the consumer, resulting in the average American’s food bill to increase appreciably. It might become more cost effective to finally eat a more healthy diet!
Expect this issue to hold center stage more often as the November election draws closer.
https://w9j002.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/non_gmo.jpg?time=1730917219163186Stephen Scotthttps://w9j002.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Survey-Header.jpgStephen Scott2012-07-21 11:40:302024-04-30 17:34:02GMO Labeling Vote Will Be a Big Fight
Urban Farm Grows Sustainable Food in Parking Lot
Sustainable Food Grows in Strip Mall Parking Lot
The Holland Town Center in Holland, MI is a mostly empty, struggling strip mall with an engaging, unique story. Located in what is described as a food desert – a low-income population center that has limited access to supermarkets or large grocery stores – the mall management contacted Eighth Day Farm about tearing up 1.3 acres of parking lot to grow a sustainable food garden, feeding and educating the local community from it. Produce from the farm will go to Eighth Day’s CSA program, with a farm stand on the property selling directly to the local public.
As one would imagine, there were significant challenges to overcome just in getting the soil ready for planting. After stripping off the asphalt, the top 2 feet of soil were removed and replaced with quality topsoil. Irrigation had to be completely established, compost worked into the soil, fencing built, beds planned and made before planting could even be thought of. They were starting a lot further back than just vacant land.
The Holland Town Center location is much larger than their other property, allowing them to expand the amount of food they can grow and reach many more people that do not otherwise have reasonable access to fresh and healthy food. In reaching this new market segment, people will have the opportunity not only to visit the farm when buying food at the farmstand, but participate in learning how and where some of their food is grown including picking their own food. There has been incredible community interest and support in the early stages of the new project.
Strip Mall Parking Lot Torn Up to Make Way for Sustainable Urban Farm Oasis in Food Desert
Eighth Day Farm KickStarter Project
Coffee Grounds Build Compost and Soil Health
Fresh Coffee Grounds Are Great Source of Minerals and Nutrients
Looking to perk up your compost pile? Do you drink coffee? You might be holding the answer in your hands this very moment, or at least part of the answer. Coffee grounds have been used for many years by those “in the know” to boost the quality of their compost, making a superior soil amendment for free. The grounds are considered part of the “green” portion of the composting, speeding up the decomposition process while keeping temperatures high enough to kill off pathogens.
Coffee grounds provide energy in the form of nitrogen to the hard working bacteria doing all of the work in the compost. They also encourage beneficial microbe growth, contributing to a healthier soil. Another benefit is the minerals added to the compost such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper – all very necessary to the growing process. Earthworms absolutely love coffee grounds, preferring them to other food sources and turning them into highly prized vermicompost. For many years coffee grounds have been thought of as slightly acidic, but recent research shows that the grounds are usually pretty neutral in pH, but have a very high buffering capacity. This means that whether the soil is acidic or alkaline, the grounds will bring the pH back toward neutral, so they are good for any soil types. The moisture holding ability is very beneficial for loose soils, yet it acts to loosen heavy clay soils at the same time.
Some gardeners have worked the grounds directly into the soil, but it is best to add them to the compost pile and let decomposition release their nutrients first, then add the aged compost to the garden soil, working it into the top 2 – 3 inches in early spring and late fall. The grounds can make up to 25% by volume of the compost, and be used as a manure replacement for gardeners who don’t have ready access to those sources. Some city gardeners make their compost of leaves, cardboard and newspapers for the carbon side with coffee grounds and fresh grass clippings supplying the nitrogen to keep the pile going. It is best to let the compost decompose or age for at least 6 months, with a year time-frame yielding a higher quality amendment that looks very much like soil all by itself.
Coffee Grounds and Composting
Coffee grounds perk up compost pile with nitrogen
Food Prices Increase with 50 Year Drought
Food prices are expected to increase due to the worst drought in more than 50 years pushing more than 1,000 counties in 26 states into natural-disaster status. The USDA announced the news last week, stating that about 55% of the US has been designated as experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, the worst since December of 1956. The worst conditions might not have arrived yet, either. If the weather doesn’t turn and deliver some desperately needed rain, the majority of food crops could be impacted. Right now corn and soybeans are feeling the biggest hit, as the worst of the drought conditions are centered around the Corn Belt.
Let’s look at how this plays out for you and me as everyday citizens.
Corn has a huge economic ripple effect in both the food and energy markets, as #2 field corn is the commodity of choice when the word “Corn” is mentioned. Most likely genetically modified to be Roundup Ready, #2 field corn is not used much as corn, but disassembled into components used in the processed food industry. If you haven’t looked at what food ingredients are derived from corn, you are in for a surprise! Google “Ingredients derived from corn” and start reading. There are a few hundred commonly used food ingredients the corn supplies us via the extraction process! Pretty much any food that has a wrapper or is processed has some form of corn in it, unless it is Certified Organic. Corn is also a major ingredient in commercial beef feed, so expect to see a resultant increase in the price of store-bought beef.
There could be a loss of almost 40 – 50% of this year’s corn harvest.
Obviously if this year’s corn crop is wiped out in a significant number of areas – many farmers in the Corn Belt are calling 2012 a total loss – the commodity or base price for corn will rise. It has already doubled in the past 2 months and is expected to double again or even more. Any packaged or processed food could see a noticeable increase in price in the coming months.
Now would be a perfect time to take a hard look at what packaged and processed foods you routinely buy and look for alternatives. Look for fresh, locally grown or minimally processed replacements. Find a local baker, butcher and get to know them or know them better. Your local farmer’s market is a great resource for locally made replacements to processed and packaged foods, often tasting much better and being healthier in the bargain. You might be surprised to find that they just might cost the same or even less! This way, you are less dependent on price fluctuations from a major food supply shock while supporting your local economy and keeping your money closer to home.
Drought in U.S. reaching levels not seen in 50 years, pushing up corn prices – The Washington Post
Has ‘Organic’ Been Oversized: Avoiding Tragedy On Maple Street
Cooking Up A Story has written a new editorial that addresses many folks concern with the New York Times article “Has Organic Been Oversized?” We talked about this article in Does “Big Food” and “Big Ag” Control “Organic”? There has been quite a bit of controversy about the article, partly due to the misreading of some that the article was about organic agriculture, when in fact it is about organic certification. Don’t get the two confused!
To many, the process of organic certification has been corrupted and co-opted by large companies wanting to gain a share of the very lucrative organic market. Cooking Up A Story (CUPS) advances the point that not all corporations are predatory and solely profit driven, which is true. They have a very valid statement in that being able to reach, teach and move 300 million consumers, you need more than a good blogging site!
The main, salient point that needs recognition is that despite it’s shortcomings, organic certification has definite, positive and meaningful benefits. Yes it needs work and a watchful eye to ensure that it doesn’t get made into a mouthpiece for Big Ag and Big Food, but let’s be careful to not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Has ‘Organic’ Been Oversized: Avoiding Tragedy On Maple Street
Heirloom Tomatoes Have Flavor Lost in Commercial Varieties
Heirloom tomatoes vs standard supermarket “red slicing” tomatoes
One has created a following based solely on its incredible flavor, the other has long been the benchmark of mediocre, tasteless, pithy but brightly colored tomatoes. Available 365 days a year, it’s only offering to the salad or sandwich is a bit of bright red. Why do these universally yucky tomatoes exist, and why do the supermarkets continue to sell such an obviously inferior product?
Consumer demand is the main reason, as most commercial growers state that they are only paid on the weight, not the flavor, of their tomatoes. This traces back to the tomato breeders, as they are responding to the grower’s inputs of what they need – a plant that will yield as much as possible over as long of a time as possible. The fruits must withstand being harvested, packed, and stored in a warehouse where they are turned orange with ethylene gas, then shipped by truck several states away and continue to look good a minimum of 7 – 10 days later when displayed on the grocery store shelves. If the grower has no financial incentive to produce flavor, they won’t.
Here’s a new wrinkle to the story. The growers are not completely at fault, it turns out. Recent research published in the journal Science isolates a gene mutation that is responsible for the almost artificially bright red, at the cost of flavor. This gene mutation was accidentally discovered by commercial tomato breeders and then bred into the majority of tomatoes used in supplying the food chain, especially in the off-season. This is not a genetically modified organism (or GMO) as the gene mutation happened spontaneously, and not through mechanical gene manipulation.
This is truly a story of unintended consequences, as it clearly shows the unwanted results of focusing and breeding too closely on one desired characteristic while ignoring others. The color mutation also turns off the ripening sequence gene, which disables the tomatoes’ ability to manufacture sugar in the body of the fruit, explaining why the lack of flavor. Dr. Ann Powell, a lead author in the Science paper offered this solution to the flavor issue – heirloom tomatoes, as they do not have the genetic mutation!
Flavor Is the Price of Tomatoes’ Scarlet Hue, Geneticists Say
GMO Labeling Vote Will Be a Big Fight
GMO Labeling – Good Idea?
The upcoming GMO labeling vote, known as California Proposition 37 or popularly called the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act is shaping up to be a huge fight for both sides. Those that support labeling of foods that contain GMO ingredients –about 70 – 80% of all processed foods– believe that there are many unanswered questions about the impacts of GMO foods on our health, both now and in the future. Advocates of the safety of GMOs say the passage of the proposition will be too costly and complex to enforce, while not doing enough to protect public health. They also assert that there is no scientifically proven dangers of the GMO ingredients.
The battle lines are very clearly drawn with scientific studies, experts of all kinds, parents and lots of emotional appeal being deployed by both sides of the argument. So far other GMO labeling efforts have failed in 20 states, most recently Oregon, New York and Vermont. Much media attention was paid to the Vermont case, as public opinion and votes were seemingly disregarded after threats of lawsuits from Monsanto against elected officials turned the tide. California is very important to this issue due to the historical trend of what has been adopted as agricultural practices has spread to other states. As California goes, so goes the nation. Labeling advocates point to recent studies showing consumers support Prop 37 by an almost 3 – 1 margin, with 64.9% in favor and 23.9% opposed. This follows several years of national public opinion polls showing the same or greater trending.
This isn’t just about a label appearing on the box of cereal you might choose for breakfast. This is about huge amounts of money and profits at stake for large food corporations. Research has shown overwhelmingly that consumers will be reluctant to buy packaged foods that have a “Made with GMO” label on them. This will create a sea change in the packaged foods industry, with earthshaking consequences. New food ingredient suppliers will be needed, supply will most likely not be able to keep up with demand for some time, certifying the non-GMO ingredients will cost money, and the new ingredients will most likely be more expensive. These increased costs will be partially passed on to the consumer, resulting in the average American’s food bill to increase appreciably. It might become more cost effective to finally eat a more healthy diet!
Expect this issue to hold center stage more often as the November election draws closer.
Battle over genetically engineered food heading to voters