Farmers in Missouri Win a Battle with a Hog Production Giant

March 08, 2010

Farmers in Missouri Win a Battle with a Hog Production Giant
A Healthy Pig (photo by vnyberg, courtesy of morgueFile.com)

Many people see CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) as a problem some distance from home, but those who live near the “manure lagoons” created by such mega-farms cannot escape the terrible odors emitted.

In northern Missouri a group of farmers living near a CAFO decided that they had enough of the awful smells and decided to sue Premium Standard Farms, a hog production group owned by Smithfield Foods. A jury in Kansas City has awarded $11 million to the plaintiffs, who claimed, “…odors from the operations nauseated them and forced them to stay indoors with the windows shut,” according to the industry publication, Pork. The facility in Berlin, Missouri is said to produce 200,000 hogs annually.

It was the second such suit brought by locals against the facility. The first was in 1999, when 52 farmers received $5.2 million. The second suit was brought because the farmers claimed the odor problems had not been corrected. The jurors agreed that the local farmers had been deprived of the enjoyment of their property by the stink from the PSF facility, and that they were not just normal odors to be expected in an agricultural community. PSF is appealing the decision. A battle has been won, but the war goes on.

There is nothing new about complaints of environmental degradation, animal cruelty, and the threat to human health posed by CAFOs, where hogs are kept in extremely close quarters, fed growth hormones, and administered antibiotics, and the list of reasons to oppose CAFOs keeps growing. There seems little hope that they can be improved. The intense concentration of animals is the root of the problem, the critical element that makes such operations unsustainable.

The Alternative

The alternative to factory farming has been demonstrated on a small scale by food artisans and thoughtful farmers across the U.S. In one example, Herb and Kathy Eckhouse of La Quercia adhere to principles of sustainability in the making of their world-class prosciuttos. To them, this means that the animals have access to the out of doors, have room to move around and socially congregate, and root in deep bedding. They do not use meat from animals that have been given antibiotics, kept in large animal confinement facilities, fed animal byproducts, or given hormones.

Factory farm advocates will argue that they produce pork that is affordable for working families. But who will pay the health care and environmental cleanup costs that will inevitably result from meat full of growth hormones and antibiotics? What of the fact that these facilities are virtual incubators for health threats such as swine flu? And looking over the past record, are CAFOs part of an industry to be trusted with protecting the health of the environment?

For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com

Atkins Diet’s Return Reflects Idea that Saturated Fat Shouldn’t be Demonized

washingtonpost.com Columns

Atkins diet’s return reflects idea that saturated fat shouldn’t be demonized

By Jennifer LaRue Huget

Thursday, March 4, 2010

For half a century, we’ve been told that saturated fats are bad for our hearts. That belief led to what many now consider the disastrous switch from saturated-fat-filled butter to trans-fat-filled margarine as the bread-spread of choice. It also led to the government’s recommendation, through its Dietary Guidelines for Americans, that we limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of our daily calories.

But the latest science has many experts reconsidering saturated fat. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, for instance, found insufficient evidence linking saturated fat intake to cardiovascular disease or coronary heart disease.Another study suggested refined carbohydrates and being overweight are the true culprits. And they’re just the latest to suggest that sat fat has gotten a bad rap.

Riding high on the wave of saturated fat’s rehabilitation, the famous Atkins Diet has been revamped with an eye toward making it easier to understand and maintain. “The New Atkins for a New You” (Fireside, 2010) allows dieters to eat more vegetables than the old version did. But the diet’s core concept — that carbohydrates, not saturated fat, are what makes us fat — remains intact.

Atkins old and new aim to rejigger metabolisms so people burn their fat, including stored body fat, instead of carbs. The new book, written by Eric Westman, Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek, guides dieters through four phases, from “Induction” through “Lifetime Maintenance.” Atkins followers are encouraged not to count calories and are told that their cravings for carbs will swiftly diminish.

Westman says one of the chief differences between the new and old Atkins (made popular in the early 1980s with the paperback release of “Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution”) is the clarification that the most-restrictive Induction phase accounts for just the first two weeks of the diet and that people with less weight to lose might choose to skip that part altogether. In any case, the Induction phase allows dieters to eat some “foundation” vegetables: leafy, fiber-filled and unstarchy ones such as cauliflower and spinach.

As the diet continues, followers can gradually add carbohydrates until they find an amount they can accommodate without gaining weight. Long-term adherence is one of the problems the new Atkins hopes to solve, giving followers options that include adding more fruits, grains and legumes to the mix.

The case for Atkins has been bolstered a bit by two developments. First, the nutrition community has largely accepted that low-fat diets tend not to work because people replace the missing fats with extra carbohydrates. Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, notes that the “Snackwell phenomenon” demonstrated that people assume low-fat cookies are low in calories, too, and they overeat.

The second development is the widespread embrace in nutrition circles of the Mediterranean-style diet, which emphasizes heart-healthy fats such as those in olive oil and nuts. Of course, there’s not a lot of bacon or butter in the Mediterranean diet, which is favored by the American Dietetic Association. It focuses on a healthful balance of fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and that most empty of all carbs, alcohol.

Atkins breaks with current weight-management thinking in two notable ways: allowing followers to incorporate as much (or little) exercise as they want, and encouraging sodium consumption. “If you don’t have a salt-sensitive condition like heart failure, salt in the diet is not restricted on Atkins,” Westman explains by e-mail. Adequate sodium intake, the book notes, helps counter the low-carb diet’s diuretic effect.

The new Atkins, like the old, emphasizes that “fat is your friend,” even as it encourages folks to eat protein. If you prefer a lean skinless chicken breast, go ahead and have it — just add a dash of olive oil or a pat of butter. Wrote Westman: “On Atkins, bacon is a healthful protein! . . . The New Atkins is placing more emphasis on the four phases which gradually reintroduce carbs, to get away from the stereotype that ‘Atkins is all-you-can-[eat]-bacon.’ ”

The book cites more than 50 studies that support its approach, and its new, more flexible and friendly presentation will undoubtedly make it attractive to former Atkins-ites and new adherents.

For my part, until we fully understand the dietary implications of saturated fats and unsaturated fats, I’m not going to put all my, er, eggs in one basket by going gung-ho with Atkins, new or otherwise. On the other hand, the Atkins approach has made many reconsider the basics and un-demonize some dietary demons. So, for the freedom to enjoy a pat of butter now and then, I thank the authors.

When The Kitchen Locks Down, The Diet Goes Out The Window

It is said that God made the world in seven days,  so I figured I could overhaul my kitchen and downstairs bath in eight.  I got a crew in here,  downloaded all the stuff from the kitchen cabinets to the living room floor, and they began beavering away.  Painting,  tiling, moving a cabinet.  It was big. Installing all new appliances.

My job as straw boss was to keep them happy, up and running and caffeined enough to complete this herculean task.

So what did that mean for me? Trips out for pizza.  Lots of pots of coffee.  Donuts in the morning. A total backsliding week as far as the Silver Cloud went. 

Long about the 5th day,  it actually took us nine days to complete the job,  I began to feel sluggish and sick.  At first I figured it was the long hours, the dust and the disorder.  But then I thought NO.  It was the diet.  It’s been so long since I ate all that high carb processed food,  my body will not tolerate it.

So today,  with the kitchen and downstairs bath looking like an Arc Digest photo shoot,  I am back on the diet and already feeling so much better.

I guess its really true.  You are what you eat.  Damn, I hate that.

Stay on your silver cloud.  You’ll be glad you did.

Linda

Food Safety Number One Concern With American Consumers

Paying More to Know the Food is Safe to Eat

Three Friends (photo by Marcos Casiano, courtesy of morgueFile.com)
Just a few months ago a national survey found safety to be the number one concern of affluent consumers when purchasing food. Not surprising, considering the frightening stories that keep making their way into the news time and again.  “Every year, millions of people in the United States suffer from foodborne illness, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands die,” according to testimony given by Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Some cases are absolutely nightmarish. In 2009, New York Times reporter Michael Moss introduced readers to  Stephanie Smith, a children’s dance instructor from Minnesota who is partially paralyzed from E. coli. It was this paragraph in particular that made readers burn:

The frozen hamburgers that the Smiths ate,which were made by the food giant Cargill, were labeled “American Chef’s Selection Angus Beef Patties.” Yet confidential grinding logs and other Cargill records show that the hamburgers were made from a mix of slaughterhouse trimmings and a mash-like product  derived from scraps that were ground together at a plant in Wisconsin. The ingredients came from slaughterhouses in Nebraska, Texas and Uruguay, and from a South Dakota company that processes fatty trimmings and treats them with ammonia to kill bacteria.

American families are now so concerned about the safety of their food that consumers strongly prefer to see products labeled as safety certified by a third party, according to a study being conducted by Michigan State University on behalf of DNV, a global provider of services for managing risk.  “Consumers are not only aware of food safety issues they are actually changing their shopping habits due to food safety concerns,” says Dr. Chris Peterson, director of the Product Center at MSU. “Nearly half of the consumers we surveyed indicated a change in shopping patterns.”

Why Should We Pay More?
MSU found slightly more than one-third of consumers indicate a willingness to pay a premium, upwards of 30% more, to see evidence on product labels that the food they are buying has passed some kind of independent safety certification process.  But what of the millions of tax dollars already being spent for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply? It is understandable that parents are willing to pay more to protect the health of their children, but it is time to get the agencies established to protect people doing a credible job of it.

Food, Inc. on DVD
Not convinced that the U.S. is in need of a healthier and more sustainable food system? Then have a look at a DVD of the Academy Award-nominated documentary, Food, Inc. The film illustrates how our nation’s food supply is controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers, and our environment.

To learn more about this landmark documentary film, go to: Food, Inc.
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Dr. Salerno discovers more than a broken health care system at Fox

Here’s a little insider gossip for you.  When Dr. Salerno was called to Fox Business last week to comment on the Health Care Summit, he discovered more than a broken health care system.  The chair he was assigned to was broken.  You’ll see in the video he can’t seem to sit still.  It was the chair.  “I felt like I was riding a bucking bronc,” Doc said.

But take a look at the video clip posted here and on the site and you’ll see that  Doc believes we must have a reform in our health care delivery system.  As Doc says,  he doesn’t need insurance companies dictating to him or any other physician the proper treatment regimen for his patients.

Go get ‘em Doc.  We agree with you and we’re sure glad that chair didn’t throw you.  ha.

Click to view video

Dramatic Dessert is Cheap to Make and Satisfying for Silver Clouders

Silver Cloud Standby Dessert

If you’re like me,  you do have a sweet tooth.  If you’re like me,  you do need to save money.  I like to make this showstopper dessert to serve at parties, but more importantly to put aside in the refrigerator and eat for desserts, for snacks, for whenever.  It’s delicious.  It’s completely legal on the diet.  And it’s glamorous to look at.

Seven Layer Jello Dessert

• 4 (3 ounce) packages sugar-free Jello (each a DIFFERENT color, I usually use red, green, orange and yellow) .
• 4 cups boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups cold water
• 1 pint sour cream
• 2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes plain Knox’s gelatin
• 2 cups cream
• 3-4 packets sugar substitute (to taste)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

Dissolve 1 package Jello in 1 cup boiling water; add 1/2 cup cold water. Pour into a 9×12x2 inch pan and put into the refrigerator to set until firm.

Bring 2 cups of cream to a boil, mix in sugar substitute. Dissolve 2 envelopes of Knox gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold water and add to mixture; add 2 cups sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla until blended.

When mixture is fairly cool, pour 1-1/2 cups on top of first Jello layer; return pan to refrigerator until white layer is firm and completely set.

Mix next package of Jello as indicated in step 1; pour onto completely set white layer; return to refrigerator and allow to set completely.

Again add 1-1/2 cups white mixture and return to refrigerator and allow to set completely.

Mix third package of Jello as indicated in step 1; pour onto completely set white layer; return to refrigerator and allow to set completely.

Add remaining white mixture; return to refrigerator and allow to set completely.

Mix the last package of Jello as indicated in step 1 and pour onto completely set white layer; return to refrigerator and allow to set until firm.  Preferably, overnight.

Cut into domino sized pieces and fan out on a serving plate.

Silver Cloud Dieter Reports On Her First Week on the Program

Hi Linda,
I thought I would write and let you know how my first full week went on the ‘fat fast’. Although I did make sure I weighed myself yesterday because my dear boyfriend made reservations for a wonderful restaurant with a pre-arranged Valentine dinner, so I wasn’t too sure how I was going to deal with that or how it would effect my weekly loss.

After 6 days my total weight loss was 5.5 pounds and I am still feeling really good, full of energy and not hungry.

Valentines day ALL the kids were gone to friends houses SO….we took the opportunity to sleep in until around 10:00, something unheard of around here. Got up and had our morning tea and started a puzzle that I got the BF for valentines’ day of the place in Cuba we are going for vacation. We are avid puzzlers lol. We both decided to take a break from our exercise routine for the day (burned enough calories already wink wink lol, puzzling is hard work lol)

So I made eggs for breakfast @ 11:00 a.m. and was trying to figure out how to deal with supper. I decided if I had some nuts for a snack and then did the best I could with just eating the lowest carb veggies and the meat it may not be too bad. I did stick with that plan. I ate most of a spring mix salad that had a vinegar/oil dressing, no bun, no mashed potatoes, some roasted zucchini, and a little more then 2oz. of a really good steak (but I brought the rest home for lunch today). I did have one glass of red wine. We asked them just to pack our dessert without even bringing it to the table, but they brought it anyway, and I had to stare at this huge chocolate fudge dessert for ten minutes waiting for the waitress to come back and take it away to pack it up lol. They brought all the desserts out for all the tables at the same time and I think they forgot to come back to take ours away.

Later that night while watching the Olympics I did have some more nuts, I don’t like to be hungry when I go to bed and everyone was cracking nuts while watching the ‘moguls’. BUT…..I still lost an additional .2lbs, I would have been happy not to go up. SO a total of 5.7 pounds down for my first full week.

Chili Recipe for Cash and Time Strapped Silver Cloud Dieters

Chili Recipe For Silver Cloud Dieters Who Also Have a Busy Life and Little Money

One of our dedicated Silver Cloud Dieters wrote to say that she was particularly cashed and time-strapped and did we have any suggestions for what to feed herself and her daughter.

Chili comes to mind immediately.  It is nutrient dense, it is satisfying, and after one big cooking time, you can subdivide it into 2 cup segments, put it up in zip locks and freeze. I started making this recipe when my kids were little.  We had access to game meat at that time, and I would make it with half beef and half venison.  You can also mix beef and pork, or veal  Any of these mixes make great chili. The original recipe was made with road kill, but there you go.  Not so likely today.

Serve the chili with grated cheese and some sour cream on top and you’ve got yourself one satisfying meal.  And another, and another, and another.

Fuzzy’s Fantastic South Texas Road Meat Chili

Adapted from The Only Texas Cookbook by Linda West Eckhardt

Makes 20 servings

3 green bell peppers, chopped
3 yellow onions,  chopped
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
¼ cup lard or bacon fat
4 pounds beef,  coarsely ground
5 pounds pork, veal, venison, possum, coon, or other road kill
3 ounces Gebhardt’s chile powder (or another full flavored brand)
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 dashes Tabasco
1 7-ounce can green chlies, diced (or fresh green chiles, seeded and minced)
2 14-ounce cans chopped stewed tomatoes and juice
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 can of beer OR cup of cold coffee
Water
Salt and pepper

Chop vegetables into a large pot with fat and sizzle until soft, then toss in the meats and brown.  Stir in the remaining ingredients, cover with about 1-inch water and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Let it bubble slow for 3-4 hours.  Cool and subdivide into zip lock bags to freeze what you don’t eat today.

Can a Busy Restaurant Owner with 2 Small Children Lose Weight and Get Enough Sleep?

I own a restaurant, it is an upscale Mediterranean bistro, so on the one hand it makes it easy for me since I have a crew of talented chefs to cook for me, but my schedule can be crazy and I never get 8 hours sleep, 6 on a really good night. I know this is not ideal but between working nights and having two school age kids I usually get to bed about 1:30 AM and I am up at 7:00 AM to get the boys to school. Also I frequently I miss my dinner because I’m busy at that time feeding other people, but then late at night I find myself very hungry so I have been making myself a little makeshift charcuterie with some pepperoni slices, a little cheese, some olives & nuts. Is this OK to do right before bed?  Thanks for your help.

that is an ideal late night snack.  You shouldn’t wake during the night  and six hours is plenty at one sitting-er- lying.  Can you manage a 30 minute nap in the middle of the day?  I started writing when my kids were little and late at night was the only time I had enough quiet time to get the work done (22 books and counting).  So I got into the habit years ago of six hours sleep.  But I have always laid down just for a few in the afternoon.  I recommend it.

What Doc says about sleep is that people need to have enough protein and fat in their system to tide them over to breakfast.  That’s why those low fat diets don’t work – or at least one of the reasons.  Because people can actually get hypoglycemia in their sleep.  They wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep.  That’s why grandmothers recommended a glass of milk in the middle of the night.

What you’re doing is better.

Keep me posted on your progress.  If you’ll just eat 5 small protein/natural fat meals a day — heaven knows you have access to top quality food in your business — you are going to be hugely successful.  I just know it.

Yours in good health.

Linda West Eckhardt

co-author  The Silver Cloud Diet

Ethical and Whole Foods Demanded By More and More Shoppers

Shopper Demand for Local & Ethical Foods Sees Rapid Growth

D & E Farms, Franklinville, N.J. (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morgueFile.com)

Nearly a third of U.S. shoppers say they have specifically purchased locally produced food over the last month, double the number in 2006, according to new consumer research released by food and grocery analysts IGD. Many do so to obtain the freshest produce, but a desire to support local jobs, farms and stores has also played an important role.

Support for ethically produced foods in general has withstood the pressures of an 18-month recession and is in fact growing, despite the tough economic conditions. When asked about food they have specifically purchased over the last month, shoppers responded:

• 30% said locally produced food (up from 15% in 2006)
• 27% Fairtrade products (up from 9%)
• 18% products with high animal welfare standards (up from 11%)

Thinking Morally & Buying Locally

Joanne Denney-Finch, Chief Executive of IGD, said: “These figures prove what we have been saying throughout the recession – shoppers are looking for both value and values. They are not simply looking for cheaper food in tough times, they also expect the grocery industry to support their moral and ethical values.”

Drilling down into reasons for supporting local food in particular, most said that it was fresher, but the biggest riser over the last few years has been support for the local economy:

• 57% said they purchased local food because it has not travelled as far and is therefore fresher
• 54% wanted to support local producers and farmers (up from 28% in 2006)
• 34% wanted to support local retailers (18% in 2006)
• 29% wanted to keep jobs in the local area (up from 14%)

Farmers Markets More Popular than Ever

IGD also asked shoppers what improvements they would like to see to their food and grocery shopping experience. Once again, support for locally produced food was up, with 31% saying they would like more local products available to them, compared with 12% in 2005. One in five (20%) would like a farmers’ market or farm shop to be established nearby, up from 15% in 2005.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said that the number of farmers markets in the U.S. increased by 13% in 2009, illustrating just how many communities and consumers across the country are searching out fresh food and supporting their local farms. Farmers and consumers connected at 5,274 farmers markets in 2009, up from 4,685 in 2008.

To visit the IGD web site for further information, go to: IGD, The food & grocery experts
by Jeff Deasy for American Feast