Regulating GE crops: Have your say

Genetically engineered crops I admit make me uneasy at best. As we don't fully know the health and environmental implications of genetically engineered food, the idea of it more fully integrating our marketplaces gives me pause.

Why does it matter now? Because the USDA is considering deregulating the use of GE alfalfa, the fourth-largest crop in the country. They are taking comments through tomorrow.

Conventional alfalfa (alfalfa that is not a GE variety and is not grown
using organic practices) has been used by farmers as livestock feed for decades
because of its high protein and low fiber content. Alfalfa ranks fourth on
the list of most widely grown crops by acreage, behind corn, soybeans, and
wheat, and is ranked third among agricultural crops in terms of value.
Because it is widespread and is typically grown as a perennial crop, alfalfa also providesimportant habitat for wildlife (Hubbard 2008). ...

Alfalfa is predominantly cross-pollinated and the flowers depend entirely on bees for cross-pollination. (USDA Environmental Impact Statement, Dec. 2010)

So what does that mean for you?

Our non-GE and organic farmers continue to be concerned with crop contamination
and market rejection. Independent studies in the U.S. and in other countries on
GE crops have documented a long list of reasons for concern, including evidence
that these crops lead to herbicide-resistant super-weeds and require the use of
more toxic herbicides. As mentioned above, organic alfalfa is used as feed by
most organic and non-GE dairies. Also, the policy set for GE alfalfa will most
likely guide policies for other GE crops as well. (Whole
Foods Blog, Jan. 20)

On top of the cross-contamination issue, the USDA concedes that the deregulation, or increased use, would likely increase the use of herbicides such as glyphosates, but whether the use of other herbicides would increase or decrease is unknown. (USDA Environmental Impact Statemnet, Dec. 2010)

The USDA is taking comments through Monday on whether to deregulate GE alfalfa which would allow it to be planted anywhere. Alfalfa is often used as feed for dairy cows and beef cattle, and cross-contamination with GE alfalfa would have an impact on these designations.

I agre that our farmers have a right to grow foods without fear of contamination from others’ GE crops—and that consumers have a right to make the choice to buy non-GE products.
You can learn more about the alfalfa issue here.

Happy Baby = Happy Kid? A review of Happy Baby and Happy Bites Foods

Frozen foods for kids? It's not much different than many moms' standby of chicken nuggets or fries baked in the oven. Convenience is key on many hectic nights. And in organic's benefits and squeezing in extra vegetables? Now you might be on to something.

So was my mindset as I set out to review Happy Baby and Happy Bites line of frozen foods (in Indianapolis, it's available at Whole Foods). Over a six-week span, we mixed a number of dishes into our diet with mixed results. The baby food was well-received, but the kid line, not so much.

Happy Baby

The Happy Baby frozen baby food line was great as a working mom and not much different than cracking open a jar. I tossed a series of cubes into the fridge in the morning, and it was defrosted by dinner time.

The cost may seem high (about $5 a package, but the cost per serving is comparable to other organic baby foods you'd find on the store shelf.

Our taste-tester gobbled up the Super Salmon and Baby Dhal, made hysterical faces at the quinoa (not sure why; he's enjoyed the grown-up version), and would not have a thing to do with the peaches or plums, which he normally likes. (The texture was a bit strange, kind of flaky, which may be a contributing factor).

But better than the baby food for the 9 month old was the "big kid line," Happy Bites. Our littlest tester enjoyed lapping up the dipping sauce (with "hidden veggies" inside) as well as pincher-sized bites of his sisters' fish.

Happy Bites

At about $5 a frozen dinner (at Whole Foods), the children's meals are more than I'd usually pay for a frozen meal for lunch, which makes it a bit pricy for everyday use. However, it might be a great back-up on crazy evenings or when the grown-ups just want to eat, well, grown-up food.

Reality bites, and the 3 year old didn't. My foodie fought eating these every step of the way.

I'll admit I couldn't sell it. We generally offer healthy meals including plenty of produce and occasional fish, but these meals were often tasteless and had an unusual consistency and texture. The Fish Bites and Salmon Stix had no flavor (and my daughter loves salmon). The Veggie Tots were unpalatable.

The dipping sauces? A mix of strange brews that resemble baby food (and enjoyed heartily by the baby, who lapped the green ones up). The "Orange Cheetah" cheese sauce tasted like out of a blue Kraft box (not necessarily a bad thing for this demographic), and the "Red Monkey" marinara sauce could have definitely been kicked up a notch.

I give the creators of this line credit for trying to increase the produce in children's diets and expose them to (slightly) new flavors. But the reality is, as a parent, hidden foods are still tough to pull off.

Back to school! Our weekly writer wrapup

It's back to school time, and time to learn a few tips on how to make your life a little bit greener. Here's a sampling of what's out there in the blogosphere.




Home ec:

• Going Local shares a "local" 1877-era beverage called shrubs.
• Green Parent Chicago discusses meatless meals for kids.
• Chile explains how to can and shares some quick meal tips.

Art:

• Green Baby Guide writes about carbon-free entertainment ideas for your toddlers or older children. Looks like I'll be coming back on a rainy afternoon.

Political science:

• Surely You Nest blogs about Bush's attempts to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
• Onearth.org writes about how political conventions are going red, white, blue and green.

Economics:

• UK's The Green Parent reports on how the credit crunch is impacting organic dairy farms.

Critical thinking:

• Green Sheeep posts a great essay on her evolution toward sustainability.
• Crunchy Chicken weighs in on whether there are benefits to rising food prices.
• Ecoburban banters about the battle over toilet paper and whether cutting off is in order.

P.E.:

• Parenting Examiner writes about the need for unstructured play outdoors.

Have a great weekend!

When organic raspberries aren't right

Raspberries are a summertime favorite for me, bringing back memories of picking them in the shade of the trees by my grandmother's garden in central Wisconsin.

When I see fresh raspberries in the storem particularly at a great price, I'm bound to notice. And they never get farther than freshly washed.

The other day, the raspberries huddled together in large, clear containers at Sam's Club, and I couldn't resist. I opened the package at home and happily noted that they were organic.

Interestingly, though, Driscoll's packages its organic raspberries in #6 plastic, the largely non-recyclable kind.

It's not the first time I've gotten organic produce packaged in plastic you cannot recycle. Organic vendors at the local farm stands, markets and even once from my CSA have done the same thing. Is it me, or does anyone else see the irony of packaging organic - better for you and the environment - food in not-so-great-for-the-environment, non-recyclable plastic packaging?

Green on the cheap: Cheap find this week

Everyone knows that the price of food has gone up considerably in recent months, most notably due to gasoline prices and speculation. So I have to share a great find at an even greater price.

Yesterday, I broke down and went to the grocery store. The fridge was bare, with the exception of juice and milk. It was looking pretty bad.

While at Kroger, I saw they still had out coupon books for their organic brands (used to publicize Earth Day). Inside, there are coupons for $1/2 items by Horizons Organics dairy products. The yogurt is listed as 99 cents each (no cheaper than regular yogurt, really anymore).

At the register, the Horizon Organics yogurt cups rang up as 69 cents. Factoring the coupon, you can buy 6 oz. containers of organic yogurt for 19 cents each. Given that my toddler asked for a second container of it in one sitting, it's not a bad deal.

If you decide to stock up, please, recycle what's left of the coupon books and the No. 5 plastic containers, if you are able!

$30 at the organic market gets you....

Traders Point Creamery's Farmers Market was my destination yesterday morning. Visiting the Green Market is a treat for my family, in part because of the drive and in part because we take full advantage of the trip, visiting the cows and chickens (a treat in a 2 year old's eyes). We also take part in our usual tradition of visiting the Dairy Bar, relaxing with a cup of mango ice cream (for the toddler) and the best chocolate milkshake you will ever have (for the grown-ups).

As an experiment, I brought $30 with me to see what I could find at the organic market for my guests this weekend. Given the rising prices for food overall and also for organics, I was curious to see how I'd come out.

I was very surprised to find that not everything organic or natural was more expensive thn non-organic items at the grocery store.

Here's what I purchased:

• Organic eggs, $4 per dozen. Granted, I feel $2.50 per dozen that I pay in the stores is a bit much, but that extra $1.50 not to have to go stand in line in Kroger on a weekend was worth it.
• Fruit salsa, $5, was my splurge. I am very guilty of buying impulse items, and this was this week's purchase. However, my 2 year old loved it, and it made a great compliment to a simple lunch of crackers, cheese, and smoked salmon. I'll have to locate a similar recipe.
• Pork steaks. At $1.99 a pound, this was very comparable - and possibly cheaper! - than prices at the groceries. And having bought from this Mennonite farmer in the past, I know that the pork steaks are leaner and tastier than most pork chops I find in the store. We finally found dinner for six!
• Breakfast sausage, $3.50 a pound. Again, it's comparable in price to the stores, and would make a good accompaniment to my blueberry baked french toast for brunch.

After spending only $17 at the meat stand, I still had $4 left, more than enough to cover my milkshake at the Dairy Bar.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a variety of items that I didn't buy, simply because of space in the fridge or because I already had enough on hand. Already at the market: salad mixes, pastas, breads, handcrafted soaps, coffee and specialty items. Even though the growing season in Indianapolis doesn't officially start for another month, I can't wait to see what the summer holds, and I am glad to know the summer's bounty will be affordable, even if it's organic.

What price organic?

Today's New York Times writes about the growing sticker shock for organic food.

In some parts of the country, a loaf of organic bread can cost $4.50, a pound of
pasta has hit $3, and organic milk is closing in on $7 a gallon.

The writers attribute much of this to the reasons plaguing high food prices as a whole, but added to this concern is that there's less incentive financially for a farmer to switch to or stay organic.

So the question is, how much are you wiling to pay for organic produce, meats or milk? Are you willing to pay the piper for pasta made from organic wheat? Or organic chicken, who fed on organic grains?

It's a tough call. Even if grocery chains, Target and Wal-mart are entering the organic food forray, the reality is that all food prices are on the rise, and it may be cheaper and easier for some families to avoid buying organic food for now.

If you have to make a call as far as which organic foods make the most difference, these are suggested foods from WebMD:

• Apples
• Baby food
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Imported grapes
• Meat
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Poultry
• Potatoes
• Red raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries.

Organic items not worth buying, the article states, are seafood and cosmetics.

How does Indy compare? At the chain groceries, I'm not seeing much difference in prices in recent months. Weather (and children) permitting, I hope to go to the green market at Traders' Point Creamery this weekend and will let you know.

Why I am a 'Going Green Mama'

My friend Sach e-mailed and asked why I started this blog and what prompted me to grow green. Let me share. I am sure many of us are in a similar boat.

I've always tried to do stuff, recycle cans and newspapers, reuse the backs of paper through the printer, hit the farmer's markets.

In the last year, I just thought it was time to do more. For me it's about balancing reality (costs, time, resources) vs. environmentalism. I can't justify $5 quarts of organic whole milk for my kids or $30 cleaner (seriously! I saw it once) with our lifestyle.

My decision to reduce my impact on the environment became more intense after the cake incident when I was pregnant. It made me think about what I was injesting, and I decided then to start looking at when organic products made sense for us. It's been a slow process as our town doesn't have many resources, whether farmer's markets, natural food stores or other shops. If it's not at Target or Wal-mart, it's going to require a significant drive, which makes it, once again about balancing resources. I have to decide whether it's worth the 25-mile drive to the closest winter market, for example.

The blog? It has been something I've kicked around for months. I have had lots of problems locating even basic stuff like natural cleaning recipies online. There are a lot of junk Web sites out there. My hope is to provide a clearinghouse of ideas for regular parents, working or not, like me.

The environmental impact of babies

No, this isn't a discussion of cloth vs. disposable diapers. I am a working mom, 'nuff said.

Yesterday I was at the grocery buying the first of many rounds of baby food, and I got to thinking about the considerable amount of stuff a baby requires and generates.

They say breast milk is best; even so, as a working mom, this isn't a uncostly proposition. You have:

• a pump (and batteries, if you have to pump in an inconvenient location)
• bottles for daycare
• freezer bags for storage (in case you're unable to keep up at a future date)
• and all the electricity generated for the above
• not to mention, replacement nipples as the baby grows, and the junk generated by the size-1s that are included with each bottle sold.

And I have yet to find a recyclable baby bottle! Yes, there are some glass ones sold but at $10-15 each you can imagine the expense. I'd love to see Avent or another company introduce recyclable plastic bottles.

Then there's later feedings. As your child grows you're facing an enormous stash of empty glass jars each week. (Let's not even address the cost, which goes up exponentially if you choose organic or dha-laced products.) I live in a community that limits the amount of recyclables to one bin per week so this is a frustration.

Yes, I intend to supplement my baby's diet with processed versions of the foods we get from the CSA this summer, depending on time and texture of the food. Storage is always an issue.

Finally there's the waste generated by all the other stuff:

• packaging for everything
• medication and vitamin bottles (which again, is rarely recyclable)
• wipes
• batteries for swing (if your kid had colic, you'd understand!)
• clothes that become to stained to pass along to another new mom.

Does anyone have ideas on how to minimize your baby's impact on the environment? I'd love to hear ideas.

Joining a CSA

I've always been a big fan of farmers markets. I love wandering the colorful rows of tables and examining the fresh produce and other homemade goods. My husband and I have always considered it a treat to go to the Saturday-morning markets, and I always looked forward to mid-March, when the market would open and we'd be teased with plants to add to the year's garden.
And then I moved to Indiana. Here, the planting season starts about a month later than in Kansas City, and the markets don't even open until June. In my community, there's a small market, open a few short months, and I'm limited to a few tables with the same offerings: tomatoes, peppers, beans and corn.
There are other markets, but those require a long drive (30-90 minutes), something that's difficult to do with young children and becoming more of an issue with soaring gas prices.
Then, about a year ago I read an article in Time magazine about community supported agriculture, or CSAs. I loved the idea that people could buy into a program where you could be treated with fresh produce on a weekly basis. I investigated on localharvest.org, but the closest program I could find delivered 45 minutes from my home. Not convenient, and certainly not cost-effective.
I tried again this year and was fortunate enough to find a program that has a delivery point on my drive home from work. While it's expensive to invest in the program (payment for the season is required up-front so that the farmers can purchase seed and supplies for the season), beginning in May we'll have a weekly bounty of 10 quarts or so of organic produce of all kinds to sample. The offerings include everything from the traditional tomatoes and lettuces to foods outside my comfort zone - rhutabaga and other produce that I wouldn't normally jump to buy on my own.
All of this for less than $20 a week, far less than I'd spend on impulse purchases at the market. Now, we'll see if my toddler will buy into it!