The Eat Well Guide has partnered with the Presbyterian Hunger Program and their agrarian road trip to help them find good food along the way to the US Social Forum! They will begin their journey in Louisville, Kentucky and arrive in Detroit, well-fed, having made lots of sustainable stops along the way. Check out the Eat Well Guide map tracking their events and offering up suggestions of farmers markets, farmers, CSAs, restaurants and more to find sustainable food in every city! Read on for more from the Presbyterian Hunger Program about their trip…

The Heaven on Earth Agrarian Road Trip (HEART) is 15 adventurous individuals from around the country who will be exploring local food and food justice initiatives in eight states. These are gallant efforts to rebuild local/regional food supplies that are more equitable, more just for farmers and farm workers, more secure, and more sustainable for the future. At the end of the journey, HEART will join some 17,000 people in Detroit – “Ground Zero for Urban Farming and Renewal” – for the 2nd US Social Forum, where Food Justice will be a powerful theme.

WHY HEART? Vibrant local/regional food economies are needed in the United States AND everywhere – especially in impoverished nations whose farming has been weakened by international trade rules, foreign “assistance” policies, and the dumping of subsidized crops on their economies.

Road Trippers have experienced these problems in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and will highlight these issues along the way. But the main focus will be to explore, celebrate and broadcast to the wider church the great things happening to address these systemic problems in our food and farm systems – by starting in our own households, congregations and communities.

As we rebuild food security and sovereignty here in the United States, let us always remember, pray for, and do all we can to support the same around the world. Advocacy on US foreign assistance and global food security legislation, as well as the Trade Act, will be critical this year.

So . . . How to follow the HEART?

Home base for the Heaven on Earth Agrarian Road Trip will be the Food and Faith Blog where you can find HEART photos, posts, videos and interviews from the Road Trippers, June 13 – 26.

Follow HEART and find events along the way! The Eat Well Guide has donated their database of local food farms, farmers markets, restaurants and much more to create a Heaven on Earth map, event descriptions, and even a printable local foods and farms resource for each of the towns we’ll visit.

Find us on the HEART Google map.

And “fan” the HEART facebook page for more updates!

The Sweetie and I were driving through the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, reluctantly following the bossy directions of the GPS who was taking us through what would commonly be called “a lousy neighborhood.”

The elevated train was rumbling above us, and I was looking around at the ramshackle collections of shops. Suddenly, among second-hand furniture and used TV stores I saw a fence and the sign:  BUSHWICK CITY FARM.  What?  In this unlikely spot?

We parked the car, walked in, and were greeted by an amiable young woman, a teenager, six chickens, and two cats.  It turns out that the amiable young woman decided–fortunately for the U.S. in general and Bushwick in particular–to emigrate from Russia.  With a slight accent, Masha Radzinsky told us that she lived in Bushwick and every time she passed the garbage heap in this deep, skinny lot, she thought about turning it into a garden.  One day she started doing just that.  Here’s a mighty example of what one person can do…

With the help of neighborhood volunteers who signed on when they saw her beginning to remove the rubble, Masha first carted off tons of debris.  Once the land was cleared, she rescued six chickens about to be slaughtered and two cats about to be put down at the neighboring shelter.   The chickens are there to eat the weeds and produce excellent compost.  The cats are there for fun. The cats and chickens get along just fine.

Attached to the front fence, there’s a basket of bread contributed by a neighborhood bakery for those in need.  The sign reads “Comida Gratis,”  free food.

Masha has already set up a compost bin and, while we were there, a neighbor parked her bike at the entrance to the garden and dropped off some vegetable scraps.  Others have contributed soil and plants.

There’s a raised bed at the back waiting for more soil and vegetable seedlings with the idea of giving the produce away for free.  But the garden has run out of money.  The Sweetie, being his usual generous self, opened his wallet.  But more help is needed. If you know of anyone who would like to contribute organic soil or seedlings–or some seed money or sweat equity–contact Masha at bushwickcityfarm@gmail.com. (At this point, the farm has no help from the city and no grants or other financial support.)

Below this photo of the garden, you’ll find a U-Tube clip of Masha telling us about the garden and showing us around.  You also meet one of the volunteers, Coralis Henriquez, who will tell that she loves hanging around the garden and helping out “because it’s so nice and green around here.”

Nothing says summer like strawberries, but before you bite into your next, read this.

Methyl Bromide, a soil fumigant often used on strawberry crops, was phased out in the US by 2005 because it was depleting the ozone layer. The phase out was based on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Clean Air Act.

Good news, right? The EPA was acknowledging that yet one more federally-approved chemical was actually causing more harm than good. But I only found out about the banned Methyl Bromide because of the attention recently placed on Methyl Iodide. Approved in 2007, and currently used in many states as a “good” replacement for the banned Methyl Bromide, Methyl Iodide has its own set of problems.

Methyl Iodide is currently under scrutiny as the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) proposes approval of its use. Even though Methyl Iodide is used in many states already, California, which has its own pesticide approval process, has been questioning its safety level for the last year. While Methyl Iodide is not an ozone depleting pesticide like Methyl Bromide, it is extremely toxic to humans, a consistent carcinogenic that is used in the lab by chemists to induce cancer in experimental subjects such as mice. It has also been found to affect the nervous system, lungs, liver and kidneys, and to damage human fetuses.

While an independent review requested by the DPR concluded that “any anticipated scenario for … use of this agent would result in exposures to a large number of the public and thus would have a significant adverse impact on the public health,” the agency is still pushing for its approval, suggesting more stringent regulations than originally spelled out by the EPA. These tighter regulations include better training in proper application, controlling the amount used, limiting exposure for workers and requiring special permits. They would also include bigger “buffer zones” between fields sprayed with the toxin and local hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and schools.

Though it isn’t looking good, if the California proposal is rejected, it could have a large impact, possibly moving up the next scheduled federal review of Methyl Iodide, now slated for 2013. It could even help lead to a federal ban.

As the revolving doors between industry and the government continue to …revolve, it takes very little digging to unearth a sketchy connection in this situation. In 2007, the year Methyl Iodide was approved by the EPA, Elin Miller, a past employee of Arysta (the company that makes the pesticide), was EPA Administrator for Region 10, which includes Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington State and 267 Indian Tribes. Methyl Iodide was originally approved for one year, but the probationary time line was extended indefinitely as the Bush administration left office.

In the wake of President Obama’s Cancer Panel report, which found that the “risk of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated,” and links between chemicals and diseases (such as that between pesticides and ADHD) showing up regularly, the DPR’s proposal flies in the face of facts we’ve been privy to for a long time. You can send your comments about the proposal to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation until June 29^th at mei_comments@cdpr.ca.gov.

More Information:

Scientists Fume Over California’s Pesticide Plans, Pesticide Action Network – Methyl Iodide

Helpful tips:

Dirty Dozen – Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides

Rhubarb is a plant that holds memories of grandma and it was always my grandmother Winkie’s first homemade pie every spring. She had patches of the stalky green growing out behind the big grey house where she would pick it and transform it into the mysterious creation cooling on the windowsill. It was the adult dessert at the table with its twangy flavor and surreal pink hue. Forget the strawberries; she was a purist and there would be no corruption of the unique rhubarb flavor.

But Winkie had a secret – that rhubarb she was cooking up wasn’t so wholesome after all – the leaves are poisonous, filled with large amounts of oxalic acid. Perhaps this element of danger is why today, rhubarb is transcending the age boundary and infiltrating the hip locavore scene. Its tart flavor can tasted in everything from jams to jus and many top chefs are featuring the once dowdy ingredient in various ways throughout their menus.

Over Mother’s Day Weekend, rhubarbs dangerous edge had me captivated but as I could never recreate grandma’s delicious pie, I took an alternative route. After sifting through recipes such as this one for Rhubarb Cobbler and this Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Compote, I finally decided on a cake with unique combination of ingredients, Rhubarb Anise Upside-Down Cake.

The cake was a crowd pleaser, and I think everyone including Winkie, appreciated the departure from the classic pie. The recipe topping called for brown sugar to be caramelized in ½ a stick of butter and while it took me two attempts to get it right, it worked out in the end with a bit of patience and medium level heat. Perhaps the trouble stemmed from the fact that I only used two tablespoons of butter, “health nut” that I am, but it didn’t seem to affect the outcome of the cake. Otherwise, be sure to beat the sugar and butter together well for the batter, as that aids the airiness of the cake. Finally, be sure to enjoy the juxtaposition of danger and grandma together in one baked good.

Season: Rhubarb arrives in the Northern Hemisphere in April and May. It can be difficult to acquire at other times of the year but can be successfully frozen for mid-winter pies.

Buying: Look for long, fleshy stalks with little bruising. Some stalks may be on the greener side but that will not affect the flavor.

A bit of history: Rhubarb originated in China over 5,000 years ago and has been used throughout the centuries for its medicinal purposes as a laxative. It arrived in Maine in the 1820’s and spread throughout the U.S. where it became known as the “pie plant”.

Recipe after the jump!

Rhubarb Anise Upside-Down Cake – Serves 8

Gourmet Magazine, 1999

Ingredients

For topping

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed rhubarb

For cake

• 1 teaspoon anise seeds
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1/4 cup milk

Preparation:
Make topping:
In a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet melt butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and reduce heat to low. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly onto bottom of skillet and heat, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all brown sugar will be melted). Remove skillet from heat. Cut enough rhubarb crosswise into 1-inch pieces to measure 3 cups and decoratively arrange, rounded sides down, in one layer over brown sugar.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make cake:
With a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder finely grind anise seeds. Into a bowl sift together anise, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed add flour mixture alternately in batches with buttermilk and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just combined (do not overbeat).| Spoon batter over rhubarb in skillet, spreading evenly (be careful not to disturb rhubarb), and bake cake in middle of oven until golden, about 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in skillet on a rack 15 minutes.

Run a thin knife around edge of skillet and invert a plate over skillet. Keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert cake onto plate. Carefully remove skillet and serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Last week NYSERDA (the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority) and the Pace Law School Energy and Climate Center released the long-awaited New York Renewable Fuels Roadmap, a study on the state’s potential for the development of a biofuels industry. Despite the positive tone of the press release (with the title “New York Sources of Sustainable Biofuel Could Help Decrease Greenhouse Gas Pollution, Create Jobs, and Increase Energy Security”), a closer look at the report reveals, in fact, the need for extreme caution.

The Roadmap grew out of a recommendation by Governor David Paterson’s 2008 Renewable Energy Task Force to evaluate the effects of increasing biofuels production to help guide state policy in this area. More than a year ago, a group of industry, environmental and institutional stakeholders outlined the following goals for 2030, among others:
- New York would have a vibrant, world-class biofuels industry that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and oil imports, improving environmental quality;
- The state would be a leader in biofuels education and technology research;
- The emerging biofuels industry would help revitalize the state’s economy;
- Biomass feedstocks would be used in the most sustainable manner possible, providing a reliable fuel supply for all New Yorkers.

Who could disagree with such worthwhile aspirations? The problem is that, unfortunately, biofuels are not the solution everyone is looking for.

Optimistically, the Roadmap concludes that biofuels produced in New York have the potential to:
- Replace up to 16 percent of gasoline consumption;
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent;
- Create up to 14,000 jobs and generate as much as $1.8 billion per year.

But these conclusions are based on the theoretical development of a biofuels industry based on cellulosic feedstocks, such as switchgrass, rather than corn, the primary plant that has been used to make biofuels to date. However, a cellulosic biofuels industry does not currently exist anywhere in the world and, by the Roadmap’s own reckoning, is at least five to 10 years away from commercial development. Moreover, the scenarios developed under the Roadmap are based on switching about 30 percent of New York’s existing cropland over to biofuels feedstock production, a move, the study concluded, that may not gain support from the small land owners who comprise much of New York’s agricultural landscape. These are serious uncertainties for an industry that carries the expectation of solving so many problems.

A close reading of the Roadmap also raises grave concerns about potential pollution from biofuels development. (Credit should be given to the authors and coordinators for their unwavering consideration of sustainability.) First, the Roadmap indicates that while certain air pollutants would be reduced under some biofuels production scenarios, other air pollutants would increase. These tradeoffs, the Roadmap concludes, would increase public health problems. In addition, the authors found that the projected expansion of biofuels in New York could cause “soil erosion, impaired water quality, acidification of water and soil, eutrophication of bodies of water [the killing off of a body of water through nutrient run-off that, in turn, causes an over-abundance of algae and other plants, removing all oxygen from the water and choking out life], damage to plants and animals, reduced biodiversity, and loss of habitat.” (The effects on water quality are yet another reminder that water and energy planning and policymaking must be developed together given the strong interconnections between the two.)

At the national level, biofuels production from corn feedstock has already proven to cause these same environmentally devastating consequences. Yet, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack continues to obliviously laud biofuels, now under a catchy three-B’s slogan.

While the sustainable production of biofuels may be possible under rigorous best practices and limited production scenarios, it’s impossible for biofuels to live up to broad energy independence and economic revitalization goals without causing serious environmental problems. The rational behind touting biofuels as a silver bullet solution – farm lobbying and subsidy largesse aside – is one of “petroleum replacement.”

But the rhetoric of substituting the oil fields of the Mideast with the corn fields of the Midwest has already shown to be a disastrous formula, degrading soil and water, while failing to accomplish its replacement promise. New York should instead focus on energy efficiency and conservation, the low-hanging, very ripe fruit of a sustainable energy policy suited to the 21st Century and beyond. State policymakers should also focus on encouraging the use of efficient cars, incentivize car pooling and bike riding, promoting smart urban planning, and promoting investments in public transportation. Instead of three B’s, we need an alphabet soup of diverse policies for energy conservation and efficiency that will result in real benefits for New York’s environment and economy.

Remember when President Jimmy Carter visited the blighted south Bronx, with the result that images of burned-out houses and trash-stewn lots flashed across TV screens all over the nation? That visit and the movie, The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3 created an indelible image of the Bronx as a hopeless borough riddled with crime and despair.

Enter Steve Ritz, a teacher at Discovery High School (the tall fellow pictured in the center of the photo above) who figured out a way to help turn all that around by teaching his students to grow vegetables on walls. Yes, vegetables on walls.

As prolific HuffPo blogger Kerry Trueman pointed out last February :

Ritz has figured out how to grow good food, good jobs and good citizens by tapping into one of our greatest wasted resources–urban youth. And he’s doing it in Hunts Point, a quintessential “food desert” that, ironically, just happens to also be one of the world’s largest food distribution centers; 2.7 billion pounds of fresh produce from 49 states and 55 foreign countries passes through Hunts Point’s New York City Terminal Market annually on its way to more affluent neighborhoods.

On June 3 Ritz is orchestrating a huge “School Garden to School Cafe” event where the teens will be cooking and serving 450 healthy organic meals with vegetables grown by them from seeds on classroom walls and in containers. Well, that’s one mighty fine way to make sure that high quality vegetables get eaten right in the Bronx! No surprise that Ritz was recently awarded an EPA Environmental Quality Award.

How did Ritz manage to grow truckloads of organic vegetables indoors with virtually no equity but sweat equity? One thing he did was partner with a for-profit enterprise called Green Living™ Technologies, a pioneering developer of cutting edge urban agricultural systems. George Irwin, CEO of Green Living™ Technologies and a man with a big heart and a vision as huge as Ritz’s, contributed all of the building materials for the grow wall.

As Ritz points out, before they started growing their own on classroom walls, these teens had no easy access to fresh vegetables. And when kids grow their own vegetables, they want to eat them–so improved nutrition is a built-in bonus when teens become vegetable gardeners.

And there are other bonuses as well: Gardening not only improved class attendance from 40 % to 93%, but has also resulted in the startling fact that 100% of the gardening teens achieved passing grades on the state Regents exams in math and science.

On April 27th, at the magnificent Art Deco Bronx County Courthouse, I was privileged to witness Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz, Jr. present ten of Ritz’s students with graduation certificates for completing the Green Living™ Technologies training program in green wall and green roof maintenance and installation. The training was co-sponsored by Boston Cityscapes and held in Boston. According to Irwin, “These students are the youngest in America to obtain such living wage certifications by GLT in an emerging and green industry.”

At the graduation ceremony, Ritz talks about how he and the teens made this all happen and shows some slides of the process.

Before handing out the certificates, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. talks about his passionate vision of greening the Bronx.

Up on the beautiful green roof of the Bronx County Courthouse, President Diaz receives a “shelf” of green-wall-grown lettuces from Steve Ritz:

Solar panels on the White House? It may not be the case yet, but new vocabulary and a new campaign may change that.

Last week, the Solar Foundation’s Wednesday webinar series featured Danny Kennedy, a former Campaigns Manager for Greenpeace and current president of Sungevity, a California-based solar company. His presentation, “Changing the Vocabulary of Solar,” outlined the ways words and images can be used to sell the “magic and money” of solar energy. Kennedy noted that the solar industry needs to send the message to the public that the technology works, saves money, and creates jobs. But the messengers must not be limited to the industry. Kennedy says political leaders and other trustworthy figures in the public eye must convey the “magic and money” message.

At the core of Kennedy’s presentation is that consumers want “cold beer, warm showers, and fast cars.” Solar energy has the potential to help fulfill those wants and needs. Electricity provided from solar panels can power refrigerators to cool the beer, power electric water heaters and, as the automobile industry embraces plug-in hybrids and fully electric cars, solar energy can power those fast cars, too.

Taking a lesson from the computer industry, Kennedy noted that in the beginning days of the PC, early adopters used terms like megahertz and processors; now, with the introduction of the iPad, Apple is changing the vocabulary of high tech products with the terms: simple, phenomenal, far better, gorgeous, super high quality, amazing, huge—as demonstrated in this youtube video.

Early adopters of solar panels use terms like payback, rebate, kilowatt, inverter, net metering, racking and grid-tie. As solar becomes more mainstream, Kennedy notes that people will still be mostly concerned with “cold beer, warm showers, and fast cars.” He suggests that the solar industry take a cue from Apple and transition from the early adopter language towards a message that conveys what solar is, what it does and that people are using it.

How to say it? Kennedy distills it down to two words: “Money and Magic.” Solar energy produces electricity from the sun: Magic. And by doing so, it saves customers: Money.

Who needs to say it? Kennedy announced a new campaign: Solar on the White House. He says that the biggest political celebrity out there, Barack Obama, needs to send the message to Americans that he wants to use the magic of solar panels to save money at the White House. Coupled with the lasting vision of a solar array on the roof of the First Family’s residence, Kennedy hopes that the Obamas will solidify in Americans’ minds that solar energy works, saves money and creates jobs.

You can listen to the entire presentation, download slides, and access accompanying videos from the Solar Foundations’ website.

Dan Forgey, farm manager at Cronin Farms in South Dakota, has been using no-till management for more than 17 years. Over that time, Forgey has developed a keen understanding of how his farming system works and where new challenges and opportunities exist. Several years ago, Forgey began thinking about how he might include cover crops on the 8500-acre farm to improve soil and the bottom line. But how best to do this in a no-till system?

Read more about Dan Forgey’s operation and the benefits of no-till farming at Cooking Up a Story.

Neshamah Weiss is a middle school student in Brooklyn, NY.  Her mother, Regina Weiss, made her read this book.  Here’s her review.

Have you ever thought about how things you use in your everyday life could affect weather patterns?  Reading Anna Lappé’s book Diet for a Hot Planet, I had to ask myself questions like “Why would big companies that fill their food with high fructose corn syrup and other junk ignore the fact that they are a main reason why we are experiencing global warming?”  I could only come up with two possibilities: Either all they care about is making money or they are ignorant beyond belief.

An example of the relationship between our food and our climate occurs in factory farms, where cows are crammed together and given hormones to make them grow faster and produce more milk, along with food (mainly corn) that upsets their stomachs and can cause E. coli. But they aren’t only producing milk; they are producing gas and poop that contains methane, an odorless gas that increases the greenhouse effect and traps heat twice as effectively as carbon dioxide – commonly referred to as CO2.

Despite the fact that we might not realize it, all the food that we eat causes some small part of global warming.  Think of . . . pasta with vodka sauce, my favorite Italian dish.  Would you think that global warming can be served in that small of a dish?  The answer is, no, you wouldn’t think that possible, but it is.  The wheat from the pasta is most likely fertilized with fossil fuel-based chemicals. The milk or cream in the vodka sauce is probably from a factory farmed cow (unless my mom made it, in which case it was probably organic).  Even without chemical fertilizers or factory farms, if your food rides in a truck before it gets to you, it carries some sort of “carbon foodprint.”

Now, in my opinion, this book is an important piece of work that everyone should read.  It offers a large amount of information that is enough to explain what I need to know about food and global warming, but not so much as to put me to sleep.  Anna Lappé’s Diet for a Hot Planet does not seem like it is meant to make you feel guilty about the things you’ve done and eaten, but to make you realize what your actions are doing to the earth, and to help you correct them.

Generating energy usually requires tremendous amounts of water, while treating, heating and moving water from place to place takes a huge amount of energy. Unfortunately, few water managers and energy planners view this connection as an opportunity to work together.

The conservation of these intertwined and vital resources – water and energy – is not typically coordinated – but when it is, it’s a winning strategy.

For example, a recent study conducted in Palm Desert, California focused on reducing household water consumption through the use of water meters. The Coachella Valley Water District specifically asked participants to reduce their water use at times of peak electricity use, when rates are at their highest.

In terms of water use, the pilot study was a success, because during peak times participants used 50 percent less water than the control group, and their total water use was 17 percent less. But only a hint about the pilot study’s impact on energy use was given in a recent Green Inc. post:

The study did find that homeowners’ actions cut the water district’s peak electric use slightly, but whether or not the agency will build on this aspect of the study is unclear.

But wouldn’t a decreased electricity bill, however minor, be a welcome bonus for the water district? In a state where 19 percent of electricity use is accounted for by water needs (treating, moving and using water), we couldn’t let this half of the water-energy connection go unexplored. So a sneak peak at the pilot project’s draft report – the final report is expected later this month – indicated that the energy savings for the Coachella Valley Water District, and other water providers that rely on pumped groundwater, may not be as insignificant as advertised.

Our unsolicited advice? The District should absolutely highlight this aspect of the study, regardless of the size of the energy and cost savings.

The electric and water utility Idaho Power pays farmers to not water their crops during summer afternoons. The utility is quick to point out that by reducing the amount of water that needs to be pumped to the farms during the time of peak electricity use, demand on the utility’s grid can be reduced by more than five percent.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is helping municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities cut costs by funding energy-saving pilot projects that, at the same time, help these facilities exceed their water quality regulatory requirements. Such savings are essential for cash-strapped water and wastewater facilities because the costs to pump, treat, deliver and collect water can comprise up to one-third of a New York municipality’s energy bill.

These are just three examples, but it appears that the days of tackling water and energy conservation separately may be numbered – energy and water managers and planners get along quite nicely!