GMO Farming, Healthy and Smart

I get this question a lot. Do you eat GMO foods? Absolutely I do and so does my family.  A local farmer talks to me about why he plants GMO seeds. 

What are GMO foods?

• The World Health Organization defines genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, including between nonrelated species. Such methods are used to create GMO plants – which result in GMO food crops. This technology is called biotechnology.
• Farmers and gardeners have been creating plant hybrids for as long as they’ve been growing plants. Biotechnology simply serves as a more technologically advanced method.
• USDA says that while particular biotech traits may be new to certain crops, the same basic types of traits are often found naturally in plants and allow them to survive and evolve.

What do we know about GMO food safety?

• Every plant improved through the use of food biotechnology is examined by the FDA and EPA for potential health risks. Tests are done on plants before entering the food and animal feed supply. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that current foods containing biotech ingredients have passed human health risk assessments. In addition, the WHO says no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of biotech foods.

·         The following organizations have studied the issue and say genetic engineering is safe:

o   The National Research Council of the US National Academies of Science

o   Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

o   The United Nationals Food and Agriculture Organization

o   The World Health Organization

o   The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

o   The American Medical Association

o   The American Dietetic Association

o   The Council on Agriculture Science and British Medical Association

o   The European Commission

o   Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

 

Have more questions about GMO's? check out www.findourcommonground.com

Cereal Killer

This was too good not to share!

The mystery of the Central Ohio cereal killer
By Matt Reese

My kids love Life — cereal.

It was nearly bedtime for our two children and they wanted a snack. After debating the merits of candy, ice cream or cookies before bed, I convinced the children that some delicious Life cereal was the best way to go.

Is life like a bowl of Life?

I got the box out of the cupboard that I had put there after breakfast that morning. I opened it up and poured out some of its contents into a bowl with an unsettling “thwump” sound. I looked in the bowl to find a coagulated mass of partially crumpled up Life cereal. I poked it to find that it was sort of gooshey and quite unappetizing in every way.

My mind started racing to assess the potential causes of this horror wrapped up in a cereal box. Had this been festering in there for weeks (or months) since it was packaged? What were the health implications since we’d eaten from this box for breakfast? Did I need to call the emergency room? The cereal manufacturer? If we survived the incident, could we get a free Life-time supply?


I shook the box around and peered deep into its contents, afraid of what I might find. I put my hand in and fished around a bit, finding a little more of the gooshey crumbled Life and no answers. The children saw my concern as I scanned the box for a Life support hotline to call about the gooshey cereal emergency.
Wait. I stopped my search and directed a suspicious stare in the direction of the children. That was all it took.“But daddy, he made me do it,” my four-year-old daughter said while pointing at her younger brother.
Suddenly, the coagulated cereal plot had thickened. “He made you do what?”  “He poured too much cereal into my milk and made me pour it back in the box.”

Apparently, that morning when I had gone to the barn to do chores, and their mother was upstairs, our daughter had poured the excess Life along with a bowl full of milk back into the box. I returned to close up the box and put it away — hence, coagulated, gooshey cereal that falls into the bowl with an unsettling “thwump.” Mystery solved.
When it comes to something as important, and personal, as our food, it is very easy to fear the worst and jump to conclusions that may be inaccurate. People do this all the time.

A group of “Supermoms against Superbugs” recently went to Washington, D.C. to voice their concern about what antibiotic use in livestock is doing to the health of their children. The supermoms had more than 50 meetings with house and Senate staff, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the White House Domestic Policy Council with the goal of convincing legislators to increase regulations on antibiotic use in animal agriculture.

While it is very important for mothers to be concerned with the quality and safety of the food for their families, it is also very important that they are properly informed about the issues regarding their food. This particular group of “supermoms” was organized in part by the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, the group behind a notoriously biased review of the literature for antibiotic use in livestock. The research they cite is real, but they selected only the research that supports their pro-regulatory take on the issue. They conveniently omit the other side of the research that makes this a truly complex debate with strong science supporting differing opinions. So, while the passion of these “supermoms” is to be commended, it would be more productive and beneficial for everyone involved if they were wholly informed. In essence, they are calling the Life hotline before questioning the kids about the mysterious cereal malady, so to speak.

Learning the whole story about food and agricultural issues is not always an easy thing to do, and it is great to see increasing efforts in the farm community to address the misinformation out there. After all, for farmers and consumers alike, knowing the whole story before jumping to conclusions is the best way to handle whatever it is that Life throws your way, especially if it is a suspicious bowl of cereal.

What Should you Eat?

I have just had a great opportunity to visit New York City and spend a few days talking to Editors about food, farming and even some political issues facing the farm.


The questions I have heard over and over are about Organic, Local and food safety. I want to break down my thoughts on these issues and I hope it helps you out the next time you go to spend your hard-earned dollars on food. I also hope that you remember that no matter if you buy fresh produce, meat at the market or even canned foods, a Farmer somewhere worked really hard to put that food on your table.

First, food is an important thing for every parent to consider based on the specific values, nutritional needs, and budget of the household. And, while food choices are very important, they can also be very confusing. How can you know that you are feeding your family healthy or nutritious food with all of the marketing gimmicks and farm-related terms that fill the grocery?

I think the easiest way to share what I know is to tell you what I eat and feed my family, based upon my lifetime of involvement with agriculture. We do raise most of our food in the summer. I would say 95% of the time we raise our own meat or I buy direct from the farmer. I do this because I know lots of farmers and I have the freezer space. I also budget more for meat to buy the whole or half of the animal at one time. I understand not everyone has the means or freezer space to do this.

If you want to go above and beyond the grocery store with your food purchases, I think the biggest bang for your buck is by buying your meat locally. This provides a great connection with your food and a great quality product. I have found that especially beef and chicken are hard to beat in terms of cost savings and quality when purchased from a hard working local farmer you know.

I buy all my milk and dairy at this point from the grocery store. I buy the store brand milk 2%. When the kids were smaller I bought Vitamin D. I have been to many dairy farms and those are the hardest working families I know. Large dairy farms, especially, are very clean, cow care is top-notch and they are quite impressive. They milk two and even three times a day and their cows live a wonderful happy life! I have no idea what farm my milk comes from but I have never once worried about what my kids are drinking. Frankly I think kids drinking pop should be a greater concern to the public than concerns about the safety of our milk. There are some small dairies out there, and I occasionally buy milk from there for fun, but it is expensive. It does taste a bit better, but most of the time I go with the better value, and also safe and nutritious store-brand milk.



When fruits and vegetables are not in season I buy from the grocery store. I can honestly say I have never worried about what I put in my grocery cart with regard to these items either. Just be sure to properly wash and prepare your food properly to maximize food safety. It can be really fun to buy your produce when in season from the Local Market, but, when in a hurry, do not fret over a grocery store purchase.

We raise our own eggs, but I do buy them from the grocery on occasion as well. Large poultry farms actually have a number of advantages in terms of food safety over small farms like ours. If you do get eggs from a small farm (which is great) take extra care to avoid eating them uncooked (like my husband eating the cookie dough) and make sure they are cooked properly.

 If you want you and your family to be healthy eat a good mix of food. Go for less processed foods and eat lots of colorful foods. Remember portion control and whole grains! Do not forget to add in a bit of exercise too!

Now, at the grocery you can find all kinds of labels for all kinds of foods. The one I get the most questions about is organic.

Organic

It seems that there are many mothers out there who feel guilty if they are feeding their families anything other than organic. There is no need for this.

Organic is simply a term that describes the way the food was produced, not the end food product itself. Research from USDA has shown there is no nutritional difference in organic verses conventionally produced. There are also no food safety differences between organic and non-organic foods. The ONLY thing organic means is that is was produced following a strict set of production standards outlined at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop. There are many standards, but organic basically means that the food was produced without the use of chemical pest control, fertilizers for crops. Livestock are not treated with medicine and are fed organically produced feeds.

If these things are important to you, then organic foods are a great option. Do I ever buy organic? Yes and No. To me, I buy whichever is more cost effective at the time I am in the store. I will not pay extra for organic lettuce when I can buy an equally safe and nutritious lettuce for less.

Why does organic cost more? The risks for organic farmers are much greater and production costs can be higher, which is one reason why organic production is a very small portion of our food supply. Organic farmers have a niche market and there is a certain segment of consumers who feel a passion for organically grown food. Go for it! If you can afford it in your budget and it aligns with your family values, then buying organic is a great decision. The bottom line is, all types of agricultural production have pros and cons for the consumer, the environment and for food safety.

Local

First off, Local does not automatically mean organic. Please know the difference. Local can mean whatever you want it to mean. If you want to buy seasonally at the farmers market or right off the farm, go for it! When I have time, I love to visit the farmers market. It is a great experience for the entire family to make that connection. In the warmer months, the farmers market seems to be the in thing to do. Fresh food is typically more nutritious and often of better taste and quality. So if you want the more nutritious food, go with the fresher option.

Of course, this is not always possible in Ohio. So, reminder, do not have guilt if you are in a pinch on time or money and buy apples from the store and not the orchard or if you buy a tomato from the grocery store in January. Not buying local is not a bad thing either.

Food Safety

Every time you take a bite, you are taking a risk, whether it is organic, local or from the grocery. Eating is, and always has been, risky business. But today in the United States we have the safest food supply in the history of the world. Yes, there are certainly problems, but really not all that many. For example, the recent BSE case in California was caught. This cow was never going to enter into our food supply. I am personally glad the media was talking about it. This is a great example of a system that did not fail but thrived! If they were not talking about it, I think I may be a little more concerned. Remember, farmers are consumers too, just like you. They eat what they raise. Like you, our families come first. If our families are eating it, than you can rest assured that it is safe for the consumer.

We have enough worries and fear in our lives. I am here to say you should not fear when it comes to your food. Ask questions, be an educated consumer and take care to use all standard food safety precautions when preparing your food. Be sure to get the whole story, not just what you hear or read in the media. When in doubt, talk to a farmer.

And finally, please do not let people make you feel guilty for whatever educated food decision you make for your family.

Lost in the Food Fact Clutter?



I along with Rachel  Heimerl (left) and Gretchen Mossbarger
(center) are three farm women volunteers representing Ohio.


CommonGroundTM website now answers consumer questions about farming and food

Contrary to popular belief, straightforward answers to your farming and food questions do exist. Now, consumers can find answers in one location as a result of www.FindOurCommonGround.com.
The website has transitioned from informing audiences about the CommonGround program to providing a resource for consumers on many of the most popular food and farming topics. As CommonGround sorts through the questions and some of the misconceptions consumers may have, the program’s volunteers will provide visitors with a combination of firsthand accounts of what happens on their farms and scientific research.
“I hope our website will make people aware of the fact there is a lot of misinformation out there,” said Jennifer Schmidt, a CommonGround volunteer and diversified farmer from Sudlersville, Md. “Not all farmers live near or have access to urban consumers like I do in the mid-Atlantic region. Our website is a great way for farm women from all over the country to connect with consumers and share our stories.”
The enhanced site will introduce visitors to farmer volunteers such as Schmidt, who also is a registered dietitian. It also streamlines its focus on the top eight issues consumers ask volunteers about food. Those issues include:

• Animal Welfare

• Antibiotics

• Corporate Farms

• Food Prices

• GMO Foods

• Hormones

• Local/Organic

• Safety

CommonGround volunteers, like Bennett, Colo., farmer Danell Kalcevic, will dive into each issue by addressing consumer misconceptions related to their farm.
“For me, I want consumers to know that we (farmers) do not do things to harm anyone, and we eat the same food they do,” said Kalcevic, who raises a variety of crops, including wheat, millet, sunflowers, corn and cattle. “It is counterproductive to intentionally do things to the land, crops or animals we raise, and eventually sell or export, because that food ends up on our tables. I encourage consumers to check things out before spreading information that could be false.”
But sharing farmers’ personal stories serves as only one part of the equation. Making sure consumers understand the regulations farmers must follow is just as important, said CommonGround Volunteer, Renee Fordyce, who raises crops and cattle on her farm in Bethany, Mo.
“I am not a scientist, nor do I have a Ph.D., but I can speak from my personal experiences,” said Fordyce. “Sometimes all people want is a simple answer to address their concerns about food. If they want more meat to my answer, I feel comfortable directing them to CommonGround’s website because of the sound science we have to back up our experiences.”
From research to recipes, CommonGround volunteers hope to help visitors will find the answers to their important questions about food.
Have a question you want answered? CommonGround will not let it go unanswered. Find us online:

Website: www.FindOurCommonGround.com
YouTube: FindOurCommonGround
Twitter: @CommonGroundNow
Twitter Hashtag: #CGConvo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CommonGroundNow

About CommonGround™

CommonGround is a grassroots movement to foster conversation among women – on farms and in cities – about where our food comes from. The United Soybean Board (USB) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) developed CommonGround to give farm women the opportunity to engage with consumers using a wide range of activities. USB and NCGA provide support and a platform for the volunteers to tell their stories. The opinions and statements made by the volunteers are not necessarily representative of the policies and opinions of USB or NCGA

To eat or not to eat....at a popular chain?

While the short video from a popular burrito chain has been out for a while now, I just watched it today. The video vilifies large farms and encourages viewers to buy from local small farms like ours.

 While I support and advocate for consumer choice when it comes to food, it has become my tag line that “Local is great but bigger is better.” When I say bigger is better I mean it from a global viewpoint. I am thankful for customers who support smaller local growers like my family. We have a niche market to feed a sector of people who can afford to pay a bit higher price for their food. But there are those customers who must watch their dollar more closely and maybe cannot or choose not to buy as much local food. By going to a grocery store to buy meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables, you still support a family farm somewhere. Many people do not realize that 98% of all farms in the U.S. are family farms. Whatever decision you make for your family, I feel very confident in saying either is JUST FINE and even more importantly SAFE.

This time of year, my children love strawberries, berries and fresh vegetables. Our Ohio climate does not support the growth of these year round, but a farmer somewhere is producing this product and I am grateful because my children can have a balanced diet year round. When it comes to animal agriculture, our weather can be very difficult on livestock. Those animals raised inside have a safe and climate controlled home.

This particular chain also encourages people to buy meat that is organic and antibiotic free. My son Parker is prone to ear infections. When he is under the weather I take him to a Dr. If the Dr. says we need to treat this infection, then of course I want to do what is safe and best for my child. We use the proper medication for the correct length of time prescribed by the Dr. I certainly do not want to use medication if my child is not sick. If his body becomes used to it, then when he needs it, the medication will be ineffective.

I think we live in a very clean home but yet sometimes Campbell and Parker get sick. This is the same with animals. We do our best to keep the animals in a clean environment so that they can remain safe and healthy. Antibiotics cost money and producers avoid using any medication unless absolutely necessary. If a medicine needs to be used, there are stringent guidelines for each type of medication that must be followed and documented. I know from personal experience that sometimes animals get sick or injured, and I know my standards of care are very good. It is in the best interest and safety of the animal to treat that infection or illness so that they can continue to thrive and be healthy.

From a logical farming perspective we must continue to advance our farming practices or we will never come close to supplying enough food for our expanding population. There is only so much farm land that can be used to grow our food. We cannot create more farmland so we have be the best stewards of our land and produce the safest and largest amounts of product from what land we do have. Both large and small farms need to work together to feed our ever growing population.

As far as the popular burrito, I will still enjoy a chicken burrito with no beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce and guacamole every once in a while. I will not be thinking about it being organic or antibiotic free. What I will be thinking is that a farmer worked very hard to produce the grain that the animals ate and another farmer worked equally as hard to raise the animal. So whether large or small, organic or not, local or in another state, if you enjoyed a good meal today thank a farmer.