Vegetarian Star

How food gets from the farm to your plate is becoming an increasingly popular topic, given the fact most conscious eaters want to know what they eat was grown under environmentally friendly conditions for the planet and farm workers and had minimum impact, if any, on animals.

The farm is also where many food education programs take children as part of an initiative to get them to eat better once they’ve become acquainted with how produce is grown and harvested.

Skinny Bitch author Rory Freedman and Jenny and Heather Goldberg of Spork Foods, a company that offers organic, vegan cooking classes in the LA area, visited a farm to learn the ins and outs of produce growing.

In between chit chatting with the “meat-eating farmer,” Freedman discusses vegan issues, such as cruelty to male chicks in the egg industry and what motivated her to give up animal products as well as environmental changes that have affected the nutrition and safety of our food.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

George Washington Carver

From now until February 27th, 2011, the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan will feature an exhibit chronicling the life of what may be one of the first black champions of sustainable farming and most definitely a pioneer for inventors, farmers and conservationists of all races.

According to USA Today, George Washington Carver believed, “nature produces no waste” and neither should humans. He invented hundreds of uses for the peanut, sweet potato and soy bean, using much of what he already had, making instruments from pieces of worn equipment from other tools.

Here are a few ways in which Mr. Carver, the first black American to attend Iowa State Agricultural College, which is now Iowa State University, exemplified sustainable farming, upcycling and using local labor and resources.

Soil Conservation: When the Deep South faced eroding soil from growing cotton, Carver suggested alternative crops of peanuts and soybeans one year and then cotton the next, a method that helped restore nitrogen to the soil.

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

“We should be interested in knowing where our food comes from. If it comes from soil that is organic, that is grown by our family farmers, we know that it’s more healthy than the food grown by big corporations that saturate the soil with chemicals and pesticides and fertilizers.Thank you for those farmers who are doing their part, doing organic farming, and who need our support. That’s why we’re here, 25 years in a row.”

—Willie Nelson, during the Farm Aid 25: Growing Hope for America concert, a fundraiser for the organization, Farm Aid, which supports local family farmers.

Possibly Related Posts:

• The Passing Of A Vegan Prince
• Meatless Mouthful–Stevie Wonder Says Vegan Helps His Good Looks And Planet
• Meatless Monday Recipe–Waka Flocka Blueberry Vegan Muffins (Video)
• Best Vegetarian Stories Of 2015
• Moby Opens Little Pine Vegan Restaurant

Michelle Obama will host diplomat spouses to a luncheon at an organic, sustainable, non-profit, educational farm. The First Lady will give the spouses a tour at Stone Barns Center, then take them to the Blue Hill restaurant for lunch.

Once featured on Top Chef, Stone Barns Center in Tarrytown, New York, provides education experiences and tours in organic farming. Programs are geared for both adults and children. The After School Programs, for example, are designed to get children to the farm on a weekly basis. On the agenda for some of the upcoming after school programs include learning about herbs, harvesting vegetables and seasonal cooking.

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Will immigration laws like SB 1070 in Arizona lead to a shortage of home grown produce?

The bill that has been deemed one of the toughest in the country, allows state police to stop and ask for I.D. of anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if there is “reasonable suspicion” and allows officials to arrest if proper I.D. cannot be shown.

One news site conducted an online poll about the bill and received a flood of comments, one of which was:

“If you want illegal aliens out of the us of a, then stop eating all your veggies (organic and nonorganic)…”

The New York Times reported that the Department of Labor estimated about 53% of U.S. farm workers are illegal immigrants.

Not only is worker shortage in the field a possible consequence of immigration laws, but many growers opt to take business outside of the United States entirely.

In the past, cracking down on immigration has caused a reduction of workers in the fields on U.S. farms, with some farmers choosing to grow their crops Mexico where the workers will not be subject to immigration investigations.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Temple Grandin, scientist who made contributions to the livestock industry praised by those in the business and animal rights activists, says dairy and egg farms need to step up their level of care for the animals.

The subject of a recent HBO movie chronicling her life, Grandin said farmers have gotten used to keeping animals and the conditions they’re kept in unhealthy.

At an organic food industry conference, Grandin said, according to the Des Moines Register. “The bad has become normal.”

Grandin said battery cages used to house hens aren’t large enough to allow the birds to continue their normal behavior, such as scratching, nesting and perching.

But she is concerned that too many regulations will cause farmers to take their business to other countries to save money, thus causing Americans to lose their jobs.

She’s also worried about low-income people being able to afford the price of the cage-free eggs.

One suggestion Grandin has is to use larger cage systems that Europe already has, which allows the birds to do normal behaviors.

Could America be on its way to adopting a similar practice?

Lee Kilmer, a dairy extension specialist at Iowa State University said, “California is five years ahead of the Midwest, and the European Union is five years ahead of California. I’m hoping we can get producers in the Midwest to deal with some of these practices that deal with animal welfare before we have legislation requiring it.”

Possibly Related Posts:

• Jon Stewart and Wife Tracey Stewart Adopt Horse
• Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Elephants Retire To Sanctuary
• SeaWorld Phasing Out Whale Breeding Program
• Best Vegetarian Stories Of 2015
• Morrissey Adds Vegan Touch To First In-Person Interview In Decade On “Larry King Now” (Video)