Pinnacle Foods' Birds Eye® Brand Announces New Steamfresh® Chef's Favorites Varieties

View the original article here

Discounted fruits, vegetables available to Morton Grove seniors

By Cathryn Gran cgran@pioneerlocal.com August 12, 2011 11:08AM

Updated: August 12, 2011 11:08AM

Morton Grove has found a way to put fresh fruits and vegetables into the hands of its senior citizens.

The village has teamed up with Skokie, the Skokie Valley Senior Services and the Levy Center in Skokie to provide coupons seniors can use at the Morton Grove Farmers’ Market, explained Jackie Walker-O’Keefe, director of family and senior services for the village.

“This is our first year with the program,” she said. “The federal Farm Bill granted money to states to provide seniors with coupons to use at any farmers’ market.”

The program is open to single senior citizens with an annual income of less than $20,146. Couples must have an annual income of less than $27,213, according to the guidelines.

“Each eligible senior receives a book with seven, $3 coupons,” Walker-O’Keefe said. “And in addition to fruits and veggies, the Farmers’ Market has added honey this year, which also can be purchased with coupons.”

The market is open from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 15 in the parking lot at 8930 Waukegan Road.

Walker-O’Keefe said most vendors at the market will accept the coupons.

“Seniors can use the coupons as money, but they will not get back change,” she said. “They can use all the coupons in one shot or use them until the end of October.”

Fruits currently in season in Illinois include blackberries, blueberries and cantaloupes. Vegetables include corn, eggplant and cauliflower.

Applications for the program are available from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays at the Civic Center, 6140 Dempster St.

Additional information is available by calling (847) 470-5246.

c 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit http://www.suntimesreprints.com/. To order a reprint of this article, click here.

View the original article here

Sunday roasts and vegetables just too popular

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

Calls for supermarket code of conduct

Supermarkets are regularly marking up fruit and vegetables between 100 and 300 percent, according to a Green Party survey, but the figures are being rubbished by the big two supermarket chains.

The survey, released today, of 121 fruit and vegetable growers has found that despite high retail prices for fruit and vegetables, growers as well as consumers are struggling.

It showed that supermarket pricing practices need to be investigated and a supermarket code of conduct and ombudsman established, Green Party food spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said.

"Seventy-eight percent of growers in our survey are being forced to sell their produce, at times, for less than it costs them to produce it."

Ms Kedgley said that of the growers that were being forced to sell their produce below cost, more than a third had to so on a frequent basis.

"Supermarkets are still routinely putting substantial mark-ups of 100-300 percent on fresh fruit and vegetables.

"This suggests that supermarket mark-ups remain a key factor in the high price consumers are paying for fresh local produce, and that the low prices many growers are getting for produce are not being passed onto consumers."

Ms Kedgley said many growers detailed the returns they got for produce, and the amount their produce retailed for. Some growers reported margins of up to 800 percent on their produce, while most suggested supermarket margins were around 100-200 percent.

One grower said they received less than $2 for a tray of 20 avocados - which cost $8 to produce - which the supermarket then sold for $19.80, a margin of 880 percent.

One apple grower said he was getting the same price of 50 cents a kilogram as they did in 1998.

Many reported seeing their produce marked up between 100 and 300 percent in the supermarkets.

The survey found 87 percent of growers supported a supermarket code of conduct, while 83 percent believed a voluntary code would not be effective.

Ms Kedgley said serious questions needed to be asked about why supermarkets put such high mark-ups on fresh produce, while they put virtually no mark-ups on alcohol, and the mark-ups on processed foods are normally around 23 percent.

But Foodstuffs managing director Steve Anderson told the Sunday Star-Times the survey contained "blatant and deliberate misinformation".

"Consumers are not being overcharged in our stores and accusations that supermarkets make mark-ups of the nature claimed in this survey are outrageous, and insult the intelligence of all shoppers."

Foodstuffs had almost completed its own supplier relationship guidelines and it opposed a mandatory code because it would add costs for consumers, he said.

A Progressive spokesman told the paper the figures provided by growers were "grossly inaccurate".

Responding to the call for a code of conduct, he said the company had very good relationships with produce suppliers.

"We pay them a fair price and we have regular reviews. We are interested in supporting growers because without them, we wouldn't be able to put quality kiwi produce on our shelves."

Horticulture NZ said a code could benefit growers and consumers as it was aware of frustration over the issue of mark-ups.

"We would definitely be interested in having a look at it because Australia and the UK have progressed it," a spokeswoman said.

"There is a concern that there isn't enough transparency. Who knows what goes on?"

- NZPA

View the original article here

All Consuming: Critics dispute list of 'Dirty Dozen' fruits, vegetables

By Susan Salisbury

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Since 1995, the Environmental Working Group has garnered a lot of attention with the annual release of its so-called "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and vegetables found to be "highest in pesticides."

Now critics, including food scientists at the University of California, Davis, are saying: Wait a minute.

Their scientific paper published recently in The Journal of Toxicology casts doubt on some of EWG's claims.

It matters because EWG's "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides" is said to be influential in the buying decisions of millions of consumers.

The critics' message is: Relax and eat your blueberries, apples, celery and other favorites, even if they are not organically grown. There's no scientific proof that residues at the levels detected pose a risk to consumers. On top of that, there's no evidence that eating organic produce has any health benefits that surpass those of conventionally grown produce.

In fact, EWG's methodology does not appear to follow any established scientific procedures, say the study's authors, Carl Winter, director of the university's FoodSafe program and a toxicologist, and Josh Katz, a fourth-year doctoral student.

EWG contends that consumers can lower their pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding conventionally grown varieties of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. But the UC Davis scientists say EWG made no effort to quantify actual consumer exposure to the pesticides.

Another point the scientists make is that organic produce isn't necessarily pesticide-free. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Data Program, which EWG uses as the basis for its data, indicated that 23 percent of organic food samples tested positive for pesticide residues.

Organic growers use pesticides, too

Longtime Belle Glade grower Paul Orsenigo, vice president of Grower's Management Inc., said the public's perception is that organic growers do not use any chemicals, but that's not true. Organic and conventional growers use many of the same fungicides and other treatments approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Orsenigo's operation farms lettuces, such as romaine, bibb and Boston, as well as parsley, green beans, sweet corn and sugar cane in western Palm Beach County.

"Many products are used by both. These are things that cannot be disputed," he said. "My point is, organic growers have a whole arsenal of materials that are EPA--registered that are pesticides that are used on crops that are organically produced."

A products database at www.agrian.com shows there are 423 products, such as fungicides, that can be used by organic and non-organic growers. Of course, many products for conventionally grown crops are not permitted on organic crops. But all must meet strict EPA standards.

"They are all EPA-approved," Orsenigo said. "You could have residue on an apple that came from a product such as Oxidate or Champ or something else that is approved for organic production. To say that organic food has fewer residues that may or may not be true."

He said consumers should buy produce grown in the U.S., where there are standards about what growers can use. If there is a problem, it can be traced back.

"Our philosophy is that we use pesticides judiciously and wisely," he said. "We are on a program that includes regular scouting of our crops and looking for pests, trends and patterns.

"We want to grow the kind of crops the consumer is going to buy. They are not going to eat an ear of corn with a worm in it or a head of lettuce that is infected."

123,016 servings of 'dirty' celery OK

EWG's response to those critical of its Dirty Dozen list is that the produce industry feels threatened by the rapid growth of the organic produce industry.

EWG believes Big Produce's motivation is profits and the threat posed by the rapid growth in the organic industry's market share, which jumped from 3 percent in 2000 to 11.4 percent in 2009 (even higher for some particular fruits and vegetables), EWG states on its website.

The produce industry has defended itself with its own pesticide calculator, available at http://safefruitsand

Dirty Dozen

Environmental Working Group's list of produce highest in pesticides:

Apples Celery Strawberries Peaches Spinach Nectarines (imported) Grapes (imported) Sweet bell peppers Potatoes Blueberries (domestic) Lettuce Kale/collard greens

View the original article here

Malaysian Employers Federation’s Shamsuddin Bardan says more people must grow vegetables

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

The Summer Bounty from Farm to City

[gallery]

It’s mid-August and this means the farms surrounding Philadelphia where I live are readying for their biggest harvests of the year. Sweet blueberries and cherries have made way for peaches (already at their peak), tomatoes, melons and sweet corn. From now through September these fruits and vegetables, and others like them, will be practically falling over the tables and bins at the farmers markets throughout the city, sharing space reserved for the standbys such as string beans, beets and carrots.

True farmers markets, where small farms operators bring their crops to urban and suburban locations to sell directly to residents, have experienced dramatic growth over the past 15 years. What was once an unusual site not too long ago in American cities is now part of the urban landscape.

These markets provide affordable, convenient and healthful access to fresh fruits and vegetables. They promote good health and nutrition. And these markets are a way to help reduce the obesity epidemic affecting this country. They also play a key role in developing local and regional food systems that support the sustainability of family farms, revitalize communities and provide places for farmers and consumers to meet.

For me, good fresh fruits and vegetables, pastured eggs, and locally raised meats and poultry just taste good. These products may cost more but I pay less in fuel and energy to buy them, I buy fewer items and I gain an education about food every time I speak to a local farmer.

In today’s industrialized food system, you can live an entire life without actually experiencing the true taste of a strawberry. Supermarkets and the mass food system are here to stay and they provide affordable food for the masses. But there’s no reason not to try to supplement your diet with fresh food from your local farmers market. Most likely it’s very close to where you live.

The slide show has photos of four of the many farmers markets in Philadelphia. They are:

Headhouse Farmers Market. The 18th Century red brick open air Headhouse Market in the city’s historic district is the scene for the largest of Philadelphia’s farmers markets on Sundays during the season (approximately May till December). Rare organic vegetables locally raised meats and poultry and tables filled with beets and carrots are in evidence. Even Iron Chef Jose Garces has gotten into the act selling his own cheese, bread and pastries made at his Garces Trading Company restaurant market.

Rittenhouse Square Farmers Market. This market lines the exterior of Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia’s best known park in the heart of center city. It has grown in size to rival the Headhouse Square market and has some of the same vendors. It’s a year-round market open on Saturdays from 9: 30 a.m. till 3 p.m. During the season a smaller version of the market is open on Tuesdays.

Greensgrow Farms. A true pioneer in the urban farm movement in Philadelphia, Mary Seton Corboy and Tom Sereduk, acquired a patch of abandoned land in the downtrodden Kensington section of Philadelphia to open a hydroponic growing operation, beginning with lettuce and tomatoes. Today, the hydroponic operation is gone and the little farm that could has gradually grown into a full-service agriculture community center. It now grows a full supply of produce on raised soil beds. It has a nursery, a Community Supported Agriculture operation and, of course, a farmers market open on Thursdays and Saturdays with locally produced produce eggs, meats, poultry, cheese and other goodies from the area. The farm makes its own honey from an on-site bee operation where it produces “Honey from the Hood.” This year it introduced chickens, which are producing fresh eggs. Corboy is threatening to bring in goats as well but I haven’t seen any yet. It makes it own strawberry jam from the excess strawberries it grows. And the farm is constantly involved in partnering projects with the neighborhood and city. The operation closes closed in the winter.

Fairmount Farmers Market. In the shadow of the massive fortress-like facade of the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, is a seasonal farmers market on Thursdays serving the residents of the Fairmount neighborhood. One of many markets in neighborhoods throughout the city, it’s smaller than the other markets mentioned but it has all the staples: local and organically produced fruits and vegetables, breads, meats and poultry; plus a few surprises, such as raw goat milk.

View the original article here

Food inflation up at 3-month high of 9.9%

TNN Aug 12, 2011, 02.20am IST

NEW DELHI: Costly onion, fruits, vegetables and protein-based items pushed food inflation to a three-month high in late July, highlighting the extent of price pressures in the economy and posing another challenge for policymakers.

Data released by the commerce and industry ministry on Thursday showed the wholesale price index for food articles rose an annual 9.90% in the week to July 30, rising from 8.04% in the previous week. Food prices had displayed tentative signs of easing in the previous months but have remained volatile. The data showed onion prices rose an annual 36.62% while the weekly trend showed prices of vegetables, potatoes, fruits, eggs, meat and fish have remained firm.

A sharp increase in the prices of onion last year had pushed food inflation into double-digits and had emerged as a policy headache for the UPA government which is battling a slew of corruption charges. Policymakers have been consistently wrong footed on inflation in the recent past.

The index for food articles group rose by 1.6% to 195.3 from 192.2 for the previous week due to higher prices of fish-inland (17%), poultry chicken and fish-marine (4% each), ragi and fruits & vegetables (2% each) and rice, coffee and gram (1% each).

"For a couple of weeks, rainfall has been deficient and that could have led to some short-term price pressures," said Samiran Chakraborty, economist at Standard Chartered Bank. Economists say it is difficult to draw any sweeping conclusions from sharp fluctuations in weekly food inflation data.

Chakraborty said the Reserve Bank of India was unlikely to reverse its monetary policy stance soon and the central bank would carefully watch the movement of global commodity prices. "They have to be convinced that there is a sustained and continuous fall in commodity prices, only then can they reassess their monetary policy stand," he said.

Expectations of a pause in the central bank's monetary tightening had gathered pace after downgrading of US debt by ratings agency Standard & Poor's sparked off fears of a global economic slowdown and spooked financial markets.

The RBI has raised interest rates 11 times since March 2010 and has said it is ready to sacrifice some growth in the short-term to tackle stubbornly high inflation. Inflation, as measured by the wholesale price index, hovers around 9% now and some economists say there could be a period when it could hit double-digits and then start easing by October-November. Policymakers expect inflation to be around 7-8% by end-March 2012.

View the original article here

Ed Blonz: Toxic vegetables?

Contra Costa Times correspondent

Posted:?08/09/2011 12:00:00 AM PDT

DEAR DR. BLONZ: As a new vegetarian I’ve become concerned when I began reading about all the toxins that can be found in vegetables. How much of an issue does this become for vegetarians? — B.S., San Jose

DEAR B.S.: Interesting story here. Nature equips many fruits and vegetables with an ability to produce a variety of chemical toxins to help ward off insects, bacteria, fungi and animal predators. Although they’re meant to help these plants survive in their natural environment, if taken by humans in sufficient quantities, these natural toxins can cause illness, cancer or even death. Have no fear, though. Eating fruits and vegetables is healthful, not hazardous. A look at a few of these natural toxins will illustrate the point that it’s the dose that makes the poison. Here are some examples.

Potatoes can produce solanine, a bitter-tasting toxin that affects the nervous system. This toxin is produced when the potato is exposed to sunlight or allowed to sprout. Solanine is most concentrated in the sprout, but it’s also present in potatoes with a greenish tint to the skin. To avoid solanine, potatoes should be kept in a cool, dark place. Carefully cut away all sprouts and green portions before cooking. Discard any potatoes that taste bitter.

Cyanide, a deadly poison, is naturally present inside the seeds of apples and the pits of apricots, peaches, bitter almonds, cherries and other

fruits. There’s no danger if you don’t chew on the pits, because the cyanide isn’t released unless the pit is crushed. Lima beans and other legumes once contained cyanide compounds, but through selective breeding, commercial varieties have been developed that no longer have this trait.

Cabbage, mustard greens, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts contain goitrogens, compounds that prevent the nutrient iodine from being used by the thyroid gland. Without iodine the thyroid cannot function normally and an enlarged thyroid, or goiter, results. Goitrogens are not a concern unless you have an iodine-deficient diet and the above foods are a major part of your daily menu. With the advent of iodized salt and the wide distribution of ocean fish (another good source of dietary iodine), iodine deficiencies are no longer common.

Spinach and rhubarb contain oxalates, another toxic compound. One serving of rhubarb leaves contains one-fifth of the toxic dose of oxalates for humans. However, rhubarb stalks — the much more commonly eaten part — contain lesser amounts, as do spinach leaves.

To put all these natural toxins in perspective, it is essential to appreciate that the body is equipped to handle small quantities of many toxins, rather than large amounts of a few. For example, one potato poses little risk, but the combined solanine from 100+ pounds of green potatoes could be enough to kill a horse. Your best defense against natural toxins is to eat a variety of foods. With variety you not only limit your exposure, you provide the nutrients the body requires to maintain its defenses. And as the name suggests, natural toxins are part of nature; they are not to be feared so much as respected.

Ed Blonz, Ph.D., is a nutrition scientist and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. He is the author of “Power Nutrition” (Signet, 1998).

View the original article here

Coimbatore devotees decorate temple with vegetables ahead of Independence Day

Coimbatore, Aug.13 (ANI): To commemorate the 64th Indian Independence Day, residents of Coimbatore have decorated a temple with 30 varieties of vegetables and prayed for peace and harmony in the country.

The entire 'Mahaliamman Temple' was decorated with vegetables like carrot, radish, ladies finger, bitter gourd, pumpkin, cauliflower, cabbage, drumsticks, potatoes, brinjal, onions and many others vegetables.

Interacting with mediapersons, Sivashree Krishnamoorty, a priest at the temple, said they did this decoration for the maintenance of peace and harmony in the country.

"Every year, we celebrate Independence Day in a different way in this temple. This year, as a part of 63rd (factually 64th) Indian independence, we have decorated the entire temple with five tons of vegetables. The main objective behind this decoration is that we know that the entire world is facing crisis, so we would offer special prayers for the prosperity of the people of India and the around the world. Moreover, we would also pray for peace and harmony in the country and across the world and also for good governance by rulers in the country. So, we would pray to our god 'Mahaliamman' (a Hindu god) with five tons of vegetables, and we believe that the 63rd (factually 64th) Independence would give peace, harmony and freedom to the people of this country. So far, hundreds of people have prayed for this cause,"said Krishnamoorty.

Hundreds of locals gathered to see the unique and attractive decoration at the temple.

"We came to know that the entire temple is decorated with tons of vegetables in wake of 63rd (factually 64th) Indian independence. The sanctum of the temple and the goddess was decorated with tricolour vegetables like the national flag. It has been designed with carrot, radish and ladyfinger and Vande Matharam (salute to my mother, matrabhoomi) has been written in golden words. I really enjoy seeing this," said S. Keerthan, a local.

As a part of custom, the temple priest later distributed vegetables among the locals.

India will celebrate its 64th Independence Day on August 15th. (ANI)

View the original article here

Additional news "Business News"

Uzbekistan in the first quarter of 2011 exported 77 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables for $ 125.6 million, including 54.8 thousand tons of vegetables, 12.3 thousand tons of fruits and 7.9 tons of grapes. BelTA BakuToday the press service of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic.

According to the official agency, as part of a new and rehabilitation of existing orchards and vineyards implemented planting new fruit trees on an area of ??14.4 thousand hectares of vineyards and – 5.3 hectares. The reconstruction of 11.1 thousand hectares of orchards and 5.3 hectares of vineyards. “The implementation of measures to improve agricultural production provided the increase in production of vegetables compared to the same period last year by 18%, meat – by 6.5%, milk – by 7.1% and eggs – by 14.2%,” – said spokesperson. According to him, as a result of livestock development programs, incentives to increase the number of livestock at private subsidiary farms and farmer, a network of services and enhance livestock forage personal subsidiary, dekhkan and farms sold at auction 1.623 head of breeding stock, at the expense of sponsors, private foundations and neighborhood 1.660 needy families free of charge, provided cattle.

“As a result, the number of cattle farms of all categories was 9.1 million heads (106.4% of the corresponding period in 2010), including the number of cows – 3.73 million units (105.8%). In addition, created 302 poultry hozyaystva.Kommercheskimi banks allocated 3.9 billion soms ($ 2.3 million) credit facilities to farmers and agricultural firms to finance the prisoners in the exhibitions “AgroMinitehEkspo” contracts to acquire a mini-technologies and compact equipment. During the reporting period as a whole been created by 10 companies in-depth processing of fruit and vegetable, meat and dairy products, and five points for receiving milk from the population “, – concluded the agency.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic, and estimated the parameters of fruit and vegetable production of melons, potatoes and grapes in 2011, are: vegetables – 6 million 605 thousand tons, melons – 1 million 225.5 thousand tons, potatoes – 1 million 832.9 tons, vegetables – 1 million 746.8 thousand tons, grapes – 998.9 thousand tons. In 2011, the republic on the major and minor vegetable crops planned to take (tomatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, etc.) – 213.7 thousand hectares of land area, in particular potatoes -72 thousand ha, melons – 50 6 ha. According to operative data of April 1, 2011, the acreage of vegetables amounted to 172.8 thousand hectares, 25 thousand hectares melons, potatoes and 72.3 thousand hectares. Of the total area of ??the existing (235.4 hectares) of gardens, fruit-bearing area of ??185 hectares, together with that of 127.9 thousand hectares of vineyard, 113 hectares are fruit-bearing.

Today in the republic has 267 agricultural firms. Agricultural company contracts with agricultural producers (farmers) for the purchase of 1607.8 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables, melons, products, grapes and potatoes.

August 12 in the Ulyanovsk region offers summer youth camp for a legal forum “Legal-Volga”. In the region will gather senior students of law faculties of universities from 30 cities of Russia. Such an event held in Russia for the first time – the correspondent BakuToday Organizers of the event. Ground for its holding Ulyanovsk region was selected at the first...

View the original article here

Availability of vegetables & its prices go up in India

New Delhi, Aug 12 : India's per capita availability of vegetables has gone up even as its prices have also risen.

"...per capita availability of vegetables has increased from 279 gm per day to 317 gm per day over a period of 5 years(2005-06 to 2009-10)," government informed Parliament today.

Government data released yesterday said onions became costlier by nearly 37 per cent in July from the year-ago month, while vegetables prices rose by 14.61 per cent in the week ended July 23.

Production of vegetables in the country increased from 111.39 million tonnes in 2005-06 to 133.7 million tonnes in 2009-10, Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

At the same time, the Minister admitted that there were issues relating to enhancement of productivity, post-harvest losses and improvement in quality of vegetables.

Stung by the high food inflation for quite some time, government this year allocated Rs 300 crore for a scheme to ensure supply of good quality vegetables to one city or town in every state having a population of one million and above.

 

View the original article here

Gardeners donate fruits, vegetables to combat hunger

???HIGHTSTOWN — Does your garden rock?

???Rise, a non-profit organization that fights poverty, recently initiated a new program that encourages locals to donate fresh fruits and vegetables harvested from their own gardens.

???”This is the time of year that people have their gardens overflowing,” said Leslie Koppel, executive director at Rise, located at 116 N. Main St., in Hightstown.

???Thus far, locals have brought in eggplants, cucumbers, squash and more from their gardens, she said. She hopes soon for peaches and apples.

???The program was conceptualized a few weeks ago in attempt to expose fresh fruits and vegetables to people with very limited incomes, she said

???”If we put the need out there, people will ‘rise’ to the need,” Ms. Koppel said, referring to the generous spirit of the East Windsor and Hightstown communities.

???She noted that fresh vegetables and fruits are the most expensive items for people to buy and store.

???Ranging from this new program, that encourages locals to donate home-grown produce, to an ongoing initiative to provide special Thanksgiving meals in November, Rise works to provide individuals and families with the one thing that many people take for granted: food.

???People are encouraged to donate fresh produce to the food pantry until the harvest this autumn.

???Regular donations are accepted yearlong.

???The food pantry is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and accepts donations from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Located at 225 Franklin St., in Hightstown, the pantry is open 51 weeks a year.

???The organization is also helping youngsters learn and have fun this July and August through its Hightstown-East Windsor Learning Partners-Summer HELP educational program.

???120 students are currently enrolled. These youngsters are providing a talent show and art display beginning 2 p.m. Aug. 11 at Grace N. Rogers Elementary School, 380 Stockton Street, in Hightstown. The public is invited at attend.

?? To learn more, visit www.rise-community-services.org.

View the original article here

IN THE KITCHEN WITH: SHAWN BENGIVENNI

Bengivenni's vegetables wow CSA members and Lafayette Farmer's Market, By Laurie Gordon

Wantage ? Every Wednesday, Shawna Bengivenni sees something most people don't. She watches the sky transform from a dark gray to a gradually lighter hue and finally, dawn rises over her garden. Bengivenni starts picking by 5:30 am, carefully selecting those vegetables that are worthy of being loaded into her truck for delivery later on.

Bengivenni has a CSA ? that stands for Community Supported Agricultural group. She started her CSA last year and had 13 members. It went so well and word of mouth spread, so this year, she upped the membership to 23. With most CSAs, members go to the farmer's house to pick up the hand-grown, culinary treats, but Bengivenni did it a little differently this year making the deliveries herself each Wednesday.

It's a little like getting a visit from Santa Claus. Her members leave their coolers on their front stoops for her each Wednesday and she fills them with vegetables and fruit from her garden.

"It's so amazing to come home from work and have a cooler full of such wonderful things she's grown," said Deborah Drumm, a CSA member who lives in Stillwater. Like some others, Drumm shares a "share" of the CSA with a friend.

Debra Pazoria, of Newton, just heard about the CSA last week when she had dinner at a friend's house who served dishes including tomato marmalade as an appetizer. "I asked about the recipe and learned all about the CSA. We'll definitely sign up next year."

Created many years ago, the idea of the CSA is that people buy shares or half shares and get fresh vegetables every week or every other week during the growing season. The farmer can then use the money from the CSA during the winter months to buy such things as seeds, trellises, tools and other supplies needed for the garden.

Back in 1980, when Bengivenni was living in Paterson, her neighbor had a garden. She would watch him work in his garden, and then, when most of the work was done, sit in a chair placed right in the center to admire it and "watch it grow." She befriended the man and soon, she found herself his student, learning the ins, outs and secrets to creating a garden. One of the most precious things he taught her was about heirloom tomatoes. An heirloom is an old variety that has gone out of fashion in favor of perfectly-shaped varieties found in stores these days. But heirloom varieties are coming back in vogue and this year, Bengivenni paid $13.80 per seed to grow a variety as part of her bounty called the Annlee Heirloom. Bengivenni's garden has over 300 tomato plants including dozens of varieties. She has countless types of vegetables including ? just to name a very few ? some unique types of squash, purple basil and even a plum tree near the center.

"I never realized how much produce it is to get it to 23 customers," she said. One of her disappointments was her broccoli and cauliflower, which didn't prosper as she'd planned. "That's just part of the CSA. The weather took out the plants. They were ready to go and then come picking day the next day, they'd rotted due to the weather." But that was her only casualty, and her customers are not only pleased, they are amazed by what she grows.

In addition to the CSA, Bengivenni can be found every Sunday at the Lafayette Village Farmer's Market. This is a rare chance for non-CSA members to purchase her all-organic veggies. "I don't spray anything," Bengivenni explained. "Organic means there are certain natural ways you control the bugs in your garden so there are no chemicals used at all." She can be found every Sunday at her booth at Lafayette Village called Fresh as it Gets Garden.

As for the CSA, with growing numbers, next year Bengivenni will return to the traditional method and have her customers pick up their veggies at her house once a week. "My pick up truck just isn't big enough to transport all of the coolers to keep things fresh when I add more people," she said. "I'll charge less for people to come to me and can take on more customers this way too."

For information about reserving a spot to be part of Begivenni's CSA for next year, e-mail her at olditalian47@aol.com. You can also find Bengivenni and her produce weekly at Lafayette Village at the Sunday Farmer's Market.

Bengivenni's garden is her heart and soul and a true labor of love. And when she's all done ? at least for a while ? she sits in a chair similar to the one her former neighbor had in the center of his garden just watch it grow.

Tomato, Basil and Garlic Pie from Shawna’s Garden
INGREDIENTS
2 defrosted frozen pie crusts
regular, not deep dish)
5 thinly sliced medium sized tomatoes (mix up the variety)
2 handfuls of fresh basil (some green and some purple)
1 cup grated mozzarella
1 cup lite mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (get the fresh stuff in the grocery cheese section)
3 cloves of garlic from Shawna’s garden
Divide mozzarella in half and sprinkle in each of the two pie crusts.
Arrange tomatoes and fresh basil in the pie crusts.
Mix together the mayo, Parmesan and finely chopped garlic and spread over the pies.
Put tin foil over the crusts to prevent from burning and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until done
? Recipe created by Laurie Gordon from a base recipe by Jackie Kaufman

Post a comment about this story. Be sure to include your name and email to submit a comment. Please note that email addresses are for internal use only and will not be displayed or shared. You can find a copy of our privacy policy in the terms of service link below.

I agree that I have read the Terms of Service and agree to abide by them.
Terms of Service

Receive free weekly headline updates from the Advertiser-News!
Sign up at the Headlines Update page now!- - Site Map - Terms of Service

View the original article here

Bagwell: Vegetables a good choice for pizza toppings

Pizza is a popular food that's enjoyed at any time of the day or night and served hot or cold. Recipes for pizza vary with cultures and personal taste. While some prefer vegetable pizzas, others order an assortment of cheese and meat toppings. Vegetable pizzas can vary, too, from the type of crust to the type of sauce and vegetable toppings used. Options are limitless.

Cream cheese makes a unique sauce in place of the traditional tomato base and can shorten preparation time. Just bake a pizza crust beforehand and allow it to cool before spreading with a thin layer of cream cheese. Regular or lower-fat cream cheese may be used, as well as cream cheese flavored with herbs and vegetables.

For vegetable toppings, finely chop fresh vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms and green peppers. Sprinkle over the cream cheese layer. Slices of tomato may be added too. Top with shredded low-fat cheddar cheese. It's delicious and can be put together in a short time frame, especially if the crust is ready and the vegetables are cut ahead of time.

If you prefer tomato sauces, following is a recipe from the United States Department of Agriculture. The recipe uses convenience foods for the crust so it may be purchased ahead and kept on hand.

Vegetable toppings may be altered to your family's likes and taste. Fresh or canned foods may be used for sauces and the vegetable toppings.

Snack Pizzas

Refrigerator biscuits -- can of 10

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease baking sheets. Pat each biscuit round into a 4-inch circle on baking sheets. Mix tomato paste and oregano. Brush on each biscuit round. Mix onion and mushrooms. Sprinkle over tomato paste mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Makes 8 pizzas.

Per pizza: 108 calories, 4 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fat, 1 milligram cholesterol, 409 milligrams sodium.

Bagwell is nutrition and wellness/family life program coordinator for the University of Illinois Extension, McLean County. Contact her at (309) 663-8306.

View the original article here

Dearer vegetables, fruits push inflation up to 9.90%

Business Line : Markets / Commodities : Inflation surge dims hopes of rate hike pause SEARCH HomeCompaniesMarketsIndustry & EconomyOpinionFeaturesToday's PaperTopicsGet quote: Stock MarketsCommoditiesToday's PickGoldForex Inflation surge dims hopes of rate hike pause Our BureauShare??·??Comment??·??print ??·?? New Delhi, Aug. 11:?Food inflation surged sharply to its highest levels since mid-March, leaving little room for the RBI to soften its anti-inflationary stance despite moderating economic growth and indications of a global slowdown.

The annual Wholesale Price Index-based food inflation rose 9.9 per cent during the week ended July 30, sharply up from the previous week's annual level of 8.04 per cent. While this was largely on account of the base effect, products such as onions, fruits, vegetables and protein-based items too contributed to the surge. The rate of inflation in food items was recorded at 16.45 per cent in the last week of July 2010.

The RBI has already raised interest rates 11 times since March 2010 to tame headline inflation, which had surged to 9.44 per cent in June. Analysts expect headline inflation to remain above 9 per cent until October.

“A reversal in the RBI's monetary stance and focus on inflation management in the near term is unlikely, unless there is a sharp and sustained downtrend in commodity prices,” said Ms Aditi Nayar, an economist with ICRA. The RBI will meet on September 16 for its mid-quarter policy review.

Not acceptable: PranabWinding up the debate on the first batch of supplementary demands for grants in the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, referring to the concerns on inflation, said, “If it is 9 per cent it is not acceptable. It (inflation) would have been ideal at 3.5 to 4 per cent ...even if we can keep it at 5-6 per cent (it will not be bad).”

anil@thehindu.co.in

Keywords: Food inflation,?costlier vegetables,?fruits,?WPI

Latest in this sectionGold, silver move up in weekly trade Geojit Com launches commodity futures trading on mobile platformEdible oils recover on festive demand, global cues Select commodity prices down Pepper futures nearly steady on limited activities
RelatedPHOTOS NEWSRate hike pause tied to inflation Coming to grips with inflation US downgrade can bring down inflation here: Kaushik Basu TOPICSeconomy (general)prices, inflation and deflation
economy, business and financeagricultureComments to: web.businessline@thehindu.co.in. Copyright c 2011, The Hindu Business Line.

View the original article here

Safe home canned vegetables

ST CLOUD — Are you planning to can green beans, carrots or beets?? If so, know that safe home-canned vegetables require processing in a pressure canner.

Low-acid vegetables and meats contain too little acidity to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinumbacteria. Botulism is a deadly form of food poisoning. It is most commonly found in improperly processed home canned vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, beets, and mushrooms, as well as other low-acid foods canned at home, including soups, meats, fish and poultry. Because these bacteria grow only in the absence of air, they are harmless on fresh foods.

Join our Premium Online Membership to view the rest of the story.

View the original article here

Nutritional and Antioxidant Value of Certain Cabbages

Summary
Two traditional cultivated vegetables highly consumed among Northern Portuguese regions were tested for their chemical composition, nutritional profile and antioxidant properties. ?These vegetables are both in the crucifer family. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. In this study the?“grelos’’ (rape) and ‘‘tronchuda’’ cabbage, were assessed for their nutritional value.??The study found numerous health benefits to eating these foods. They are packed with?vitamin C, β-carotene,?essential fatty acids, flavonoids, and are high in antioxidant properties.

?Loading ...

Introduction
Traditional crops and farming techniques are being replaced rapidly as a part of globalization. A few regional crops have a high tolerance to cold and can be cultivated in the winter in Portugal. Some surveys on plants have found certain food products to be more nutritious in the colder months. Certain plant products are known to decrease the risk of various diseases in humans, such as cancer and fat deposits in blood vessels. Recently these effects have been attributed to the antioxidant activity of the plant products explored in this experiment. Thus, this study was performed to highlight the contents and benefits of the ”tronchuda” cabbage and rape, thereby raising the value of locally grown vegetables.

Methodology
* The leaves and flowers of both the plants were purchased from local markets. These were confirmed on analysis with the standard plant collection in that region. On confirmation, they were powdered and used for the study.
* The two plants were analyzed for their chemical properties: total sugar content, fatty acid content, and vitamins.
* Certain specialized tests were used to analyze the antioxidant properties of the plants.

Results
* Tronchuda cabbage had a higher content of total sugars (9.35g per 100 g) than the rape cabbage, with 7.13g per 100g.
* The vitamin C content was significantly higher in the rape when compared with the tronchuda cabbage, but the levels of vitamin E were just the opposite.
* The flowers from the rape had higher antioxidant activity than those from tronchuda cabbage.
* Although the unsaturated fatty acids were similar in both plants, the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids was more in the rape.

Shortcomings/next steps
Though both the plants have high levels of vitamin C and E, manipulating them (as in freezing or cooking) could lower the levels drastically. Due to changing lifestyles and global changes in dietary patterns, the authors suggest further interdisciplinary studies involving various traditional foods. Progress in this field could be beneficial in the search for new plant products that could be useful in the prevention of age-related diseases.

Conclusion
Both of these cruciferous vegetables have loads of nutritional value. They both have almost equal content of moisture, sugar, vitamins, and fats. The fatty acid ratio between unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, high levels of vitamin C and E, other phenolics and flavonoid compounds make these two plants highly nutritious. Their antioxidant effects make them highly beneficial and reinforce their importance in local diets. One must, however, be educated on their altered nutritional quality when the vegetables are cooked or frozen. “These results also emphasize the role of wild and cultivated food plants in regional cuisine and as part of cultural heritage of a region.”

For More Information:
Nutritional Potential of Certain Traditional Greens
Food and Chemical Toxicology, (Unpublished) Accepted February 2011
By Catia Batista; Lillian Barros; Instituto Politecnico de Braganca, Braganca, Portugal

You may also like:

View the original article here

French farmers ransack Spanish fruit trucks laden with cheap imports as fallout from E.coli crisis rumbles on

By Gavin Allen

Last updated at 9:27 AM on 12th August 2011

French farmers have begun attacking shipments of fruit and vegetables from Spain as an international crisis rips through the European agriculture industry.

Huge losses suffered by Spanish farmers during the E.coli crisis has led to them slashing the prices of their produce, undercutting the native growers in France by as much as 40 cents a kilo.

That has led to angry scenes with members of the French farmers union (FDSEA) breaking into Spanish fruit trucks and throwing the loads onto the ground, destroying entire cargos of fresh edible fruit.

Ransacked: French farmers empty the contents of Spanish fruit trucks onto the road in a row over undercutting in harsh economic times for the whole European agriculture market

Fruit flies: Members of the French regional farmers union (FDSEA) attacked these vans at the Lancon de Provence toll plaza in France

Vegetables of France, a union of vegetable producers, said the undercutting is possible because Spanish farmers are far more relaxed about labour costs and the enforcement of rules regarding the use of pesticide.

The problems stem from the lethal E.coli outbreak in Germany in June that killed 26 people and left thousands more seriously ill.

Germany originally blamed Spanish cucumbers for the outbreak, a claim later retracted, but not before it led to thousands of tons of uncontaminated fruit going to waste.

However, it is not just the Spanish who were affected by the E.coli outbreak. The whole European market is suffering and the French say that being undercut by the Spanish growers is preventing the French from recovery.

Angry incidents have taken place throughout France the week. These photographs were taken at the Lancon de Provence toll plaza, where distraught Spanish drivers were forced to watch as their deliveries were ransacked by a mob of more than 100 furious French farmers.

Trucks of Spanish nectarines were sabotaged as they crossed the border into France on Tuesday, while the European Union farming lobby Copa-Cogeca reported dozens of trucks have been emptied over the last few weeks at a crossing in Boulou en Roussillon.

Squashed: A Spanish lorry driver look on disconsolately as the contents of his delivery truck lie wasted on the ground before him

  Hard times: French farmers say they are being undercut by as much as 40 cents per kilo leading to angry scenes while, right a French gendarme watches on as his countrymen destroy the Spanish deliveries

Earlier this week in the Gard and Pyr?n?es-Orientales regions, five Spanish trucks were halted on the A9 motorway and emptied.

Later the same day a wholesalers in Nimes had much of its supplies cast onto the warehouse floor, while last month French growers poured Spanish shipments of peaches onto he ground outside the Spanish consulate in Perpignan.

The direct French action has been condemned by Copa-Cogeca in a letter to the European Commission, which has announced compensation packages for European farmers.

A fighting fund of 226million euros has been set up with Spain set to receive the lions share.

However, Spanish authorities say their 71million euro settlement doesn't even begin to cover losses which it says amounts to some 225million euors a week since the crisis began.

Angelique Delahaye, president of Vegetables of France, told the Wall Street Journal: 'We don't oppose the free market so long as rules are the same for everybody, but we oppose unfair competition.'

Setting out their stall: A member of the French regional farmers union waves the FNSEA union flag while his colleagues work

View the original article here

Vegetables are main course at Naper fest

By David Sharos For The Sun August 13, 2011 4:24PM

Veggie Fest patrons crowd in front of the Caribbean Kitchen booth on Saturday afternoon for a tasty of spicy veggie chicken and fried rice. The line at times stretched more than 30 people deep in the early afternoon. Jeff Cagle / For Sun-Times Media

Updated: August 13, 2011 6:00PM

Summer festivals run the gamut from blues music and wine to events named after a month of the year. This weekend in Naperville, it’s all about the veggies.

The Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 4S175 Naperville-Wheaton Road in Naperville was the site for the two-day Veggie Fest event which began Saturday morning and continues today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The sixth annual festival once again included an amazing array of fresh vegetables that would humble any farmer’s market, plus a wide range of educational and entertainment options including musical groups, cooking demonstrations, a food court, a variety of children’s programs, various guest speakers, and more.

Event coordinator Jonathan Kruger said the first Veggie Fest drew 2,000 guests and that five years later, the total had reached over 22,000 people.

“Our international food court will likely be one of our biggest attractions, which has everything from vegetable dishes to fruits, vegetable drinks, breads, and all different types of cuisines,” Kruger said. “Our goals for this year are that everyone enjoys their day here and we hope they learn something about vegetarian diets and how easy it is to incorporate them into your everyday lifestyle.”

Kruger said that 500 volunteers from around the Chicago area and even other areas of the country came to support the event. Raymond Holmes and his wife flew in at their own expense from Washington, D.C. Holmes said has worked for Homeland Security as a program manager since 2003 and that he wouldn’t mind being the poster child for vegetarians — a lifestyle he said he has led for 37 years.

“I work out six days a week, but I wouldn’t have the energy to do that without the right diet,” Holmes said, who looked more like a linebacker for a pro football team. “People say I look like I’m maybe 40 years old at the most, but I’m actually 56. I have to credit my diet for a lot of that.”

Lisa Whitmire of Chicago said she has been a volunteer at Veggie Fest for all six years and estimated that this year’s crowd could reach 30,000 over the two-day event.

“Each year, I think more and people come for the food, friends, fellowship, and fun,” she said. “All weekend long, people just have smiles on their faces. Everything we do here we try to do with class, and we believe it’s easy to show people how they can live a healthier lifestyle. And all of these foods and ideas are very accessible — even if your friends go to a fast food place, there are healthy options for people.”

Younger workers like Naperville’s Jon Vedova, 17, who attends Naperville North High School, said being vegetarian hasn’t gotten in the way with his friends who might want to frequent a burger joint.

“I’ve volunteered now for four years, and I think with all the advertising and radio spots we’ve had, we might have our best crowd ever,” he said. “I started becoming a vegetarian when I was 8 and my whole family is too. My friends have accepted it. If they go out for burgers, I eat French fries. Because I’m vegetarian, I feel a lot cleaner inside and just think it’s a healthier lifestyle.”

The ‘Veggie Challenge’

Guests were invited to take the “Veggie Challenge” which meant going vegetarian for a week. Dan Smart of Westmont decided to sign up, adding that he hoped a vegetarian diet would help him lose weight.

“I don’t cook for myself at home, so this might be a little challenging, but I’m thinking of going over and visiting one of the booths where they are selling books and see if might find a cookbook to help me out,” he said. “I tried a veggie falafel at the food court and it was really good.”

Sahar Sander, one of the owners of the two Naf Naf Grill restaurants in Naperville, was serving up falafel sandwiches made with his own pita bread and predicted his third year at Veggie Fest would again be a success.

“We sold 2500 falafel sandwiches a year ago, and people are surprised when they try them,” he said. “Some feel they are kind of like hush puppies, but this is mid-eastern street food made with chickpeas and spices that are shaped into balls and deep fried. We’ve had a steady line of people here all day.”

Tina Willer of Willow Springs worked as a volunteer at the Veggie Challenge booth and said at least 98-percent of those who inquired at her station signed up for the challenge and that those who did would receive “85 days of email support, including tips on eating and recipe ideas.”

“We also give people special bags here with a cookbook, cereal, and granola bars in them, plus a button to wear,” Willer said. “We have 2,000 bags here today and I gave out 1,000 of them in the first two hours.”

Beyond the vegetarian culinary experience, many in attendance Saturday also spoke of “a gentler lifestyle and orientation” the vegetarian diet brings.

“I’ve been working here all six years as well as many of the volunteers here,” said Naperville resident Jenna Wolf, 25.

“Being vegetarian has improved my lifestyle and I think it also builds compassion among human beings,” she said. “You don’t have to kill another living thing, and it makes you more aware of what you are putting in your body.”

c 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit http://www.suntimesreprints.com/. To order a reprint of this article, click here.

View the original article here

Fruit and vege markups call for supermarket conduct code

 

Supermarkets are regularly marking up fruit and vegetables between 100 and 300 per cent, according to a Green Party survey, but the figures are being rubbished by the big two supermarket chains.

The survey, released today, of 121 fruit and vegetable growers has found that despite high retail prices for fruit and vegetables, growers as well as consumers are struggling.

It showed that supermarket pricing practices need to be investigated and a supermarket code of conduct and ombudsman established, Green Party food spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said.

"Seventy-eight per cent of growers in our survey are being forced to sell their produce, at times, for less than it costs them to produce it."

Ms Kedgley said that of the growers that were being forced to sell their produce below cost, more than a third had to so on a frequent basis.

"Supermarkets are still routinely putting substantial mark-ups of 100-300 per cent on fresh fruit and vegetables.

"This suggests that supermarket mark-ups remain a key factor in the high price consumers are paying for fresh local produce, and that the low prices many growers are getting for produce are not being passed onto consumers."

Ms Kedgley said many growers detailed the returns they got for produce, and the amount their produce retailed for. Some growers reported margins of up to 800 per cent on their produce, while most suggested supermarket margins were around 100-200 per cent.

One grower said they received less than $2 for a tray of 20 avocados - which cost $8 to produce - which the supermarket then sold for $19.80, a margin of 880 per cent.

One apple grower said he was getting the same price of 50 cents a kilogram as they did in 1998.

Many reported seeing their produce marked up between 100 and 300 per cent in the supermarkets.

The survey found 87 per cent of growers supported a supermarket code of conduct, while 83 per cent believed a voluntary code would not be effective.

Ms Kedgley said serious questions needed to be asked about why supermarkets put such high mark-ups on fresh produce, while they put virtually no mark-ups on alcohol, and the mark-ups on processed foods are normally around 23 per cent.

But Foodstuffs managing director Steve Anderson told the Sunday Star-Times the survey contained "blatant and deliberate misinformation".

"Consumers are not being overcharged in our stores and accusations that supermarkets make mark-ups of the nature claimed in this survey are outrageous, and insult the intelligence of all shoppers."

Foodstuffs had almost completed its own supplier relationship guidelines and it opposed a mandatory code because it would add costs for consumers, he said.

A Progressive spokesman told the paper the figures provided by growers were "grossly inaccurate".

Responding to the call for a code of conduct, he said the company had very good relationships with produce suppliers.

"We pay them a fair price and we have regular reviews. We are interested in supporting growers because without them, we wouldn't be able to put quality kiwi produce on our shelves."

Horticulture NZ said a code could benefit growers and consumers as it was aware of frustration over the issue of mark-ups.

"We would definitely be interested in having a look at it because Australia and the UK have progressed it," a spokeswoman said.

"There is a concern that there isn't enough transparency. Who knows what goes on?"

- NZPA

View the original article here

Study: Rural residents aren't eating fruits, veggies

by Joanna Lin for California WatchCalifornia grows more produce than any other state, yet few of its residents -- especially those in rural areas -- eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, according to research released Wednesday by the Essentia Institute of Rural Health.

In fact, California is among 37 states whose rural residents eat less produce than their city-dwelling counterparts, in spite of living closer to where food is grown, researchers found. The primary reasons? Access and cost.

"You don't just pick an apple off a tree and put it in a basket, and it's automatically available for sale and consumption," said Nawal Lutfiyya, author of the report and a senior research scientist at the institute, based in Minnesota. Oftentimes, she said, "those fruits and vegetables are already targeted for larger venues."

Rural communities typically have fewer outlets selling fresh produce, Lutfiyya said. Those that do often are small markets or convenience stores, where prices tend to be higher than they would be at grocery stores and supermarkets.

"Because of the higher cost, people are less likely to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables when they are available," she said. "This is a health disparity in many ways."

People whose annual household income was less than $35,000 were less likely than people making more money to consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day; nationwide, a higher proportion of rural residents -- 43.6 percent -- had annual household incomes less than $35,000, compared with urban residents (35.1 percent).

About 1 in 4 California adults living in urban areas ate the recommended amount of produce. But just 22.9 percent of adults in the state's rural communities met this benchmark. Nationwide, about 23 percent of urban adults and about 20 percent of rural adults ate their fill of fruits and vegetables.

More than 2.8 million Californians live in rural areas -- defined as metropolitan statistical areas with no city center or outside metropolitan statistical areas. Nearly 1 in 4 households in rural areas have annual incomes less than $35,000, according to census data.

Geography was not the only characteristic of people who consumed more fruits and vegetables, researchers found.

In general, researchers found that people who ate their recommended servings of fruits and vegetables were more likely to be: women, non-white, married or living with a partner, better educated, engaged in at least moderate physical activity, and living without children.

Among households with at least one child, 38.8 percent of rural residents and 42.7 percent of urban residents ate the recommended amount of produce -- a finding that came as a surprise, Lutfiyya said.

There could be multiple reasons that households with children consume fewer fruits and vegetables, she said, but money and convenience could play a role.

"If you have two working parents or if you're a single parent, either male or female, working, and you're trying to feed your kids at the end of the day & it's much easier to open processed, packaged food than it is to chop vegetables," she said. "Those are just facts of life."

The findings, based on an analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2009 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, show room for improvement among all populations, Lutfiyya said.

Eating produce "isn't just something that fills your belly," she said. "This is something that also can improve your health or is part of the preventive health regimen people should be thinking of."

Story courtesy of our media partners at California Watch (A Project of the Center for Investigative Reporting)

Get more California News ?

california watch, food, california news

View the original article here

Ms. Grow-It-All: Get in a final crop of summer vegetables

Q: I'd like to plant a vegetable garden in early September, but I am not sure whether to plant summer vegetables or fall vegetables. What do you suggest?

A: I suggest summer vegetables, and you can go ahead and plant now. With our climate, you still have time to bring to harvest many vegetables that we also plant in spring, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and bush beans, as well as all types of basil. Most local nurseries have vegetable seedlings. You also can start new plants from seed indoors now.

You'll have more problems with insect pests this time of year than you would in spring, so be vigilant.

Select "early" varieties, which ripen faster, and be prepared to protect your vegetables from that first sneaky frost in late October or early November. You probably should avoid summer vegetables that take a long time from germination to harvest, such as winter squash. It needs the long, hot summer to ripen.

If you want to plant cool-weather vegetables, I would spend September getting your garden bed ready and plant in early October. Broccoli, cabbage, lettuces, carrots, collards, beets, shallots, radishes and kohlrabi all do well during the cooler months of the year.

Q: Is it too late to fertilize citrus?

A: Almost, but you need to get it done now. February, May and early August are the best times to fertilize citrus. If you fertilize later, you stimulate new growth that will be susceptible to cold damage.

Free or cheap plants: A local gardener is looking for a source of free or cheap plants for a shady rain garden. The Tallahassee Garden Club's plant giveaway will resume in late September, but if you know of any other sources or if you have plants you want to share before then, email me at comments@msgrowitall.com and I'll pass it on.

Internet radio show: This week on Ms. Grow-It-All's Internet radio show on Blog Talk Radio, University of Florida/Leon County forester Stan Rosenthal and I will be talking about summer garden chores. It might be too hot to plant, but there are other things to do. Join us live at 5 p.m. today at www.blogtalkradio.com/ms_grow-it-all. You can download a podcast of the program, or any of my previous programs, from BlogTalkRadio.com or my website, www.msgrowitall.com.

— Have a gardening question? Send it to Questions@MsGrowItAll.com and Audrey Post will answer your query. She is a certified Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida IFAS Extension in Leon County. Visit her Web site at www.msgrowitall.com.

View the original article here

Time to start work on that fall garden

Newport News Daily Press - MCTMany vegetables such as spinach can be grown before frost.

Mid- to late-summer is the ideal time to start a fall garden, or a "second season" crop of your favorite cool-season vegetables and flowers.

What to grow: Even where winters are cold and the ground freezes hard, many vegetables can still be grown to maturity before first frost. For edibles, try beets, cilantro, lettuce, radish, spinach, kale, peas, salad greens, Swiss chard, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, onions, leeks, parsley and arugula. When choosing varieties, select those that are fast-maturing to ensure a harvest before cold weather hits.

When to start: The key to growing vegetables for fall harvest is timing. Vegetables grown in this season need about 14 extra days to mature compared with spring-seeded crops because of fall's shorter days, cooling soil and less intense sunshine. When deciding the date to start your veggies, first determine your average first frost date, which is Oct. 28 in Raleigh. Then look at the seed packet for days to maturity. Add 14 days to that number, then use that figure to calculate back to seed-starting date.

Growing on: Sowing seeds or setting out transplants in midsummer can be more stressful to young plants than seeding during cooler, often wetter spring weather. Keep the soil moist as seeds are germinating.

Protect young seedlings with shade cloth or plant them near taller plants, to provide shade from the hot afternoon sun. Or start seeds in containers in a spot with bright light and then transplant young seedlings into the garden. This works well for crops like lettuce and spinach, whose seeds don't germinate as well when soil temperatures are high.

View the original article here

Save money by growing vegetables in a small space

(RNN) - Many people who previously have never gardened are trying out their green thumbs to save some green in their wallet – and you don't need a big yard to do it.

According to the Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the price of food has increased 3.7 percent from June 2010 to June 2011.

Fern Richardson of Fullerton, CA, writes a blog named Life on the Balcony, which offers gardening tips for those who live in apartments and condominiums.?

"I started small with a few pots and I knew I wanted to grow flowers and fruits and vegetables. I had a peach tree and I kept expanding; now it's taken over my whole balcony," Richardson said. And she's not alone in growing food and plants in containers.

According to the National Gardening Association website, 21 million households gardened in containers and spent $928 million on container gardening supplies and plants in 2007. The 2011 National Gardening Survey from the NGA says "consumers spent nearly $3 billion for the second year in a row on food gardening last year while sales for other types of lawn and garden activities saw a small decline."

It's the most money spent on food gardening in more than a decade, and it's 20 percent more than the $2.4 billion consumers spent in 2008 before the economic downturn, according to a news release from Bruce Butterfield, NGA Research Director.

Susan Littlefield, who is the horticultural editor at the NGA, says that growing vegetables that are expensive to buy at a market, such as salad greens, could save you money over the course of a season.

According to achingdebts.com, there are 12 vegetables that are easy to grow in a pot. They are: Beets, spinach, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, green peppers, green beans, squash, eggplant, Swiss chard and herbs.

Susan Littlefield, the horticultural editor at the National Gardening Association, suggests using bush varieties of vegetables, particularly tomatoes, which grow well in containers.

To get the most out of your container gardening, use the technique of successive sowing. Littlefield uses the example of planting a small amount of lettuce seeds every 10 days in a window box.

Ten days after the first planting of seeds, plant another row. A second crop should be starting to grow as the first row of lettuce would be ready to pick.

"If you keep doing this every 10 days, two or three weeks, you get a fresh crop to harvest," Littlefield said. "After awhile the lettuce you planted in the spring will peeter out, or you can cut the whole head. Plant a little bit, smaller amount of seeds, and do that over the summer so you have a fresh continuous crop."

Littlefield says this technique works well with anything that matures quickly; bush beans, snap green beans, other salad greens such as arugula, and herbs like cilantro.

"If you buy organic salad mix, it's almost $12 a pound, and for the price of a few packets of seeds, you could grow 10 times that much in successive sowings in a few small planters," Littlefield said.

The cost of food may not be the only reason people are gardening more.

"I think people living in cities want to have some connection to nature, and the whole emphasis of locally grown foods and lowering carbon footprints have become more important to people," Littlefield said.

"Even if you have a balcony or access to a rooftop or a sunny front stoop, you can grow tomatoes and lettuce," she said. "There are a lot of plants that grow really well in containers. The majority of fresh vegetables can grow in containers."

To avoid becoming overwhelmed or spending too much money when starting a new hobby like gardening, do a little research. Richardson advises reading up on your region's climate and soil on the internet, and Littlefield agrees.

"This is such a big country and the climatic conditions are so variable," Littlefield said.

Richardson suggests that novices make sure they know the amount of sun their gardening area receives. Some plants and vegetables require full sun, and others part-shade. Your garden won't flourish if the proper conditions for what you want to grow aren't there in the first place, so research is key. But if the container isn't getting enough sun for the vegetables to grow, you can move it – which you can't do with an in-ground garden.

If you don't have regular access to the internet, Heidi Krause of the organization Urban Seeds in Evansville, IN, suggests a trip to the local library.

"There's no reason why someone can't go to the library," Krause said. "If you don't have access to a computer, you can always go to the library."

Urban Seeds, an organization headquartered in Evansville, IN, ran a few community gardens, but saw a decrease in volunteers as more people began to garden in their backyards and residences. Now the organization focuses on outreach, such as gardens at local elementary schools.

Another mistake new gardeners make is going over budget, which defeats the purpose of growing food to save money. Don't feel as if you need to buy the most expensive supplies. Start simple. Don't purchase the priciest pots available to place on your stoop.

"Plastic (pots) is inexpensive, but it's not the most attractive, but people can paint them or stencil them and insert you own personality," Richardson said.

Although terra cotta pots are more visually appealing than plastic, terra cotta is nice if you're placing the pot on a front stoop or where people can see the plants. However, Richardson warns that terra cotta pots dry out quickly and you'll have to water your plants more often, so they're a little more conducive to rainier climates.

A quick search on the internet shows that containers can vary from $2 for a 6"x6"x6" clay pot. Some clay pots that are 8"x8 1/4"x8" can range in price from $4 to $6. Plastic pots are now made to look like clay or terra cotta pots and can vary in price depending on their ornamentation.

To save even more money, repurpose something that has been lying around, hidden in a closet, like an old watering can or bucket. Richardson says using an item that wasn't intended for gardening is one of her favorite things to do.

"I have a little metal pitcher for succulents, I have a wine box that I found that's kind of cool because it's kind of a mini raised bed for those of us without good soil," she said, adding that the wine box is where all of her herbs are planted.

All three women suggest taking a big bucket - about 5 gallons - and drilling holes in the bottom and using that as planter. Five gallon buckets are great for tomatoes, which need a lot of root space, said Krause.

For container gardening, don't just use soil from your yard; make sure you buy good soil from your garden store.? A soil mix will be fertilized, advises Littlefield, giving the veggies in your container the nutrients they need to grow.

Richardson says when starting a garden, it's easy to overdo everything – size, cost and time.

"Start small and get your sea legs and figure out how it goes," Littlefield said. "Be successful with three or four pots … If you start too big, whether in the ground or in containers, then you get discouraged and you don't stick with it."

Littlefield also advises to grow what you want to eat – don't just grow what you think you'd like.

"It's easy to say, 'I have to have beets, or this, or that,' even if no one in the family eats beets," Littlefield said. "Think about what you really like to eat. If you're not a big salad eater, don't grow a lot of lettuce."

And take into account how much of a vegetable you will enjoy eating. Littlefield points out that someone may enjoy eating eggplants, but might only eat two or three a year. It's not worth using a lot of container space for them.

"Use the space for something you'd eat, what you and your family members like," she said.

Although vegetables need a lot of sunlight, don't become discouraged if your patio or balcony doesn't face south. Krause encourages those living in apartments to get creative.

"Maybe they could get together with their neighbors, or maybe they could put containers out and get permission from their landlords to put in a garden," said Krause.? "Find someone who needs help mowing their lawn. We found a neighbor who couldn't mow his lawn, so we put in a garden, and the whole yard is full of produce."

Be sure to monitor your garden daily when using containers. If you're going on vacation, Littlefield suggests having someone water your plants – even putting them in a wagon and taking them to your neighbors. It's very easy to over water – or under water your crops.

"The easiest way to tell if a plant needs watering is by sticking your finger into the soil to the second knuckle," says Richardson. "If it's moist, you don't need to water, if it's dry – water."

Just remember to do you research, set a budget and don't go overboard.

"People forget there are things that you can do for free," Krause said. "You can spend $10 on seeds and have a huge garden."

Copyright 2011 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.

View the original article here

Online Program Teaches Kids To Grow & Eat Their Veggies

MIAMI (CBS4) — Getting kids interested in vegetables and gardening can be challenging. But thanks to a creative and colorful online program, students at The Overtown Youth Center are not only learning about vegetables, they’re learning how to grow their own and eat better.

“I’m growing my basil and my tomato plant,” said 8-year-old Kyndal Royal.

He has learned how to grow his own garden at the center thanks to an online program called Growums.

Royal has already learned a lot from the program. “Instead of buying food from the store, I can just get food from the plant,” explained Royal.

Michael Ferro created the fun and colorful online program.

“Why don’t we teach them to grow healthy vegetables,” said Ferro. “With childhood obesity being such a big problem out there, kids not knowing, most kids think their vegetables come from Publix.

Ferro explained the program teaches kids about growing veggies by using cartoons and interactive tools. Kids get little cup like containers equipped with all the tools needed for a garden.

“What they do, is they go online and all of these little characters, is they come to light on the computer and teach them how to grow their vegetables and herbs,” said Ferro.

The director of The Overtown Youth Center, Tina Brown said the lessons learned with this new program go beyond the classroom.

“The growums concept really resonated with them and they were really excited about maybe going home to start their own little garden,” said Brown.

Growing vegetables at home is satisfying for students learning Growums like little Kymbal.

“I like about it the most, because I get to grow plants inside my backyard,” said Kymbal.

If you want to learn more about Growums, just go to www.growums.com.

View the original article here

Russia says to lift ban on EU vegetables from Aug 9

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will lift its ban on raw vegetables from all European Union countries starting on Tuesday, August 9, the head of the country's consumer watchdog was cited by Russian news agencies as saying on Monday.

Russia banned imports of raw vegetables from the European Union on June 2 due to a deadly E.coli outbreak. Moscow later agreed to drop the ban provided it received safety guarantees and has since allowed imports from some EU nations.

The EU, which exported about 600 million euros ($850 million) worth of vegetables to Russia last year, had said the blanket ban was not scientifically justified.

"I took a decision to lift all the restrictions on imports of vegetables from the European Union from Tuesday, August 9," Interfax news agency quoted consumer protection agency Rospotrebnadzor chief Gennady Onishchenko as saying.

"On top of that a special regime which required an issuance of special certificates for each shipment of vegetables is also being lifted," Onishchenko was quoted as saying.

The blanket ban strained Russia's relationship with the EU, its biggest trading partner, at a time when the country is seeking to complete its negotiations to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

(Writing by Gleb Bryanski, editing by Gareth Jones)

View the original article here

Vegetables are the main course

By David Sharos For The Sun August 13, 2011 4:24PM

Veggie Fest patrons crowd in front of the Caribbean Kitchen booth on Saturday afternoon for a tasty of spicy veggie chicken and fried rice. The line at times stretched more than 30 people deep in the early afternoon. Jeff Cagle / For Sun-Times Media

Updated: August 13, 2011 6:00PM

Summer festivals run the gamut from blues music and wine to events named after a month of the year. This weekend in Naperville, it’s all about the veggies.

The Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 4S175 Naperville-Wheaton Road in Naperville was the site for the two-day Veggie Fest event which began Saturday morning and continues today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The sixth annual festival once again included an amazing array of fresh vegetables that would humble any farmer’s market, plus a wide range of educational and entertainment options including musical groups, cooking demonstrations, a food court, a variety of children’s programs, various guest speakers, and more.

Event coordinator Jonathan Kruger said the first Veggie Fest drew 2,000 guests and that five years later, the total had reached over 22,000 people.

“Our international food court will likely be one of our biggest attractions, which has everything from vegetable dishes to fruits, vegetable drinks, breads, and all different types of cuisines,” Kruger said. “Our goals for this year are that everyone enjoys their day here and we hope they learn something about vegetarian diets and how easy it is to incorporate them into your everyday lifestyle.”

Kruger said that 500 volunteers from around the Chicago area and even other areas of the country came to support the event. Raymond Holmes and his wife flew in at their own expense from Washington, D.C. Holmes said has worked for Homeland Security as a program manager since 2003 and that he wouldn’t mind being the poster child for vegetarians — a lifestyle he said he has led for 37 years.

“I work out six days a week, but I wouldn’t have the energy to do that without the right diet,” Holmes said, who looked more like a linebacker for a pro football team. “People say I look like I’m maybe 40 years old at the most, but I’m actually 56. I have to credit my diet for a lot of that.”

Lisa Whitmire of Chicago said she has been a volunteer at Veggie Fest for all six years and estimated that this year’s crowd could reach 30,000 over the two-day event.

“Each year, I think more and people come for the food, friends, fellowship, and fun,” she said. “All weekend long, people just have smiles on their faces. Everything we do here we try to do with class, and we believe it’s easy to show people how they can live a healthier lifestyle. And all of these foods and ideas are very accessible — even if your friends go to a fast food place, there are healthy options for people.”

Younger workers like Naperville’s Jon Vedova, 17, who attends Naperville North High School, said being vegetarian hasn’t gotten in the way with his friends who might want to frequent a burger joint.

“I’ve volunteered now for four years, and I think with all the advertising and radio spots we’ve had, we might have our best crowd ever,” he said. “I started becoming a vegetarian when I was 8 and my whole family is too. My friends have accepted it. If they go out for burgers, I eat French fries. Because I’m vegetarian, I feel a lot cleaner inside and just think it’s a healthier lifestyle.”

The ‘Veggie Challenge’

Guests were invited to take the “Veggie Challenge” which meant going vegetarian for a week. Dan Smart of Westmont decided to sign up, adding that he hoped a vegetarian diet would help him lose weight.

“I don’t cook for myself at home, so this might be a little challenging, but I’m thinking of going over and visiting one of the booths where they are selling books and see if might find a cookbook to help me out,” he said. “I tried a veggie falafel at the food court and it was really good.”

Sahar Sander, one of the owners of the two Naf Naf Grill restaurants in Naperville, was serving up falafel sandwiches made with his own pita bread and predicted his third year at Veggie Fest would again be a success.

“We sold 2500 falafel sandwiches a year ago, and people are surprised when they try them,” he said. “Some feel they are kind of like hush puppies, but this is mid-eastern street food made with chickpeas and spices that are shaped into balls and deep fried. We’ve had a steady line of people here all day.”

Tina Willer of Willow Springs worked as a volunteer at the Veggie Challenge booth and said at least 98-percent of those who inquired at her station signed up for the challenge and that those who did would receive “85 days of email support, including tips on eating and recipe ideas.”

“We also give people special bags here with a cookbook, cereal, and granola bars in them, plus a button to wear,” Willer said. “We have 2,000 bags here today and I gave out 1,000 of them in the first two hours.”

Beyond the vegetarian culinary experience, many in attendance Saturday also spoke of “a gentler lifestyle and orientation” the vegetarian diet brings.

“I’ve been working here all six years as well as many of the volunteers here,” said Naperville resident Jenna Wolf, 25.

“Being vegetarian has improved my lifestyle and I think it also builds compassion among human beings,” she said. “You don’t have to kill another living thing, and it makes you more aware of what you are putting in your body.”

c 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit http://www.suntimesreprints.com/. To order a reprint of this article, click here.

View the original article here

Time to plant winter vegetables

August is a very important transitional time in our vegetable gardens. Some vegetables are still maturing, but many others have finished completely, leaving gaps here and there that could still produce a few crops.

In coastal areas, an excellent selection of vegetables can be planted now for harvesting from September through next March and beyond. In southwestern B.C., our vegetable gardens can be producing 12 months a year, and even in some colder parts of the province, selective planting can be done. Potted perennial vegetables, like horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes and rhubarb, can be planted now. Perennial herbs like mint, parsley, chives, marjoram and oregano can also be planted for some late fall and early spring additions to your culinary dishes. September is also the best time to plant garlic for next year.

For some delicious spinach-like greens, Swiss chard can be planted now. Once established, it will tolerate a fair bit of cold before it either freezes or goes dormant. The same is true of spinach. ‘Perennial Spinach’, which is actually a chard, and West Coast Seeds’ ‘Bloomsdale Savoy’ are two varieties that can be used in 45 days.

There is even time for some root crops like beets. In the worst case scenario, all you will get are the greens, but even they are delicious. The novelty varieties, like ‘Little Egypt’ for example, mature in 34 days - now that is quick!

Lettuce is, by far, the most popular of greens, and seeded now, almost any variety of leaf lettuce will do just fine. The ‘Butter Crunch’ type matures in about 60 days, while the loose leaf varieties, like ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ and ‘Red Sails’, will be on your table in 45 days. For winter greens, ‘Corn Salad’ is still one of the best as is ‘Winter Density’. Both have better flavour with a light frost.

Certain varieties of bunching onions and scallions can still be planted for fall harvests because they mature in 60 days. Up until that time, you have the greens to enjoy. There are also hardy winter varieties you can plant now for harvesting in spring. ‘Kincho’ and ‘Pacific’ will survive most winters.

Who couldn’t find a spot now for radishes? Almost any variety matures in 25 days and in drier weather, you will find fewer maggots. Keep them out of old cabbage areas and rake a little wood ash into the soil for better maggot control.

Winter cauliflower, like ‘Galleon’ or ‘Purple Cape’, and cabbage, like ‘January King’, will mature in February if planted now. ‘Purple Sprouting’ broccoli is another winter favourite, too. Many folks also transplant the late ‘Siberian’,’Black Tuscan’ and ‘Redbor’ kale at this time of year. Winter hardy leeks can go in now as well, to round out your winter gardens.

You will probably not have enough empty spaces to plant all these wonderful fall and winter vegetables, but give some a try. When the weather cools down and all the tomatoes, peas, beans and peppers are gone, just think what you can look forward to - your own fresh taste of fall and winter.

View the original article here