No, not the bookstore – the edges around farm fields. Organic and sustainable farmers have long known the value of hedgerows around fields – they allow habitat for wildlife, improve water quality, and offer homes for pollinators. Recent food safety scares have caused some places to blame hedgerows, but we think that’s like blaming the rooster for sunrise. Food safety comes with fewer toxins, better inspections, and cleaning up the meat supply. (FYI: I don’t eat meat myself, and you might not either if you knew about the cruelty and filth involved). Anyway, we congratulate the Wild Farm Alliance for encouraging border planting on farms.
The Poncia family in Marin County, California, work to keep their 520 acres of land safe from the damages of traditional cattle ranching: among other things, they’ve put up cattle crossings to protect the creeks from indiscriminate trampling, and planted native species and over a thousand trees to reduce erosion on creek banks and provide bird habitat. I don’t eat meat at all for many environmental and compassion reasons, but if you do eat meat, you can help the earth by supporting farmers and ranchers who are using sensible practices like these.
[news from the Marin organic newsletter 4/16/10; website at www.stemplecreek.com]
Winemaker Mike Benziger recently explained how his vineyard used water so wisely that it won the Growing Green Award from NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). He described how important it is to design your vineyard (his vineyard has its own wetland!) to let nature direct and recycle the water. Read more at SfGate.com
The Goldman Prize (fondly known as the Environmental Nobel) is given to 6 people each year. American Lynn Henning won this year for revealing how the cruel factory farm industry in Michigan was poisoning water supplies and air – and for persisting in her tireless work despite threats and intimidation. Read more here.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvfNEeQq6oo]
Meanwhile, in Cuba, Humberto Rios discovered that some farmers had never adopted “modern” farming methods, and that their traditional practices could help the nation rebuild their land and food system. Read more here.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB_uvOnXteI]
In nearby Costa Rica, Randall Arauz led a campaign to stop the horribly cruel practice of getting shark fin (a delicacy in China). Read more here.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1suU8yRVwEI]
*Earth-Friendly Food Chain salutes Lynn Henning, Humberto Rios, and Randall Arauz!
Finally! The US Department of Agriculture is putting more resources into increasing access to local, healthy foods at affordable prices to residents of low-income communities. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “The Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, will provide training, technical assistance, and funding to community organizations, entrepreneurs, and small businesses working to build local and regional food systems across the country. Promoting the production and distribution of food within a local foodshed opens new markets to small- and mid-sized farmers, fosters social connections between urban and rural residents, and can improve health in inner-city neighborhoods where fresh fruits and vegetables are often scarce.” I’m sure we can all applaud the creation of food equality.
Reevaluating and revamping school lunches so that they are not only nutritional but are earth-friendly as well has become a popular topic in today’s society. Our nation’s lawmakers have taken a huge step in providing children with basic nutritional needs. This week the Senate Agriculture Committee voted to pass the Heathy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which is a bill that will revamp school lunches to be healthier and sustainable for the environment. Hopefully this bill will pass the full Senate to become a law. But in the meantime, Berkeley schools have become the pilot for not only California schools, but the nation. The School Lunch Initiative provides “delicious, healthy, freshly prepared meals using seasonal ingredients from sustainable farms to all of Berkeley’s public school students.” If you also look at the big picture this will benefit this generation because children will learn to take the basic essentials of eating healthy Earth-friendly foods and apply them in the future benefiting our environment! To read the full article feel free to click here.
Also applying to our children and school meals, recently ABC aired the TV show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution where the chef has made it his mission to help transform the way schools are currently feeding our children. Many schools have filled their lunchrooms with processed, unhealthy meals contributing to epidemic of obese children. Here’s Jamie’s main message on the issue:
“I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food. Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It’s time for a national revolution. America needs to stand up for better food!” To learn more about Jamie Oliver’s stance and help out by signing a petition to improve school food, please check out his website.
