Fall Farm Day: Saweet

For any bi-annual open house in the Heart of Texas, two elements must be included: Visitors and Volunteers.

Check out the links below (my technological skills are limited so I have to piggy-back) for information on both

If wondering what Farm Day is:
Why-would-I-even-want-to-go

If interested in Volunteering:
How-much-fun-could-I-possibly-have

If wondering what Robert Plant was up to in 1984:
Where-have-you-been-all-my-life


Please continue down to read the Westerly post about the Slow Food Nation conference.


Cheers and Yorick melonheads,

Melyssa

p.s. photo by Amanda Becker

p.p.s. I posted this before watching the "economy shmonomy"....oh well, that's how we roll

Distractions

Sometimes they are both nice and necessary.  

So, if you need a break from pouring over the minutiae of the bailout or worrying about your 401K (or lack thereof in most of our cases) here are a few things to keep you busy and maybe even newly inspired.

A lot of you are no doubt already familiar with Slow Food International and their American arm Slow Food USA.  If not you should definitely get to know them as they are an important voice in the global (and national) local food movement, here's what they have to say about themselves:

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

Well, Slow Food USA recently wrapped up their annual gathering, Slow Food Nation, and they have now posted all the video online from the plethora of great panels and discussions that took place over Labor Day weekend.  They are literally all worth checking out so please do so, but here are a few we recommend.

The World Food Crisis - moderated by Michael Pollan with Anya Fernald, Corby Kummer, Raj Patel, Carlo Petrini, Vandana Shiva.

Aside:  if you haven't had a chance to read Raj Patel's book Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System (and it seems not enough people have) you really should make it a priority.

Edible Education - moderated by Katrina Heron with Alice Waters, Anya Fernald, Van Jones, Craig Macnamara and Josh Viertel.

Aside:  if this discussion of integrating local, sustainable, healthy food production with educational programs gets you so excited that you just can't stand it email our Education Director Matt Hess and he will get you involved in edible education right here in Waco, TX (if you're not from Waco we feel sorry for you but email him anyway and he'll try to point you in the right direction.)  Also, be sure and plan on being at our Fall Farm Day (pdf) to hear John Garland talk about his own work in connecting schools in the Rio Grande Valley with edible education.

Closing Panel - the whole panel is good so watch both parts but I'm mostly putting this here for Wendell Berry's portion at the beginning.  It's gold baby.

Aside:  "We live in a time when things fall apart.  The falling apart of things is bad.  But once we identify something that is good and we begin to understand how that goodness ramifies a longer chain of causes, it really ultimately involves everything. Then we begin to glimpse the possibility of entering an age in which things that have fallen apart come back together."  If that's not the gospel and the kingdom I don't know what is.

For one final distraction we're going to give you another dose of Wendell.  This is his commencement address to last years graduating class at Bellarmine University (warning: video starts as soon as you open the page) and the whole thing is too good to attempt an excerpt.

Well, there you go - economy, shmonomy.

Pizza Mania

The past week at the farm has been drenched with pizza.

We believe that social gatherings are much more satisfying with a sizzling pie topped with various foodstuffs.

EVENT 1: Hurricane Ike Pizza Party
We prepared for the worst, but only wind and an inch of scattered rain made it our way. So everyone, even the Coles and Hesses, traveled to the Ed. Building for pizza off the griddle. I made five or six pies of various sized, with help of course (where is the fun of making pizza alone!).

Toppings: Farm Veggies-hot and sweet peppers, zucchini, Susan's mozzerrela, and tomato sauce from a can (oh well). With a side of mozzerrela filled fresh breadsticks.

EVENT 2: Cole Painting Part
The duplex at the end of the Farm lane is wrapping up. The Cole's bought paint (royal blue, eggplantish purple, and khaki) and invited us up for pizza and painting one evening. They laid out a spread of Little Caesars Pizza, fruit salad, a lasagna, and juice with sparkling water. They also laid out a flood of painting equipment.

Just as baking pizza with many people is enjoyable, consuming pizza then painting rooms with many people is a gratifying way to work.

EVENT 3: Chris Becker's Friday Lunch
Our beloved boy Becker turned out nine.....I repeat NINE, freshly griddled pies for lunch. Topped with sausage, hot peppers, spices, herbs, salts....I couldn't keep track really. The pizzas were a salivating glands heaven. Were there leftovers? Not for the first time since I have been here.

EVENT 4: Friday night...nothing special
Inspired by Chris's lunch, Susan and Darren baked two tomatosauce-less pizzas for dinner to share. A little bit of cheese, some chopped herbs and salt goes a long way.

So to share a little pizza love with you, our friends far and near....

Most recently liked pizza crust recipe:

1 TBSP yeast mixed with 1 cup warm water: let stand 10 minutes

Stir in
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Pour into 2 cups flour (preferably high protein flour like bread flour)

Mix and knead until smooth. Let sit in covered bowl for 30 minutes (ish)

Roll out 2 flat disks, brush a little oil on, go to town. Well, don't literally go to town, but top the pie nicely and bake at 350 for thirty (ish) minutes.

Cheers and Che buon'idea!

Melyssa

Poults and More

So, you might be wondering...what is a "poult"? Well, I have included a photo or two for you to see how cute these little guys are. It's a good thing I have documented their cuteness because it sure doesn't last long! But, come Thanksgiving time you won't be concerned about that and might not even want to think about the fact that they were once cute, fuzzy little guys.
You might have guessed by now that I am talking about turkeys! Yes, the little guys are called poults, although I am not sure how long that name sticks with them. Already, and this is only day 5 of their lives, they have mini wing feathers!! Amazing!

Friday was the big day we received 100 of these 2-day-old turkeys, graciously donated by Cargill. Let me tell you, it took a lot of work to get their house turkey-ready. Chickens, of which we have an abundance of on this farm, are much hardier than turkeys and can pass on disease to them. So, their whole house had to be scrubbed from top to bottom and dishes thoroughly cleaned so there would be no contamination. Samson is their new mommy and he will be checking on them multiple times a day to make sure they have water, food, and the temperature in their "house" is good. They have a specific temperature range that is ideal for them based on their age. If it is too cold they huddle together and could get suffocated. Too hot- well they can suffer from heat exhaustion just like us. Needless to say, they require a lot of attention at this tender stage of their lives! During my weekend on-duty, I feel like I spent most of my time in the barn checking on them...taking off blankets, putting on blankets, making vent holes, filling water, replacing feed...sheesh!! Good thing I have such a great weekend-duty partner by the name of Nick!

I can hardly complain though because there were also the fun times of spying on them through a small crack in the cage and watching their little antics. Funny how such a small bundle can make you giggle! It was as if they could not decide which was the better side of the house and suddenly take off, their bare legs a blur, scraggly little wings going up and down (none have reached the stage of air-born yet), till they reached the opposite end and suddenly come to a complete STOP. With big, dark eyes blinking they look to and fro and then get distracted by some little piece of wood shaving or thread or decide the heat lamp above their head is a most amusing thing to look into.

You know when you get to the end of the ketchup bottle and have to tip it upside down, shake it hard, pound it against your hand, and then finally manage to get a burp of ketchup out, spattering all over your bun or fries (or whatever else you put it on)? There is that distinct sound the ketchup makes on exiting the bottle. Well, I have found these poults make a very similar sound except I have yet to see any ketchup! Right now they are getting a special green feed sprinkled on top of the regular brown food and so there are a lot of green spots all over the floor of wood shavings. In the midst of my spying this noise greeted me from all over the house almost continuously and that indeed made me giggle! Remember, there are 100 of these yellow, fluffy bundles.

Right-o. You have probably heard enough about turkeys and such for now. I did have some other pleasant times this weekend... cool mornings, trimming our basil hedge with my snips (I could smell it on my hands hours later!), sunrises, sunsets, and enjoying some of the beautiful late summer flowers. I believe this one is a variety of campanula. If you know otherwise, tell me!

It's off to bed now as soon as I make one last check on the poults and close up the chicken coops for the night! Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Jocelyne

Upcoming Events at the Farm

Saturday, September 6th, 2008
9:00am - 4:00pm
End of Summer Sale at the Village Store

Saturday, October 18th, 2008
9:00am - 4:00pm
Fall Farm Day

Monday, October 27th, 2008
Social Justice Movie Night at the Farm

World Hunger Relief and Fair Trade

Sustainable farming is more than nutrition and practices for growing food, but a balance between making food affordable while also paying farmers enough to sustain a healthy standard of living. That is why World Hunger Relief is involved in trade policy and running a fair trade store at the farm.

When all trade regulation is stripped away under free trade, the only thing left to determine what we buy is quality of product and price. The companies who are more profitable are largely the companies that skimp on costs of production, making their product cheaper. Successful companies generally skimp on worker wages, raise work hours and disregard the environment. Employment is moving to places like China where there are less human rights. Correspondingly, deficits for developed counties with good labor laws are growing under free trade.

Legislatively, this is not to disregard a need for a market, but to suggest that, as countries, we need to regulate the market to ensure higher trade standards and balanced budgets. Just as rules in sports ensure healthy competitions, so can rules in trade offer competition around strong minimum wages, benefits, etc. It is your right to have a say in these rules as a citizen.

As individuals we need to consume fairly traded products. Fair trade is a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable alternative. Fair trade might cost more, but for most of us getting enough is not the question, but rather enjoying what we have and acquiring what we consume in ways that bring justice and peace into our world.

So where do I go from here:

1. Support Local and National business.

2. Support Cooperatives and Union Made.

3. Support Fair Trade.

4. Support Micro-Credit as a way of developing small businesses rather than international corporations. Please visit Kiva - loans that change lives & The Grameen Foundation.

5. Sign our petition for fair trade bananas at HEB. Commit to pay up to 99 cents/lb for fair trade bananas in trying to encourage HEB to carry fair trade bananas.

6. Recognize that from banana wars to oil wars, things have not changed. Half your tax dollars are spent on the military. The US spends more than the rest of the world combined on the military. The best way to keep America safe is to stop fuelling hatred. The best way to support your troops is to bring them home.

7. Support fairer trade legislation and higher labor standards as an alternative to free trade with your vote. You can have the market while competing between agreed on living wages, environmental standards, etc.

8. Support International law and institutions with your vote and demand it of your Leaders. Part of being a democratic nation and supporting democracy worldwide is being a nation among other nations by respecting international democratic opinion and law.

9. Finally advocate for publicly funded elections. It would cost a dollar a person to have elections funded publicly. Right now they are funded by your corporations and so they answer to them, and not you. All it would take to have a President and Congress that answer to you is one dollar.

10. Talk to your neighbor about fair trade!!

Fair Trade in Waco

The Village Store at World Hunger Relief
- Coffee, Tea (loose leaf and bagged), chocolate, cocoa, almonds, cranberries, as well as a variety of kitchen and housewares, clothing, handmade artwork, bags, scarves, jewelry, and instruments, etc.
356 Spring Lake Rd, Waco, TX 76705
254-799-5611
Open 9-5 Mon-Fri, Sat 10-3

The World Cup Café
- Coffee, and a variety of kitchen and house wares, clothing, handmade artwork, bags, scarves, and jewelry
Corner of 15th and Colcord
254-757-1548
Open 7-5 Mon-Fri

HEB @ Wooded Acres
- Coffee, Tea (loose leaf and bagged), Dr Bronner’s Soap, Sugar, Molasses as well as some World of Good Handcrafts.

Drug Emporium
- Coffee, Tea (bagged and in liquid concentrate for Chai Latte’s), chocolate chips, Vanilla, Sugar, Dr Bronner’s Soap
5900 Bosque Blvd

Connor Health Foods Inc
- Dr Bronner’s Soap, Sugar, and Tea.
2625 W Waco Dr

Wal-Mart
- Coffee

Bananas, Not So Sweet

Chiquita Bananas Not so Sweet

Chiquita is the world’s leading supplier of bananas. In doing a little research on the banana industry I began with their website. Reading over Chiquita’s core values might give you new hope for the business world. Chiquita’s stated core values include integrity, respect, opportunity, and responsibility.ⁱ However, a closer look at Chiquita tells another story.

History in Guatemala

In the 1950s Chiquita Bananas, then the United Fruit Company, owned a huge portion of land in Guatemala. In fact it controlled about 60% of the banana and pineapple trade worldwide. The newly elected Arbenz government in Guatemala was elected under the promise of remedying the unequal land distribution. In 1945 over eighty percent of the population was rural yet 2.2% of the populace controlled 70% of the land while using only 12%.ⁱⁱ

In purchasing back the land for redistribution, the Arbenz government based the price of land to be purchased back for redistribution on what the company had declared its value of unused land at during tax time. The United Fruit Company had undervalued it’s land, paying less than it was worth in taxes. Being much larger than the Guatemalan government, they began a lobbying campaign to remove the elected government, eventually gaining a hearing with U.S. President Eisenhower and the CIA. CIA agent Howard Hunt later felt betrayed saying, “Hey, you know, I’m working for the United States, I'm not a hireling for United Fruit.” ⁱⁱⁱ

This connections between the United Fruit Company and the US government ran deep. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles ran a law firm that represented the United Fruit Company. His brother Allen was director of the CIA. Assistant Secretary of State for the Inter-American Affairs John Moors Cabot was the former President of the United Fruit Company.

CIA documents released in 1997 disclosed direct American support for the military coup that would topple the new democracy. From the 1950s to the 1990s the US supported a series of Guatemalan military rulers that are responsible for 140,000 to 250,000 deaths.^iv For forty years we armed this tyrant state with only a brief interlude during the Carter administration. Bill Clinton, in 1999, made an official apology for US support of the Guatemalan military.^v

The political control of the United Fruit Company, Dole and other major players led to much of Latin America being coined the banana republic, a term that essentially recognized the political instability created by the small group of elite responsible for the fruit trade in Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

Same Company, Different Name: From the United Fruit Company Yesterday to Chiquita Today
In 1997 three Costa Rican workers were not warned about fumigation and were harvesting bananas when they became sick and nauseous. One went to the hospital where he remained on an IV drip for a few hours. Another reported the incident to his superiors and was sent home. One of the workers reported to work the next day, and the nausea returned. He was forced to stay. Two of the men reported the incident to Chiquita. They were fired.

Chiquita regularly intimidates workers using private militia as well as carelessly and dangerously using pesticides.^vi In the same year Chiquita was fined $25 million by the United States Justice Department for its ties to Columbian paramilitary groups.^vii

Beyond Chiquita
Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit. Farmer prices for bananas can be as low as six cents a pound, which in Ecuador can translate into many workers being paid around one dollar a day. Banana plantations in Central America apply around 30 kg of active pesticide per hectare, ten times the average of industrial agriculture in industrialized countries. Many of these chemicals are considered extremely toxic to humans.^viii

Beyond Bananas
It is unfortunately true that rather than being an exception, bananas represent the rule in international business. From child trafficking in chocolate, to sweat shops, to blood diamonds fuelling ongoing wars in Congo and oil in Iraq, it is time to recognize the blood on our hands. It is time to consume in ways that foster real prosperity and peace.