Happenings on the Ranch

The winter of 2010/2011 was relatively mild compared to what we are used to here in West Central Missouri.  Lower snow totals, fewer ice storms and fewer subzero cold snaps.  That translated inot a very cold, very wet spring that put planting way behind.  We got so backed up on planting, in fact, that most crops went in very late and several crops didn’t even make it into the ground at all.  The summer turned into a very dry, extremely hot season that put more difficulties on growing crops.  We farmers just adjusted our crop plans as we went along and shifted our planting and harvesting times accordingly.

This winter and the upcoming season seem to be shaping up the same way.  The weather has been downright balmy off and on this winter, we’ve had no snow to speak of and very little in moisture overall.  I have a feeling this is, again, going to translate into a cold, wet spring and an extremely hot and dry summer.  We can plan for this and have contingency plans in place for our early spring crops; more planting in the greenhouse, cold frames, row covers, etc.  Let’s just hope it’s not too wet to work the ground.  If it is, it just may mean a later harvest than what we’ve been used to.  But all the veggies will come in eventually, like they always do.

So, is this the massive climate change everyone is talking about or is this just Mother Nature’s natural cycle?  As farmers we make it a habit to watch the natural cycles of the weather.  We notice the smallest things that can give us a hint as to what the weather will look like.  I and my friend Terrie Shepherd, from Butterfly Fields Nursery, noticed early on last fall that we would have a long fall and mild winter based on the color changes (or lack thereof) in the wooly caterpillars.  (Really, it works – we haven’t been wrong yet.)

Many weather forcasters have their own way of determining how the seasons will set up for us.  If you listen closely to many of these you will hear them talk of systems and patterns.  It’s the only way they can predict what’s coming.  So, if farmers notice these cycles and weather folks notice these cycles, why does it seem others are up in arms that our climate is dramatically changing because of something we as a society have done?

Global warming theories aside, I think too much emphasis is being placed on this supposed “climate change.”  Yes, our climate is changing.  Yes, areas of warmth are getting cooler, and some areas of cold are getting warmer.  But if you look back to ancient history you can see this pattern repeat itself time and time again.  Perhaps it’s the rotation of our planet in alignment with our sun.  Perhaps it’s just Mother Nature evening out the playing field a little bit and allowing each ecosystem to evolve once again.  Who knows?

Should we try to protect our earth and keep all this garbage, waste, chemicals and other such nonsense out of our ecosystem?  Absolutely,  Should we panic that the world is coming to an end?  Not hardly.  Just like farmers, we just have to prepare for what’s to come next and be flexible with whatever Mother Nature has in store.

You all know how I feel about using chemicals for any type of food production.  I also am a huge proponent of only buying locally produced goods as often as possible and U.S. produced goods at least.  One of these reasons (among many) is that other countries may not have the same standards for use of pesticides, herbicides and chemicals used in processing as we do here in the States.

Now, it looks like a chemical banned here in the U.S. is showing up in some orange juices imported to the States.  The chemical, called carbendazim, is a fungicide that’s not allowed in the U.S. because it has been shown to cause birth defects and reproductive problems.  The FDA banned it’s use and doesn’t allow any products to be imported that have been shown to be sprayed with the chemical.  However, according to Dr. Richard Besser of the FDA, they “received a report from an orange juice manufacturer that carbendazim, which is a particular fungicide used in several other countries, was found in their orange juice and the orange juice of one of their competitors.”

The FDA is saying there isn’t enough of the chemical in the orange juice to cause a problem and the drinker wouldn’t feel any ill side effects.  However, I never trust the FDA and their analysis of what’s safe and what isn’t.  My recommendation is to always check to be sure your orange juice (and everything else you eat) ORIGINATED in the U.S.  Don’t just look for where it was manufactured, because many American companies mix their juice with foreign juices.

Better yet, buy organically grown U.S. oranges and make your own juice!  Food for thought.

~Karin

I’ve been watching a fair bit more t.v. lately than usual.  This is the time of year when I actually have some time to do so.   I love watching food-related shows and can generally find something on Food Network worth watching.  What I saw Sunday night was an eye-opener, even for a know-it-all like me.

The show was “The Big Waste.”  The premise was to take four big-named chefs – Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, Alex Guarnaschelli and Anne Burrell – and charge them with making a gourmet multi-course meal for one hundred people using nothing but FOOD WASTE.

According to Wikipedia, Food Waste is defined as “food that is discarded or lost uneaten.”  As of 2011, 1.3 billion tons of food, about 33% of the global food production, was lost or wasted annually in all stages of the food supply chain.  Folks, that’s over 2 TRILLION pounds of food.  It’s hard to fathom.

Like me, I think most folks figure the majority of this waste is comprised of what we throw away after we’ve cooked or prepared it.  Telling kids to “clean their plate” is an old mantra.  “There are starving kids in …” whatever part of the world is another one.  While this may be true, much of that food waste happens well before the food even gets to our plate and, often, before it gets to the store.

As a sustainable farm that uses no pesticides or herbicides we rarely have much “store perfect” produce.  Bumps, cracks, bruises, etc. are all part of what we sell. Some customers come to our stands and dig for what they think is the perfect tomato, cucumber or squash.  Most of our customers don’t mind that our produce is sometimes a little ugly because it tastes so darn good.

This is not the case in most instances.  Grocery stores will only accept what is considered “Number 1 Grade” produce for their stores because that’s all most customers will buy.  No cracks, no bruises, no blemishes, perfectly symetrical, perfectly colored.  As Chef Guarnaschelli said during the program, “We’ve trained the consumer to look for visual perfection.”  But how much produce actually looks like that when it comes out of the field?  And what happens to all that food that’s not perfect, gets bruised in delivery, or may be slightly wilted?  Trash.  One of the you-pick farms Chef Flay visited stated they had 40 to 50% waste in their orchards and fields, simply because the fruit or vegetable looked less than “perfect.”  40 to 50%???  That’s an enormous number for any farm.  On our farm that would equate to probably 10,000 pounds of produce, and we’ve only been operating on 5 acres.  Imagine what that translates to on a farm of 80 acres – or 800 acres!

Even I didn’t realize how bad this problem is.  You really need to see the show in order to understand what mounds and mounds of wasted food really looks like.  Beautiful tomatoes, crisp cabbage, fresh fish, heritage chicken, eggs that were the wrong size or shape … all bound for the garbage or, if lucky, a compost pile.  It’s sad, disgusting and discouraging.  All in the name of “perfection.”

These four chefs managed to make fantastic meals out of nothing but unwanted food.  Meals that three notoriously tough food critics and a host of chefs and patrons were praising.  From “garbage.”

What can you do to help save some of this food from the garbage or compost pile?  First, shop your local farmers market or go directly to the local farm.  Tell them you’re willing to buy their “seconds” or “culls.”  There is nothing wrong with these items; they are still fresh and tasty.  They just don’t have the prisitine appearance we’ve been trained to look for as consumers and most of it will be chopped up anyway when you prepare your meal.  More than likely, since there is very little demand for these items, the grower will charge you less for these items.  You’re saving this food from the garbage and you’re also helping the farmer earn back a little bit more on their investment.  And, if you buy it in bulk and preserve what you don’t eat right away (either through canning, freezing or dehydrating) you’ll be saving yourself even more money in the winter months.

Second, find uses for more parts of what makes up your meal.  Ask the butcher what do to with end-cut beef short ribs or pork trotters.  Adventurous?  Go even further and find a use for heart or tongue, even if it’s just to flavor stock or stew.  Use more of what’s in season to create your meals.  Farmers will generally have periods where they have a large amount of one crop for several weeks so more of this is likely to get wasted if customers don’t buy a lot at once.  Again, buy more than you need right now and preserve the rest for later.

Proponents of genetically engineered foods (like Monsanto and Pioneer Dow) claim we can’t feed the world without the help of GMOs or chemical pesticides and herbicides.  I disagree.  If we can save billions of tons (trillions of pounds) of food from being wasted there will be much more left for those that can’t produce their own.  If the “food police” would get out of the way, much more food could be donated to shelters and food banks instead of ending up in the garbage.

It means standing up and being heard.  Use your food dollars to send a message … we don’t need our food to look pretty.  It needs to be healthy and flavorful.  Remember the generations that came before us and what they’ve known for decades.  Waste not, want not.

~Karin