Soil Erosion

The first time I learned about erosion, I was a starry eyed ten year old in my very first science class.  It was during our unit on the environment, where we learned all the basics: the water cycle, how plants turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, the layers of the earth, and most importantly, how pollution and overproduction can affect these systems.  Now, as a concerned member of a fragile ecosystem, I find it hard to believe how many people have forgotten these lessons.

Soil erosion is a natural occurrence arising largely from rain and dust storms.  This can happen to any ecosystem, and once upon a time it would not have been much of an issue; lost soil will be replaced over time.   However, for obvious reasons, losing top soil-the first few inches of dirt from which plants derive most of their nutrients-is a very big problem if you're trying to grow food for a country.  For this reason, Iowa, our nation's largest producer of corn, has received particular attention recently for its unparalleled loss of soil.

In the last few months, the price of corn and soybeans has increased dramatically, leading Iowa's farmers to grow these crops on a scale that is just irresponsible.  To increase their yields, crops are being planted row to row all the way up to rivers and streams at the edges of a field.  Not only does this type of overzealous planting cause significant farm run-off from nitrogen based fertilizers, but also creates the perfect conditions if you're looking to destroy the land for future generations.  Soil erodes the fastest next to bodies of water; couple this scientific fact with artificial chemicals from industrial fertilizer, plowing, and climate change causing more frequent and severe storms throughout Iowa, and you get a state depleting its soil at a rate unacceptable to sustain this system.

For more information on the situation in Iowa and how soil loss affects our food system, I recommend you read the research recently conducted by the Environmental Working Group, an organization dedicated to distributing information related to public health and environmental protection.  EWG just released a report on soil erosion, the summary of which can be found quickly and easily on youtube, and supplied here for your viewing pleasure.

Monsanto and Corporate Takeover

In the past, I've mentioned the shift in control of the farming industry from your local farmer to your national suppliers.  Right now I want to take a look at one particular company that is working hard to control the food chain: Monsanto.

Monsanto makes its money selling seeds and herbicides and bankrupting farmers in the process.  You may recognize their biggest "cash crop," if you will, from your own garden-Roundup, the most popular weed killer on the market today.  That's their claim to fame, and in the great tradition of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" thinking, Monsanto has found a clever way to market the same product to farmers in different permutations by genetically engineering their seed to be Roundup Ready.  Generally, Roundup is so popular because it takes no prisoners; it just kills anything that photosynthesizes.  Therefore, you used to have to be a little careful where you sprayed it, but these genetically engineered Roundup Ready seeds are able to resist the effects of the harmful herbicide.  This innovation made spraying easier for farmers and allowed the company to take control of both the seed and herbicide industries.  Now, Monsanto has the largest number of patents on seeds and owns twenty different seed distributors. 

Basically, that means it is Monsanto's mission to control every field America, and beyond!  But you know, there is a reason America went to so much trouble to break up monopolies like this a century ago: it's bad for consumer's when one company owns an entire industry.  For decades now, Monsanto has been making all the rules because they know how to play the game.  Making money isn't just about selling products when its on such a large scale, you also have to play the politicians.  So, over the past few decades Monsanto has managed to get their employees into important positions with the EPA, FDA, and USDA, including President Obama's appointing Tom Vilsack as the Secretary of Agriculture in 2008.  Vilsack is a long time supporter of Monsanto and the Biotech industry, so this particular appointment has been tough for many environmentalists to stomach.  With this man making decisions about how the $97 billion dollar USDA budget is being spent, it is more than unfortunate that the agricultural community does not agree with him.  For instance, the government's recent approval of Monsanto's GE Alfalfa Hay has been attributed in large part to Vilsack by several sources. 

In the end, supporting Monsanto is directly opposing the small farmer.  As you may already know, spraying herbicides only works for so long.  Eventually, nature catches up to modern pest control, which leads farmers to spray more and more to achieve the same effects, like crazy herbicide addicts.  As for the actual seed, studies show genetically modified seeds have lose their effectiveness and viability after one growing season.  In the good old days, a farmer could have saved themselves money by cultivating and saving their own seed.  Thanks to the innovators at Monsanto, that's slowly becoming a thing of the past. Even more unbelievable, if you wanted to save your seed for some reason, you are no longer allowed.  Because they hold a patent on seeds (a.k.a. nature), Monsanto and companies like it have made it illegal to save and store any subsequent generations.  In effect, they are trying to make it illegal to plant reproduction.  Who benefits from this type of legislation?  The big companies.  Who does it hurt?  Farmers and eaters.

The Benefits of Organic Farming

Organic (in three definitions):

-being or relating to or derived from or having properties characteristic of living organisms
-involving or affecting physiology or bodily organs (an organic illness)
-of or relating to foodstuff grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones


Today, I'm going to be talking about that third definition, but I thought it was important to remind you readers that it is related to the first two.  It seems to me like the term has been twisted around about itself a lot since the beginning of the organic farming movement in the 60s, and I don't want its roots to get lost in history.

Organic farming often gets flak from those shoppers strongly committed to their cheap, industrial meat and produce, and I think I understand where the animosity comes from.  Just to look at, the only observable difference between a bag of organic baby carrots and the regular stuff is the price, and why would you ever want to pay more for the same product?  But, if you could see the processing that went behind these two bags with the same cursory glance you give a price tag, you might see my point.

One of the biggest problems with factory farming that can be easily avoided with organic practices is pollution.  Like any kind of pollution, the industrial farm is one link in a long chain we call our environment, so what you put into the soil on a farm in Mississippi could travel downstream and contaminate the drinking water of a family in New Orleans.  Nitrogen-based fertilizers are a common cause of groundwater pollution in communities that rely on farming and the surrounding areas across the country.  Furthermore, these fertilizers are used to increase the growing potential of a field of course, but over time they produce the opposite effect.  The soil is degraded by harsh chemical additives like ammonia, and eventually even effects the amount of nutrients (especially antioxidants) to be found in the foods growing there.

In addition to reducing pollution and enhancing the nutritiousness of your food, organic farming has positive effects on biodiversity, small farmers, and your very own body.  For more information, visit The Organic Trade Association, and see what a difference a few dollars really makes.

Cage Free and Free Range

Today's topic is a personal favorite of mine: EGGS.  I feel like I have a special relationship with my eggs.  As someone who was a self-proclaimed picky eater most of my life, my experience with taste was fairly restrictive for a long time.  The day I discovered eggs was the day I finally realized I needed to loosen my lips.  Forgive me for sounding snobby, but I hold this particular food to high standards.  Hence, I feel it is essential to describe some of the standards of the industry.

Most eggs are factory farmed eggs.  They come from one variety of chicken, the White Leghorn, and these chickens are fed the same type of unnatural diets I have described in previous blogs.  Then you have cage free eggs, farm fresh or all natural eggs, and finally free range organic eggs, all held to their own standards.

Recently, West Virginia University made the decision to switch to cage free eggs certified by Humane Farm Animal Care.  A laying hen raised under Certified Humane conditions meets the following standards: "nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, animals raised with shelter, resting areas, sufficient space and the ability to engage in natural behaviours." I would like to congratulate the University.  The students said they wanted food produced more naturally and humanely, and the administration listened to their voices.  Everyone who eats on campus should offer them our applause and gratitude.  One thing I feel I have to point out though: cage free is not free range.

When you first heard the term cage free, what did you imagine?  Did it look like this?

Certified Humane chickens still do not require access to the outdoors.  According to their own fact sheet, the organization requires chickens have only the space to stand up, turn around, and stretch their wings.  As for being allowed to engage in natural behaviors, this means the chickens have access to dust bathing (an activity chickens preform to clean their coats).  Pens are still crowded enough that we see unnatural behaviors occur as well.  Humane Farm Animal Care's own standards state: "It is accepted that in colony housing systems there is a great risk of outbreaks of cannibalism. The pain and suffering of the hens that are being pecked to death is appalling and may quickly affect a large proportion of the flock."  Beak-trimming is considered an appropriate solution to chickens' attempts to eat each other.  If you had multiple dogs, and one day they started gnawing at each other, would you think it best to take them to the vet to pull out their teeth?

The only chickens raised in a truly natural, sustainable way are free range chickens.  They are guarenteed access to the outdoors, and the standards even cover the types of vegetation and shade needed to accommodate these lucky hens.  Furthermore, their diet is the most natural and their eggs the most delicious!  Because they are allowed to forage for weeds and insects as they would in the wild, their yolk is darker and richer.  Just compare for yourself:

 

Left: Free range, Right: Factory farmed

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to hear that if I want to eat scrambled eggs at "drunk breakfast" in the Mountain Lair, I know they came from a hen that wasn't loaded up with antibiotics.  However, I feel like sometimes people hear something is certified, and think that means it's the top of the line.  I'm not trying to say cage free is not a step forward.  I'm not trying to say free range is the only acceptable way to eat eggs.  All I'm trying to say is a sticker does not necessarily mean what it implies.  If you want to know what you're eating, you have to look into what the industry is really selling you!  In the end, you'll be asking for higher quality.

EXPLICIT

In keeping this blog, I've been trying and trying to put off this entry.  Every time I start trying to talk to people about how their food is made, they always say, "Just don't tell me about the slaughterhouses, I don't wanna hear it!"  And the thing is, I get it.  People want to imagine their burger grew up in a beautiful field with lots of grass to eat and lots of other cows to hang out with.  I didn't want to know Bessie was packed into a  pen like a sardine, or that she couldn't even walk when she was taken to the slaughterhouse.  I never wanted to hear that my food gets covered in feces during processing, that 10% of all chickens are expected to die in transport, or that Babe had to share a pen with dozens of other pigs (and some of those pigs were already dead in their cage).  But WHY doesn't anyone want to hear these things?  If you intend to put that into your body, into your children's bodies, shouldn't you want to know, if nothing else, that it's CLEAN?

So, here we are, at the beginning of the blog no one wanted to be written.  And if no one wants to read it, then I refuse to write it.  I'm going to show it to you.  If you're squeamish, I recommend you navigate to a less sad-but-true kind of site.  I recommend cuteoverload.

*****

Old McDonald's Farm (Version 2011)

 

Cows chained indoors, covered in their own excrement.

 A downed calf.  These "downers" are the result of malnutrition and deplorable living conditions.  They are usually left to die of exposure.

 

 Laying hens confined in battery cages.  These chickens will spend their whole life in these cages.  Many will be destroyed after one laying season.

Broiler chickens fight for space in "modern barns."  There are no regulations on the amount of space needed to house a certain number of chickens.

Some pigs get their own pen...with no space to move.

Chickens are shackled by the legs at the processing plant. Many of their bones will be broken during this process, and though their throats are systematically slit before being hung, it is not uncommon for the chicken to survive all the way to slaughter.

 Male chicks born at a laying operation are useless to the industry.  Some are gassed, others are ground up alive.

 A cow suffering from Mastitis, an infection of the udders caused by overmilking.  This disease has been proven to be caused by using hormones used to increase a dairy cow's milk production.

Dead piglets left in their pen with all the others.  The pig in back appears to be rotting.

*****

I'm sorry if you found those images unpleasant, I know I do.  But, I have a question for you now that you've seen them.  If you can't stand to look at this stuff, how can you tolerate putting it in your mouth?

Food and Water Watch

Lately, I've been looking harder at what I, or anyone, can actually DO about the problems associated with factory farming.  I've found a few different organizations (some more radical than others), and I thought I would bring one I think has real promise to your attention, dear readers. 

Food and Watch is a group working hard across the country to lobby for legislation that would bring change to current factory farming, but it goes a step further than I have been taking it and also incorporates fishing and water supplies into their mission.  Whether you take issue with any of these industries or I not, I think we can all agree with the groups vision for our future: "We envision a world where all people have access to enough affordable, healthy, and wholesome food and clean water to meet their basic needs — a world in which governments are accountable to their citizens and manage essential resources sustainably."  Anyone have a problem with that?

If you're like me, and you want to see meat and produce (or fish and water) produced in a way that is healthy, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, you should take a closer look.  They have lots of little ways you can help out, as well as ideas to really raise awareness in your community.  For example, you could simply sign up to receive alerts from the site about important food-related legislation.  Right now, they are lobbying for a bill to ban genetically modified salmon which was recently approved by the FDA.  Maybe think about writing to your congressman to let him/her know you don't support the FDA's decision.  And as far as raising awareness, Food and Water Watch is organizing events across the country to raise awareness about the upcoming Farm Bill.  Every few years, a new Farm Bill is passed which defines how agriculture must be run and regulated for a period of time.  Unfortunately, the last few Farm Bills have been targeted at increasing profits for major companies and providing subsidies for crops we really don't need (i.e. corn, which the country is producing a massive surplus of).  Food and Water Watch hopes that by holding these events, people will be more interested in taking a stand on the bill to be passed this year.  Just by checking out their website, you can find out if there is an event near you to help out with, or even sign up to host one.  There are a lot of ways to help make a change in the farming industry right now, and in a country that is becoming increasingly apathetic, it's important to remember that.

Food Does Not Have to be Processed to be Delicious.

This week, I'm switching gears a little.  Instead of trying to scare you with facts about animal feces or antibiotic resistance, I'm just going to give you a shopping suggestion.  To me, it seems like modern advancement has led to this growing need for instant gratification.  Instant knowledge, instant messaging, "instant food."  Let's face it, it's very tempting to pop in a frozen dinner at the end of the day rather than cook some vegetables you grew in your own garden.  Now I'm not saying you HAVE to grow your own foods to live without relying on factory farmed, processed foods.  I'm just saying, there is another way.

If you live in or around Morgantown, WV and you're a fan of organics or local produce, you should check out Mountain People's Co-op.  I recently started shopping there myself, and I have to say, the experience is profoundly different from shopping at any grocery store you've been to.  I didn't even realize just how many different foods there are!  Until recently, I had never heard of the mung bean.  As it turns out, you can make fettuchini out of them; it's gluten-free, USDA organic, and it's awesome.  In fact, without even realizing it I purchased ONLY organic products the first time I shopped at the co-op.  They have a wide selection of grains in bulk jars, so you can scoop out how much you want for a recipe that evening or a week's supply, depending on your needs.  The dairy boasts its freshness, labeling each egg carton with the "laid on" rather than the "use by" date.  In the frozen section, instead of finding stacks of Digiorno pizza and hot pockets filled with "cheese product" and "spam," you find tofu, some frozen whole-grain breads, and a variety of organic meat from local farmers (organic isn't just for vegetarians anymore).  The store may be small, but they fit a selection unparalleled in our area into those little walls.  If you're interested in trying a different way to eat, you need to check it out for yourself, and maybe even visit their blog.  They have some really unique recipes with lots of ingredients no one has ever heard of, so it's perfect for the adventurous chef.  Try it!  I promise, food does not have to be processed the be delicious.