Sprout Richmond

The Caviar of Condiments Under Threat by Katie Workman

With a drop in the abundance of bee colonies, the scarcity of honey has left consumers in a sticky situation—the price is being driven way up.

Honey was never considered a luxury food. It was something to drizzle on a biscuit or in your tea, and of course in the Jewish culture to dip an apple into on Rosh Hashanah to bring in a sweet new year. But then bees started mysteriously vanishing, and now honey has taken on a kind of mythical status. Honeybee-colony losses nationwide are now about 30 percent a year, and though that’s an improvement over past years, the effects are dramatic.

Read the whole article from The Daily Beast here...

EPA Fails to Inform Public about Weed-Killer in Drinking Water

EPA Fails to Inform Public about Weed-Killer in Drinking Water

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Harvest Dinner! Celebrate with Tricycle Gardens!

 

Visit www.tricyclegardens.org for more info.

"Non-Organic Organic Food" by Jim Hightower

"When it comes to a healthy diet, I am not a purist. Too late for that because I grew up eating such culinary concoctions as toasted sandwiches constructed of Spam, white bread and that oddly orange, oddly spongy cheeselike stuff known as Velveeta.

As an adult, I even have been irresponsible enough to serve as a taster, judge and promoter of Spam creations that were served at a now-defunct annual event held in my town of Austin, Texas. Called "Spamarama," the festival featured unspeakable and (often unswallowable) dishes made from the gelatinous, pink potted meat, including — get ready to gag — Spam ice cream."

Read the full article on Common Dreams here.

Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler: “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite”

"A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the direct medical costs of obesity total about $147 billion a year. That amounts to nine percent of all US medical costs. It’s also over $50 billion more than the annual spending on cancer. In the midst of this national focus on obesity, today we’ll speak to David Kessler, who has spent the last seven years trying to understand how the food industry has changed American eating habits, made certain foods difficult to resist, and helped create the country’s number one public health issue."

See the entire video and transcript from Democracy Now! here.

Richmond's Mobile Sustenance

"Lottery tickets, cigarettes and beer are three things any shopper can find on Jeff Davis Highway. But if Mark Lilly has his way, locally grown okra, beets, fresh maple syrup and locally canned apple butter soon will be easily available to the many low-income families that live along this disadvantaged city corridor."

Read the full article from Style Weekly here.

Whole Foods Boss: We Sell a 'Bunch of Junk'

John Mackey, the chief executive of Whole Foods, one of London's leading organic supermarkets, has told customers he sells "a bunch of junk".

Read the full article here.

Seasonal Ingredient Map

Check out this interactive map to see what's fresh in your area, plus find ingredient descriptions, shopping guides, recipes, and tips from Epicurious.com.

Enjoy.

Food Safety Bill Passes House After Concerns of Organic & Small Producers Stall Passage

"The US House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act, H.R. 2749, today. This was the second attempt to pass the bill. Representative Dingell's willingness to address the concerns of organic and small producers (raised by Representative Farr and Blumenauer), was one of the factors that eased passage the second time around. It's now up to the Senate to move similar legislation. Organic Consumers Association will be organizing its members to contact the Senate to ensure that their version has stronger language to protect small producers from a regressive fee structure and burdensome tracking requirements, and organic producers from conflict with National Organic Program regulations designed conserve wildlife habitat."

Read the whole OCA article here.

Also, find out how your Congressperson voted here.

"Wanna Swap?"

"Wish you could turn your excess plums into lemons, or maybe even a little cash? Use this site to find neighbors to swap with or sell your excess produce to. Or if you specialize in growing tomatoes, find neighbors who specialize in other produce and form networks to share in the variety. Even if you don't have a garden, Veggie Trader is your place for finding local food near you."

What an amazing idea! Spread the word...