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...

"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.

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.

Edible Garden Co-Op Winter Season

Are you wondering where to buy local food once the Farmers Markets close for the winter? Would you like to order fresh produce straight from the farm all year round?

Edible Garden Co-Op Winter Season
November 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009

Season Membership
For Customers & Producers
$45.00
Return Payment to Edible Garden with attached Registration Form

Customer Pick-Up Thursday Afternoons
3:00 – 6:00 pm at Edible Garden
12506 River Road, Richmond, VA  23238

A privilege previously reserved for restaurant Chefs, you now can purchase a membership that will provide you with access to the same fresh, local products that many restaurants enjoy year round.

There will be no mark up on our behalf to the customer on pre-ordered products. We see this program as an enhancement of our mission to provide the community with access to as much locally produced food as possible for a fair price.

Edible Garden Co-Op  
(804) 784-2011
www.ediblegarden.org  
email: ediblegarden@comcast.net

Some of Our Participating Farms Include:

Aults Family Farm / Blanton Garden / Brookview Farm / Beulah Land Fruits / Creekside Farm / Cromwell Farm /Cullipher Farm / Dave & Dees Homegrown Mushrooms / Deblyn Farm / Dodds Farm / Evergreen Springs Farm /Marks Garden / Mount Vernon Farm / Shenandoah Farms / Shire Farm / Whitener Farm / Wild T Bison Farm

Agriberry CSA 2008 is now full!

Thank you to everyone for your overwhelming interest in Agriberry CSA for 2008. Unfortunately, the membership is now full. However, if you would like to be on the wait list please email: chris@sproutorganic.org and we will keep you posted if an opening pops up. In addition, if you have not already, please add yourself to the Sprout Richmond! mail list for future information about local food news, start up CSA’s, actions and events. The link is in the upper right corner of this blog.

Thank you again for your interest and desired support of local food systems.

Sincerely,

Chris Humes
Sprout Richmond!
www.sproutrichmond.com

Sprout Richmond! and Agriberry CSA for Summer 2008

Greetings SPROUTers,

We are pleased to announce the start-up of a new berry CSA for Richmonders. Here are the details:

WHO: Fruit and berry fans can now get in on enjoying an array of sun ripened, just picked, local berries and fruits delivered nearby!

WHAT: A weekly share consisting of a 5 lb+ tray of up to 6 pints, which includes- always blackberries, blueberries and/or peaches, plums or nectarines, and if available- raspberries. Although not certified organically grown, all products are grown with sustainable farm production practices.

WHEN: Starts Wednesday July 9th thru early September 2008 for weekly delivery! 9 weeks total.

WHERE: CSA share trays will be delivered and available for pickup every Wednesday evening from 5-7pm at the Lakeside Farmers Market at the Lakeside Town Center, 6116 Lakeside Ave. Richmond, VA 23228.

COST: $28 per week. Three scheduled payments of $84 OR pay in full to receive DISCOUNT of 10%. Space is limited- act fast!

HOW: Simply email (chrish@threemiles.com) and request your interest in joining. We will send you additional information and tell you when you can start enjoying fresh, local sweetness.

ABOUT: Agriberry LLC- 25 years ago Anne Geyer established and began directing the marketing program at Westmoreland Berry Farm near Oak Grove, VA with her husband, farm co-founder, and current farm manager Charles Geyer. With this vast expertise in dozens of summer berry varieties- Anne is eager to share with a wider consumer base. Anne is applying her range of experiences and her passion to establish other small acreage summer Agriberry sites in rural/urban counties across Virginia; starting in Hanover County in 2009. Anne is also an active board member on the National Berry Crop Initiative; a member of the Virginia Farm Bureau Specialty Crop Committee; a District 17 representative for the Virginia Extension Leadership Council; and a Hanover County Master Gardener Volunteer.

NOTE: Anne will be at the Hanover Tomato Festival from 9am-4pm this Saturday, July 5th with examples of the Agriberry weekly berry/tree fruit share! Mention you are part of Sprout Richmond! for a special berry/fruit item!

Sprout Richmond! is proud to be partnering with Agriberry to bring you the best, freshest, locally grown fruit in the region.

Sincerely,

Christopher Humes & Melodie Franklin
Sprout Richmond!

Farming practices 'must change'

By Alasdair Sandford from BBC News, Paris

"A United Nations-sponsored report has warned that modern farming practices and rules must change in response to rising food prices... continue reading the article at BBC.com