Another Concern Troll Worries About Locavores

by: chicago jack

Sat Feb 13, 2010 at 20:42:25 PM PST

'Diners now scan the menus at their local restaurants for provenances like "Cattail Creek Ranch lamb" or "Hudson Valley rabbit." And home cooks now await boxes of fresh produce delivered weekly from local growers.'

Well, you might ask, what could possibly be wrong with these things? Darlin helpfully points out something that perhaps locavores hadn't thought of:

"as much of the East Coast lies blanketed beneath a foot or more of snow, it's as good a time as any to raise a few questions about the trend's viability."

Doh! Weather! We completely forgot about weather!

But that's not the only flaw in preferring locally grown food. There are also "inconsistencies in locavore behavior." Darlin explains:  

Tales from a D.C. School Kitchen, Conclusion: Better School Food -- Can We Get There from Here?

by: euclidarms

Sun Jan 24, 2010 at 04:47:19 AM PST

I recently spent a week in the kitchen at H.D. Cooke Elementary School here in the District of Columbia observing how food is prepared. This is the last of a six-part series of posts about what I saw. You can find previous posts on The Slow Cook blog or here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

When I asked to spend time observing the kitchen operation at my daughter's elementary school, I thought I was going to see people cook. The food service provider for D.C. Public Schools, Chartwell-Thompson, had recently ditched the old method of feeding kids with pre-packaged meals from a food factory and replaced it with something they called "fresh cooked." Being one of those folks who's trying to return to  cooking from scratch with fresh, local ingredients, I was anxious to see how Chartwell's plan would play out.

WashPost Ups Volume on Backyard Chickens

by: euclidarms

Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 05:29:48 AM PST

Local Food in "Healthy Schools": The Debate Begins

by: euclidarms

Wed Jan 06, 2010 at 05:08:37 AM PST

Where is Ellwood Thompson's?

by: euclidarms

Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 03:17:56 AM PST

Ellwood Thompson's, in case you've never heard, is a relatively small grocer with one store in Richmond that specializes in locally grown and organic foods. Locating such a store in the middle of our Columbia Heights neighborhood here in the District of Columbia would seem to be not just a great shopping opportunity for the increasingly hip, young and monied local residents, but a boon to local farmers and Washington-area agriculture.

Yet not everyone is happy about it. Some food access advocates have been using Ellwood Thompson's as a kind of whipping boy for their concerns over a  dearth of supermarkets in poorer parts of the city, especially east of the Anacostia River. Who needs Ellwood Thomspon's when there's a Giant just two blocks away, and a Target (yes, they even cite the convenience aisles in Target) in the very same mall? And let's not forget the farmers market in nearby Mt. Pleasant. (Unfortunately, the farmers market is only open four hours a week on Saturdays during the season, and closed December through April.)

These naysayers are especially miffed that a special tax break was extended to Ellwood Thompson's that they say should only go to stores in needier areas. This last concern appears to be based on a misreading of D.C. tax law--or perhaps on a law that no longer exists.

In 1981, the D.C. Council passed a law granting special tax status (D.C. Code 47-3801)--no local property taxes for 10 years (D.C. Code 47-1002(23))--to new or largely refurbished supermarkets that locate in "underserved areas." These were described as any one-square-mile area where there are fewer than two supermarkets for every 10,000 residents, or no supermarkets at all, regardless of the number of people. In the year 2000, however, the Council replaced the "underserved areas" language with a long list of designated development zones around the city (D.C. Code 47-3801)--including the area surrounding the new Metro station in Columbia Heights--where the tax break for new or refurbished supermarkets would be extended.

Thus, Ellwood Thompson, which would be located less than a block from the Metro, was automatically eligible for the tax break. And according to Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), the deal to bring the grocer to Columbia Heights never would have worked without it. There was just one problem, Graham said. The original law was designed for free-standing supermarkets. Ellwood Thompson's was moving into a space in a mall. Unless the law were somehow changed, the tax break would go to the owner of the mall, then be divided among all of the mall's other clients--Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Marshall's, Best Buy, Staples and many others.

Graham introduced an amendment (pdf) that would allow the tax break to flow directly to Ellwood Thompson's.

"We're very anxious to have them. It's a great compliment to Giant," said Graham. "Organic food stores have always worked well alongside a traditional food store...I think they're going to be unbelievably successful."

Graham doesn't buy the notion that the tax break should be reserved for poor areas of the city. Above all, he said, there must be a grocer willing to locate in those areas in order to use the tax break. "You can't manufacture the grocery store interest. There has to be an interest to go with the tax incentive."

Ellwood Thompson's owner, Rick Hood, said he is anxious to move to Columbia Heights and take advantage of the Washington area's agricultural assets, something that does not exist to quite such an extent in Richmond.

The store builds relationships with small to mid-size farmers who use natural and sustainable practices to grow their products. For instance, Ellwood Thompson's features meats from Polyface Farm's Joel Salatin, the libertarian Virginia farmer made famous by Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma. They buy fresh tofu from Twin Oaks, an alternative community in Louisa, Virginia. In winter, Ellwood Thompson's supplements locally grown vegetables with organics grown in California. But Hood is eager to provide a venue for Washington's locally grown winter produce as well--as long as it's not from greenhouses that use too much energy for heat.

Hood said the company's approach extends to supporting local businesses of all kinds--cheese makers, sign makers, bankers. "Whenever we have a choice between dealing with a local business, we like the idea of trying to keep the money within the community rather than give it to companies that are not local. We're trying to avoid the nationals if we can," although you will find national brands of organic and vegan products in the store's grocery aisles.

The grocer's commitment to local extends to a community garden near the Richmond store where store employees volunteer time with customers and local residents to grow food.

Which brings us back to the original question: When will Ellwood Thompson's open its store in Columbia Heights?

It sounds like the recession has posed a speed bump, and maybe Hood is looking for a little break on his rent.

"We're making progress. We're working with the developer," Hood said. "We've had this recessionary change, and there's a reluctance on the part of the developer to make any change in the economic structure of the rent...There's a really good chance we will work it out."

Any issues with getting financing? "We've made progress there."

As residents of Columbia Heights and supporters of local food, we certainly do hope it gets worked out.

A Landmark Vision for "Healthy Schools"

by: euclidarms

Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 04:49:02 AM PST

Among the issues Cheh said her recently introduced "Healthy Schools" legislation is designed to address:

*Eighteen percent of District high school students are obese and 35 percent are overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

*Eighty-one percent of D.C. high schoolers do not eat the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables

* Eighty-five percent of female teenagers to not consume enough calcium.

* Seventy percent of high school students in the District fail to meet the CDC's recommended level of physical activity.

* Thirty-two percent of children in the District live in poverty, 19.2 percent in extreme poverty. More than half do not have a personal doctor and 34 percent of children have not had a preventive medical visit and dental visit in the past year.

* One in six children in the District has asthma, one of the highest rates in the country.

Over the past six days, I have been writing about the details of the "Healthy Schools" bill (here, here, here, here, here and here), introduced jointly by Cheh and Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D). The paper released yesterday by Cheh lays out the reasons for numerous policy upgrades designed to vault the District of Columbia into the front ranks of school districts embracing the modern food movement.

"Teaching students to live a healthy lifestyle and making school environments healthier," Cheh tells colleagues, "can have a major, lifelong impact on the wellbeing of our youngest generation."

About 40,000 children attend schools in the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) system, while another 20,000 attend charter schools. The DCPS food provider, Chartwells, serves meals to about 30,000 children each day. Charter schools hire their own food providers, often small caterers, individually.

The bill would make breakfast free to all public school students in the District. The D.C. Public School System already provides universal free breakfast. The new policy would extend free breakfasts to all charter school students. The bill also would broaden the number of students eligible for free lunch. Currently, students whose family incomes are within 131 percent and 185 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for a "reduced-price" lunch and pay about 20 cents per meal. The school system has eliminated the co-payment in more than 70 schools, and Cheh's bill would expand the program to all schools, including charter schools, in an effort to increase the number of children who eat lunch.

According to Cheh, 27 states have passed school nutrition policies while 21 states have enacted farm-to-school policies for incorporating locally grown produce in school meals. The District has done neither. The "Healthy Schools" bill would establish local nutritional standards exceeding federal requirements, and, over a four-year phase-in period, bring the District into line with standards recently developed by the Institute of Medicine for the U.S. Department of Ariculture.

The standards call for reduced consumption of salt and sugar and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Cheh's bill requires that all eligible D.C schools participate in the federal government's "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program." The option is available to schools where at least 50 percent of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, but only 23 of 88 eligible schools in the city currently participate, Cheh said.

The bill embraces policies adopted in 2006 by the city's Board of Education to restrict the sale of sugary beverages and manage the portion sizes of junk food. According to Cheh, some 15 percent of D.C. public schools--and an unknown number of charter schools--do not follow the policies. The legislation not only makes those policies law, but sets out fines of $500 per day for schools that are not in compliance.

Cheh argues that children will be more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables if these are sourced from local farmers practicing "sustainable" agriculture. Local produce tastes better, Cheh says, and purchasing it boosts the local economy and helps the environment. The bill includes a five-cent bonus for school meals that include local produce, as well as grants--when funds are appropriated--to assist local groups in building infrastructure for distributing and storing local farm products.

"According to community experts," Cheh writes, "this nickel incentive is large enough to significantly increase the amount of fresh, local foods and vegetables served in the schools."

According to Cheh, DCPS is engaged in a pilot recycling program that includes 40 schools. The "Healthy Schools" bill requires that schools recycle paper, bottles, cans and cardboard, including food services. However, because system-wide recycling would need additional funding, it would only take effect when funds "become available."

"Currently, school meals create enormous amounts of waste," Cheh says. Her bill would, within four years, ban Stryrofoam trays, tens of thousands of which go into school trash cans every day. The bill would also require the schools to compost food waste. According to Cheh, DCPS and its food provider, Chartwells, "would like to compost, but lack the funds and infrastructure to do so." The bill would establish a pilot composting program, but--again--only when funds are appropriated.

"Healthy Schools" would also establish "wellness centers" in all of the city's high schools. Currently, the District operates a handful of such centers--Woodson, Anacasita and Spingarn--where "comprehensive medical services" are managed by Children's Hospital with staff from the medical residency program at Georgetown Univeristy. The bill calls for developing a plan by 2015 to expand the program.

Federal law requires school districts to develop "wellness" policies, but contains no requirement for updating them. Cheh's bill would require that wellness policies for D.C. schools be updated every three years, and that they address "environmental sustainability and farm-to-school intitives" as well.

According to Cheh, the biggest complaint about wellness policies is that they are not widely known or promoted. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that only 45 percent of D.C. schools had copes of their wellness policies. The "Healthy Schools" legislation would require schools to post the policies on their websites, and share them with food service providers, PTA's and anyone who asks for them in school offices.

Would "Healthy Schools" Mean More Local Food

by: euclidarms

Sun Dec 13, 2009 at 07:42:43 AM PST

The proposed payment, supplementing funds provided by the federal government to subsidize school meals, would represent a rare instance of a local government kicking in to raise the quality of school food, especially around the idea of locally produced ingredients.

The provision makes a further distinction that would set the District apart from most jurisdictions that have embraced local foods in school meals: it would require that those fruits and vegetables come from farmers engaged in "sustainable practices."

This last requirement is sure to raise some eyebrows on Capitol Hil, where industrial agriculture-an industry heavily reliant on fertilizers and pesticides derived from fossil fuels-enjoys huge support and puts a giant lobbying effort into play. The D.C. "Healthy Schools" proposal, which must ultimately be approved by Congress, defines "sustainable practices" as those that "minimize carbon emissions and other environmental degradation, regenerate soil nutrients through crop rotation or other methods that minimize environmental impact, avoid the use of chemical fertilizers, sythetic pesticides and herbicides,.."

And, in a move that could significantly shift some thinking about how D.C. schools source the meats and dairy products they serve to children-as well as bringing the city more into line with good food advocates-the bill includes under its sustainability umbrella agricultural techniques that "avoid non-therapeutic antibiotics and hormones." Antibiotics and hormones are routinely used to increase production in industrial-scale dairies and feedlot operations, raising concerns and a fierce debate over possible impacts on human health  as well as animal treatment.

Introduced jointly by Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, the proposal (read more here and here) could have some immediate impact on the way food service providers source their products for D.C. schools. It states that "public schools shall not enter into food service contracts that prohibit the purchase" of locally and sustainably grown farm products. It also requires food service providers to "identify, disclose, and certify the location where fruits and vegetables are grown and processed and whether growers are engaged in sustainable practices."

The proposed legislation represents a huge gift to advocates of locally and sustainably grown farm products. But it may be more carrot than stick. The bill says that public schools-including charter schools-must serve foods grown locally and sustainably "whenever possible," with a preference for foods "grown or processed" in Maryland or Virginia. Tight food budgets as well as a food distribution network not necessarily geared to locally and sustainably grown products could sorely test the meaning of "whenever possible."

The bill contains other suggestions for increasing the use of local products, and boosting the local farm economy. It calls on schools to "collaborate" with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, community organizations and food service providers "in teaching students and food service staff about the economic, environmental, and nutritional benefits of purchasing and eating" local foods.

The bill would require the state superintendent of education to issue grants toward developing programs that advance a farm-to-school program, but only "when funds are appropriated." It also calls on schools to adopt programs such as a "local flavor week" or a "harvest of the month" that promote local foods.

In the last year, a D.C. Farm to School Network, organized by the Capitol Area Food Bank, has emerged to encourage farm-to-school practices. It's largest event to date was a highly successful "Local Flavor Week" in September that resulted in cooking demonstrations and other food-related activities in dozens of D.C. schools.

Full disclosure: I am a member of the D.C. Farm to School Network's advisory board and had a hand in writing some of the sustainability language that appears in the "Healthy Schools" legislation.

My New Business Needs Your Help

by: Ellinorianne

Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 10:57:46 AM PDT

The eat-in did not happen, not enough people responded.  It was disheartening but we promised we would meet up anyway and talk about our passions regarding food issues.  I thought I might have a partner for the Aliso Viejo Community Garden.  I knew I might make a friend and an ally.  Only good things could come from this.

So we met a few weeks later and I learned more about her business, I insisted on learning more about it, Eat Cleaner, All Natural Food Wash and Wipes.  I was intrigued and to be honest, I was out of work and thought maybe there was an opportunity for a job.

Why are (some) farmers afraid of Michael Pollan?

by: jgoodman

Wed Sep 30, 2009 at 19:34:31 PM PDT

Advocates of large scale agriculture see Pollan as the enemy, they believe he stands against everything they see as the future of agriculture. Pollan however is not an absolutist, his basic premise is that people need to think more about their food; where it was grown, how it was grown, was the farmer paid fairly, is it good for you?

Pollan wants people to think about cooking, about food freshness and flavor, about the dinner table as more than a "filling station".

Kathleen Merrigan Plays Matchmaker

by: Jill Richardson

Sun Aug 30, 2009 at 11:12:26 AM PDT

1. The Community Facilities Program

The Community Facilities (CF) Program supports the success of rural communities by providing loans and grants for the construction, acquisition, or renovation of community facilities or the purchase of equipment for community projects.

As examples, she says an NGO (non-governmental organization) could receive USDA grant money to construct a community kitchen to teach healthy cooking classes using produce from farmers, a farmers' market, or cold storage to help a school buy and serve fresh produce directly from farmers.

2. The Business and Industry (B&I) Guarantee Loan Program

The purpose of the B&I Program is to help new and existing businesses in rural areas gain access to affordable capital.

As examples, she says the loans can be used to aggregate local farm products so they achieve enough volume to serve a school system, to build a mobile slaughterhouse, or to add equipment and storage facilities for a local food processor.

3. Value-Added Producer Grant Program

The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program provides grant funding for agricultural producers who add value to their raw products through processing and/or marketing, thereby increasing farm income.

Selling value-added products is a very important tool for farmers to capture more of the retail dollar from the food they grow. I've actually met a few farmers who have received this particular grant. Merrigan's examples are an organic cooperative receiving a grant to conduct a feasibility study and develop a marketing plan to provide locally grown produce to schools, a farmer receiving a grant to direct market pasture-raised lamb to restaurants and stores, or a dairy farm receiving a grant to plan and execute a marketing campaign for their ice cream.

Way to go Kathleen! If this money is out there, it'd be great to see folks taking advantage of it!

Urban Farming doing the Motown Hustle

by: Eddie C

Mon Aug 24, 2009 at 17:45:42 PM PDT

By this time next year, he says, some of that land could be transformed, becoming the first phase of Hantz Farms L.L.C., an ambitious commercial farming operation that Hantz says can turn a profit.

"We have to move as a city from knowing why everything won't work to knowing why it will work," he said. "At some point, we have to step into the fire."

Hantz has been buying property on Detroit's east side, and plans to open shop with a 77-acre, noncontiguous farm growing food, trees and energy products - provided a few key pieces fall into place.

What seems to be the primary key is adjusting the real estate taxes that would eat up those profits. With good news from community efforts to favorable legislation pouring in the advantages of a millionaire investor might not seem too obvious but local government is much harder to change that public outlook. Mr. Hantz may have the power to change real estate taxes to realize those profits.    

Sampler Platter

by: JayinPortland

Wed Apr 29, 2009 at 12:56:10 PM PDT

• Today's LOL moment while looking through the news: Lobbyists with the National Association of Home Builders are whining about the Obama administration's reversal of another last-minute Bush administration attack on the environment and endangered species.  Always fun to see lobbyists pretending to be for "transparency" in government.  Especially since NAHB's PAC, BUILD PAC, apparently has trouble of their own in providing transparency when it comes to financial disclosure obligations right in NAHB President Joe Robson's own city council elections.  Amazing what 30 seconds of googling can reveal.  Hey Joe?  You might wanna check your own house first, before you start whining about 'transparency' in others', okay?

• An article in today's New York Times takes a look at college cafeterias that have gone trayless.

• This piece takes a look at the new student-run food pantry at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

• desmoinesdem has written about Rob Marqusee here before, and now he's back in the news.  Marqusee, the Woodbury County (Iowa) Rural Economic Development Director, will be eating only local foods for the month of June, and blogging his experiences at the Woodbury Organics site.

• An advisory council set up by Vancouver, B.C. mayor Gregor Robertson has issued a report suggesting measures to make the City the world's greenest, while the city's park board continues to debate a proposed ban on bottled water sales in park board vending machines.

• Dawn at the Sustainable Table blog posts a few very useful links to help determine exactly how long any given food stays good for.

USDA Needs Strict Organic Standards

by: jgoodman

Sat Nov 29, 2008 at 08:00:00 AM PST

I just finished reading Man Without a Country and Vonnegut specifically made a point to telling us we needed to make that statement often, at appropriate times of course, so we really thought about the present and appreciated the good things in life while we enjoyed them.

I personally think, as we move into the shopping season, that enjoying a good meal with our family and friends is of far greater value, more lasting value than spending money on gifts that may not be needed and are soon forgotten.

Slow Food Mixer at Sea Rocket Bistro

by: searocket

Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 14:30:18 PM PST

On Wednesday (Nov 19th), we hosted their mixer at Sea Rocket Bistro.  About 250 people mixed over the course of the evening, as well as lots of great local people who bring us our food.

* Dave from Da-Le Ranch brought local, naturally raised pork, chicken, and lamb.  You can find him at the Little Italy Farmer's market.

* Romolo Ghio, a local fisherman, brought one heck of a good time!  He didn't bring any fish though since it's lobster season and he doesn't do that.

* Steve, Rich, and Jessica from Chesapeake Fish Co. brought some amazing local caught swordfish.  

* Phil Noble from Sage Mountain Farm has become quite the local celebrity with such a great personality and wonderful produce!  Sea Rocket is now a drop off / pick up place for Phil's CSA.

* Peter & Mitch, local sea urchin divers, served fresh sea urchin they had caught themselves that same day.  Interview part 1 and interview part 2

* Cid da Silva owns a farm called Bella Vado and makes avocado oil that he gave samples of.  

* Peter Zien brought goat cheese that he made from raw goat's milk fed with the spent grain from AleSmith Brewery which he happens to own.  He can't sell the goat cheese though because of USDA laws.

* Joanne brought lots of bread from her bakery, Cardamom, which is on the same corner as us in North Park.  

Here are some pics of the party.  And for more reasonably priced local food, check out our movie nights.  Slow Food will be doing more events at other restaurants and I'll be sure to keep you posted on the searocket website!  

--Dennis

Wal-Mart's "Local" Food: A Bunch of Bull

by: Jill Richardson

Thu Nov 20, 2008 at 16:00:00 PM PST

USA Today confirmed my suspicion in their article 'Locally grown' food sounds great, but what does it mean?. To Wal-Mart, local means "in state." Period. If a Wal-Mart in Texas sells food grown 10 hours away in Texas, that's local. And if that farm was half the size of Manhattan, so be it. It's still, local, right? According to Wal-Mart it is.

The push for local food does not only emphasize reduced oil used for transportation but also patronizing small farms and businesses who care about the fate of your community because they live there too. When a business clearly does not care about the environment or the local economy (i.e. paying workers fairly and shopping for supplies at local businesses), then in my mind that business is disqualified as a "local" place I want to support.