It seems that as the unemployment rate rose and the economy did a swan dive, people are foregoing their Egg McMuffins and Croissanwiches at fast food restaurants on their way to work. Since fewer people are driving to work and scarfing their fast food breakfast on the way, and even those who are still working are pinching their dimes to make dwindling ends meet, on-the-go breakfast sales are falling by the wayside. “There is a direct correlation between unemployment and breakfast sales,” says Jeffrey Bernstein, an analyst at Barclays Capital.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, Burger King reports that traffic increased at every meal except breakfast. So it seems that, what might have been a blessing in disguise, i.e. fewer people eating low quality, high fat, high salt, factory farmed food in the morning, they are making up for it by eating more fast food later in the day. What a shame. This seems like a prime opportunity to rethink breakfast, even for those who are unemployed.

It’s been drilled into us since childhood that eating breakfast is important, and that’s because it’s true! Eating a healthy breakfast means you will be less likely to crave fattening snacks during the day, and you’ll also have the energy to accomplish mental and physical tasks. So here is a renewed call for breakfast, the meal that ‘breaks’ the long ‘fast’ of night.

Breakfast can seem like an inconvenient chore, especially when you are in a hurry in the morning. A quick bowl of cereal is better than nothing, as long as its not a bowl of Fruit Loops or Oreo O’s, where the main ingredient is SUGAR. But there are so many fairly easy and quick options that there is really no excuse for not eating breakfast or for eating junk cereals and other unhealthy so-called breakfast foods.

Here are a few ideas to get you started and your day off to a great start with a nutritious, fast, and easy meal.

Eggs are nature’s original fast food. They cook very quickly and are an excellent, high-protein option for breakfast. We’ve been sold a bad bill of goods for years about how bad eggs are but the truth is, they do not cause an increase in cholesterol, nor do they increase the risk of heart disease. So enjoy, enjoy our wonderful, local organic and/or cage-free eggs for breakfast. Try them:

• over-easy on sprouted grain toast
• scrambled and tucked into a sprouted grain tortilla with cheddar cheese and salsa
• scrambled with leftover sauteed veggies and goat cheese
• scrambled with smoked whitefish or salmon, dollop of cream cheese, and capers
• hard or soft boiled with some tomato and whole grain toast
• any style with leftover baked potato fried in butter

Other yummy and easy breakfast ideas:

• fruit smoothie made with yogurt, frozen fruit, fruit juice, protein powder, banana, etc.
• whole grains (cooked the night before) such as brown rice, kashi, millet, or kasha (buckwheat) prepared
  savory: with nutritional yeast, butter, and Bragg’s Aminos
  sweet: with maple syrup, butter, cinnamon, chopped or dried fruit, toasted nuts
• tofu scramble: saute some onion, green pepper, mushrooms, crumble in tofu, seasonings, water.
  fresh fruit in season with cottage cheese or Greek-style yogurt
• Sprouted whole grain toast with almond butter, cashew butter, or Naturally Nutty flavored butter

These are just a few ideas to get you started and thinking about more creative ways to nourish your body in the morning using whole, fresh, local ingredients but that are still quick and easy to prepare. Convenience doesn’t have to mean microwaved frozen Kellog’s waffles. With just a wee bit of planning and stocking, you can have a great breakfast on the table in 10 minutes or less. Here’s to happy, healthy mornings including breakfast!

Read the rest of “Breakfast Food Sales Decline” »

There are many reasons NOT to buy or eat GMO foods besides the fact that they are not safe to eat, cause irreversible genetic contamination, and help to put small farmers out of business (because their crops become contaminated from neighbor’s gmo crops and Monsanto accuses them of stealing their product) after they get sued by Monsanto. But here is one more diabolical and frightening reason to avoid supporting Monsanto and its ilk by purchasing products that may have come from their seed. The price of food is going up due to increased biofuel production and Monsanto is cashing in on this phenomenon!

A 2008 World Bank report concluded that increased biofuel production (crops grown for fuel rather than food) is the major cause of the increase in food prices. GM giant Monsanto has been at the heart of the lobbying for biofuels – while profiting enormously from the resulting food crisis and using it as a PR opportunity to promote GM foods!

A February 27 report on NPR confirms this. According to Dr. David Tilman, professor of ecology at the University of Minnesota, “If you look at the projections of how much ethanol Congress would like to have made, if we make it from food crops – which is what we’re doing right now – we’re going to have the price of food pegged to the price of energy. At $100 a barrel, that will be difficult for some Americans but impossible for probably the one-third poorest people of the world.”

Which is mighty convenient for Monsanto, now isn’t it? Our president supports biofuels big time, even though it can never replace petroleum and would only meet up to 20% of global energy needs. Even if we planted the entire U.S. corn crop to ethanol we would only substitute 12% of our gasoline use. And so this headlong dive into biofuel production to try and make ourselves energy independent just seems like insanity. And Monsanto using biofuels to further their own evil causes adds a surreal twist to an already shaky proposition.

What does Monsanto have to say for itself? “At Monsanto, we know that innovation in agriculture is delivering more food from the same acreage than ever before. [Not true, by the way. Organic methods have proven to be more effective.] By increasing the productivity of agriculture, we move down the path to meeting all of the needs of a growing world. We know that farmers, armed with new technology and practices can create enough grain for food, feed and fuel.”

At times it feels like we might as well throw our hands up and run off to the backwoods to live because what’s the point anyway trying to fight a global giant like Monsanto? But we do have power, as individuals, to make a difference and help create a turning point.

For one thing, we can choose not to buy GMO foods. If enough of us make this decision, food companies will feel the pinch and eliminate GMOs from their products. Some of us who have land, access to land (community gardens) or even a sunny balcony, can grow some of our food from organic, heirloom seeds. We can support local, organic farmers. We can write to our representatives and demand that they take action on our behalf. We can sign the Millions Against Monsanto petition sponsored by Organic Consumer’s Association and help apply legal pressure in court battles. In short, as discouraging as this fight may be, it behooves us to keep up the fight, because our very human existence on the planet is at stake.

The next Member Appreciation Day is Wednesday, March 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s St. Patrick’s Day! So come join the fun as we celebrate our members with All Things Green, great food, “Green” fun, music and prizes! If you are a member, plan to shop on that day and enjoy plenty of tasty samples from numerous local vendors including Papa Doc Bagels, So Good Coffee, Rolling Meadows Farm, Fish Creek Soaps, Indira Lotions, and more.

Register to win prizes including a $100 store gift certificate, lunch for 2 at Lake Street Cafe, and copies of our new “What’s for Dinner” cookbook.

Savin’ o’ the Green:
Members can enjoy a special special 10% discount on all items throughout the store and 15% off bulk items. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day you’ll find lots of “green” treats throughout the store.

An extra special St. Patties treat for CHILDREN..at 4 p.m., our own Tom Sisco (baker extraordinaire) will read aloud his story, “Lonnie the Leprecaun.” Shamrock cookies will be served to all leprecauns.

Come out, sample some wonderful local food, listen to live music in the cafe, and know that Oryana really appreciates its members! (And just a friendly reminder, you must be a member to receive the discount and register for prizes. Sign up at Customer Service for only $20.)

Katie Couric recently took an amazingly hard look at antibiotic overuse in factory farmed animals and the link to drug resistant infections in humans like MRSA (methicillin resistant staph). She talked to people who work for chicken producers, and who got sick, more than once, with life-threatening infections that were very difficult to treat via the usual antibiotic drugs.

The mega meat companies, who routinely mix antibiotics with feed in order to promote growth and prevent disease, defended the practice, saying it was necessary to keep costs down and profits up. The veterinarian for the National Pork Board insisted that farmers use antibiotics “responsibly.” But the issue has been under scrutiny for some time and even the FDA is now turning its attention to the matter and supports restrictions on the use of antibiotics.

The problem with the practice is that when animals are treated with a certain antibiotic over time, the bacteria living in those animals become resistant to that drug. And then when people ingest the resistant bacteria via improperly cooked meat or from handling the animals or raw meat, and then become ill, they increasingly do not respond to antibiotic treatment. Some of them die. It’s a nasty problem and it’s going to get even nastier.

It was refreshing to see the mainstream media call attention to this growing problem. The news clip showed Katie wearing grubby overalls and walking through pens jammed with hogs that had no room to turn around. Some shots showed dead pigs sprawled out in the mud and spilling out of dumpsters. I hope this news story raised a few eye brows and made people think twice about eating the rest of their pork chop. Perhaps the story will have an unstoppable ripple effect and cause the FDA to outright ban the practice, or at least implement some kind of oversight.

Twenty-five years ago, Norwegians were also dying from killer bacteria. But Norway’s public health system fought back with an aggressive program that made it the most infection-free country in the world. A big part of that program was hugely cutting back on the use of antibiotics. Not only that but the Danish pork industry has grown by 43 percent since the ban.

If they can do it in Norway, why couldn’t we do it here? According to the CBS report, about 70,000 people died last year in the U.S. from untreatable infections, more people than died from AIDS.

The CBS story was a big step in the right direction because it showed people up close and personal what conventional farmers are doing and how its harming us directly. This kind of mainstream coverage helps greatly to raise awareness and help further the organic movement.

Many shoppers and members of Oryana are vegetarian, but if you do eat meat, let this issue be a reminder to us to support our local farmers who do not feed antibiotics and other toxic additives like hormones to their animals. Oryana is a great source of all-natural and organic meats. You can feel safe eating products from our farmers and know that you aren’t contaminating your children with antibiotic resistant bugs.

Take Chris and Pennie Halpin of Land of Goshen, who supply Oryana with beef, pork, lamb, goat meat, and eggs. The Halpins, who farm in Kaleva, grow their own non-GMO grains and feed their animals local hay. The animals are all pastured and are fed raw milk-based probiotics to keep them healthy. Chris also uses herbal remedies such as oregano oil and grapeseed extract for healing. “We haven’t had antibiotics on the farm in 14 years,” says Chris.

Chris and Pennie Halpin and family

If you’re interested in becoming involved in the antibiotic debate, click here to ask your representatives to cosponsor the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act.

In a shift of position, the U.S. FDA is expressing concerns about possible health risks from bisphenol A, or BPA, a widely used component of plastic bottles and food packaging, including the lining of metal cans. (Even the canned goods that we carry, with the exception of one brand, Eden Foods.)

This after the agency declared BPA safe in 2008.

But the FDA now has “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.”

The action is another example of the drug agency becoming far more aggressive in taking hard looks at what it sees as threats to public health over the past year. In recent months, the agency has stepped up its oversight of food safety and has promised to tighten approval standards for medical devices.

Concerns about BPA are based on studies that have found harmful effects in animals, and on the recognition that the chemical seeps into food and baby formula. Nearly everyone is exposed to BPA, starting in the womb.

This is good news, because hopefully this means they will soon make the connection to BPA contaminating canned foods and force manufacturers to retool their canning methods and remove the noxious substance from their can linings, as Eden Foods has already done.

From the Eden website: “All 33 Eden Organic Beans including Chili, Rice & Beans, Refried, and Flavored, are cooked in steel cans coated with a baked on oleoresinous c-enamel that does not contain the endocrine disrupter chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA). Oleoresin is a non-toxic mixture of an oil and a resin extracted from various plants, such as pine or balsam fir. These cans cost 14% more than the industry standard cans that do contain BPA. The Ball Corporation tells us that Eden is the only U.S. food maker to date to use these BPA free cans and we have been since April 1999.”

Way to go, Eden! Why is it taking other manufacturers so long to do the right thing like Eden has been doing for 10 years? How rare it is to find a company that puts things like integrity and health before profits. It’s our intention to find and sell only the best products available according to our strict purchasing policy, and we hope that other companies will adopt Eden’s model as soon as possible.

If you are concerned about the BPA in canned products, we also carry many alternatives including foods canned in glass jars and frozen packaged items.

You can find more information about BPA and safer alternatives at www.bisphenolafree.org

Alfalfa Harvest

In 2006, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) sued the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its illegal approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa. The federal courts sided with CFS and banned GE alfalfa until the USDA fully analyzed the impacts of the plant on the environment, farmers, and the public in a rigorous analysis known as an environmental impact statement (or EIS). USDA released its draft EIS on December 14, 2009. A 60-day comment period is now open until February 16, 2010. This is the first time the USDA has done this type of analysis for any GE crop. Therefore, the final decision will have broad implications for all GE crops.

CFS has begun analyzing the EIS and it is clear that the USDA has NOT taken the concerns of non-GE alfalfa farmers, organic dairies, or consumers seriously. USDA’s preliminary determination is to once again deregulate GE alfalfa without any limitations or protections for farmers or the environment. Instead USDA has completely dismissed the fact that contamination will threaten export and domestic markets and organic meat and dairy products. And, incredibly, USDA is claiming that there is no evidence that consumers care about such GE contamination of organic!

Please READ MORE about this critical issue that will have serious, lasting, and possibly devastating consequences in the future for all our farmers and EVERYONE. Read about it HERE and also please take a moment to send a message and tell the USDA That You DO Care About GE Contamination of Organic Crops and Food!

This is truly a pandora’s box kind of nightmare that we must try to stop.

If you shopped at Oryana on Wednesday, January 20, 10% of your purchase cost went toward a Haiti relief fund. We raised $3400 on this day, thanks to all the members and customers who chose to shop on this day. We send a heartfelt “Thank You!” to everyone who participated in this fundraiser.

We chose Oxfam to be the recipient of the funds, a reputable organization now up and running in Haiti.

According to the Oxfam International website, more than 10 tons of water plus emergency equipment have been flown in, including clean water, buckets, water treatment kits, shelters and sanitation tools. They are flying in 50 tons more, allowing them to reach more and more people each day.

Oxfam now has more than 200 staff working on the ground, including 17 emergency response experts.The most urgent assistance are providing is clean water and sanitation to stop the outbreak of water-borne disease.

The need is great and will be ongoing. We will continue to accept cash donations through January. Look for the glass milk jugs at each cash register.

The landscape and sky meld into a single color, white, and the thermometer reads 22 degrees. This seems about as inhospitable a place for growing things as it would be above the Arctic Circle. Yet in just a few short months, the bleached terrain will transition to dun brown and then to verdant green and become a flourishing, teeming garden full of earthly delights.

But what, I wondered, do all the farmers do during the bleak, short days of winter? Do they finally get a chance to take weekends off and sleep until 9 and then lounge around in their jammies drinking coffee and perusing the Northern Express? Hardly, according to Judy Reinhardt of Sweeter Song Farm in Cedar.

“We’re pretty busy,” she says. Judy and her husband Jim’s farm is an organic, community-supported agriculture farm (CSA) supplying over 160 families with organic goodies both from fields and hoop houses, including storage crops like celeriac, potatoes, and garlic throughout the winter season. But there is plenty to do in the “off” months.

According to Judy, winter is a time for upgrading the physical plant. “We’re adding a potting shed off the greenhouse and converting an old garage into a cooler and storage area. The upstairs will be an indoor pick-up area…”

This is also the time for seed ordering. “We order several thousands of dollars worth of potatoes and seeds,” says Judy. The seeds come from Fedco, which is a cooperative like Oryana, and Johnny’s. The hoophouse lettuce will be done by March, just in time to start planting early carrots and beets for June harvest.

Now is the time to take stock of last year’s activities, a task made easier by Jim’s good record-keeping. They look at what was planned, what was harvested, and figure out the coming season’s production. They also need to reapply for organic certification, an annual process that involves paperwork and an inspection come spring. One other paperwork task is to study the member surveys and post the results on their website.

The slower months are also an opportune time to meet with the core advisory group, select CSA members who provide their input as to what the farm should grow, how much to charge, etc. They meet with Chris, our produce manager, and plan what their contribution to the produce department will be. And in a cooperative spirit, Judy and Jim meet with other local CSA farmers to compare notes and discuss issues from the previous year, topics such the tomato blight that denuded most gardens last summer.

With all the winter work going into the farm, Judy and Jim still plan some down time. They will take a much-deserved 3-week trip to Italy in February. With such a busy, successful farm operation (they always have a waiting list) it seems like a good idea to get away once in a while for a fresh perspective. And the members are supportive. “People appreciate what we do very much,” says Judy.

Linda Grigg and Jim Moses are also busy at their farm in Maple City. “I’m taking stock of seed I have left and ordering more. I call it the Winter Garden. It’s in your head and everything’s perfect,” says Linda. They, too, purchase their seeds from Fedco and Johnny’s but also from Seed Savers Exchange and High Mowing Seeds.

The Moses Grigg Farm aka Forest Garden Foods, is famous for their shiitake mushrooms, which they’ve been growing since 1986. They have about 2500 logs in production for the mushrooms, and grow lots of greens, salad mixes, lettuce, kale, chard, etc. to sell at the Farmer’s Market and Oryana. They continue to provide onions to Oryana and make weekly deliveries throughout winter. And like Sweeter Song, it’s time to roll up their sleeves for some serious paperwork like taxes, examining last year’s production, and reapplying for organic certification, which must be completed before March when maple syrup production begins.

“Like everyone, we spend time shovelling and feeding the woodstove. We work on our house a little and take care of our chickens.” Although Linda and Jim are busy, she actually has time to do some reading for pleasure! “I’m reading ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver,” she says. “And it’s nice to sleep in a little bit.”

So lest anyone think that farmers get to kick back and relax for 4 to 6 months when it’s cold outside, we now know better! We see the delicious and beautiful products of our organic farmers but perhaps don’t realize all that goes into it on a year-round basis. My hat goes off to all of you organic farmers out there supplying us with much-needed food and respecting the natural way of things.

If eating healthier is one of your New Year’s goals, then consider investing in quality cookware as part of the goal. Eating organic, whole foods is a worthy endeavor but preparing those foods in substandard cookware defeats the purpose of a healthier lifestyle. If your pantry or cupboard is filled with scratched up teflon and old aluminum pans, it’s time for an upgrade.

Here’s a brief overview of what types of cookware to avoid and what you should use instead:

1. Aluminum is a causal factor suspected in Alzheimer’s disease, so you absolutely don’t want to cook with it. Aluminum conducts heat well which is why it’s used for cookware but the health risk is not worth it. Stainless steel is generally safe but you want to get pots with heavy bottoms, not the super thin stainless pots that you buy at discount and grocery stores.  These heavier pots and pans, such as All-Clad brand, have copper or aluminum sandwiched in the bottom which makes for excellent heat distribution and you are much less likely to burn things. Riveted handles are good too because they don’t get too hot to handle.

2. Teflon is the most popular cookware in America, but teflon-coated aluminum contains perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a synthetic chemical that creates the non-stick finish. Once heated, Teflon and other non-stick pans will quickly reach temperatures at which toxic fumes release into the air and cause potential health problems. So you should avoid Teflon at all costs. My hands-down favorite alternative to teflon is cast iron. Many people are intimidated by cast iron because it needs to be properly seasoned. But this is easy to do and well-seasoned cast iron pans work just as well as nonstick pans and it’s not difficult to maintain the seasoning. Here’s a good website all about cast iron: Whatscookingamerica.net

3. Enameled cast iron is wonderful too with its even heat distribution and fairly easy clean up. Drawbacks are that it can be heavy and it’s expensive, especially a good brand like Le Creuset. Copper is also good to cook with but also expensive, plus it tarnishes.

Cooking with great cookware is a joy and it’s a worthwhile investment that should give you years of service. I’ve been using the same pieces now for over 15 years. So although it may seem expensive, you can start by buying one pot or pan at a time as finances allow and end up with a nice, quality collection. Shop around for the best deal. (Hint: I’ve found beat-up looking cast iron pans at second hand stores and cleaned them up to look new!) Check for sales at department stores or try shopping online. You will not regret the investment of fine cookware.

Basic pots and pans you need for most cooking purposes:

1 small saucepan with cover
1 medium saucepan with cover
1 soup or stockpot with cover
1 small skillet
1 medium skillet
1 large saute pan with cover

A commitment to healthy eating is two-fold: choose fresh, organic, whole food whenever possible and prepare it using quality cookware that won’t contaminate the food. Happy cooking!

Here we are again. Another year gone by in the blink of an eye. But it’s a good time to assess where we are in terms of our health habits and what we can do to improve our diet and general health without spending lots of money. So we have developed a set of “resolutions” for 2010 that should let anyone eat a healthier diet and still stay within a budget.

Oryana’s Resolutions for a Healthy 2010:

1. Cook from scratch. Home-cooked meals made with whole-food ingredients generally have more nutritional value than prepared meals and take-out fare, and also costs less.
2. Skip the meat at least once a week. Meatless meals high in whole grains, vegetables and beans can reduce the cholesterol and fat you consume while saving the family budget.
3. Make your own stews, soups, and chili this winter. Big pots of hearty fare, served with whole grains or crusty bread, can last a long time, saving on money and cooking time.
4. Eat a balanced breakfast – one that includes protein. It really is the most important meal of the day.
5. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Strive for 9 a day.
6. Drink more water. Energy drinks, pop, coffee, and even some juice drinks can be high in sugar, calories, and caffeine while being low in nutrition. Start substituting more water throughout the day.
7. Replace the whites – white bread, white flour, white rice – with whole grain alternatives.
8. Try healthier snacks. Bring whole nuts, dried fruit and trail mix to work or school. These healthy snacks will fill you up more than junk food, while giving you nutritional benefits.
9. Rather than going on a diet, make gradual lifestyle changes. If you take small bites and chew more, you should fill up more quickly with smaller portions. Avoid late-night snacking and seconds at dinner.
10. Get more exercise. Start small with short walks and work your way up to longer stretches. Think of ways to sneak exercise in i.e. shoveling snow, taking the stairs, parking farther away. Participate in activities you like such as dancing, yoga, cross-country skiing, etc.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy New Year, from all of us at Oryana!