Items Tagged With Geography

Hereford Cattle Graze at Big Sur, California
Michael Pollan delved into what organic certification has wrought for the original idealistic movement born in the 1970s in his book the Omnivores Dilemma. Organic is now corporate, because the rules of organic have been set, it can be systematized in ways that can compromise the original purpose of organic food. Yet Pollan could not begrudge the corporate organic producers because their practices where treating the earth better than their non-organic peers.  Organic farming in California can take two forms: small farms and mega farms like Earthbound Farms Organic where millions of pounds of lettuce are grown annually the same is true of meat and dairy production. I have seen both with my own eyes: I have traveled the coast and seen bucolic farms where Hereford graze with a full few of the Pacific ocean and I have also seen mega dairies in central California with large factory like barns set up in arid lots with no pasture to be seen. I have seen migrant workers and farm stands.  California really represents America's agricultural extremes.  It is not surprising that California has some of our biggest and profitable feed lots and is also host to America's first slow food festival. I think there are lessons to be learned from California’s organic movement and the success of its industrial organic producers: certification can sometimes hurt, not help, a movement.

Like the organic movement of the 1970s, grass-fed farming is a movement too. We all know that, we are part of it. As this movement becomes more popular and more people start to eat grass-fed meats, cheeses and eggs, the more need there will be for government regulation.  A lot of grass-fed producers are actively trying to define what grass-fed farming means. We can all agree that grass-fed means: an animal should only eat grass, even the USDA has said that meat labeled grass-fed must only have eaten grass after it was weaned but this might not be as clear as it should be.  We all want to purchase grass-fed meats because it is natural for cattle so they do not require antibiotics or hormones and yet these guidelines mean that a meat that is labeled grass-fed can be fed antibiotics.  The American Grass-fed Association thinks the label is too vague and has set up its own certification program to help protect the grass-fed producers who practice grass-fed farming free of antibiotics and hormones.

Most people who purchase grass-fed meats do so with farmers they trust. However, as more people start to buy grass-fed products the USDA will want to regulate the market and the battle for what grass-fed means and represents will begin. A lot of farmers are not too happy about this. In my interview with Tom Warren of Stone and Thistle Farm he expressed reservations about standardized practices: “Unfortunately the USDA will have to implement practice standards for use of the term grass fed. This will probably turn out as badly as the NOP (National Organic Program). “  I agree with Tom, my hope is that this movement can stay true, but I also feel that if grass-fed farming becomes more popular we all benefit. What are your feelings on this?  Do you think that grass-fed should be defined? And how?

 

Dear Grass-fed Party Members,

 

Last night, as I watched the returns in each state, I saw a victory emerge for a man representing the Democratic Party.  The Grass-fed Party congratulates Senator Obama and Senator Biden on their win, and I believe that they will go on to address Grass-fed Issues during their time in the White House.

We know this is just the beginning for the Grass-fed Party. We brought new issues to this presidential race, issues that called for a great belief in the welfare our land, our animals, and work of small farmers and ranchers.  For the first time, a Party has emerged with the sole purpose of representing agriculture.  This, in itself, is historic.

I am grateful to you, my Grass-fed supporters, for helping me understand the issues that are important in your lives.  The future success of the Grass-fed Party depends on keeping the fire of this conversation alive.  We must remember the persistence of groups such as the Grangers and the Farmers Alliance.  We must remember that their politics became influential in policies made by larger parties, and that their influence is still felt today.  I have confidence that the Grass-fed Party is capable of this measure of impact, but know that this type of change must first take hold in our kitchens, in our colleges, and on our farmland.  In this, we will embrace the true meaning of grassroots.

Now is the time to refocus efforts within our own states.  It has been thrilling to see Grass-fed support coming from almost every state in our country.  Each state is unique in the issues that face it’s ranchers and farmers, and each of these different issues require different solutions.   In the coming months, the leaders of the Grass-fed Party will begin to examine these regional differences, and need your voice in this inquiry.

I assure you that I will continue to work hard for the Grass-fed Party.  In the coming months I will continue with advocacy work in my home state of Montana and then go on to represent Grass-fed interests as a lobbyist in Washington.  This presidential campaign has made the Grass-fed Party known across the nation, and we can only grow bolder as time goes on.

Thank-you for all of your support.

 

Your Faithful Leader,

 

 Angus La Cense

 

Photo by Jack Delano
Mountain farm along Skyline Drive, Va. ca. 1940

Michael Pollan spent a week with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm which is located in rural Virginia and chronicled his grass-fed experience in his book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” Joel Salatin really is the star of the book and has a lot to say about what is wrong with how America eats and raises its food. What struck me most about Joel’s farming and philosophy was that he wanted his farm to reflect, and be in harmony, with the community he lived in. Basically, he wanted to provide his community with food because he was part of it.  In his mind his farm does not create commodities it creates food that should sustain community not errode it.   He could hire migrant workers to help with his chicken slaughter and produce more chicken and eggs but instead he asks neighbors to come and help, and for their work they get to partake in the experience and receive food. To me this really represents what sustainable agriculture means, it is about connections: connections to the land, to our animals and to each other.
Community has suffered with the industrialization of food; we all eat the same food which is out of sync with the land we live on and the communities around us.  This has implications that are seen throughout our land.  I spoke a bit about how BBQ’s in the south were community affairs where neighbors got together to harvest feral pigs and cook them together, relying on each other and celebrating the bounty of their shared local harvest.  Today is different, whole foods seem alien to many, Americans want their food packaged and prepared. As families we eat separately, in front of TV’s where there is no conservation or connection.

This is not the case with grass-fed meats, which are about connection not alienation; grass-fed meats come whole, and from farms we know and trust. This connection does not end when you buy the meat, you also bring this connection to your family when you cook them wholesome food that must be shared and savored. Conversation and interaction marks the whole grass-fed process: the farmer’s connection to the land and his animals, your connection to the rancher and then your connection to those you cook for.   It is all about commitment and community; we are rebuilding this together, one meal at a time.

 

The Land Institute

http://www.landinstitute.org/

 

 

North Dakota Rural Life

 

 

http://www.und.nodak.edu/misc/ndrural/

 

 

Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition

 

 

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/kglc/

 

Center for Rural Affairs

http://www.cfra.org/

 

 

Dakota Rural Action

http://www.dakotarural.org/

 

 

Kansas Rural Center

http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/

 

 

 

The Kerr Center

 

http://www.kerrcenter.com

 

 

Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society

 

 

http://www.npsas.org/

 

Kansas Barn Alliance

http://www.kansasbarnalliance.org/

 

Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops

 
http://www.kansassustainableag.org/

 

 

 Great Plains Sustainable Developement

http://www.iisd.org/agri/default.htm

 

 

 

 

I really debated about what recipe I should use to showcase the cuisine of the Great Plains, there are so many different cultures to choose from: Scandinavian, Czech and Russian not to mention native American cultures. The more research I did, it became clear that a goulash was the perfect dish, so quintessentially American it is the basis for  hamburger helper. The great plains where settled by industrious, hard working immigrants who produced wheat and grains, soon becoming known as “America’s bread basket.”  There was a vibrant Czech community in Nebraska that was known for its fine bread and baked goods. This Czech Goulash can be served with macaroni but a fresh homemade Spätzle would be superb with this delicious spicy stew!

Ingredients:

Olive oil to cover the pot
3 tablespoons flour
1-3 pound La Cense Pot Poast, cut into one inch cubes
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons of Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
4 cups beef broth
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, crushed by hand
2 bay leaves
2 green peppers, roughly chopped
Salt to taste

Preparation: Cut pot roast into cubes, removing most of the fat, dredge in flour. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom saucepan or casserole. Brown for about 6 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, saute onions until translucent, stirring occasionally then add paprika and marjoram, stir. Add the tomatoes and broth, bring to boil then reduce the heat and cook for an hour at a low heat.  Meat should be tender in about one hour, add the green pepper and cook for another 15 minutes.  Serve Goulash on a bed of buttered egg noodles. Enjoy!