An interview with Gary Paul Nabhan (text, interspersed with short videos) from Indiana Public Radio’s EarthEats contains many great definitions for terms that mean a lot to people who care about good, clean, fair food: GMOs, monoculture, “local eating”, and heirloom seeds. This particular video is about Slow Food and eating locally; read the entire interview and see other videos at Questions for Gary Paul Nabhan “Father of the Local Food Movement”.

(Nabhan has been called a “bio-terroir”-ist. Love that!)

Read the full story on the Seacoast Eat Local blog.

This week, Slow Food Seacoast has posted twice about NH policy related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Your chance to speak out against GMOs in NH and Attend GMO hearings today. Elizabeth Obelenus (info@nofanh.org), program coordinator at the Northeast Organic Farming Association, NH Chapter (NOFA-NH), provides a brief report of yesterday’s hearings here:

The hearings were delayed till 2 pm and we finished at 5 pm.  The morning’s hearing on a study committee to ban pesticides went from 9am to noon (it was an excellent hearing too) which was a problem for us because we had at least 60 people show up all anxious to be a part of the hearings.  However, our hearings went very well, and even better, biotech’s lobbyists were in DC digging out from the snow so could not show up and their substitute lobbyist was a joke.  Rich Bonanno from the NE Veg & Berry Growers though showed up against (I was surprised) but after all the people signed in (not including the 150+ emails sent) we out numbered the opposition by what, 30-1?

The interim results sound promising … but the game is still on! If you haven’t yet, please urge your NH legislators to support the labeling of GMO seeds and protect NH farmers whose non-GMO crops are contaminated by GMO crops by February 15. Use the following link to quickly send (or customize)  a form email to the members of the NH House Environment and Agriculture Committee and your own representative: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1221/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2253. Suggestion: Write the message on your own computer, SAVE IT, then copy and paste it into the window provided. If the website doesn’t work properly, please send your message to the following addresses, provided by Elizabeth from NH House of Representatives, Environment and Agriculture Committee, website (http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?code=H06):

Tara A. Sad, (d) Chairman (tara.eric@gmail.com)
Jane E. Beaulieu, (d) Vice-Chairman (jane.beaulieu@leg.state.nh.us)
Suzanne J. Smith, (d) Clerk (zanne1@metrocast.net)
Derek Owen, d (owen31@juno.com)
Leigh A. Webb, d (leigh.webb@leg.state.nh.us)
Roger R. Beauchamp, d (roger.beauchamp@leg.state.nh.us)
Steven W.Lindsey, d (steven.lindsey@leg.state.nh.us)
Brian D. Poznanski, d (bpoznanski@anselm.edu)
Susan E. Wiley, d (stephmwv@ncia.net)
Robert H. Haefner, r (bobhaefnerjp@comcast.net)
J. David Knox, r (jdknox@worldpath.net)
Laura J. Gandia, r (laura.gandia@leg.state.nh.us)
Warren J. Groen, r (warrengroen@gmail.com)
Stephen J. Palmer, r (spalmer_peanuts@msn.com)
Pamela Z. Tucker, r (pamzt@comcast.net)

And finally, here are some GMO-related facts and resource links from Pam, to inform and motivate you.

• Geneticist Marcello Buiatti says, “From a scientific point of view GMOs are a total failure.” He adds that they “use out-dated technology, do not increase production of useful food crops, do not help fight famine and do not do what their patents claim” and “serve only to make their owners rich as farmers have to pay royalties to the multinationals to use their seeds” (http://www.slowfood.com/sloweb/eng/dettaglio.lasso?cod=D5D7F482190d022CD4RxY105A0A2).
• Monsanto is a U.S.-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It calls itself an agricultural company yet was founded as manufacturer of agricultural chemicals, then expanded to include molecular biology, biotechnology, genetic modification, and pharmaceuticals (http://www.monsanto.com/who_we_are/history.asp).
• Monsanto sells 90% of genetically engineered or GMO seed worldwide. It started to acquire existing seed brands in 2004 and has continued to do so almost every year since (http://www.monsanto.com/who_we_are/history.asp).
• Monsanto also is the world’s leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate (active ingredient in the Roundup family of brands). Its broad-spectrum, nonselective herbicide products “are registered in more than 130 countries and are approved for weed control in more than 100 crops” (http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/content/products/productivity/roundup/back_history.pdf).
• GMO farming encourages monoculture (growing one single species or crop), which decreases ecosystem diversity and is not a sustainable approach to agriculture. “Monocultures deplete the soil, and fruits and vegetables become more susceptible to pests and disease than those grown in a diverse crop environment, thus requiring larger amounts of chemical sprays” (http://www.sustainabletable.org/intro/dictionary/).
• Farmers growing GMO crops are prohibited from saving seeds (i.e., collecting and drying seeds from one crop to use the following season) because GMO seeds are patented (http://www.cropchoice.com/leadstryc657.html?recid=505).
• Many GMO crops are genetically modified to either be tolerant of or contain (directly in the seed) pesticides or herbicides. Examples include Roundup Ready varieties of soybean, cotton, canola, and corn (which require the application of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide) and YieldGard Rootworm corn (with “in-seed insect-protection against the corn rootworm”) and Bollgard II insect-protected cotton (http://www.monsanto.com/who_we_are/history.asp). Both kinds of seed increase environmental exposure to pesticides and herbicides, which has implications for the health of water, plants, insects, and humans as well as other animals.
• The use of pesticide-tolerant GMO seeds has been implicated in the widespread decline in the populations of honeybees and other plant pollinators (http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4557.cfm). Without pollinators, plants cannot bear fruit or vegetables.
• The results of a recent study indicate an alarming effect of GMOs on human health: Monsanto’s GMO Corn Linked to Organ Failure (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/monsantos-gmo-corn-linked_n_420365.html).
• Because of nature (in the form of wind, birds, and other animals), GMO seed and pollen inevitably “drift” into non-GMO crops. And in cases of GMO drift, liability usually falls on the farmer (http://www.caff.org/publications/aa/02_Fall/gmo_threat.shtml).
• GMO drift and cross-pollination spell economic loss or ruin for farmers whose valuable non-GMO crops have been contaminated by GMO crops. What’s more, Monsanto has a history of criminalizing small farmers who have been unwitting victims of the forces of nature (e.g., Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser, http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/schmeiser012004.cfm and http://www.percyschmeiser.com/).

Thanks in advance for sending your written statement!

This BBC report features a Virginia farmer who is “feeding the community one stop at a time” as he takes his wares on the road—literally! His “Farm to Family” bus brings fresh food (vegetables, fruit, dairy, eggs, fresh meat, and bacon) to food deserts in Richmond, VA. And he uses Facebook to get the word out to customers! How cool is that?

The video also features commentary from Slow Food USA president Josh Viertel.

The Farm Bus on BBC News

From Seacoast Eat Local:

Fresh salad greens, spinach, and lettuce … carrots, parsnips, onions, and potatoes … locally raised meats, locally caught fish, locally made jams, jellies, breads, and teas  … New Hampshire grown Christmas trees, wreaths, poinsettias, and kissing balls — these are just some of the products that will be for sale this Saturday, December 5th from 10am-2pm at our next Winter Farmers’ Market indoors at Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford! Wentworth Greenhouses is located at 141 Rollins Road, a mile past Red’s Shoe Barn of Dover. You can find a full list of participating vendors and the products they will be selling at www.seacoasteatlocal.org

• The market is open until 2pm - If you have something else to do in the morning, want a relaxed morning, or just want to avoid the crowds, feel free to come later! Our vendors are well prepared for a large number of customers and will appreciate your business whenever you can get there!

• Volunteer! We’re still looking for a few more volunteers to help set up, provide information during the market, or clean up afterward. Volunteers come for one or two hour shifts, and play a key role in ensuring the success of the markets! Email erin@yogaonthehillkittery.com if you would like to volunteer.

It’s Buy Local Week on the Seacoast. Our friends at Seacoast Local have been organizing and promoting a wide variety of opportunities to shift your spending locally, including buying local food! Read all about their other ideas and events for buying local art, toys, and more >

Help spread the word! Forward this email, post a message on your blog/website/facebook profile, invite a friend to come with you to the market this Saturday - the more the merrier!

For more information, maps and driving directions, visit www.seacoasteatlocal.org. Please note, when coming from the west, Google maps incorrectly lists Shady Lane as a through street near Wentworth Douglass Hospital.

We hope you’ll join us on December 5th as it is going to be another amazing farmers’ market, with an abundance of locally grown and raised foods that you can feel great about buying as you’ll be supporting local farms and agriculture while enjoying safe, healthful, and delicious food!

- Sara Zoe Patterson, on behalf of Seacoast Eat Local
www.seacoasteatlocal.org
blog.seacoasteatlocal.org
on Facebook

In the coming weeks, Seacoast residents will have several opportunities to learn how to can and preserve the summer’s harvest.

Yes You Can! is a food preservation demonstration that will be provided s at the Exeter Farmers’ Market, Swazey Parkway on Thursday, August 13 from 2:15-6:00 pm and at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market at City Hall parking lot on Saturday, August 15 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Another presentation is scheduled for the Rye Public Library on Tuesday, August 25 from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM.

The demonstrations are offered free-of-charge and will be provided by Claudia Boozer-Blasco, Extension Educator in Family and Consumer Resources with the UNH Cooperative Extension in Rockingham County.

Participants will learn the most up-to-date techniques for canning fruits and vegetables safely in a water bath canner.  Safe canning techniques will be demonstrated by making tomato salsa.  Proper equipment for canning will be displayed and current recipes by the US Department of Agriculture will be available.

This demonstration is designed for those who are preserving foods for the first time or for those who have been canning for many years. The exhibit and demonstration is open to the public and wheel-chair accessible.

Both the Exeter and Portsmouth Farmers’ Markets are coordinated by the Seacoast Growers Association.  More information can be found at www.seacoastgrowers.org

All programs are FREE (your tax dollars at work!) and open to the public.

At Slow Food Seacoast, we love local shrimp. The Northern shrimp are small, sweet, meaty, and succulent and taste amazing in everything - shrimp cocktails, curries, pastas, stir-fries, you name it. And what’s more, the Northern shrimp are a very good fishery for Slow Food folk to support; the shrimp (especially when trap-caught) are a sustainable fishery, with healthy population levels and low environmental impact. And as if that weren’t enough, purchasing these shrimp really helps local fishermen stay ‘afloat’ during a winter season in which not many other fish are available.

So we’re very excited to hear that this year, the Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative is offering a Shrimp CSF (Community Supported Fishery)! They write:

The Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative (YFC) will be offering shares for the upcoming Northern Shrimp season. As a participant in the community supported fishery, you will be supporting the NH commercial fishing industry and a sustainably harvested resource. Your shrimp will also carry the NH Fresh and Local brand which ensures that it was landed in NH and is the freshest available.

WHAT YOU WILL GET
- An 8-week subscription to the winter CSF (January - February)
- HALF share of whole shrimp: 5 lbs per week
- FULL share of whole shrimp: 10 lbs per week FULL shares are $128 ($1.60 per pound), HALF shares are $72 ($1.80 per pound)

Please use this link to fill out the interest application and a member of the fisheries cooperative will contact you.

What great news! After a few years of stellar local stewardship for an “Eat Local” event by Seacoast Eat Local, the state of New Hampshire has embraced the idea of celebrating local agriculture with a statewide Eat Local Month.  The press release below gives details about the month and its theme weeks, so you can begin planning for how you’ll take part. Discover the amazing bounty of our state by celebrating with us! Since the month begins with “Farmers’ Market Week,” August 2-8, why not get started by venturing out to a brand new weekday market in one of the many Seacoast towns that offer one - you’re likely to be delighted by your discoveries!

August is NH Eat Local Month!

August 2-8 is NH Farmers’ Market Week

By

Gail McWilliam Jellie, Director

Division of Agricultural Development

NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food

Governor John Lynch has proclaimed the month of August 2009 as NH Eat Local Month! Each of the four weeks of the month has a theme: “Visit a Farmers Market”, “Family to the Farm” (visit a farmstand or farm), “Share the Harvest” (providing food for those in need), and “Looking Ahead” (preserving and storing food for the winter). Last year, the first week of August was declared “NH Eat Local Week”, and was marked by local dinners and other events, and more interest is anticipated in this month long celebration of New Hampshire’s farmers and their harvest.

New Hampshire residents and visitors, alike, are showing unprecedented interest in local food, and this month long celebration offers a great opportunity to feature New Hampshire grown foods. Visit www.nheatlocal.org for event and activity information.

As part of the NH Eat Local Month festivities, the week of August 2-8 has been proclaimed as New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Week, by Governor Lynch.  It also coincides with the 10th annual National Farmers’ Market Week, saluting farmers’ markets all across America.

Direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets is an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide. Farmers markets have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. The number of farmers markets in the United States has been growing steadily, according to US Dept. of Agriculture figures, with over 4,800 farmers markets operating in the United States.

New Hampshire has also seen tremendous growth in farmers markets, with nearly 80 markets operating throughout New Hampshire today. The NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food and the NH Farmers’ Market Association support the development and operation of farmers’ markets and other direct marketing activities for agricultural producers.  Farmers’ markets offer products such as farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat and dairy products, baked goods, flowers and much more. Learn more about New Hampshire farmers’ markets at the NH Farmers’ Market Association website: http://www.nhfma.org/. Find a list of New Hampshire farmers’ markets at: http://agriculture.nh.gov/publications/documents/farmersmarket.pdf.

Local farmers’ markets will be celebrating Farmers’ Market Week with a variety of events such as demonstrations, food tastings, music, entertainment, and more. A special kick off celebration for both NH Eat Local Month and Farmers’ Market Week will be held on August 1st, 9 am at the Concord Farmers’ Market. NH Commissioner of Agriculture, Lorraine Merrill will welcome Governor John Lynch and First Lady, Dr. Susan Lynch to the market, along with many other guests, farmers and shoppers.

For more information, contact Gail McWilliam Jellie at the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food, 25 Capitol St., Concord, NH  03302-2042, Tel. 271-3788, email: gmcwilliam@agr.state.nh.us, website: www.agriculture.nh.gov.