FORGET FOOD POISONING: HYDROPONIC PROTECTION FROM PRODUCE CONTAMINATION

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An estimated one in four Americans suffer from food poisoning every year, often times caused by contaminated produce that was most likely purchased at a corporate grocery store or restaurant. While most cases are isolated incidents, some become high-profile outbreaks that result in massive recalls, lots of wasted food and millions of lost dollars. There’s one easy way to avoid the risk of such harmful, and potentially fatal, illnesses such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria. Foods grown hydroponically in your own home have almost zero chance of being contaminated with dangerous foodborne disease. Here’s a look at the food-borne disease threat and some easy hydroponic solutions to avoid getting sick. Illness: E. coli Sicknesses Per Year: 260,000 Deaths Per Year: 100 Outbreak: A 2011 E. coli outbreak in German sprouts left at least 29 dead and 3,000 sickened. Hydroponic Solution: Sprouts can be grown easily at home. All you need are some seedlings and a glass bowl (see Rosebud Issue 20). It’s a great starter hydro project, perfect for teaching young children about the wonders of home growing. Illness: Salmonella Sicknesses Per Year: 1,200,000 Deaths Per Year:400 Outbreak: 68 people were sickened in 10 states after eating contaminated shredded lettuce from Taco Bell. Hydroponic Solution: Many varieties of delicious lettuce can be grown in a variety of hydroponic systems, including ebb and flow and NFT (Nutrient Film Technique). Not only is it certain to be disease-free, but hydroponic lettuce is tastier and healthier than the iceberg lettuce served at most restaurants. llness: Listeria Sicknesses Per Year: 1,600 Deaths Per Year: 260 Outbreak: 30 people died in 2011 after eating tainted cantaloupe in America’s deadliest food outbreak in over a decade. Hydroponic Solution: People tend to think large melons like cantaloupes and watermelons are too big to grow with home hydroponics, but we’ve seen great results grown in rockwool. Just make sure you have enough space.

To Find Fields to Farm in New York City, Just Look Up

Back in the 1960s, Lisa Douglas, the Manhattan socialite played by Eva Gabor in the television sitcom “Green Acres,” had to give up her “penthouse view” to indulge her husband’s desire for “farm livin’.”

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Today, she could have had both. New York City (the stores!) is suddenly a farming kind of town (the chores!). Almost a decade after the last family farm within the city’s boundaries closed, basil and bok choy are growing in Brooklyn, and tomatoes, leeks and cucumbers in Queens. Commercial agriculture is bound for the South Bronx, where the city recently solicited proposals for what would be the largest rooftop farm in the United States, and possibly the world. FULL STORY

Local Produce Increasingly Preferred To Organic, Consumer Survey Shows

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A recent survey of grocery shoppers commissioned by Whole Foods Market gives new credence to a belief that's taken hold in the sustainable food movement over the past few years: when it comes to consumer preferences, local is the new organic. Forty-seven percent of the 2,274 adults polled in the online survey said that they would be willing to pay more for fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese produced near their homes. That's a far larger share than those that said they would pay more for food without artificial ingredients (32 percent), meat made without antibiotics or hormones (30 percent) or "handmade, small-batch or artisanal and specialty foods" (20 percent). FULL STORY

Why this bus has a garden on top of it

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Buses have made strides in recent years to be more eco-friendly. So far it's been things like becoming more fuel friendly, but in the future we could see buses go a step further, taking unused spaces on their roofs and turning them into beautiful, rolling gardens. The project is called "Bus Roots" and it was conceived by New York City designer Marco Antonio Castro Cosio for his graduate thesis at New York University. He calls it "nomadic urban agriculture," and a prototype has already hit the streets courtesy of the BioBus, a mobile science lab that has traveled between New York and Ohio. FULL STORY

Critics Say Biotech Industry Manipulating Genes, And Science

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Sporting a white coat and tagged with impressive credentials, Dr. Ronald Kleinman carries an aura of authority on camera as he says, "There are no cancer risks associated with agriculture produced through biotech. None whatsoever." The online advertisement featuring the physician-in-chief at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School was rolled out on Tuesday by a campaign opposing California’s Proposition 37, which would require the labeling of genetically modified foods -- so-called GMOs. But on Wednesday, Californians -- along with the rest of the world -- heard a very different message: A two-year study, led by Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen in France and published in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal, found that a widely grown GMO corn variety raised the rate of cancer and increased the risk of kidney and liver problems in rats. FULL STORY

A Plush Rooftop Garden for Tokyo Shoppers

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Tokyo Plaza Omotesando Project, sometimes referred to as TPOP, was designed by Japanese architect Hiroshi Nakamura. Located at one of the busiest crossroads in the Harajuku shopping district, it offers visitors a full range of attractions, including high-end shopping and a rooftop respite that Nakamura refers to as the "roof-forest." There is a duality in the building, inspired by Japanese tradition, that offers shoppers both views of the busy Omotesando avenue as well as a feeling of isolation from the intense Tokyo pace. Shoppers can access the upper levels of the building via the largest streetside stairwell, a kaleidoscopic entrance that acts as a magnet to draw passers-by into the space. The wall surrounding the staircase is a practice of impactful, faceted geometry, made entirely of triangular-shaped mirrors that refract light. FULL STORY

Eggplant, Tomatoes and Peppers Offer High Flavor and Triple Antioxidants

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By Keri Glassman, MS, RD I’m sure you have heard me rave about antioxidants plenty of times, and this dish gives me yet another reason to do so. With eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, the recipe is bursting with the health-inducing nutrients. Within the eggplant's glossy skin lies a compound called nasunin that promotes free-radicals and helps prevent disease. This “beefy” veg also contains chlorogenic acid which has anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-LDL properties. Adding more color and crunch to this dish is the green pepper. With their rich source of carotenoids, peppers have the signature antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties I love. FULL STORY

Good things are growing at Heathwood Hall

The students at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School want to share their garden with you. At the same time, they will be funding some Upper School projects that enhance their learning and service experience. Twice a year, high school juniors and seniors put on a plant sale as a fundraiser for their projects. Part of the proceeds are designated for the junior senior prom; the rest goes to the annual Senior Mission Project. The 2012 Fall Plant Sale will be held Friday September 28, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday September 29, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Annuals and perennials, grown right there at the school, will be available. (For a 20 percent discount, get a Heathwood coupon on-line at: heathwood.org/ plant sale). FULL STORY

What’s the big idea?

The application not only maps out the most famous film scenes in Britain, but it allows users to browse famous Hollywood and independent films locations, whether they’re looking for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, Batman’s Wayne Manor, or Sherlock Holmes locations in London. “It was incredible. These are tourists who wanted to see where the James Bond movie was filmed or where Robin Hood was filmed or where the Sherlock Holmes scene was shot. So you can download this app, and it will take you around the country,” said Simon Hudson, director of the Smart- State Center of Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development at the University of South Carolina. Hudson is trying to spur that same spirit of tourism entrepreneurism in South Carolina, and particularly in the Midlands. FULL STORY

Urban horticulture thriving, surviving in Nigeria, says FAO

Nigeria is urbanising at an intense pace, generating little or no jobs for poor households dwelling in slums – 70 percent of Lagosians live in shanty towns and spend more than three-quarters of their income on food. By 2030, it’s estimated that 156 million Nigerians will be living in urban areas. Nevertheless, commercial urban and peri-urban horticulture (UPH) hubs in Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kogi, Plateau, Borno, Kano and Niger States are surviving and thriving. A report: Growing Greener Cities in Africa, by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) contends that green cities have been thriving on the continent. Still UPH is Nigeria’s best kept secret. Economic development plans like NEEDS ignored it; “the word appears in only three of 37 state strategies.” FULL STORY

Urban Farming Peaks Interest in USDA Representative

OMAHA (KPTM)- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Deputy Undersecretary, Joani Walsh paid a visit to Omaha and was impressed by all the ideas to expand farming in urban areas. "Folks are already working together. There's a lot of creative, innovative work going on in the ground here in Omaha. So I was really impressed with what was already happening," said Walsh. This was news community gardener's were thrilled to hear. FULL STORY

Challenging the 'Conventional' Wisdom: One Farmer's Take On The Stanford Organic Food Study

Much has already been written about the recent study from Stanford University claiming that organic foods are no more nutritious or healthy than non-organic foods. In short, the researchers concluded that an apple is an apple and all lettuce was created equal -- no matter the food's provenance, how it was chemically treated in the field, or how many miles it traveled to reach your table. "There isn't much difference between organic and conventional foods if you're an adult and making a decision based solely on your health," said Dena Bravata, MD, MS, the senior author of the study. As a farmer and a father, I strongly disagree, and I think the Stanford study sends a terrible message to U.S. consumers. Here's why: FULL STORY

Foods With More Potassium Than A Banana

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Nature's energy bar. Better than a sports drink. Bananas have earned themselves quite a healthy reputation in the fitness world. Not that it isn't deserved. One medium banana packs about 422 milligrams of potassium, about 11 percent of the 4,700 milligrams adults should aim to get daily. And one study found that cyclists performed just as well in an endurance workout when they ate bananas than when they drank a sports drink. But it's not the only place the electrolyte can be found. FULL STORY

Organic Agriculture: Fifty (Plus) Shades of Gray

"All natural." "Farm-fresh." "Cage-free." Thanks to phrases such as these, consumer confusion is common when it comes to understanding and buying food. The battle raging in California over the labeling of genetically modified foods illustrates just how much labels do indeed matter -- to consumers as well as to corporations. The recent paper by Stanford researchers claims that organically grown foods are no better for our health than conventionally grown foods, further complicating the debate over which labels can and cannot be trusted. FULL STORY

Dead Frogs Found In Bagged Spinach From U.K. Grocery Giant Tesco (Mealbreakers)

Mealbreaker (n.): a nasty, non-edible surprise found in food while it is being eaten; often lawsuit-provoking, sometimes fabricated, always disgusting. A London woman says she was recently shocked to find a dead frog in her bag of spinach greens, which she's purchased from grocery chain Tesco. FULL STORY

Cilantro Aversion Linked To Gene For Smell, New Study Finds

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A new study seeking to better understand why some people have such a strong aversion to cilantro has identified two genetic variants linked to perception of the herb, the most common of which is a gene involved in sensing smells. Nature reports that a genetic survey of nearly 30,000 people, led by Nicholas Eriksson at the consumer genetics firm 23andMe, asked participants whether or not cilantro tasted like soap and whether or not they liked it. The strongest-linked variant is traced to a cluster of olfactory-receptor genes that influence smell. One of those genes is OR6A2, which is very sensitive to the aldehyde chemicals that give cilantro its distinctive flavor. FULL STORY

Plastic-Wrapped Peeled Bananas At Billa Supermarket Chain Prompts Outrage

A German-owned supermarket chain with a slogan that promotes common sense has found itself under fire for showing the opposite. Billa supermarkets, which have stores in nine European countries, this week uploaded a photo of peeled bananas on plastic trays covered in plastic wrap. FULL STORY

Arsenic In Rice: How Does Toxic Element Get Inside Grain?

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Arsenic-laced rice products being reported in the news are not the result of breakfast cereals and baby foods being soaked in poison at the factory. Rather, various natural and man-made processes can cause the toxic element to accumulate in rice grains as they grow. Scientists have been aware for years that rice is a major source of dietary arsenic, but Consumer Reports is leveraging a new study, which found arsenic in a wide range of rice products, to urge the Food and Drug Administration to set limits on arsenic levels in rice. The findings show that inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen, is present in more than 60 popular rice products, including Kellogg's Rice Krispies, Gerber baby food and multiple varieties of Uncle Ben's rice. FULL STORY

Sustainability in season at Illinois college

Agonizing over those irritatingly powerful politicians and their ongoing love affairs with the fossil fuel/nuclear energy industries is like taking up permanent residence inside a speedy down-only elevator. It will plummet you into despair, sadness and paralysis.

So change direction. Take the one named Sustainability instead. Its journey will lift your spirits and warm your heart.

"Creation care" is alive and thriving. Lewis University's main campus in Romeoville, Ill., and Xavier University in Cincinnati are recent examples. Sustainability practices are incorporated into campus buildings, grounds keeping, science majors, daily campus living, extracurricular activities, spirituality and theology. As a nod to the good news, Eco Catholic is featuring these Catholic schools in this and a subsequent blog.  FULL STORY

More than 60 percent in S.C. will be obese by 2030

A group campaigning against obesity predicts that by 2030 more than half the people in 39 states, including South Carolina, will be obese.

The obesity rate in South Carolina will rise from 30.8 percent to 62.9 percent from 2011 to 2030, according to the projections released Tuesday by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The two organizations regularly report on obesity to raise awareness, and they rely on government figures.  FULL STORY

Utah's urban gardens continue to grow in popularity

A plot of weedy, arid land southwest of the Salt Lake International Airport is turning into a cash-farm of sorts for Salt Lake County taxpayers.

The land is owned by Salt Lake City and will one day be the site of a sewage treatment plant. Until then, it would be sitting fallow but Salt Lake County officials came to the city with a proposal. Teaming up with experts from Utah State University, the county proposed growing safflower to create biofuel.

Under the right conditions, the woody-looking plants thrive in dry environments. When the safflower blossoms, it is harvested and squeezed to produce oil and glycerin. The glycerin is used to make soap. The oil is used in biofuel.  FULL STORY

Pop-up farms in schools: students step out of the classroom and into the farm

How can nature teach us to live in the 21st century? This was the question that was posed to a group of 35 primary school headteachers in Lancashire back in June last year.

Their responses identified the importance of inter-connectivity. A big picture idea, but put simply meaning being part of something that was greater than just your own space and place. This important insight has contributed to a sustainability project that now stretches across the world - the idea of a pop-up farm.

Rather than take the children to farms to learn about growing food and sustainable practice, the farm could come to them. So each school has a special plotting shed or space where the teachers, parents and wider community can come together to decide how to bring sustainable living to their schools.  FULL STORY

New Myrtle Beach group pushes for greener tomorrow

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – There's a new group pushing for a greener tomorrow in the Grand Strand.

The new City of Myrtle Beach Green Building and Sustainable Living Committee says the first item of business is tackling a growing trash problem. Too much of the city's waste should actually be recycled.

According to Jimmy Parker with the Myrtle Beach Public Works Department, it's especially a problem during the busy summer tourist season.  FULL STORY

Farm to Fork Across America ... The Freshest Chapter in Portland Food Markets

So what sets the New Seasons Markets apart? Their core philosophy -- a connection to place. This is apparent in many ways: commitment to the region, commitment to growers and suppliers, commitment to the community, commitment to each store's neighborhood and commitment to staff... locavore on a comprehensive scale.

In the broadest sense, their goal is to strengthen the regional food economy by working with growers in Oregon and Washington. According to Lisa Sedlar, CEO, the average Oregon farmer is now 60 years old and the regional farm business will be changing hands over the next decade. By providing an outlet for their products, the Markets are helping to preserve agricultural land for the next generation.  FULL STORY

Whole Foods, Trader Joe's Force Local Food Co-Ops To Make Big Changes

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Boise Co-op eliminated thousands of slow-selling items, sweeping away the claustrophobic effect that accompanied too many offerings. The Wheatsvile Food Co-op in Texas is opening its second store after 40 years.  FULL STORY

Verde Gardens Farm Program Tapping Demand For Organic Food To Help The Homeless

MIAMI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - As part of an innovative effort to tackle Miami's problem with homelessness, Xavier Wright has traded the streets of downtown for a live-in community farm project in south Florida that grows produce for an upscale restaurant.  FULL STORY

New Leadership for a Sustainability Generation?

Author Mark Coleman foretells of a new "sustainability generation" in his recently released book, The Sustainability Generation: The Politics of Change and Why Personal Accountability is Essential NOW! While sustainability in the past has been mandated by waves of governmental policy in the 1960s and '70s, and more recently by businesses seeking competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility, Coleman believes the next phase of sustainability will be driven by an awakened society.  FULL STORY

West Harlem church embraces sustainable urban farming

St. Mary's Episcopal Church turned an unused side lot into an urban farm to promote environmental education for the community.  For years, the only plants that grew in the pollutedgardens of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on West 125th Street were some scattered shrubs, trees, and flowers.  Full Story

Midlands gardening: Heathwood Hall’s garden is a learning experience

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/09/13/2438661/midlands-gardening-heathwood-halls.html#.UFMtwNBWqKx#storylink=cpy