You and the PLU

We've previously posted our support for the labeling of GMO foods, which would require labeling of genetically engineered foods.  Despite the narrow defeats of recent ballot measures in California and Washington State, the movement continues to gain traction across the country. We are closely following the initiatives in other states as well as at the federal level, but in the meantime, here's some info that you can use right now.  It turns out that the little "PLU" (price look-up) labels on fruits and veggies, used in markets for check out and inventory control, contain information that is actually useful to the consumer. 

All 4-digit codes are for conventionally raised produce.  Five-digit codes are the same 4-digit codes, with an additional number added to the front.  If the first number is a 9, then you know it is organic.  So, for example, in the case of a large naval orange, the conventionally raised orange would be coded 4012.  Code 94012 is an organic Valencia orange. These codes also apply to herbs, nuts, and products sold in bulk.

An interesting development to watch is Whole Foods addition to PLU codes.  They have started identifying fair trade items by adding a 6 in front of the PLU, making an organically grown, fair trade item a 6-digit PLU.  However,  this is not an industry standard at this point.  

We were very excited to learn that there is also an indicator for genetically modified food, indicated by an 8 in front of the 4-digit code.  However, because the labeling is voluntary, your chances of finding a PLU code of 8 is about the same as finding agribusiness support for GMO labeling.   



So in the meantime, do your research and pay attention to labels. 


For more information, check out:
http://blog.usa.gov/post/29131446265/what-the-sticker-on-your-produce-actually-means
and

http://www.naturalnews.com/023711_fruit_labels_health.html 
and
http://www.plucodes.com/ 

Our New CSA

Despite a longer drive for pickup, we've changed our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to the wonderful South Coast Farms in San Juan Capistrano. We love so many things about this place - the beautiful bushel baskets of fresh local fruits and veggies (and sometimes, even flowers!); the wide variety of offerings; the friendly staff; and its location next door to The Ecology Center. And best of all, they are 100% certified organic.  

We participate in the bi-weekly program, and so every other Wednesday we make the trek to the farm to pick up our basket.  Yesterday's bounty was Chard, Red Leaf Lettuce, Cilantro, Yellow Onion, Navel Oranges, , Pink Lady Apples, Arugula, Turnips, Parsley, Beets, Black Kale, Collard Greens, Romaine Lettuce, Potatoes, Kiwi, Grapefruit, Carrots, Pears and Spinach.  Not bad for the middle of winter!

Good news on the GMO labeling fight!

We've posted previously on the "Just Label It" campaign in California, which unfortunately lost by a slim margin in 2012.  The good news on that front was the groundswell it created, prompting other states to push for labeling.  It's a rocky battle, but the trend is clear - people want transparency in the foods they eat.

One recent victory was General Mills' decision to remove genetically modified ingredients from Cheerios.  While the company's website goes to great lengths in espousing the safety of GMOs, they recognize that "some consumers remain uncomfortable with GMOs" and therefore they have chosen to ensure that Cheerios will be GMO-free.

Further, while they continue to oppose state-by-state labeling laws, they support nationally standardized labeling of non-GMO products in the U.S.  Very good news, indeed.

You can read more about the story here. 

Do You Know What's in Your Food?

While most Americans believe we have the right to know if we are eating genetically engineered foods, there are in fact no requirements for manufacturers to tell us if we are.  California's Proposition 37 seeks to remedy this with the nation's first law requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. This grassroots campaign is being massively outspent by the major corporate agribusinesses who have successfully lobbied the federal and state governments to keep the consumer in the dark.  This cartoon (from 1999!!) says it all:



While different people may have various reasons for wanting to know what's in our food, we all believe that it's our right to know what we eat.  And without labeling of genetically engineered foods, we can't make informed choices.  Prop. 37 (and the national Just Label It campaign) simply advocates for the labeling of genetically engineered foods - nothing more, nothing less.

As the election draws nearer, you can expect massive deception and misinformation from the opposition.  The simple fact remains that this ballot measure doesn't ban or restrict genetically engineered food; it simply requires disclosure and gives the consumer the choice to purchase or not.  If Prop. 37 passes in California, other states are sure to follow. And maybe, just maybe, the FDA will follow suit and we can join the nearly 50 other developed countries (including 15 in the European Union) that have laws requiring labeling.

For more information on this, go to these links:
http://justlabelit.org/
http://www.saynotogmos.org/index.htm

Happy Mom's Day!

Hey- we're back!  Sorry for the long hiatus, but our schedule has been crazy.  Among other things, we recently moved to a wonderful unincorporated area of Orange County where we enjoy the vocal stylings of our neighbors' roosters and peacocks.  But what we enjoy the most is having the space to plant our very own veggie garden - can't get more local than that.

Among the first plants to go in were heirloom tomatoes and jalapeno peppers.  When it comes to heirloom tomatoes, our friend Farmer Bruce is the go-to guy for a lucky few of his friends and relatives.  If past years are any indication, we are set for an amazing crop. especially now that we can plant them in the ground instead of containers.  They went in yesterday, and now we begin the expectant excitement that all gardeners know so well.  C'mon August!

By the way, if you haven't tried heirloom tomatoes, we guarantee that once you do you will never think of tomatoes in the same way again.  For some info on heirloom vegetables, take a look at these links:
Why Choose Heirlooms? and Seed Saver Exchange 

H2 Uh-Oh!

When we think about local food, we tend to think about...well... food.  But in a Homer Simpson slap-to-the-forehead "DOH!" moment, we realized that good ol' tap water also needs to be on our radar screen.  Last year, we made the decision to buy BPA-free water bottles to use with our filtered tap water in an attempt to (a) drink more water by keeping track of it, (b) stop purchasing an appalling number of plastic bottles, and (c) save money in the process.  Mission accomplished on all three fronts, but more importantly, we've learned that we are also drinking cleaner, healthier water in the process. 

Most communities in the U.S. have strict monitoring requirements for tap water; it turns out that  bottled water is actually subject to less testing than tap water in the U.S.  For example, while there are regulatory standards limiting phthalates in tap water, there are no legal limits for phthalates in bottled water because of the bottled water industry's successful campaign to stop the FDA from setting a legal limit. 

Environmentally, the billions of single-use plastic bottles contribute to global warming on the production and distribution side, and they clog landfills and even the ocean on the disposal side. Most bottles aren't recycled, and even those that are require additional fossil fuel in the process.  And here's a really crazy stat for you: according to The Pacific Institute, it takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water.

There are many environmental and food choices that are complicated and difficult to implement, but this one is pretty much a no-brainer.  Obviously, there are many situations when we can't avoid disposables; but for the most part, you'll find us hauling around our snazzy REI waterbottles, feeling healthy, virtuous, and frugal.   

For a very thorough discussion of this issue, go to Mother Nature Network.

Food, Farms, the Feds, and You

As comfortable residents of a sprawling suburbia, what on earth does the US Farm Bill have to do with us?  More than you can imagine, as it turns out.  The Government's food policies are far-reaching and directly affect the food choices that are available to us.  The Farm Bill, which Congress votes on roughly every 5 years, is coming up for a vote in 2012.  You can be certain that lobbyists are hard at work making sure that policies and subsidies continue to benefit their multi-billion dollar agribusiness clients for whom the value of food is just another commodity to be measured on a financial statement. 

What's needed is a counterbalance in support of local/sustainable/organic/small-scale farming.  We can make our voices heard by demanding farm policies that help those farmers who engage in sustainable farming practices.  These methods produce tastier, healthier food while protecting our water, air and land.  It's also good for local economies and jobs.  Here's a concise description of the Farm Bill.

A simple way to get involved is to go to the Union of Concerned Scientists webpage and tell your Congress members to support farmer's markets and local food initiatives. 

Community Supported Agriculture

Sunday is pickup day for our crate of produce from Tanaka Farms' Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  We joined this CSA a couple of months ago to help support local farmers while enjoying fresh, seasonal, local fruits and veggies.  Our travels this summer to France and Nova Scotia convinced us that we really need to shop locally for the highest quality produce -- every market we shopped in gave detailed information about the where their food came from.  Foods that are grown to survive days or weeks of transportation are NOT foods that are grown for their taste.  Our mantra has become: choose local over distant, and organic over pesticides. 

Our bounty today was zucchini, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, basil, kale, green beans, and soybeans.  We have gotten a lot of kale in the past few weeks, and we've been simmering it until tender and then freezing it to add to soup when the weather turns cool.  We definitely plan to make Zucchini Frittercakes, fresh squeezed orange juice, Edamame, and Salad Nicoise in the next few days; and we'll see what else we dream up to do with the rest of our haul...    

Welcome to the Orange County Locavore

What is a locavore? It is someone who attempts to eat food that is grown as near to their dining location as possible. It is part of the slow food movement - the antithesis of "fast food" (i.e., over processed, franchised establishments or out of a box meal that has been microwaved). It is food meant to be nutritious, good tasting, and eco-friendly.  It s a bit idealistic at times but then again we should all try to place the bar a little higher for ourselves and the environment than "fast food" and microwaved meals.

The OC Locavore Blog is about finding ways to grocery shop, cook, eat, dine, drink, etc in Orange County, California that is healthy for both you and the environment.