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Vol. 2, No. 5 Maysie's Farm Conservation Center, Glenmoore, PA September 2001
Community Supported Agriculture
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Internview

Jacob Bortman

A good number of sentences coming from the mouth of intern Jacob Bortman begin, "When I get my farm," and end along the lines of, "I'm going to have chicken tractors," or even, "I'm going to have a herd of goats." Originally from Coatesville, PA, Jacob has been on the farm since May 2nd and has a rare infatuation with tractors and a passion for collard greens. He cannot resist reporting that he got to sit atop a tractor with nine forward gears, three backward gears and a roll bar, and insists that the collards be especially well cared for.

Be it permaculture, bio-intensive farming, or organic hydroponics, if it has anything to do with farming (or tractors and collards), Jacob is undoubtedly intensely curious about it. He has a never-waning interest in learning more efficient, less harmful ways of doing tasks on the farm. One of Jacob's latest endeavors is to begin the process of learning the scientific names of the plants and animals that he encounters here.

With his curious sense of humor, Jacob brings amusement to our labor on a daily basis. He has an interesting custom of planting what he lovingly calls "mystery plants" and what I like to call "weeds." Walking down a row of squash I think to myself, "ButternutŠButternutŠButternutŠHold on, what's that one? AhhŠmystery plant [chuckle]." He claims they bring luck to whatever surrounds them. So if you happen to notice a pepper amongst a row of purple beans or an okra in the eggplant, it's likely that it wasn't folly, but rather the result of Jacob's humor.

by Martha Clifford

Concerned About What's In Your Food?
From Organic Gardening magazine

Do you know how to avoid the so-called Frankenfoods? The Greenpeace True Food Shopping List (Greenpeace, 2000) tells you which products on major supermarket shelves contain genetically modified ingredients and which ones don't. Call (800) 219-9260 for your free copy (donations are appreciated), or go to www.truefoodnow.org for a periodically updated version. For a more comprehensive read, Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers (Marlowe and Company, 2000) is available at bookstores and on the web at www.purefood.org. Coauthors Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston clearly spell out the dangers of genetically engineered foods and tell consumers how they can make more healthful choices.

Kitchen Nutrition
by Peter Zeiger D.C.
Exton HealthSmart Spinal Center p.c.

There are dangers inherent in the standard American diet, primarily from the processed food business. During the past twenty years, the relationship between diet and health has emerged and been studied extensively. Prior to this, conventional nutritional directives stressed the four food groups and the Recommended Dietary Allowances, warding off malnutrition. Unfortunately, these directives still exist and do little to defend against the dietary assaults present today that have been linked to our most common ailments and killer diseases.

Excessive fat content in our diet has been linked closely to heart disease, stroke and cancer. Dietary fats exist in two forms. Saturated fat is usually of animal origin and is solid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fat is usually from a vegetable source and remains liquid at room temperature. The current recommendation has been that these polyunsaturated fats are cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat and consequently touted as the more healthful fats. Following these guidelines, many Americans are trying to decrease their intake of cholesterol and saturated fat as a measure of wellness.

However, it's important to understand that not all fats are created equal. The dramatic rise in heart disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases has not been accompanied by an increase in either total fat or animal fat consumption, but instead a change in the nature of fat consumed. Cadaver autopsy studies reveal that arteries are not plugged with saturated fat, but are instead narrowed by polyunsaturated fat remnants. These are found in refined food products.

Americans consume large quantities of polyunsaturated oils, most of which have been damaged from the processing and refining in obtaining them. Heat produced by frying and cooking further damages the oils. In these damaged states, the essential fatty acids cannot perform their function of making prostaglandins and in fact become hazardous, even more so than animal saturated fats. The heat involved in refining and cooking causes the fats to spoil and become rancid, and rancid fats have been clinically proven to be carcinogens (cancer-causing agents).

Using damaged or altered polyunsaturated oils introduces your body to toxic substances, the most dangerous of which are trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are altered forms of essential fatty acids. They are formed during the intense heat generated while making a food- processing ingredient called partially hydrogenated oil. This substance is the basis for margarine and is in almost everything on the supermarket shelf. It is found in bread, crackers, cookies, cereal, pancakes, baking mixes, chips, mayonnaise, frozen foods, artificial creamers, artificial whipped toppings, candy bars, and other things. Hydrogenated oil is not recognized by your body chemistry and cannot be used to construct favorable prostaglandins. This can result in a suppressed immune system, increased blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and allergies.

There are many clear advantages to reducing dietary saturated fat, but we also need to take an aggressive stance to protect ourselves from the ravages of refined food products. Nutritionally oriented healthcare professionals can actually test your essential fatty acid levels, determine your risk, and advise you on ways to reduce your potential for disease. Meanwhile, do your body a favor by sticking to a largely whole foods diet.

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