A Steam Punk Wedding at Rancho Dos Pueblos

Earlier this year more than 30,000 Food Democracy Now! members signed a letter calling for an Organic Farm Bill. The letter was an idealized version of what a growing number of Americans are beginning to realize: that U.S. food and agricultural policy must focus on adopting best agricultural practices that put the health of its citizens, the land and the livelihood of farmers and farm workers over the interests of industrial agriculture lobbyists.

Unfortunately, we as a nation are not there yet. Not only are our politicians out of touch with the values of the American people, but corporate agribusiness has a stranglehold on our regulatory system and our political leaders.

But with your help, we can change that.

Farmers and eaters across the U.S. benefit from a fair and healthy Farm Bill. We need your help today. Right now the House Agricultural Committee is accepting public comments on this critical piece of legislation.

As usual, there are a lot of bad ideas that Congress is considering, including cutting funding to vital programs such as nutrition, conservation and support for organic and sustainable agriculture.

We can’t let that happen! Please take a moment to join us and our allies in calling for a better Farm Bill today.

Click here to tell the House Ag Committee that it’s time for real reform. Comments are due by May 20th to be considered part of the official Committee’s Farm Bill field hearing record.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/592?t=3&akid=556.128062.o3ei3S

Tell Congress that you support:

• The full endorsement of all provisions of the Local Foods, Farms and Jobs Act (H.R. 3286).
• Fully funding conservation programs, such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, and making sure that enrollment in any new insurance subsidies are tied directly to compliance with conservation programs.
• The implementation of all provisions of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (H.R. 3236).
• Maintaining the EQIP Organic Initiative.

Reports from Washington DC about the Farm Bill negotiations have not been pretty. According to an editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle by Environmental Working Group’s Ken Cook and Kari Hamerschlag, Republicans in the House Agricultural Committee have already “voted to slash $33 billion from the food stamp program while leaving farm subsidies unscathed.”

The editorial goes on to report on the latest agribusiness boondoggle that gladly steals food from the mouths of the hungry to create a “$33 billion new entitlement program that guarantees the income of profitable farm businesses. That’s on top of $90 billion in subsidies for crop and revenue insurance policies.”

If this weren’t bad enough, the Senate Agricultural Committee has already voted to cut $4 million from organic research funding and cut funding to support Beginning Farmers in half. We cannot let this stand!

At the same time, the Senate Ag Committee has voted to get rid of wasteful subsidy payments. It has proposed to replace it with a new subsidized insurance program that leading sustainable agriculture advocates are calling rife with opportunities for fraud and abuse.

While Congress is looking to get rid of direct payments to commodity farmers, the subsidized insurance program it proposes to replace it with will allow giant commodity farmers and insurance companies to walk away with billions in taxpayer dollars while putting the land, soil and environment at greater risk.

According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s Ferd Hoefner, “By failing to place limitations on crop insurance subsidies and to re-attach soil erosion and wetland conservation requirements to crop insurance programs, the Committee has failed to do the full reform that is needed.”

We can’t allow this to happen. Join us today in creating real reform and a healthy, organic future!

Click here to tell your member of Congress that it’s time for real reform. Comments are due by May 20th to be considered part of the official Committee’s Farm Bill field hearing record.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/592?t=6&akid=556.128062.o3ei3S

Thanks for helping Food Democracy Now! and our allies at the Organic Farm and Research Foundation, Environmental Working Group, the Organic Consumers Association and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition stand up for farmers and eaters today!

Help us can win the numbers game!

Dear James,

Last night I received a disturbing email. It was from a contact telling me one big PR firm dedicates over 50 staff fulltime to the Monsanto account. On top of this, Monsanto themselves already have 75 staffworking solely to investigate and prosecute farmers. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

These are the types of numbers we are up against.

But we have some more impressive numbers. We have 250,000 – that’s the number of you, our members, working to realize an alternative vision – one that restores dignity to our farmers and food. The other number we have is 2. That’s how many paid staff we have holding everything together here at our HeadQuarters in Iowa.

Not quite the numbers Monsanto has at their disposal, but our 2 combined with your 250,000 can more than have their measure. That is, as long as we can look after one more important number – the figure we have in our bank account to ensure our continued existence.

Using our power in numbers is the only way we can take on Monsanto, and the rest of big ag. That’s why we need all 250,000 of us to each chip in a little bit today to help us keep the lights on. Click here to stand with us in our fight by making your small contribution:

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/389?akid=340.128062.RBHfQM&t=6

The other side won’t rest. They have billions of dollars to stop every reform we want – and they work day and night with stadiums full of lobbyists to spread their propaganda to the American public and elected officials. 

Each time they try, we need to be there to stop them. To trump corporate influence with people power, to expose their lies and propaganda for what it is, and show politicians that we will hold them accountable - as we’ve already done together on GMOs, corporate monopolies, child nutrition, food safety and more in the past.

Big Ag has never faced this before - people power at its finest, with thousands of everyday citizens chipping in a small amount to make a sum total far greater than its parts, motivated not by greed but by moral duty. But to be out there effectively at a moment’s notice – on the streets, in the press, on the web, in the Capitol - this time we need you to vote with your wallet:

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/389?akid=340.128062.RBHfQM&t=8

Monsanto has all the lobbyists, spin doctors, ‘scientists’ and lawyers they need to force farmers off their land and keep their monopoly over our food system. Us? We’ve got each other. Each of us chipping in what we can afford can create campaigns that rival Monsanto and others’ influence and hold them accountable.

That power in numbers has them running scared – why do you think they need 50 PR staff? That’s why I’m asking you to exercise that power today by chipping in what you can to stand up to Big Ag.

Thanks for being such an important number making up our movement, Dave and Lisa for Food Democracy Now!

P.S – Here’s the numbers game: Monsanto spends billions and employs tens of thousands. To stop them, we just need one: YOU. Chip in what you can today to make sure our movement can survive into the future.

Dear James,

These are dark days for family farmers and ranchers in America, but we have hope. While farmers and ranchers have fought alone for decades against corporate abuse in our food supply, today they have you on their side.

After 30 years of failure to enforce antitrust legislation against giant meat cartels, the growing trend of excessive market concentration and the rise of factory farms, America’s independent family farmers and ranchers are being squeezed out of existence.

Failure to provide fair market livestock rules has resulted in nearly 160,000 independent cattle producers being driven out of business in that past 15 years, while Iowa has lost more than 72% of its independent family hog farmers who used to form the backbone of our rural communities and farm economy.

Fortunately, when President Obama ran for office he recognized the threats that unfair livestock rules posed for farmers and rural America and he pledged to stand up for fair contracts for farmers.1

Already in the last year, the USDA has written a set of proposed fair market contract rules under Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) that would make it illegal for packers and slaughter houses to unfairly discriminate against independent farmers. Unfortunately, those rules have not been finalized and giant agribusiness meat interests are pressuring Secretary Vilsack and the Obama administration to weaken these vital rules that would provide fair market contract protections for small and midsized farmers for the first time.

Please call the White House today and urge President Obama to stand up for family farmers to make sure they receive fair market contracts and no longer experience unfair price discrimination.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/386?akid=330.128062.KVaPhZ&t=7

America’s farmers and ranchers are closely watching the administration’s decision on GIPSA, hoping that President Obama will live up to his campaign promise and stand up for family farmers because they know what this decision means for future generations of farmers.

Nobody knows the stakes better than Colorado rancher Mike Calicrate, who not only was nearly driven out of business by agribusiness’ unfair practices in the 1990, but gained widespread acclaim when he decided to stand up against the industry abuse and sue Farmland National Beef and IBP, now Tysons, the nation’s leading beef packer at the time. Unfortunately, things haven’t changed much since Mike’s lawsuit.

“Today’s livestock producers are caught in an unfair system that traps them in debt and forces them to take whatever contracts Big Ag cartels offer them. And even though the Packers and Stockyards Act specifically prohibits price discrimination by meatpackers against small family farm and ranch operations, it has been a standard industry practice for decades,” says Calicrate.

Now President Obama’s decision to stand up for America’s farmers could make all the difference.

America’s farmers and ranchers like Mike Calicrate need you today, please take a moment and join them by calling the White House to make sure that President Obama keep his word on creating fair livestock reforms for family farmers.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/386?akid=330.128062.KVaPhZ&t=9

According to current industry practices it’s common for meatpackers to “routinely pay five or six cents more per pound, more in some cases, in purely volume-based premiums to the largest hog producers simply because they are large.” And while six cents doesn’t sound like much, for an independent family farmer operating with just a 150 sows, it amounts to receiving $56,000 a year less at market for their livestock. And no one can afford that type of loss, especially America’s family farmers.²

These practices are not only unfair, but they are undemocratic and place family farmers at a serious disadvantage in the marketplace. At a time when the Obama administration and Washington DC are talking about creating jobs and improving economic opportunities for families everywhere, one of the simplest things they could do would be to improve opportunities for family farmers and rural America is to allow farmers to have access to fair markets. The best way to do this is to tell the Obama administration to finalize the fair market contract (GIPSA) rules today.

Click on the link below to tell President Obama it’s time to stand up for family farmers. Not only are they the backbone of our democracy, but they are the ones who provide us with the best, most sustainably raised food in the country.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/386?akid=330.128062.KVaPhZ&t=11

Thanks for taking action — your support is greatly appreciated! We need your help to keep the pressure on! If you can, please consider chipping in as little as $10 to help us continue this fight.

http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/donate/133?akid=330.128062.KVaPhZ&t=14

We rely on folks like you to keep us going. Thanks again for your support.

Thank you for participating in food democracy — your action today may save family livestock producers and help free our food supply from corporate control.

Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! Team

We would like to welcome Chef Frederick Villa to the staff of Live Oak Catering. Chef Frederick and Chef Jamie worked together years ago and their teamwork is going to bring Live Oak Catering to new levels of success. Welcome Chef Frederick Villa

Call Congress today to Support Economic Recovery by Supporting Organic Agriculture!

Dear James,

With the recent approval of three genetically modified (GMO) crops in Washington DC, the threat to organic agriculture has never been greater. But the truth is, the White House and the USDA are not the only ones who are threatening your right to organic food, currently Congress is working on finalizing the government’s budget for the remaining seven months of Fiscal Year 2011 and so far the results don’t look good for organic farmers or people who prefer to eat food that does not contain artificial hormones and pesticides.

The Senate recently introduced a Continuing Resolution to fund government programs that cuts approximately $6.5 billion in spending, some $50 billion less than the House version would cut. While both bills make cuts to agriculture programs, the House Bill, H.R.1, makes far more substantial cuts to programs geared towards organic and sustainable agriculture, while sparing other USDA priorities.¹

Now more than ever we need you to call your members of Congress to make sure that important programs for organic farmers for organic research and conservation are not cut. Click on the link below to call your member of Congress today!

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/350?akid=301.128062.ruPM0L&t=7

At stake is the Organic Transitions Integrated Research Program (ORG), a competitive research grant program that funds organic research, education and extension activities. Despite its small $5 million budget, the program is vital and needs to be saved.

The House version of the bill also seeks to eliminate important offices within the USDA that deal with sustainable agriculture, advocacy and outreach, tribal relations and conservation programs even while leaving the majority of commodity programs unscathed.

While several programs cut by the House are retained in the Senate bill, including the Organic Integrated Transition Program and the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural America (ATTRA), it is vital that you call your Representative and Senators today to make sure that conservation programs are properly funded.

Please join us and our friends at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), to fight for your right to organic food and to make sure that the important economic opportunities provided by organic and sustainable agriculture are not harmed.

Click on the link below to fight for organic farmers and call your member of Congress today.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/350?akid=301.128062.ruPM0L&t=9

Thank you for participating in food democracy — your action today may save family livestock producers and help free our food supply from corporate control.

Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! Team

Thanks for taking action — your support is greatly appreciated! We need your help to keep the pressure on! If you can, please consider chipping in as little as $10 to help us continue this fight.

http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/donate/133?akid=301.128062.ruPM0L&t=12

We rely on folks like you to keep us going. Thanks again for your support.

Sources:

1.”Organic Research and Other Programs Targeted 
In Budget Fights”, Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), March 2011.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/351?akid=301.128062.ruPM0L&t=14

Already banned in New York and Washington because of its toxic properties, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now reviewing the 2007 Bush era decision to approve methyl iodide for agricultural usage. The EPA is asking for comments from the American public and the deadline in April 30th and they need to hear from you today.

More than 50 scientists criticized the 2007 approval stating that the review process was hidden from the public and the focus of the research was too limited. There is little left to debate on the safety and necessity for this chemical use. [2]

Let the EPA hear our voices loud and clear by April 30th: NO Methyl Iodide – now or ever.

Please take a moment to register your comments today. It’s easy. We have suggested text for you, but encourage you to use your own words to make it more impactful. Click on here to send your message to Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/360?akid=309.128062.YOAzY0&t=8

Just today Time magazine revealed 3 different studies that demonstrate that pregnant mothers exposed to agricultural pesticides give birth to children with lower IQ’s. [3]

It’s time to let the chemical pesticide industry and our government know that we’ll no longer stand idly by as they continue to put corporate profits over the health and safety of our families, farm workers and the American public.

Tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to ban the toxic methyl iodide from being used on our food and our fields.

Click here to add your voice to the public comment to make sure the EPA bans methyl iodide for agricultural usage.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/360?akid=309.128062.YOAzY0&t=10

Thank you for participating in food democracy,

Dave, Lisa and the Food Democracy Now! Team

Please support our work, consider chipping in as little as $10 to help us continue this fight.

http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/donate/133?akid=309.128062.YOAzY0&t=13

We rely on folks like you to keep us going. Thanks again for your support.

Sources:

1. “The Terminator: Schwarzenegger’s Killer Pesticide”, The Atlantic Monthly, January 19, 2011.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/362?akid=309.128062.YOAzY0&t=15

2.”Letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 50 Top U.S. Scientists Asking EPA to Ban Methyl Iodide”, September 24, 2007.

www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/iodomethane_letter.pdf

3. “Exposure to pesticides in pregnancy can lover children’s IQ”, Time Magazine, April 21, 2010.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/361?akid=309.128062.YOAzY0&t=18

History of the Luau

In old Hawaii a luau meant a lavish food extravaganza to fete royalty, foreign dignitaries, powerful chieftains, or hundreds of guests at important weddings, christenings or birthdays.

Luaus often lasted for days and required an incredible amount of preparation. Guests sat on mats on the ground, with food piled high in calabash bowls in front of them.They ate a bit, danced a bit, drank a little and sang a lot. A rollicking shared experience . . . a feast of aloha.

Today the luau is a major visitor attraction and dozens are held daily throughout the islands. Needless to say, some preparations have been streamlined, although the traditional roast pig and other authentic delectables are still served.

Now with these dishes on the menu we are ready to set the scene. If you can’t get to Hawaii then organize your own group at home. Remember . . . a Hawaiian luau is a fun affair . . . casual, informal, abounding in merriment. No age barrier here. The crowd is mixed, Island-style. Here, at Hub-UK you will find everything you need to have your own Luau!

Ingredients

1 whole pig (any size)
Bananas
Yams
Fish

Method

• Dig the pit (imu) to the size of the pig and prepare as for a closed-pit barbecue: Line the bottom of the pit with round smooth stones, Build and start a fire, and add some extra stones (for cavity of pig)

• Add more wood as the fire burns to ashes (allow 4 – 5 hours).

• To prepare the cleaned and drawn pig: Rub the pig well inside and out with white wine, soy sauce, lemon and garlic.

• Place the extra heated stones in the cavity of the pig and tie legs together.

• Rake the ashes from the fire and reserve in a large heat-proof can or tub.

• Cover surface thoroughly with banana leaves.

• Lower the pig into the pit (in a wire basket, if desired) and surround it with heavy-duty aluminum foil-wrapped bananas, yams, and if desired, serving portions of your favorite fish, allowing one of each per person.

• Cover with additional banana leaves or layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, then with a layer of hot ashes and a sheet of metal.

• Cover completely with earth.

• Roast pig about 5 hours.

• When ready to serve, uncover the pig and remove foiled wrapped food.

• Remove the pig to a board or table for carving.

Santa Maris Style BBQ in Santa Barbara CA By Live Oak Grill Catering.