FOOD AND A PLACE TO SLEEP COULD LEAD TO BETTER HEALTH

Patients’ social and economic circumstances powerfully influence their health and well-being. But until recently there’s been relatively little effort to systematically address these factors. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, a government organization established by the Affordable Care Act to test new ways to deliver and pay for health care, is trying to change that. It recently announced a pilot program to help health systems close gaps between medical care and social services in their communities. The program, known as Accountable Health Communities, will invest $157 million over five years to study whether helping patients with social needs in five key areas — housing, food, utilities, transportation, and interpersonal safety — can improve health and reduce medical costs.There’s good evidence that social support can improve health and cut costs. Research suggests nutrition assistance for low-income women and children reduces the risk of low birth weight, infant mortality, and developmental problems — at a cost that’s more than fully offset by lower Medicaid spending. Other work suggests providing elderly patients with home-delivered meals can help them live independently and prevent expensive nursing home stays. The program will award grants to 44 organizations around the country to build partnerships among state Medicaid agencies, health systems, and community service providers to identify which strategies are most effective for linking patients to the services they need.

Source: New York Times, 7/20/16, Food for Health

Farmer Friday - 8 O'Clock Ranch

Intern Amands Korb offers us another reflection on food and farming issues on the last day of her internship...

In the 21^st century, the rise of grass-fed, all-natural, free-range, cage-free, pasture-based animal products is certainly evident. We buy the bloodless package of ground beef with a sticker of a picturesque red barn and white chickens in the yard and the cleanly washed pearl-white eggs. We are living in a food illusion, and the lack of transparency between the farmer and the consumer is only getting wider. I believe we must ask ourselves what are our personal beliefs are in terms of food, or rather, what do we demand as consumers when we purchase items. On a more personal level, we might ask what is it like for a chicken to live in a cage, to be given certain feeds or various medications? And furthermore, do we care?

From pig to cow to chickens, the large-scale production of animal meat (think 2 million hens per “warehouse”) personifies the broken American food system. We all know the horror stories of the industrial farm—some of us turn a blind eye, thinking, “How else will be feed the world?” while others choose to eliminate the product from their diet as a form of animal solidarity.

These were a few questions Kassandra and John Barton asked when they first started 8 O’clock Ranch in 2001. Their 200-acre mission to raise non-GMO, soy-free, pasture based meat is far from the images Food Inc. portrays. On the larger farms, “ag gag laws” forbid any form of filming or photography of farms without the consent of owners. Even with consent, the images do not portray the full story. This was not the case with Kassandra, who specifically invited me to come on butcher day. I pulled into the ranch’s driveway, greeted by her amiable face. She instructed me to the barn where her sons and neighbors were at the head of the butchering assembly line. They were in charge of killing, scalding and then chilling the birds. I was impressed by the cleanliness, efficiency and humaneness of the process. One might think the birds would be squawking as they faced death, but these hens cooed sweetly.

After chilling, the hens were then cleaned and split into parts. All portions of the bird are consumed except for the head. (Customers do actually ask for them, but Kassandra hasn’t figured out a way to package them safely.) The liver, heart, necks and feet are packaged for sale elsewhere. 8 O’clock Ranch used to work at the Canton Farmers market, but slow demand led the couple to “follow other marketing strategies,” like shipping all over the east coast or delivering milkman style to one’s doorstep.

“We wanted to do what they used to in the 1700’s,” Kassandra remarked. “Sure I use new technologies, and I utilize YouTube a lot too, but a lot of what we do now comes from old books. If it worked then, why can’t it work now?” Their land is called a ranch and not a farm to reflect how they believe animals should be raised—free to roam with ample amount of fresh land, air and grass. They practice block pasturing and intensive grazing, which has reduced the unwanted growth of thistles and instead encouraged clovers to flourish. As Michael Pollan writes, “It is doubtful you can build a genuinely sustainable agriculture without animals to cycle nutrients.”

Kassandra is a firm believer in healthy soil: “If the soil is healthy, then the rest falls in line.” They regularly add minerals to the ground, although they recognize it takes 18 months system integration. Prevention, it seems, is a better method of treatment. In fact, John and Kassandra have only called the vet 4 times in 8 years. “If you’re calling the vet, then there is something lacking in your management practices.”

Around 1,000 hens a year are processed at the ranch, alongside 40 lambs and 100-120 beef cattle. I asked the inevitable, given their success, would they consider getting bigger? “Any bigger and our job would be harder, especially since we insist on sticking to our standards,” John responded. Their morals are tried and true—a few years ago the couple threatened to shut down when USDA regulations had them shipping their meat to far off processing units. Kassandra and John are firm believers in giving their customers what they desire- transparent, healthy, truly natural meat because “customer service is what keeps [them] going.”

“Taste is our biggest advertisement,” she further commented. “When selling meat, the hardest part is getting people to actually cook the meal. But once they taste it and show their friends, they understand why we do what we do.” On average, Kassandra and John have a 90% CSA renewal rate. The word of mouth sales are certainly proving to be fruitful.

Promoting local healthy food is an easy feat, but to actually execute the philosophy is a more strenuous process. 8 O’clock Ranch used to participate in GardenShare’s Bonus Bucks program, but had to demure their participate due to USDA regulations. When I asked Kassandra what role she thinks government should play in small-scale meat production, she quickly responded none. “Because they [the government] is involved the cost of food increases. People who can afford food don’t care that much and we secure their business no problem; however, this makes access to low-income or working households difficult.”

Currently, out of house sales are illegal unless permitted otherwise. This means Kassandra’s customers must pre-order meat, a process deemed inconvenient due to our instantaneous society. “If a customer could simply come and go it would be easier. Also, this would help keep prices lower for people to try new meat. It would be easier for people to say, ‘I want to eat healthy, local food.’”  

When I asked how to fill the gap the USDA creates between her meat and the customer’s plate, Kassandra further said, “Many mothers ask, how do I cook, look up recipes, share that knowledge, and have the ability to eat? You can’t expect to cook all meats equally. Visits to a farm, where a meal can be shared, are conversational and relatable way to cook food.” I invite all North Country residents to give Kassandra a call. 8 O’clock ranch is a 100% transparent operation that produces ethical and sustainable meals for families and friends. 

Scholarships for Young Farmers Conference

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture  is offering a limited number of farmer scholarships to the 2016 Young Farmers Conference on December 7, 8 and 9. Scholarships cover the cost of conference registration only; recipients are expected to cover the cost of lodging and travel expenses to and from the conference.

For more info and an application, please click here. Applications are due by 5PM EST on Saturday, August 20, 2016. 

BANNING SNAP USE FOR “JUNK” FOOD IGNORES REALITY

Maine Governor Paul LePage threatened to end his state’s participation in SNAP unless Maine was permitted to ban recipients from using their benefits for “junk” food. The average SNAP benefit for a household is just $254, but healthy food costs more than low­nutrition options, leaving low­income families struggling to afford quality meals. Denying them SNAP benefits would only exacerbate this problem. But many strategies have been shown to improve nutrition among low­income and SNAP households:
● Increasing monthly SNAP allotments provides households the purchasing power to make healthy food choices. A recent study found that $30 more per month can improve consumption of vegetables and other healthy foods.
● Incentives promoting fruit and vegetable purchases increase consumption, as evidenced by programs that allow SNAP households to get more for their SNAP dollars at grocery stores and to use their benefits at farmer’s markets.
● Enhancing nutrition education and healthy food practices in local communities improves attitudes, knowledge, and behavior, resulting in increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

Source: Center for Law & Social Policy, 7/22/16, Junk Food 

August Veggie of the Month - Beets! (Beetroot)

This month's veggie, as featured on Gloria's interview on 95.3 The Wolf this morning, is beets.

Beet facts:

●     Related to swiss chard, also in-season

●     Helps prevent heart disease and stroke

●     Matures in 50-60 days

●     Top greens are also edible

●     Red Beet juice is a very effective dye

Recipe: Red Flannel Hash

●     A traditional New England breakfast

●     Includes three vegetables in-season! - onions, potatoes, beets

●     Great way to use up leftover corned beef

●     Requires cooking some ingredients beforehand

Ingredients

●                  4 Tbsp butter
●      1 cup chopped onion
●      2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
●      1 1/2 cups chopped cooked beets
●      1 1/2 cups chopped cooked potatoes
●      1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, and use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if cooking gluten-free)
●      1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh parsley (optional)
●      Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat butter in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook a couple minutes.

2. Add the corned beef, potatoes, and beets. Stir in the pan to combine, and spread out evenly in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Don't stir, but just let cook until nicely browned on one side, then flip it with metal spatula to brown other side. If the mixture sticks to the pan too much, just add a little more butter.

3. When nicely browned, remove from heat.

(Optional) Sprinkle in some Worcestershire sauce, fresh chopped parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve plain or with fried or poached eggs.

Alternate recipe: Roasted beet and goat cheese salad

Beets and goat cheese are a popular combination. This recipe involves a little more investment than the typical salad, but it’s well worth it.

Ingredients

·         2 pounds beets, peeled and cut into wedges

·         1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

·         1/4 cup red wine vinegar

·         1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

·         salt and black pepper

·         Vegetable oil, for frying

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·         2 large eggs, beaten

·         1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

·         Three 4-ounce goat cheese logs, cut into 12 slices

·         1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

·         Pinch of sugar

·         12 cups mixed greens

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread the beets on a baking sheet. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, rosemary and some salt and pepper. Reserve one-quarter of the dressing for the salad and pour the rest over the beets. Roast until the beets are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

While the beets are cooking, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Coat the goat cheese slices first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Fry the slices until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Whisk the mustard and sugar into the reserved dressing, then pour over the greens in a large bowl and toss to coat. Divide the greens among 6 plates, add the beets on top and place 2 fried goat cheese slices on top.

Sources:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/beets.html

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/25-facts-about-beets.html

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/red_flannel_hash/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/roasted-beet-and-goat-cheese-salad.html

FOOD SAFETY NET SHREDS IN SUMMER; DISAPPEARS AFTER GRADUATION

Summer marks a serious gap in the nation’s food safety net for children. Of the 22 million students who receive free or reduced­-price lunch in U.S. public schools, all but 3.9 million of them lose access to those meals over the summer, according FeedingAmerica. Whether it is because they can’t get to community summer meal sites or don’t know about them, more than 18 million children go hungry over the summer. A bipartisan group of senators introduced the Hunger ­Free Summer For Kids Act last August to give communities more flexibility for summer meals programs.Their proposal would allow communities to deliver packaged meals to families or distribute electronic benefit transfer cards to eligible children over the summer, allowing their families to buy extra food from retail stores.

Yet, while students in K­12 schools lose access to reliable food sources during the summer, high school students lose access completely when they graduate and go to college. Graduates lose access to the School Lunch Program, and SNAP work requirements make it difficult to go to college. Campus surveys have found nearly 40% of undergraduate students in the City University of New York system are food insecure as well as 21% of students in the California State University and University of Hawaii systems. Colleges and states are starting to pay attention. As of July 5, 2016, there were 339 active member institutions of the College and University Food Bank Alliance. And the California legislature is considering a bill to help local food banks coordinate with college food pantries and require both public and private colleges to participate in restaurant meals programs in their counties.

Source: Education Dive, 7/28/16, Food Safety Net for Students

Building community at the food pantry

As a Christian, I highly recommend "Take This Bread" by Sara Miles for those working on food ministry projects.  The author was raised an atheist and experienced a conversion when she walked into an Episcopal Church one day.  At the church, she founded a food pantry, housed right in the sanctuary around the altar, and practiced the "client choice" model.

One of the things she writes about is the community that was created around their food pantry, as most of the volunteers ended up being clients of the pantry.  She saw this ragtag group formed into a community around the need for food, but more important, around the need for human connection.

She expresses it so much better than I, but I came away more convinced than ever that the only way we will solve the problem of hunger is by building community, bringing together those who need help and those who can help in meaningful relationships.

Food for the body can draw people into a food pantry or soup kitchen, but the food for the soul created by being part of something larger than themselves is what keeps them, and in some cases, changes them for the better.  In the North Country, our free will dinners do this well - they don't call themselves soup kitchens and they welcome all to be part of the community.

I highly recommend this book to any Christians struggling with what the call to "feed my sheep" really means.

Gloria