You are the 96,449th visitor and other thoughts

The blog will soon reach a notable milestone in the next month. That's right - 100,000 visitors. Sitemeter stats show that,as of Sunday night at 8:49 p.m., Fresh Talk has had 96,448 visitors since early 2007. Nothing lasts forever, and the form and address of this blog may change at some time in the future, with a coming redesign of The Packer Web site. For now, keeping coming here and the sitemeter stats will keep on clicking. Who knows, you may be the lucky 100,000th visitor. That and $3.49 will buy you a latte at Starbuck's.

Headlines snatched from the Web:

Families sow seeds of change with home gardens Indynews

Victory gardens or recession gardens still save TimesBulletin.com

Fresh vegetables and fruits were in short supply since transportation and the work force were affected by the war. So, encouraged by the government, people planted gardens everywhere there was a plot of ground available. Fruit production was also encouraged. The gardens supplied all the vegetables a family needed, and with preservation, also provided good meals during the winter. It was said that in 1943 over 315,000 pressure canners were sold to preserve fruits, vegetables and meats. This compared to 66,000 sold in 1942.

Obama garden: Farm Bureau chimes in Examiner.com

For American agriculture, the new White House garden offers a great teaching moment. Farm Bureau sees the garden as just one more way to engage the public about what goes into producing food. American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman is hopeful that other families across our nation will join the Obama family and plant their own gardens this spring.“It’s a great way to discover what it takes to produce food and learn about the growing cycle, from preparing the seed to tending the weeds and pests, and with hard work, a bountiful harvest,” Stallman, a Texas rice farmer and cattle producer, said this week. “Home gardens are a great way to complement production agriculture that Farm Bureau members devote their lives to.”

Growers get tax break if they destroy derelict groves TBO

If producing groves are maintained, they are taxed at a lower rate - as agriculture lands, said McIntyre.If the grove is not maintained and picked, but the landowner destroys the trees, the land will be assessed at $50 per acre. At the current millage rate, they'll pay 75 cents per acre.
If the grove bought for development purposes is not maintained and it's worth, for instance, $50,000 per acre, the owner would pay $750 per acre, McIntyre said.

Ag agents wage war on pests, plants and disease NJ.com

Smuggling is often inadvertent and cyclical. That is why Newark ran operation "Lunar Eclipse" during the Chinese New Year. "It is a time when, traditionally, gifts of food are exchanged," said Chinese-born agricultural agent Albert Lew. "I understand because it is also part of my culture, but it is forbidden." Focusing on 7,500 passengers off flights from China, agents seized 900 pounds of undeclared, prohibited products, according to customs. They included live ducks, dragon fruit and Chinese chocolates known to contain a small amount of beef. More than 150 fines totaling $36,000 were issued.

Sales of organic food slump by as much as 30 percent The Independent (UK)

Demand for organic food has fallen faster than expected, according to new statistics about shoppers' habits. Consumers who were once prepared to pay a premium for organic produce are turning to cheaper alternatives, cutting sales by a fifth in the past year.
Although some decline was anticipated because of the recession, figures from the market research company TNS Worldpanel show that some foods have been hit hard within an overall 20 per cent drop in sales: organic bread has fallen by 31 per cent; fruit by 16.5 per cent and vegetables by 10 per cent. The company monitored the shopping habits of 25,000 households in the UK from February 2008 to February 2009.
Several of the big supermarkets confirm that some sales of organic produce have declined over this period. The Co-op said that organic meat fell by 12.5 per cent, and that sales as a whole had begun to decline since September. Tesco said: "Recently organics have declined slightly."

Mexican trade dispute threatens Washington agriculture Bellingham Herald

Washington's pear, cherry, apricot and Christmas tree growers find themselves in the middle of a trade clash not of their own making and facing 20 percent tariffs on their exports to Mexico.

U.S. retail numbers ugly Barbara's retail blog

The layoff, store closing, and Chapter 11 numbers from the U.S. retail industry this week gave consumers and analysts a clear signal that further recession in the retail sector is possible and likely, but store opening numbers gave an equally clear signal that a comeback is underway. The ups and downs in this week’s retail industry news demonstrate the clash that can occur in one sector of the economy when recession collides with recovery.

Buy local, vote conservative Boston.com..Story from the UK

American Republicans, who have struggled with irrelevance after November's Democratic landslide, have been casting jealous glances at the successes of British Conservatives under leader David Cameron, who carries a double-digit lead in polling and is expected to carry his party to victory in the next general election. Cameron has gained a reputation as almost Obamaesque - a youthful, pragmatic modernizer with a knack for seizing issues from the opposition, such as the environment and civil liberties. His party's rejuvenated localism offers a fresh take on a longtime challenge for conservatives: how to balance their probusiness stance with their innate reverence for tradition.

NAFTA, Mexico trucking and air quality Examiner.com

The program failed. Even though the major truck engine manufactures say they manufacture one engine platform worldwide to U.S. emission standards they don't. Mexico's truck technology is decades behind the U.S. due to economics. While we can cite union influence, drug traffic, money laundaring, gun trade and other intangibles, air quality impacts, based on science is the real reason why the NAFTA provision to allow Mexico trucks to operate beyond the 100 mile border area is based on good science I first proved seven years ago. The U.S. will win in the NAFTA court case to follow because it is based on sound technical science

Georgia nears tougher law on illegal workers AJC

The measure would require local governments, state agencies and companies that do public business to show they are using federal databases to make sure they don’t hire illegal workers or provide them with public benefits. If they don’t, local governments would face cuts in state road funding and other penalties, and companies could have contracts revoked.

Will NAFTA exterminate Canada's pesticide bans CTV.ca

A battle brewing over cosmetic pesticides between one of North America's biggest chemical companies and Canadian lawmakers may end up re-shaping the future of Canada's environmental policies in the years ahead.
Next month, Onatario is set to become the second province in the country (after Quebec) to ban the sale and use of most off-the-shelf cosmetic pesticides.

Delay in immigration raids may signal policy change Washington Post

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said.
A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute -- increasing the focus on businesses and executives instead of ordinary workers.

The future of Japan's rice farmers NYT


OOIDA seeks suspension of Mexico truck plan Transport Topics Online

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which said it represents 160,000 small business truckers, sent a letter contending that the Mexican government should raise its regulatory standards to equal that of the United States and Canada before its motor carriers are allowed full access to U.S. highways.

California housing may have a new floor LA Times

Illegal immigrants part of stimulus debate OC Register
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors are legally challenging a law that would require employers who do business with the federal government to use E-Verify. The program is scheduled to take effect May 21, but could be postponed because of the legal wrangling.Even if the law were to take effect, E-Verify would remain optional for state and local governments – many of which will chose contractors and subcontractors who will then hire their own workers for the stimulus projects.
As it stands now, employers are required to follow local, state and federal labor laws and hire legal workers, but only E-Verify requires the checking of social security numbers.

Roubini: Bear market rally Money News.com

Saying goodbye to vitamins and other thoughts

You probably have parents or grandparents who amaze you with the variety and type of pills they ingest at each meal. How simple life is - excluding issues such as paying bills, taxes and keeping up with the mortgage - to sit down to eat and only have to attend to food and drink. No vitamins, cholesterol/high blood pressure meds,etc. This well-reasoned piece from Beverly Hills speaks to his waning devotion to vitamins and increased attention to f/v  in his daily routine. From American Chronicle:and Terry Mitchell:

 

After 20 years of taking vitamins and other over-the-counter supplements, and after being an advocate for them for almost as long, I have come to the conclusion that they have all been a waste of time and money. Therefore, once my current supplies run out, I will not be replacing them. Instead, I will take the money that I have been spending on them and use it to buy more fruits and vegetables.

Too many recent studies have shown that taking vitamins in the form of pills is of no benefit whatsoever. And there seems to be some anecdotal evidence that such products might even be harmful. Apparently, the human body just doesn´t absorb vitamins when they are taken that way. The way to get the vitamins one needs is to eat more fruits and vegetables. That´s the way nature apparently intended for us to acquire our vitamins and other nutrition.

TK: He points out that vitamin makers have their own studies:that tout their benefits:

But who are you going to believe, impartial scientific studies or those conducted by corporations who have everything to gain from a particular outcome? Obviously, each individual has to make his or her own decision regarding vitamins and supplements, and I´m in no way trying to tell anyone else what to do. I´m just saying that I´m basing my decision on the available science.

 

 

Other headlines this morning...

 

 

Paint your plate  A f/v promotion in Canada

 

Hefty bag to keep fresh produce longer  Business Wire press release

Pactiv Corporation, maker of Hefty(R: 28.26, -1.5492, -5.2%) brand products, today announced the introduction of new Hefty(R: 28.26, -1.5492, -5.2%) OneZip(R: 28.26, -1.5492, -5.2%) Fresh Extend(TM: 65.48, -1.55, -2.31%) produce storage bags designed to help keep fruits and vegetables fresher longer. These bags offer an easy and ideal solution for storing fruits and vegetables that can help to prevent premature spoilage. Consumers can keep produce fresher longer, which can help them save money. Simply place the unwashed, uncut, dry produce in the bag and slide the bag closed - it's that easy!

 

Good nutrition - healthy eyes  CBS4 Miami

 

 

Students DSL team bring produce stand to campus MIT News - TK:Good idea from MIT -

 

A cooperative effort between students and Division of Student Life is bearing fruit in the form of a campus produce stand that will open for business beginning Tuesday, March 31.The MIT Market will sell fruits and vegetables from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays in the East Campus Courtyard near Walker Memorial. The stand will be run by Russo's, the Watertown-based retailer that won the "Best Produce" category in Boston magazine's 2007 Best of Boston rankings

Pesticide poisoning rise in California Recordnet

Officials tallied nearly 1,500 individual cases investigated in 2007, and pesticides were identified as likely or possibly involved in fewer that 1,000 of them. That was more than double the nearly 700 investigations reported the year before, of which about 300 likely or possibly involved pesticides.Individuals with access to the Internet can more easily access and analyze pesticide illness and injuries in California, as the Pesticide Regulation agency rolled out a new online database. Called the California Pesticide Illness Query, it is accessible through the agency's home page at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

 

 

Ten strategies to eat more vegetables and fruits St. Louis Chinese American News

 

 

Balcony vegetable patch LA Times

Bring dirt to the people, says health advocate

 

 

 

Fresh fruits and vegteables a hit among children, parents at WDC elementary  Wadena Pioneer Journal

Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary started serving healthy snacks on March 9, as part of a grant the school was awarded. The grant totals $38,052 and is part of the 2008 Farm Bill. When asked how he likes having fresh fruit and vegetables for an afternoon snack at school, first-grader Lucas Hinojos replied — in between bites of fresh asparagus — "I love it! Here, try some

 

 

State growers launch "locally growing" campaign Wisconsin Ag Connection

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association and their grower members are working with the state's grocery stores and restaurants to highlight the benefits of buying Wisconsin-grown produce. WPVGA Director Duane Maatz says the best foods are homegrown--and that is especially true of Wisconsin Potatoes that carry the Wisconsin Home Grown label.

 

Alice Waters: Time for a delicious revolution WRAL.com

After waiting nearly 20 years to see a vegetable garden planted at the White House, Alice Waters is waiting again.But this time it's to see how many Americans will follow the lead of first lady Michelle Obama, who last week made Waters' wish a reality when she dug a shovel into the South Lawn of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to make way for a garden."The most important thing that Michelle Obama did was to say that food comes from the land," Waters said of the garden groundbreaking. "People have not known that. They think it comes from the grocery store."Waters, a California restaurateur who has championed local and sustainable agriculture since the '60s, believes many health and social woes are tied to what she calls our fast food culture.Her solution? Backyard and school yard gardens that reconnect people with food at its source. Since the early '90s Waters has sought such a garden at the White House, believing it a gesture so strong it could move people nationwide to sow their own plots.

 

First family's garden challenges nation to eat locally grown EON

 

First Lady Michelle Obama broke ground last week on the South Lawn in preparation for the White House's first vegetable garden since First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's 1943 Victory Garden. Coined a 'Recession Garden' by the media, the First Family's veggie garden is meant to teach American families about the health benefits and economic impact associated with eating locally grown fruits and vegetabl

Community supported farms flourish Democrat and Chronicle.com

 

 

Ask the trainer: get a colorful mix of fruits and vegetables Sheyboygan Press

 

 

Fruits and vegs: too much of a good thing? Viet Nam News Serivce: This goes against the grain...

 

A lot of the fruit that is grown today is much higher in sugar than it would be in the natural environment. Have you ever tasted a wild blueberry? How about a wild apple? On their own, they are delicious, but they aren't nearly as sweet as modern day varieties. Over thousands of years, humans have cultivated fruit to be larger and sweeter than its wild predecessors through hybridisation.But since sugar from fruit is natural, you should be able to eat as much as you want, right? This question is best posed to fruitarians – people who eat nothing but fruit, including nuts and seed-bearing fruits like tomatoes and zucchini.Nguyen Thu Hao, who works at an insurance company, has experienced the bad side of being a fruitarian

 

Ready, once more, to dig in the dirt The Daily Reporter

Right outside my kitchen window, across the driveway from our home, lies a 25 ft. by 40 ft. testament to my good intentions and poor follow-though. It's the outline of our family garden.

 

 

Healthy eating doesn't have to be expensive Times Herald

According to a recent survey, 80 percent of moms would like to get their kids to eat healthier. Families juggle busy schedules that make it difficult to eat together and don't leave enough time to shop or cook. The survey, commissioned by Wendy's, found that nearly 40 percent of moms surveyed feel that healthy foods don't always taste good. For others, the challenge is having a family that doesn't want to eat healthy foods or is on a limited food budget.

 

Families sow seeds of change with gardens Indychannel.com

 

 

According to the National Gardening Association, the number of families growing their own produce will jump more than 40 percent compared to two years ago, the biggest spike in 30 years, 6News' Tanya Spencer reported.