Raw Milk Nation

I realized during my trip to California that just because I live in a different state, that in no way absolves me from getting involved with important issues that affect me directly.

One of those issues is the continuing availability of Raw Milk.

Why Raw Milk? Because it’s extremely natural, the only dairy many otherwise lactose-intolerant people can drink without problems, and it’s healthy. Very healthy.

Just to save you a little time … if you’re anti-dairy, don’t waste your time writing me. I’ve heard all of the arguments. And those arguments have nothing to do with this issue. And most are specious and not based on a Raw Milk model. So spare me. And take a look at the Weston A. Price Foundation website. You’ll learn a lot of information about dairy and of the dairy industry. Read Dr. Price’s book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and learn a lot more.

There is a continuing battle - and I use the word in the same way as describing full out war - to keep clean, certified Raw Milk available to customers who want it in the state of California. Unfortunately, it has been banned in here in Nevada. You can get a gallon of vodka, a carton of cigarettes, a box of bullets and get an abortion on the way home, but if you want Raw Milk, you gotta travel to California, you gotta know somebody (wink wink), or you have to mail order it. Stupid. It’s unfortunate that such laws are made by those who are influenced by those in an industry - where mass, factory production of antibiotic tainted and hormone enhanced milk from cows who don’t have to be certified - whose financial self-preservation comes before consumer choice. Make no mistake about it, the powers that be are influenced by those who have the most to lose - the very powerful dairy industry.

I mean, if they suddenly saw people getting healthy because of drinking fresh, raw, clean milk, then they would lose customers. They would - at the very least - start using better sanitation practices. They may even have to stop the routine antibiotics (which have been accused of causing the alarmingly high rate of antibiotic resistance in humans) or the bovine growth hormones (which have been accused of causing the alarmingly high rates of hormone-sensitive cancers and early puberty in American children) and actually have to start using real husbandry to care for their herds. Just like the Raw Milk farmers do.

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On the Road to Slow Food Nation

First, we had a day of travel and a day of wine. And then we went to Slow Food Nation ‘08.

We were only able to attend one day of SFN, but that day was packed with interesting things to do and see.

Slow Food? What exactly is “Slow Food”? It is diametrically opposite of “Fast Food,” which is being shown to be a major contributor to many of the chronic, epidemic health issues that Americans face today.

Slow Food Nation is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco and was founded in 2007. It is a subsidiary of Slow Food USA and part of the international Slow Food movement, which was founded in 1989 in Italy.

Slow Food Nation aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy, and results in delicious food. It is a grassroots movement with members internationally that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Slow Food wants to reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils, and waters that produce the food that we eat. It seeks changes in food policy, production practices, and market forces so that equity, sustainability and pleasure exist in the food we eat. And contrary to popular opinion, “pleasure” is a part of natural food consumption. We are so accustomed to the taste of over-processed, over salted factory food that we’ve lost the ability to enjoy the pleasures of real food.

Slow Food’s members include culinary professionals, food enthusiasts, farmers, food producers, educators, and students. Slow Food USA aspires for a world in which all people can eat delicious food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet.

That’s a lot, and thanks to SF for providing the preceding information to share. By the way, we have a Slow Foods member in our community and that is Valley Cheese and Wine, which should not be a surprise to those who frequent it. Their selection of artisanal, small-producer, and raw milk cheeses (no Velveeta or “cheese food” here) and their relationship with organic producers in our region show their commitment to eating well.

But I digress.

We took BART to the Civic Center station in San Francisco. When we arrived, we walked the block from the BART stop, hoping we were going in the right direction. We knew we were in the right place from the signs and Slow Food Nation banners everywhere. Because of our schedule, we wouldn’t be able to attend the events that would be taking place over the weekend, so we enjoyed the Market which had farmers, vendors, producers, and food artisans purveying their wares. Here are some that made a big impression on us: Read more

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They Don’t Care if You Die as Long as You Eat Their “Food”

Don’t for a moment believe that the brightly colored packages and boxes lining the supermarket shelves are filled with healthy, nutritious food that is good for you and your family.  They’re not.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The advertising gymnastics that the big factory food giants perform daily are amazing to me.  It begins in the morning with ads about “fiber.”  This fiber you can stir in water and it will disappear, and, therefore, you don’t have to worry about actually eating or chewing something that will be good for you.  This way, you don’t have to be bothered with using your teeth to eat, say, an *apple* that will take care of what ails you.  They apparently want you to believe that their concoctions are better than Nature. And it gets worse.

A quick perusal of just about any label on just about any package will present you with a laundry list of ingredients that you would never put into your own recipes if you were preparing the food at home.

For instance, let’s take a simple protein bar.  You can make them at home with whey, nut butter, egg (yolks and/or whites), nuts and seeds, natural sweeteners, and oats. Natural, delicious ingredients that won’t hurt your body.  It may take a little time, but a quick trip to the natural foods store will supply the ingredients.

On the other hand, Slim-Fast Protein Bars contain the following:

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