Local Food Research Groups F09

= Local Food Research Notes and Results - Fall 2009 =

Andrea Love


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Elizabeth Berg


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Sarah Habeck


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Our group is researching raw milk consumption and production in the Pioneer Valley. We are visiting farms that sell it, interviewing the farmers, and sampling lots of raw milk. We are editing our farm visits and interviews into a short video, addressing issues of safety, production, distribiution, and health. Raw milk is currently only sold directly from the farm, and we are interested in finding out if this is a system that works, or if changes in legislature and popular beliefs are in order. Two short papers will accompany our video: one dealing with the health of raw milk, and the other on politics throughout the different states regarding the sale of raw milk.

Interview questions for raw milk dairy farmers:
-When and why did you decide to sell raw milk?

-What changes did you make in order to sell raw milk safely? (what the cows eat, when they get tested, # of cows, etc.)

-Have you run into any problems with contamination? Or problems with the government?

-How has selling raw milk affected your business?

-How would you describe the interest in raw milk now, compared to when you began selling it?

-Do you drink raw milk? Do you have any health success stories? How much does the taste vary between batches?

-How much of your milk is sold raw? How much pasteurized? Is it a good balance for you?

-Do you think raw milk will/should always be a fringe product? If not, what major changes need to be made?

Pictures of adorable cows and more!




Links:
http://www.thecompletepatient.com/ - David Gumpert blogs about the health system, but has recently been blogging exclusively about raw milk. He is very connected to raw milk politics, and his blog is full of interesting information about current events surrounding the raw milk battle.

David Gumpert’s new book! The Raw Milk Revolution -You can read a good portion of it in this book preview.

http://www.realmilk.com/- The Weston A. Price foundation is a major advocate for raw milk, and this is a good sight to get basic information about why raw milk is so good for you, and what the major arguments are, for and against it.

Graham Jeffries
here is my project writeup



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Alex Boyajian


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Kate Vaiknoras
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Sarah Steadman


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Duncan Sullivan


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Research Questions
Questions about local food in Hampshire Dining Commons

How much food is served at the Dining Commons on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? This might include figures for general quantity, cost, and/or number of people served.

Much much produce is prepared and served at the DC? What percent of total food served (in volume or cost) is from raw produce? This might include figures from Fowler and Hunting, volume estimates from the HC Farm Center, Joe Czajkowski Farm, etc.

How is the amount of food needed for a given day or week estimated? What, if any, assumptions are made about how much each student might consume?

What distributors does Hampshire DC purchase from and what products are provided by each?

Are there specific Sodexo policies regarding purchasing from distributors or other vendors that are not contracted with the firm at large?

Does Dining Services have a budget for local foods? How is spending allocated?

What are the biggest challenges for integrating locally produced foods into Dining Services?

Are there specific challenges facing chefs in planning and preparing locally sourced food?

What is your vision of local foods in the future of Hampshire's Dining Services? Particular aspirations or goals?

Anne Gardiner


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Dylan LaPointe


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Maren Vigeland


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Emma Jones


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Priyanka Basnet


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Gabriella do Amaral


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Andrew Mangold


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Kristin McLaughlin
Rissler, Jane, and Margaret Mellon. Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996. Print.

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. A. Hilbeck, and D.A. Andow, eds. Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organsims: A Case Study of Bt Maize in Kenya. Cambridge: CABI Publishing, 2004. N. pag. Print.

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Nicole Dhruv
Our group is focused on doing a more traditional type of research project, so the following information I've implemented is on a broader spectrum of who and what is affected by the health risks, dangers, and outcomes of GM foods. A lot of my research consists of specific case studies, some including: reactions in animals and humans, the gene insertions and how they create problems, how protein produced by the inserted gene may cause problems, transfer if genes and their affects, environmental toxins and bioaccumulate toxins in food chain caused by GM crops etc. I'm trying to find several interesting studies on health risks, such as these previously discussed ones to convey this topic in a more interesting and a more evidential and factual way.

'''The following is a copy of John B. Fagan's article - "Genetically Engineered Food- A Serious Risk" which epitomize all aspects of health risks in relation to the use of genetically engineered foods. '''



. http://www.netlink.de/gen/fagan.html

The Health Risks of GM Foods: Summary and Debate http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/GeneticRoulette/HealthRisksofGMFoodsSummaryDebate/index.cfm

The previous link summarizes the health risks of genetically modified foods and is also an active forum for further global discussion and debate. It includes 65 significant sections to health risks of GM foods. And in each section it offers opportunity for people to update, correct, add, challenge, and leave responses.

There are 8 sections discussing the documented health risks of genetically engineered foods each section containing several subsections of different articles, journal reviews, texts, etc. supporting what the section is about... (Which is where I've been finding good articles and texts for our project... It really provides good case studies supporting the discussed health risks of GM foods).

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Chelsea Faria


Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.S., comp. Genetically modified organisms, consumers, food safety and the environment. 2001. Print.

This source is part of the FAO Ethics Series which is an informational book about consumer rights and genetically modified organisms. I will be focusing on the chapter titled, "GMOs and Human Rights." It documents some of the ethical considerations that we, as a nation, should be conscious of in our changing world.

Vallely, Paul. "Strange fruit: Could genetically modified foods offer a solution to the world's food crisis?" The Independent [San Francisco] 18 Apr. 2009. Print.

This newspaper article is ideal for my research paper because it is very recent, and it provides concise and factual information on the pros and cons of farming genetically modified foods. If these crops have been successfully cultivated and saving farmer's time and energy, then are they an asset to humanity? While it acknowledges the progress we have made, it analyzes the complications and obscurities that arise when dealing with such an inexact science.

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Ian Schenholm


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Larry Winship


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Grace Hirt


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Research questions
What plants should be grown, evaluated on the following criteria: -nutritional density -capacity to produce vegetables or fruits in limited amount of space -ability to grow in a wide variety of climates under various weather conditions, not just favorable conditions additionally, an exploration of alternative growing methods that would allow for higher yields in the same amount of space. possible methods include: -vertical farming and “edible walls” -rooftop gardens -hydroponics -growing in discarded containers (trash bags, boxes, old bathtubs, canvas sacks, crates, etc.)

Brief Background:

Although there are a number of criteria that one should consider when selecting which plants to grow, I will only be researching and making final evaluations based on two: nutrient and caloric density (measured by calories/nutrients per __ amount divided by the amount produced within a given area) and methods for growing, or the ability to grow in a small space. My main focus is to figure out which are the “best” five or so vegetable crops to grow if one is a casual home gardener, meaning that they are not expecting to sustain themselves on what they are growing, nor would they be considered “expert gardeners” who have a great deal of time to spend devoted to growing laborious crops. I am assuming that my model gardener also may not have a great deal of land on which to grow plants. This is another, somewhat less important factor that I will also be taking into consideration. Above all, the highest ranking factor in my determination of what to grow will take into consideration what I think is “typical” of a casual home gardener, based in part on my family’s own experience of growing vegetation in our backyard.

Criteria Not Considered: For the context of this paper, I will be making decisions and research based upon the San Francisco bay area, which falls into the USDA hardiness or climate zone eight. It is relatively easy to grow crops all year round, has a somewhat Mediterranean climate, and winters are fairly mild. I have selected this area because it is easy to grow plants, and because I am most familiar with this climate. This said, I will obviously not be taking into consideration different USDA hardiness or sunset climate zones. Other factors that I am not taking into consideration include the weather and seasonality (temperatures), soil nutrition, crop rotation, sun exposure, water, year round planting and cover crops, pest control, or cost. I realize that there are a number of other criteria that I am probably also choosing to exclude, but this is a list of factors that I thought may be more common, although most are probably of little concern to a casual home gardener.

Choosing Vegetables: In deciding what vegetables to grow, I will be selecting what I believe to be the “best” representative, one from five different groups: leafy greens and cabbages (limited to those with leaves, such as heads or bok choy), the nightshade family (excluding potatoes), root (excluding potatoes), beans and legumes (not dried), and a grain or winter squash. Although winter squashes are less nutritionally dense than for example, oats, I think the likelihood of someone growing acorn squash is far higher than someone planting a bed of oats, but I may be mistaken. I may also include a vining vegetable, and possibly a fruit representative as well. The following is a list of vegetables that I am considering within each group, as well as their caloric content (calories/__ grams; measured for raw states):


 * Leafy Greens &amp; Cabbages:
 * Brussels sprouts (55 cal/155 g)
 * Chinese cabbage (10 cal/75 g)
 * Kale (30 cal/110 g)
 * Boston/butterhead lettuce (30 cal/220 g)
 * Spinach (40 cal/180 g)


 * Nightshades:
 * Eggplant (20 cal/82 g)
 * Peppers, bell (30 cal/149 g)
 * Tomatillos (32 cal/100 g)
 * Tomatoes (40 cal/200 g)


 * Roots:


 * Beets (55 cal/170 g)
 * Carrots (45 cal/110 g)
 * Onion (bulb) (40 cal/110 g)
 * Radish (5 cal/40 g)
 * Rutabaga (50 cal/140 g)
 * Turnip (35 cal/155 g)


 * Beans:
 * English Peas (115 cal/160 g)
 * Lima (190 cal/170 g)
 * Snap (green/yellow) (30 cal/125 g)


 * Grain:
 * Acorn Squash (40 cal/100 g)
 * Butternut Squash (45 cal/100 g)
 * Kabocha Squash (unable to find)
 * Potato, red (70 cal/100 g)
 * Russet Potato (79 cal/100 g)
 * Sweet Potato (112 cal/130 g)

Growing Methods Below is a list of different growing methods that I have thought to be practical for home use, and a brief description. For some methods so far, I have included a list of what vegetables are best suited to this type of growing.

Container Growing: This is exactly what it sounds like. Virtually anything can be used as a container to grow plants, as long as it can hold dirt and water, and has (or the capacity to have) small drainage holes at the bottom, or can be filled with small rocks about one-fourth of the way up. Plastic or other non-porous units are preferable over porous materials, such as clay, because they will not “steal” water from the plant. Container sizes will vary according to what you are intend to stick in it, but for a one-gallon container, you can grow beets, lettuces, onions, radishes, and carrots. Chard, peppers, Chinese cabbage, and small tomato varieties do best in two gallons of soil. You can also grow dwarf fruit trees, vining plants, and pole beans in containers, as long as you also provide them with a trellis. Kale and small eggplant varieties can also be grown.

Intercropping: This method is probably most commonly used by gardeners, whether they intended it or not. Aimply put, it is when you grow a variety of vegetation together, rather than creating beds or blocks of a single plant. This method is advantageous because it allows for more efficient use of space, but it also is thought to reduce insect pests.

Vertical Cropping: There are actually a number of methods that can be used to grow vertically. Among those I have discovered include trellising; the practice of training a plant to grow upwards on a pole, trellis, or other vertical support, terracing; this involves either creating raised beds in the soil so that it essentially creates a staircase, or one can simply plant by height, and tumbling; this method utilizes hanging planters, and the plant grows out over, or “tumbles” down the side of the container. The best plants for trellising are of course, vining varieties, but you can also train, or espalier tomatoes, berries, dwarf fruit trees, and melons or squash, although they need to be supported when they get larger, otherwise they will break off. You can trellis pretty much anything with a limited root system, and this method is beneficial because you can grow plants closer together. It also works in combination with container growing. Tumbling works best for small plants, because if the plant becomes too large and heavy, it will fall down. Large plants do also not do well in this method because if it requires a large amount of soil, the container will initially be too heavy, let alone once the plant starts to grow. Containers for tumbling include plastic pots, grow bags, and window boxes.

Sources:


 * 1) Jeavons, John and Carol Cox. The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1999.
 * 2) Ruppenthal, R.J. Fresh Food From Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008.
 * 3) Splittstoesesser, Walter E. Vegetable Growing Handbook: Organic and Traditional Methods. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990.

Linda Fenstermaker


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Melanie Toyzer


For my part of the project, I am looking at supermarkets/grocery stores that use local foods and CISA. I have tried to contact River Valley Market, Cornucopia Foods, Whole Foods, and Big Y. So far I have heard back from River Valley Market and Cornucopia. I have also talked to Brian Schultz who is a professor here at Hampshire as well as a board member of CISA. I also spoke with Claire Morenon who is the program director for CISA. I hope to get responses or to talk with someone from Whole Foods and Big Y since they are larger retailers than Cornucopoa and River Valley Market. I also hope to speak wtih someone at Atkins Farm Market. Below I have posted the questions I pose for both CISA and supermarkets as one of the responses I have recieved.

Questions for CISA:

What are the major goals of CISA?

What are the different programs you have? What are their goals? Why do you feel it's important to use local foods? How do you work with businesses to get them to incorporate local foods? What are some of the problems you come across when trying to encourage businesses/consumers to use more local foods?

Have you seen a change since CISA has been founded/working to make the area more localized?

Questions for Supermarkets/Grocery Stores? How much local produce/other products do you generally try to incorporate into your store(percent)? &lt;span class="signature-fixed" /&gt;

Why do you buy and distribute local foods? &lt;span class="signature-fixed" /&gt;

Why don'y you buy and distribute local foods (if you don't)?

What local food do you cell? Where do you buy it from? In comparison to foods that aren't local, how well do the local foods sell? &lt;span class="signature-fixed" /&gt;

How do you try to incorporate local foods/products in your stores? &lt;span class="signature-fixed" /&gt;

What problems have you come across in trying to incorporate more local products? Do you find customers recognize your efforts/there is a demand for it? Are there certain products you feel should come from local sources more so than others? What do you think prevents people from buying more local foods? How much do you promote and inform customers about local food?

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River Valley Market Response:

River Valley Market is a cooperative business owned by the community (4000+ members, each with $150 equity invested in the business). The vision that got us started in 1998 was to open a business that would support local farmers, help preserve farmland in the Pioneer Valley, and actively work toward creating a thriving local/regional food system. We opened our 15,000 square foot store in April 2008, and are experiencing continued sales growth despite the current economic situation. Our success in these difficult times is related in part to the strength that we gain through our cooperative ownership structure. (We also have very talented people running the business and on our Board!) We purchase and sell local foods because it's a core part of the mission of our business. The values related to supporting local food production, and specifically - local food that is sustainably produced - are the values of our member-owners. Our mission is to provide "a just marketplace that nourishes the community." In our first year (FY08-09) we purchased 20% of our food products locally (within 100 miles), and another 25% from within the New England/New York region for a total of 45% of the food sold at our co-op supporting local or regional farmers and businesses. In real terms this equalled about $1 million in local foods and another $1.5 million in regional foods for a total $2.5 million in food purchases supporting local and regional producers and businesses.

Allison Lerman-Gluck


.{For my part of our Local Foods project, I am researching restaurants in the area that use local foods and are committed to supporting the local foods movement. In the past three weeks, I have sent out a lot of emails and made a few phone calls. Three weeks ago, I sent out about five emails and received two emails from restaurants that seemed interested in lending a hand, but no further responses. This past week, I tried again and sent out a large number of emails to various food venders. These include: the Green Bean, Earthfoods Cafe (at UMass), Esselon Cafe, Carmelina's, Fitzwilly's, Northampton Brewery, Cup and Top Cafe, Blue Heron, Bubs BBQ, Apollo Grill, Sienna Restaurant, Hillside Pizza, the People's Pint, Fresh Side, Paul and Elizabeth's, Bart's and Bistro Les Gras. So far, Bart's has expressed interest in helping us but I'm still waiting on their responses to the questions that I posted via email. Bistro Les Gras sent me an email saying that they would have answers for me soon, Carmelina's said that they would be getting back to me in the next week or so, and I received responses from the Green Bean.

The questions that I sent out (although I tailored them to fit various restaurants) are listed below:

1.) When/how did you first encounter the idea of using local food in your restaurant?

2.) Why do you think it's important fo rlocal foods to be used in restaurant settings?

3.) What are your reasons for using local food in your business?

4.) What, if any, are the disadvantages to selling local food?

5.) Do locally grown and raised products cost more? If so, do you find these costs are offsett by specific benefits or through better business?

6.) Is local food a selling point? How much does it seem to matter to customers where their food comes from?

7.) From where do you buy local foods?

8.) How do you decided which foods you are going to buy locally?

9.) How do the dynamics of this particular region (the pioneer valley) affect your decision and/or ability to continue to use local products?

10.) What do you think stops other restaurant owners from using local products?

11.) If there are products you don't buy locally, what stops you? What would have to change for you to start buying and selling more local food products?

12.) Do you think the use of local food in restaurant settings could become more universal? 

'''The Green Bean is the first restaurant to reply. Below, I have pasted a copy of the response that I received:'''

1) I didn't "encounter" the idea of using local foods. It's just what I've known for a long time (long before I opened the restaurant) makes the most sense.

2) I think it's important to use local foods because I see there being more net sustainability in supporting a local economy- based on real people growing real food, and delivering it to me themselves (in some cases, on bicycle)- than in ordering food from a purveyor that trucks it in from California or Mexico.

3) I use local food because it is the most fresh food available, because it keeps the money that I spend in my community, and because I has the smallest carbon footprint of any food I can buy.

4) Sometimes it costs more, which means I need to charge more. That turns some people away.

5) They often cost more, but not always. I obviously feel like the benefits outweigh the costs because I use local food whenever I can.

6) Yes it is. It matters to my customers very much.

7) I buy local food from all over the valley. I have a list of my local venders on the sandwich board in front of the restaurant you're welcomed to check out.

8) I get what's available.

9) It's a fertile valley with a fairly long growing season, so I get as much as I can locally for as long as I can.

10) They think it's going to be expensive. They think it's too much of a hassle. They don't really care. These are just guesses. I don't really know.

11) There's very little that's available to me locally that I don't buy. The one thing I can think of is jam. We use so much of it, and the local jam that I've priced out is really expensive. Unfortunately what I've priced would be cost-prohibitive for me. I could shop around a bit more, though.

12) Yes and no. Local restaurants could be more educated, but still, the growing season is still only 6 months or so a year. Also, some places (no, many places) are always going to elect to serve lowest-common-denominator food. It's just the way it is. But some education might help.

''I am still awaiting further responses, but I expect a number of them to come in the next week. ''

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Food Awareness and College Food Services
=== We are conducting research about the Hampshire student bodies' consumption of food. We want to explore the topic in regard to Saga, through Hampshire farm shares, and in outside grocery stores and farmers markets. We want to explore the eating habits of students and look at the different perspectives and concerns pertaining to local foods that exist at this college. We hope to shed light on the level of knowledge students have about their food and encourage the Hampshire community to look into more traditional and sustainable models of food production. We have compiled a short survey to distrubute around campus to learn about students' likes, dislikes, habits, and knowedge when it comes to campus food. Our project will culminate in a short film showcasing interviews with a wide array of students, from those who are just learning about local food to those who have long been involved in the movement both on campus and otherwise. Accompanying the film we will have a brief write-up of our research including graphs and data analysis. ===

Senti Sojwal


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Olana Flynn


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Zachary Isen


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Claudia Coleman


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Melia Chase


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Megan Meo


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Ned Paige


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