Cause Matters Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Food’

My Food Resolution

Friday, December 30th, 2011

~guest post by MRS

As a rule, I don’t make resolutions, mostly because I’m terrible at keeping them. Like a lot of people, I think about things I need to change, activity levels, eating healthier, keeping our house cleaner, etc. Then I try really hard to accomplish these things for a few weeks, but before I know it I’ve missed a few days. Then a few weeks pass and I’ve slid back into the old habits. Our house is cluttered, I’m spending too much time on our couch and I’m thinking, “What diet?”

I know I’m not the only one who does this.

But as I think about what our life is going to look like this coming year, potential job changes, growing kids and more involvement in our family farm. I realize, that eating healthy foods plays a huge roll in our ability to accomplish those things.

sweet corn, toddlerBlue is a very busy toddler. He loves to play in the mud and is obsessed with trains, but he struggles with constipation. If we don’t give him enough fruits and vegetables to eat, he has painful bowel problems. So I buy fruit, lots and lots of fruit. And I feed it to Blue like it’s going out of style, but I don’t eat it myself. I sit down to lunch with Blue and he’s eating fresh fruits and veggies and what do I have? Generally, I’m eating a turkey sandwich, potato chips & drinking a can of pop. What am I teaching him by doing this?

Daisy is 6 months old now and we’ve recently started introducing her to solid foods. She is happy baby girlstill deciding whether or not she likes them, but over the next few months we’ll transition her from a liquid only diet to a diet that isn’t just pureed fruits and veggies, but also finger foods. By the time her birthday rolls around, she’ll be eating mostly table foods. It’s hard to imagine that now, but the next 6 months will bring a lot of changes to Daisy. She’ll practically be a whole new kid!

As my kids grow, it’s increasingly important that HandyMan and I teach them what it means to be healthy. We need to drink water and not pop, eat fruit and vegetables instead of potato chips because if we just tell them how to be healthy without actually showing them what being healthy is, what are they learning? So it’s time to make some changes, to start practicing what we preach and leading by example.

Here goes nothing.

What are you hoping to change in 2012?

 


I’ve got questions. So do 70 million others.

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Generation Y has left quite the mark on our society – haven’t we?

For those of you who just clicked on the link above- yes, I just cited Wikipedia. And yes, I can do that because I am Generation Y. I’m independent. I make my own rules. Sometimes I follow the rules of those that I respect highly. Furthermore, I’m both “high-performance and high-maintenance,” as this USA Today article put it.

If you aren’t one of us, we’re easy to spot. Harry Potter was our Peter Pan. Eminem is our comeback kid and the names Blink-182, Britney Spears and Creed all have a special place in our hearts.

But that’s all in the past now. What does a Gen Yer like me do now that Britney’s back at the gym and Harry Potter has come to an end? I do just what everyone else does. I juggle a career in agriculture, a husband, a house, time at the gym, volunteering, spending time online and whatever else I need to do.

Generation Y, Social Media, Blog, CartoonWhile I don’t spend every second online like some of our youngest Gen Yers, it’s a part of my life I couldn’t live without and it has hugely impacted my “agvocacy”, advocating for agriculture. Aside from agvocacy, it’s my direct link to answering questions, a lip-smacking recipe for dinner and a community of people who care about me. I explore topics that interest me on blogs, Google, Facebook and Twitter. I’m always looking for new ways, like Pinterest or Google+, to organize my overload of information. But to be honest, I don’t have the time to get to know technology or every topic as good as I should.

So what do I do? I rely on an online network of people I’ve built to provide me with trustworthy information. I seek out blogs that I trust, people on Twitter I’ve had meaningful conversations with, and webpages or Facebook pages that give me a glimpse into things I don’t understand.

Most recently, I became involved with a group of Rockin’ Rural Women that are on both Twitter and Facebook. There are about 800 of us nationwide. We come together to celebrate all things are rural- our livelihoods, our dreams, our values. Simply put, you don’t need to be a cowgirl but do you need to love dirt under your fingernails. Last week we had a chat on Facebook and Twitter about holiday stress and how we (as women) de-stress. It’s always a great time. Such good people. Such good prizes.

So what does this mean to you? To me? To agvocacy?

We need to consider taking time to break out of our everyday routines and to be a part of online relationships- not just conversations. The relationships need to be honest, transparent and meaningful, just like offline relationships are.

Twitter is a great place to do this type of online relationship building. While there millions of more people still on MySpace compared to those of us on Twitter, I have found Twitter to be a highly influential and engaged place to build relationships. Pick a TV show, hobby or interest you enjoy and follow the Twitter hashtag. Connect with a few new people every week and grow those relationships. This will allow you to go “beyond the choir” that you engage with daily or weekly and truly reach people outside of agriculture circle you already know well.

Do you blog? Find a new blog or two that shares a common interest or hobby and comment on those blogs. Establish a relationship with the blogger and invite them to read your blog. It’s amazing how these connections can go so deep.

I tend to find, when a non-agriculture person I have built a relationship with online has a question about food or farming, they often will think of me as a resource to go to with their question. It’s just one way my agvocacy impacts the online relationships I have built.

Take it from a Gen Yer, I understand it’s easy to get caught in our own world and our own circles- days are long, time is short, and even the lowest maintenance, “high-maintenance Gen Yer” has too many things to do. But there are 70 million of us Gen Yers out there and we all have questions about everything from fashion to food. Do you want to help answer?

Jodi OleenJodi Oleen is a thirty-something Floridian-turned-Kansan. She is recently married and works for a farmer led organization in The Little Apple. She has a undergraduate degree in Animal Science with an Equine Option and a Master’s degree in Food and Resource Economics, both from University of Florida. Find her on Twitter or Facebook, or check out mycousinisvegan.wordpress.com.


Looking beyond my full plate

Monday, November 28th, 2011

~guest post by MRS

As I was sitting down to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family last week, I started thinking. Not about the amazing food I was about to eat (although the food was amazing), but about the 1 in 6 people in our country who regularly don’t get enough to eat.

It’s easy to stand on our soapboxes and talk about the ineffectiveness of entitlement programs, i.e. food stamps or how people just need to get a job to feed their family. It’s also easy to get caught up in the arguments about food and farming. We should all eat only local, organic foods or conventionally grown food is fine or that all GMO foods need to be labeled as such. And while I understand that these are things that people are passionate about, sometimes I wonder if we’re focusing on these “secondary” issues a little too much.

Because, seriously, there are people in our own communities who are going hungry! Isn’t it more important that people are fed than whether or not they’re eating GMO or non-GMO food? I imagine that if you went up to a parent who was struggling to feed his children and offered that parent food, regardless of what kind it was, that the parent would be grateful just to be able to feed his children. I know I would. It breaks my heart to think about even the possibility of not being able to feed my children, and yet for some parents that is a daily reality.

It took a little bit of the joy out of my Thanksgiving dinner to think that while my family had more than enough to eat, my neighbors might have nothing. And as I thought about the arguing and in fighting that seems to permeate the food & farming industries, it all seemed just a little silly to me.

Americans hungry at Thanksgiving

Who is hungry in your community?

Why can’t we focus on making sure that there is enough, affordable food for everyone before we get caught up in the organic vs. conventional, GMO vs. non-GMO, etc. debates.

I realize that it’s a tall order to make sure everyone has enough to eat. I also know that it’s overwhelming to think about feeding all 7 billion people in the world, and that for a lot of people, myself included, it’s easy to look at that number and be so overwhelmed that I do nothing. It’s also easy to get so caught up in my own life that I forget to think about what other people might be going through. So I thought to myself, “What can I do, in my community, to help, even in a small way?” And I realized there’s a lot I can do. I can volunteer at and donate to my local food pantry. I can give money, even if it’s just a small amount, to my church’s “Care & Share” fund. Most importantly, I can stop making excuses for why I can’t do anything and instead, make it a priority.

What can you do to help feed the hungry in your community?


Giving thanks for a cornerstone

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

As Americans gather for Thanksgiving, I’d guess very few talk about the economic contributions behind their food table. If there’s any such discussion, it’s likely how the average cost of this holiday meal has risen more than $5 this year.  However, what’s just as important is the cornerstone that agriculture provides for our economy. While only 1.5% of our population farms, the agrifood system in total is nearly 20% of the economy.  Agriculture and supporting systems have been one of the few economic bright spots in the last couple of years with employment being consistently available, though few recognize it as a cornerstone.

Take a pause in your day to consider the myriad of people working across agriculture, food, natural resources and related businesses. There are some great people and they’re providing a necessity. In a day to give #Foodthanks, please consider how you can include them in your gratitude. And feel free to add to the list!

Agricultural Communications, Economics & Education

  • Farm News Reporter
  • Public Relations
  • Extension Specialist
  • Agricultural Advertising Specialist
  • Trade Association Representative
  • Grain Merchandiser
  • Grain Broker
  • Professional Farm Manager
  • Farm & Land Appraiser
  • Ag Statistician
  • Food Distribution Manager
  • Commodity Broker
  • Tax Consultant
  • Insurance Agent
  • Commodity Merchandiser
  • Agriculture Education Teacher
  • Cooperative Extension Advisor
  • Soil Conservationist
  • Loan Officer

Agricultural Engineering

  • Food Engineer
  • Machine Design Engineer
  • Irrigation Engineer
  • Sanitary/Waste Handling Engineer
  • Plant Supervisorfarmers working together
  • Nutrient Management
  • Welder

Agronomy/Soils

  • Agronomist
  • Farm Manager
  • Crop Specialist
  • Weed Scientist
  • Soil Scientist
  • Plant Breeder
  • Plant Geneticist
  • Environmental Specialist
  • Soil Surveyor
  • Crop Production Analyst
  • Land Use Specialist

Farmers & Ranchersfarmer ice cream kids

  • Dairy
  • Corn
  • Soybean
  • Wheat
  • Grape
  • Cotton
  • Almonds
  • Sunflower
  • Popcorn
  • Pumpkin
  • Poultry
  • Fruit & Vegetable
  • Christmas Tree
  • Hog
  • Beef Cattle
  • Goat
  • Sheep
  • Fish
  • Hay
  • Rice
  • Sugar Cane
  • Alfalfa
  • Barley
  • Hops
  • Potato
  • Cranberry
  • Mushroom
  • Peanut
  • Pecan

Animal SciencesHarley Sietsema turkey producer

  • Livestock Production Manager
  • Animal Health Product Sales
  • Livestock Procurement
  • A.I. Breeding Technician
  • Livestock Feedlot Operator
  • Research or Lab Technician
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Livestock Marketing Specialist
  • Housing & Environmental Quality Specialist
  • Animal Scientist
  • Veterinarian
  • Animal Nutritionist
  • Bison Rancher

Horticulture

  • Greenhouse Manager
  • Floral Crop Growers
  • Floral Crop Marketer
  • Floral Designer
  • Floral Shop Manager
  • Seed and Bulb Salesgarden
  • Nursery Manager
  • Plant Propagator
  • Nursery Sales Representative
  • Nursery Inspector
  • Landscape Contractor
  • Landscape Designer
  • Garden Center Manager
  • Arborist
  • Urban Horticulturist
  • Park Horticulturist
  • Park Manager
  • Golf Course Superintendent
  • Home and Commercial Lawncare
  • Care Manager
  • Sod Grower
  • Fruit and Vegetable Grower
  • Quality Control Specialist
  • Researcher
  • Extension Specialist
  • Plant Breeder
  • Gardener
  • Retail and Wholesale Sales
  • Fertilizer Sales Representative

There are more than one hundred here and even more on Food & Nutrition at “How many hands are behind your food plate?”. There are over 200 careers in the agrifood system – imagine what would happen if each person involved might stop and offer an explanation of what they do.

 


How many hands are behind your food plate?

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

giving thanks for foodOne of my favorite classes at Michigan State was Food Systems Management. The content left an imprint on me; we studied charts representing all the different parts of the food system. I found it mind boggling to see the many entities that milk went through to get from my cow to a person’s glass; the farmer is the first step in caring for an animal and producing the milk in a safe environment. However, there’s also a milk truck drive who picks up the milk and follows strict procedure, a milk inspector ensuring state regulations are followed and the people who test the milk when it gets to the plant. Then there are hands involved in the pastuerizing, processing, chemical analysis, quality control, distributing and retailing of that milk – all of which play an important role.

Some will say that food shouldn’t be that complicated; it should go from garden to plate with no one in between. The reality of feeding people 12 months out of the year intervenes, as does the economics of getting a variety of foods to the majority of the population.  I’m giving thanks for the MANY hands behind the food on our plates this season; and would invite you to do the same.  Some food jobs for you to remember:

  • Animal Geneticist
  • Animal Nutritionist; yes, cows have diets – theirs is more scientifically formulated than yours
  • Baker
  • Barista; have to love my non-fat chai tea latte
  • Bee Keeper
  • Biotechnology researcher; consider the ability to provide vitamins to the malnourished
  • Blogger
  • Boutique Crop Farmer
  • Butcher; it may not be pretty, but is important unless you like eating cowhide or turkey feathers
  • Chef
  • Cheese Maker; how smelly do you like yours?
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Consumer Sciences/Home-Economics Teacher
  • Culinary School Teacher
  • Dairy Nutrition Specialist
  • Dietitian; this is the place you should go for unbiased and scientific info.
  • Enologist; have to love those grapes
  • Entrepreneur
  • Extension Educator
  • FDA employees
  • Fish Farmer; my love of seafood makes me very thankful
  • Flavor Chemist
  • Food Broker
  • Food Chemist; yes, there is chemistry in food – even the simplest food.
  • Food Inspector
  • Food Microbiologist
  • Food Plant Employees
  • Food & Restaurant Critic
  • Food Radio Host
  • Food Retailer; grocery shopping is not my favorite
  • Food Photographer
  • Food Scientist
  • Food Writer
  • Garbage Anthropologist
  • Grocery Store Manager
  • Herb Farmer
  • Historian
  • Honey Producer
  • Ice Cream Taster/Namer
  • Marketer
  • Mushroom Grower
  • Nut Grower; please pass the almonds, pecans, peanuts…
  • Nutritionist
  • Obesity Researcher
  • Packaging Specialists; remember that noise Sun Chips bag?
  • Product Demonstrator
  • Quality  Control Inspector
  • Recipe Developer; this is kind of a hobby – it must cool to do it full time.
  • Restauranteur
  • Seed Scientist
  • Specialty Crop Farmer; mmm, love those lentils
  • Tasters
  • Tea Growers & Shop Owners; you keep me sane in the morningthanksgiving for food
  • Tree & Vine Fruit Grower
  • Truck Driver
  • Viticulturist
  • Waitstaff; bad service and good service usually mark your memories of an evening out
  • Wild Game Farmer
  • Wineries; thankful for the vino!

Won’t you join me and thousands of others giving #Foodthanks on November 23? Blog, tweet, Facebook about it. After all, don’t all of the hands behind your food plate deserve gratitude?