Podcast: Download (36.3MB)

[part 1 of 4] (2008 Telly Award Winner)

Extreme Green Segment:
Organic Farming and CSA

Host Transformation:
Connie & Greg join a CSA!

“O” Goods:
Composting 101
Special Guest: Elisa Margarita

Show #4 Air Date: October 2007

Show Summary:
the Newly Greens hits the farm! The average meal travels 1,500 miles to your plate and they are usually laced with pesticides when they get there. Join Connie and Greg as they investigate “greener” options in the form of organically and locally grown food. They also dig into composting with Certified Master Composter, Elisa Margarita.

Extreme Green – Organic Food and CSA’s
Greg and Connie join Leanord Pollara of Upper Meadows Farm in Montague NJ to explore the workings of an organic farm. The organic market has consistently grown 20% a year since the 1990’s. There are five main drawbacks to today’s traditional food culture:

1) Pesticides – Approximately 400 different pesticides used, designed to kill anything that might harm the crops.

2) Additives – Things like MSG are neuro-stimulants associated with neurological disorders like migraines, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

3) GMO – Genetically Modified Organisms (foods) are everywhere and they do not need to be labeled. Almost all corn and soy in the US are GMO. Although the USDA has given the ok for GMO’s, many people feel that this genetic tinkering could have unknown long term effects. There is some speculation that the sharp rise in peanut allergies in children could be the result of genetically modified crops.

4) Hormones – Hormones are used to accelerate growth in meat and poultry. There are suspected links to developmental problems in young humans, early puberty, obesity and diabetes

5) Antibiotics – Antibiotics are used widely in industrialized farming. These antibiotics remain in the meat we eat and give rise to more resistant bacteria and potentially more serious illnesses.

The Dirty Dozen
Check out the list of foods dubbed The “Dirty Dozen”. This is a list of fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic, whenever possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides. “They cost about 50 percent more — but are well worth the money”. This site also gives you tips for better conventional choices if you can’t afford or find the organic versions. You can also check out The Organic Trade Association for more information on organics and GMO’s.

Organics and Kids
Connie also recently attended a seminar with Dr. Alan Greene, author of Raising Baby Green. He has a top 10 list of foods that should be eaten in the organic form, especially for children who tend to eat a lot of these foods.

They are as follows:

• Milk
• Potato
• Peanut Butter
• Baby Food
• Ketchup
• Cotton (cottonseed oil is contained in many foods and/or fed to animals we eat)
• Apples
• Beef
• Soy
• Corn
• Wine (Bonus, for the adults only!)

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
Participating in a CSA is a good choice for many reasons. One of them is the idea of eating foods that are grown locally. According to the World Watch Institute, a typical meal in a mid-western U.S. state travels an average of 2577 kilometers. Researchers estimate that this food requires up to 17 times the petroleum and generates up to 17 times the transport-related carbon emissions than the same meal made from locally-grown ingredients. Food transportation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The growth in the distance food travels has also corresponded with an increase in food packaging, as food products are designed for longer journeys and shelf lives. In addition, there is a large amount of food waste, which unfortunately is not always composted. Source: ZeroWaste.

Where can I find a CSA or Farmers Market in my area?
localharvest.org

Where can I find organic non-GMO seeds for my garden?
According to Len of Upper Meadows Farms, these are some useful sites for seeds and farm/garden supplies.
highmowingseeds.com
halcyon.com
attra.ncat.org

Where can I find more information on Upper Meadows Farm?
Visit the Upper Meadows Farm Site! uppermeadowsfarm.com

“O” Goods – Composting
The “O” Goods segment strives to illustrate that for every choice we make, or product we buy, there is usually an alternative available that is healthier for people and the environment. Whether it is organic, less toxic, or provides fair trade for people around the world, these healthier alternatives are the choices we seek.

Connie and Elisa Margarita deliver this week’s “O” Goods composting tips.
Elisa completed the Master Composter certificate course offered by The New York City Compost Project.

Want more information on the certification program?
The New York City Compost Project.

Composting
According to the NYC CP, “The average New York City household discards two pounds of organic waste each day—adding up to more than one million tons of organic material a year. When we discard this “waste,” we lose a potential resource that can help beautify our parks, gardens, and blocks…even our windowboxes and houseplants.”

A Guide to Composting:
These sites all offer great information for composting. But remember to add the same amount of “greens” and “browns” by volume. (i.e.: one bucket of greens should also get one bucket of browns added to the pile).
compostguide.com
hgtv.com (type “compost” into their search box)
nyccompost.org

Greg and Connie – Host Transformation Update:
As mentioned previously, a big part of our “NewlyGreen” transformation is making some honest determinations about what we really need to do to live our ideal, sustainable lives. So, for this phase we’re joining a CSA! We’ve been talking about it for a long time and it’s finally time to put our money where it counts. We chose an individual share from a local CSA. It’s costing us 335/yr for the veggie and egg plan. They offer fruit also but we decided to start with just the veggies and eggs. We’ll keep you posted!