1:00pm, April 19, 2008
What’s in the Pot: Hai Truong, Owner, Ngon Bistro, http://www.ngonbistro.com
National Spotlight: Mapy Alvarez, National Immigrant Farming Initiative, http://immigrantfarming.org
Outstanding in Their Field: Mhonpaj Lee, Mhonpaj’s Garden, Minnesota Food Association, http://www.mnfoodassociation.org/bigriverfoods_mhonpaj.aspx
Health and Wellness: Dr. William Klevos
Next week sneak peak - Will Allen from Growing Power!
April 18, 2008
1:00, April 12, 2008
What’s in the Pot: Lenny Russo, Chef and Owner, Heartland Restaurant, http://www.heartlandrestaurant.com
Outstanding in Their Field: Herby Radmann, Soul Proprietor, Bullfrog Fish Farm, http://eatmyfish.com
National Spotlight: John Ikerd, University of Missouri Columbia, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, http://web.missouri.edu/~ikerdj/default.htm
Gardens of Readin’: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
April 11, 2008
1:00, April 5, 2008
What’s in the Pot: Tracy Singleton, Owner and Restauranteur, Birchwood Cafe
National Spotlight: Bobby King, Policy Program Organizer, Land Stewardship Project
Outstanding in Their Field: Jodi Ohlsen-Read, Co-owner, Cheesemaker, Shepherd’s Way Farm
Health and Wellness: Dr. William Klevos, the health benefits of grass-fed dairy and sheep cheese.
April 4, 2008
Local Food Hero — AM 950 KTNF — The Voice of Minnesota
1:00, March 22, 2008
Outstanding in Their Field: Don Roberts, Owner and Producer, Otter Creek Growers
What’s In the Pot: Alex Roberts, Chef and Restauranteur, Restaurant Alma & Brasa
National Spotlight: Jim Hightower, Author, (Swim Against the Current, Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow), Radio host, Public Speaker.
Gardens of Read’n: Carol Banks, Publisher, Edible Twin Cities
Todays program is being underwritten by Peace Coffee to promote Jim Hightower’s coming to Minneapolis on April 3rd at Joan of Arc Church from 6:30-9:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public. You will be able to hear Jim Hightower speak and have him sign your copy of his latest book.
Thank you for your support!
Click here to listen >>
March 29, 2008
“What a salute this book is to all that is extraordinary about eating and living in Minnesota! We have our own home agriculture — all we need do is walk through a farmer’s market to see it. We support our own — our local farmers, artisans, dairies and all the professional cooks who bring that food to the table. This book brings what could be the missing link. Yes, the recipes are beyond good, but here we have the essential bedrock of who we are as a people — our rural communities. Without them, we become another state of vast factory-driven agriculture.
Thank you Renewing the Countryside for a lush cookbook to cook from everyday and for introducing us to the cooks who link us to our land.”
- Lynne Rossetto Kasper, Host of public radio’s national food show, The Splendid Table® from American Public Media
March 24, 2008
Local Food Hero — AM 950 KTNF — The Voice of Minnesota
1:00, March 22, 2008
What’s in the Pot: Nathalie Johnson, co-owner and chef
Signature Cafe www.signaturecafe.net
National Spotlight: Kate Clancy, Researcher and Senior Fellow, Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems, University of Minnesota
Kate will be the keynote speaker at the Homegrown Economy Conference - March 30-31st in Crookston, MN
Outstanding In Their Field: Linda Halley
Gardens of Eagan www.gardensofeagan.com
Health and Wellness: Dr. William Klevos, minerals and mineral uptake in nutrient dense foods.
Click here to listen >>
March 22, 2008
This Week’s Radio
Local Food Hero — AM 950 KTNF — The Voice of Minnesota
1:00, March 01, 2008
Outstanding in Their Field: Greg Reynolds, Riverbend Farm www.rbfcsa.com
What’s in the Pot: Mike Phillips, The Craftsman Bar and Restaurant www.craftsmanrestaurant.com
Setting Fire to the Strawman - Greg Reynolds
There has been some discussion about food miles versus carbon footprint and lifecycle assessment. I think that it started with an eat local campaign in England that said ‘the fewer miles food travels, the better’. The Enonomist (Dec. 7, 2006) mentioned that organics are ruining the planet and referenced a study that said shipping lamb from New Zealand has less environmental impact than raising it in England. New York Times OpEd (Aug. 6, 2007) weighed in on the topic and mostly came down on the side of ‘let the big guys take care of it, keep shopping.’ They mentioned the same NZ lamb study and put in a good word for shipping potatoes by rail.There is a kernal of truth in that the entire carbon footprint of food needs to be looked at, not just the distance from the field to the fork. Shipping field grown tomatoes, by boat, from Spain to Sweden surely consumes less energy than growing them in greenhouses outside Stockholm in the winter. But that is not the whole story.The Leopold Center found that food usually (87%) travels by truck in this country. Rhys at Coop Partners Warehouse says that all of their produce comes by truck. A semi gets 4 or 5 miles to the gallon and can haul 40-50,000 pounds of freight. That means that they can move 80 – 125 tons one mile per gallon of fuel burned. Not bad. Lets call it 100TMPG. Now that it is just a number, it also means that they can move one ton 100 miles per gallon of fuel. At this point you could imagine a light, diesel powered car that gets 100 mpg, but that is another topic entirely. The gallon of diesel fuel that moves the ton 100 miles produces 22.4 pounds of CO2 when it is burned.If a semi truck is loaded with apples in Seattle Washington and brings them 1629 miles to Minneapolis, it will emit {(1629 miles¸ 100tmpg) X 22.4lb/g or} 365 lb CO2 per ton of apples delivered.If apples do get shipped by rail, that will produce 86 lb CO2 for each ton of apples delivered.For comparison, lets say that Pat puts 20 boxes of apples in a red Dodge Caravan and delivers them from Annandale to the Wedge. He probably went for the big V6 motor and gets about 20 (23 EPA) mpg. That means that Pat is moving 800 pounds 20 miles per gallon of gas, or 8TMPG. The gallon of gas that moves a ton of local apples 8 miles produces 19.5 lb CO2 when it is burned.It is 46 miles to the Wedge so his van will emit 114 lb CO2 per ton of apples delivered. Roughly 1/3 of the rate of apples from the west coast by truck, but more than the hypothetical rail shipment.
But this is not a fair comparison. The semi truck and train were assumed to be fully loaded. Pat’s van is rated as a 7 passenger van so it can probably handle three quarters of a ton rather than just 800 pounds of cargo. If we assume that his van was fully loaded, it is emitting just under 60 lb CO2 for each ton of apples delivered to the Wedge, about 1/3 less than shipping apples from Washington by rail.
Concerned about carbon footprint ? You’ll have to use your head. And pay attention to who is telling the story. The study comparing New Zealand and English lamb was paid for by New Zealand sheep producers. It compares pastured NZ animals to grain fed English lambs. Our food system is set up to favor industrialization, consolidation, and long distance shipping. Who benefits ? Who benefits from GMOs, growth hormones, and antibiotics in our food ?
I have my biases. I want people around here to buy more local organic produce. I’d like our grandchildren to have a chance.
Greg
Click here to listen >>
This weeks program was sponsored by:
The Three Crows Coffee Shop, www.thethreecrows.com
Riverbend Farm CSA, www.rbfcsa.com
Natures Nest Organic Farm and Bed and Breakfast. www.naturesnestfarm.com
Thanks for the support folks!
March 2, 2008
