FFB & CSA’s

It is becoming a well-known fact that small, local-providing farms are becoming extinct.  Something called the Federal Farm Bill should have the solution.  However, since being altered by agricultural lobbyists, it is now largely corporate welfare.  Most recently, 3/4 of all disbursements went to the top-grossing 10% of growers!  70% going to two of the most commonly grown crops in the US:  corn and soybeans.  Family owned farms are the ones most likely to use sustainable techniques, protect the environment, maintain crop rotations and apply fewer chemicals.  But how is it that even though 80 % of consumers wish to support these farming practices, our tax dollars are doing the exact opposite?  In 2002, after a significant protest, support for farmers markets, community food projects and local food in schools received a part in the Bill.  How big of a part?  Less than 1/2 of 1%.

The Community Crops Crew!

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. How it works is members of a community can buy ’shares’ of a local farmers upcoming crop. This funding supports the farmer financially so he/she can continue to grow produce in a wholesome and natural way. In return, shareholders receive a specific allowance of the freshest vegetables from the farm throughout the season. Some even delivered to your doorstep!  There are risks involved (as there are each year in the farming business) but are many great benefits as well.  Check out Community Crops of Lincoln for more information!

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Research and insights taken from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chapters 12 and 13.

Don’t miss the other posts with vital information from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:  The Zorba Diet, A Virtuous Appetite and the Vegetable Apocalypse, Vegetannual Sweatshop, Pets are pets.  Food is food., Buy Cheap Eats, and Easy Button Efficiency Ethics, and Ode to Carpetbagging.

Ode to Carpetbagging

car⋅pet⋅bag⋅ger /ˈkɑrpɪtˌbægər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kahr-pit-bag-er] any opportunistic or exploitive outsider

Sometimes there is no way around it but, for the most part, it is possible to support local people and their businesses.  However, the American way seems to have changed from the days of Thomas Jefferson’s opposition to King George.  We no longer make it a point to keep work and homes together and now give most of our money to multinational conglomerates who make and move things, profit from child labor and shift multitudes of American jobs overseas to where it’s cheaper.

Many people have knowingly or unknowingly taken the following oath in an earnest attempt to save money:

I will buy my goods from a national chain instead of a local business even though my local economy would receive three times as much money from my business;

I will continue to support industrial farming even though 500 species of insects are now immune to the chemical controls of it’s pesticides (which is now above 985 million pounds and was only 335 million in 1965);

I will continue to buy industrialized and genetically modified produce even though organically grown contains 50 to 60 percent more antioxidants which help fight diseases, cell aging and tumor growth

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Facts taken from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chapters 10 and 11.

Don’t miss the other posts with vital information from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:  The Zorba Diet, A Virtuous Appetite and the Vegetable Apocalypse, Vegetannual Sweatshop, Pets are pets.  Food is food., Buy Cheap Eats, and Easy Button Efficiency Ethics.

Easy Button Efficiency Ethics

Do you ever find yourself rushing through everyday chores and feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day to enjoy yourself? I think that Staples recent ad campaign which features ‘the Easy Button’ could easily define our nation as a whole. We’re always hurrying along, looking for a quick fix to something. Quality, substance? Who needs ‘em?

Barbara Kingsolver makes an interesting observation about her generation of ‘liberated’ women.  “When my generation of women walked away from the kitchen we were escorted down that path by a profiteering industry that knew a tired, vulnerable marketing target when they saw it.”  Somewhere along the journey towards educational and industrial equality women have chosen (or had no other option to choose) economic independence instead of healthy family and food dynamics.  As a result, many families rely on fast food and ‘latchkeys’ for kids.  We’ve developed a knack for efficiency ethics.  A surprising fact is that globally speaking, people consume more soft drinks and packaged foods the more affluent they become; home cooked meals consisting of fresh ingredients are more common among rural, less affluent people.

To sum up:  quit your day job and cook all day.  Not really.  Just try to remember that feeding yourself and your family can be an enjoyable chore and what you take into your body is incredibly important!

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Research and insights taken from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chapter 9.
Don’t miss the other posts with vital information from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:  The Zorba Diet, A Virtuous Appetite and the Vegetable Apocalypse, Vegetannual Sweatshop, Pets are pets.  Food is food. and Buy Cheap Eats.

He Doesn’t Make Junk

This Marvelous Sight

Warning:  This is an intensely philosophical post!

Have you ever read the paper, watched the news or simply had an encounter that left you unsettled or even completely unhappy? Sometimes I take a good look at my surroundings, the people and events that make up my environment and that of my country and the world and realize that this is not where I want to be.  What I mean is that I am not okay with the events that are taking place in a world that is supposed to be my home.  The more I learn about what is happening to people, animals, decisions that are being made on my behalf and that will affect me and the people and places I love, I have decided that for the most part, it is not alright with me!  As I get to know more about the world, I am realizing that I don’t like it here!

I am an all or nothing type of person.  I don’t like unsolved mysteries or loose ends and I prefer vigilante movies and happy endings.  One day I realized that there is someone who hates injustice and suffering even more than I do.  And some day He will make everything right again.

Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.”  Then God said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. . .  I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.”  Exodus chapter 3.

Every skewed picture that I may have of what is good and right barely compares to the justice and love that God had originally intended for us and our home.  I realize that I can’t save the world but it helps to know that there is Someone who can and will.

Buy Cheap Eats

Here are a few startling facts and statistics regarding U.S. health and food safety:

a.)  WE’RE CHEAP:  U.S. citizens on average spend a lower portion of their income on food than residents in any other country
b.) WE’RE PRETTY DUMB:  Government quality standards for drinking water are more strict for tap than for bottled yet the majority of American consumers still purchase bottled
c.)  WE’RE GETTING FAT FAST:  The incidence of obesity-associated diabetes has more than doubled since 1990
d.)  OUR CHILDREN ARE GETTING FAT FAST:  Adult-onset diabetes is now termed Type II diabetes due to the fastest growing class of victims—children
e.)  OUR HEALTH ISN’T A PRIORITY:  According to recent estimates one out of every three dollars spent on health care goes towards paying for the damage of bad eating habits
f.)  WE’RE GETTING CHEATED:  Our tax dollars subsidize the petroleum used in growing, processing, and shipping conventional industrialized (non-organic) foods
Side note:  Organic farming builds rather than depletes the soil, using manure and cover crops.  These types of farmers also aren’t forcing us to pay expenses they’ve shifted into other domains, such as environmental and health damage.  As they’re allowed to play a larger role in the U.S. agricultural economy, our subsidy costs to industrial agriculture will decrease.
g.)  ORGANIC IS LOSING IT’S CREDIBILITY:  Industrial-scale organic producers are lobbying the government to loosen organic rules.  Synthetic additives are now permitted along with animal confinement.  For example, a chicken may be sold as “free range” but the doorway may remain shut for so much of the chickens’ lives that they never learn to go outside.

So, just say no to Yum! Brands and try introducing a few new organic items into your diet.  Your body and the environment will thank you!

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Research and insights taken from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chapter 8.
Don’t miss the first, second, third and fourth blog installments about this book!

New Music Monday: Jaymes Reunion + Bonus Track

This week’s song: Fine (Acoustic)

Artist: Jaymes Reunion

Previous weeks: Tenth Avenue North, FM Static, Above the Golden State, Remedy Drive

I first heard Cameron Jaymes when he was still a solo act opening for Bleach and Five Iron Frenzy some years ago. He took the stage with nothing but his acoustic guitar and had me hooked from the first strum. I am a sucker for great acoustic music that’s not boring and this song fits that bill. It’s actually broken down version of the band’s single Fine. I had a chance to meet Cameron at the concert – he’s a real nice guy and very humble. What do you think?

Lyrics:

Hello My friend
Can you teach me how to breathe again?
Can you teach me how to love?
Can you give me a life?

The problem begins
When I add it up and count again
Im losing every fight
And I need some answers
Maybe its alright
And Im gonna lend it.

Chrous:
You never really loved until you watch it fall apart
And you never really lived until you felt like you can die
And you never really stood until the weight has pushed you over
Your pickin up the pieces just to find
Your doin just fine

Im scared to death
That I’ll never find a me thats best
Every story’s been told
I feel like a loser
All these wounds are getting old
So Im gonna lend it

Chrous:
You never really loved until you watch it fall apart
And you never really lived until you felt like you can die
And you never really stood until the weight has pushed you over
Your pickin up the pieces just to find
Your doin just fine

Ooh Im spinin out of control
lookin up as I fall
Colors that float around me
Ooh I cut up my heart again
This freedom is nothing but sin
I know you know me better
So make it betterAnd I never really loved until I watched it fall apart
And I never really lived until I saw that I was dead
And I never really stood until the weight had pushed me over
Im pickin up the pieces just to find
Everythings Fine

And I never really loved until I watched it fall apart
And I never really lived until I saw that I was dead
And I never really stood until the weight had pushed me over
Im pickin up the pieces just to find

Fine fine fine fine fine fine………

A New Blog: Freelance Review

In case anyone is interested, we have revamped and relaunched the official blog of C McConnell Design. It even has it’s own name, Freelance Review. We’ve already got some great articles including interviews and design tutorials. We’ll be posting a lot of “behind-the-scenes” looks at some of our projects and will also be providing useful information for clients of any designer, such as The Client’s Guide to Logo Design. Check it out when you get a chance and let us know what you think.

Pets are pets. Food is food.

Choosing between being healthy and being humane is (at least in my mind) . . . dumb! Many people believe that being vegetarian and especially vegan isn’t as healthy as say including free range and pasture-based meats (and/or dairy) in your diet.  They provide vital nutrients that we need as carnivores—what else could canine teeth be for?  The belief that we evolved from chimps doesn’t sound so sophisticated to me.

While I am absorbing all kinds of new information from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I take each bit with a tiny grain of salt.  I acknowledge that the authors of the book are very intelligent people but do disagree with them on the point of meat eating (as is probably obvious due to my periodic vegetarian tirades).  Chapters 6 and 7 have some great insights on raising chickens and turkeys but her statement of “Pets are pets.  Food is food.” brings to memory that salty grain.  To continue the tirade, I’d like to add that I’m not a Christian who believes that the Bible is full of nice fairy tales that teach valuable lessons but aren’t always literal.  With that said, I’d like to encourage anyone who actually reads this blog to check out the first chapter of Daniel.  Note that Daniel only requests ‘vegetables’ which, I imagine, would directly exclude meat.

To summarize:  which picture do you prefer?

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Research and insights taken from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chapters 6 and 7.
Don’t miss the first, second and third blog installments about this book!

New Music Monday: Tenth Avenue North

This weeks song: Hold My Heart

Artist: Tenth Avenue North

This week, I’ve chosen a song that has some personal significance to me. That’s because it was one of the songs we chose for my little brother Brent’s memorial recently. The song has some really great, although sad, lyrics and deals with finding comfort in God in the face of tragedy. I still get sad every time I hear it, but less so each time.

The rest of this album is worth checking out as well – it has a number of really great tunes. I look forward to the next album.

Lyrics:

How long must I pray, must I pray to You?
How long must I wait, must I wait for You?
How long ’til I see Your face, see You shining through?
I’m on my knees, begging You to notice me.
I’m on my knees, Father will you turn to me?

One tear in the dropping rain,
One voice in the sea of pain
Could the maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breakin’ heart?
One light, that’s all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You’re everything You say You are
Won’t You come close and hold my heart

I’ve been so afraid, afraid to close my eyes
So much can slip away before I say goodbye.
But if there’s no other way, I’m done asking why.
Cuz I’m on my knees, begging You to turn to me
I’m on my knees, Father will you run to me?

One tear in the dropping rain,
One voice in the sea of pain
Could the maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breakin’ heart?
One light, that’s all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You’re everything You say You are
Won’t You come close and hold my heart.

So many questions without answers, Your promises remain
I can’t sleep but I’ll take my chances to hear You call my name
To hear You call my name

One tear in the dropping rain,
One voice in the sea of pain
Could the maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breakin’ heart?
One light, that’s all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You’re everything You say You are
Won’t You come close and hold my heart.

Hold my heart, could you hold my heart?
Hold my heart.