April/May 2003 Volume 7, Issue 2
Though it may sound unlikely, nutrition plays an important role in local agriculture systems. Michael Hamm, the C.S. Mott Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University and keynote speaker at the recent Family Nutrition/Expanded Family Nutrition Education Program, said poor diet is a potential confounding variable in encouraging a more local food supply.
For example, Hamm said, if every citizen consumed the recommended amount of servings in each group of the Food Guide Pyramid, the United States would need approximately 5.6 million more acres for production of those foods. Of those additional acres:
"Given the size and climate of our farming, we have the capacity to generate a great percentage of our food needs," Hamm said.
This leads into Hamm's idea of community food security. Hamm defines community food security as all community residents obtaining a culturally acceptable, nutritional adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice. When there is low community food security, there is limited locally raised food production and consumption and a high need for an "emergency food system." On the other hand, high community food security means the community maintains its ability to produce food locally with a decreasing need for the Food Stamp Program.
Jana Beckman, coordinator of the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops noted a recent study by the Practical Farmers of Iowa revealed less than 2 percent of the food consumed in Iowa was raised within its borders.
"That is one of the most critical issues facing communities and agriculture alike - to maintain the capacity to produce affordable food at a local or regional level," Beckman said. She also said agriculture has shifted to a system that rewards high efficiencies and concentrates food production in specific areas. The food then needs to be shipped to where people are and results in the economic activity associated with the production, processing and delivery of that food shifting away from our communities. Beckman said the existing system contributes to the number of people affected by food insecurity.
In a study on the prevalence of food insecurity in the U. S., conducted by the U.S.D.A., 11.3% of Kansas households were considered food insecure and 3.2 percent were considered food insecure with hunger from 1999 to 2001. Those figures closely mirror the national average at that time.
"By maintaining or increasing the capacity to raise food locally, communities are better able to provide livable wages by capturing the economic benefits of raising and processing that food," Hamm said. "People want to have a face to their food, to know how it was raised and to know that all members of their community have access to fresh and wholesome food."
Article by: Lisa Solomon, communications assistant Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops
Dr. Karen Penner, K-State Research & Extension food safety professor, grew up in Manhattan and then returned to spend 22 additional years (and counting!). After graduating from K-State with B.S. and M.S. degrees, Penner worked for several years with Extension's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). She then moved to Arizona, Montana and Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. in community nutrition from Michigan State University before returning to her hometown community.
Food safety is currently the focus of Penner's Extension, research and teaching activities. ServSafe is an Extension program popular with Kansas food service workers over the past decade. "The program was implemented as a result of public policy forums that uncovered the need for education among this group," Penner explained. She assists K-State Research & Extension Family and Consumer Science county educators in filling this educational void by teaching the ServSafe institutional food service curriculum.
An Extension project that Penner is currently launching around Kansas City and Wichita is the Master Food Volunteer (MFV) program. Patterned after the Master Gardener program, it attracts citizens interested in learning more about topics such as food safety, food preservation, basic nutrition and food preparation. After training, the MFV puts the program into practice by assisting the county Extension agent with local food and/or nutrition programs, such as 4-H foods projects, after-school programs, and farmers' market cooking demonstrations. The program will expand this year as more MFVs are accepted into the program and receive training.
Penner has authored more than 15 scientific papers and a book chapter, and has been awarded more than $1 million in grants to study food safety issues. A research project she and her research team recently completed emphasized food irradiation education. Just 10 to 15 minutes of education improved consumers' attitudes towards irradiated products. Penner and a team of interdisciplinary collaborators are working on a three-year grant that was funded for nearly half a million dollars. They will examine food handling and food safety practices among people ages 65 years and older in three phases. First, a national sample of older adults will be surveyed over the telephone to establish current practices of home food handling. Future project work will have Penner and her collaborators designing and implementing a variety of educational interventions around this theme.
Penner also has a 30% teaching appointment. She serves on the Food Science graduate coordinating committee and on an undergraduate curriculum review committee to ensure that the Institute of Food Technology curriculum standards are met. She has taught approximately 60 undergraduate students each semester in the course Introduction to Food Science, ASI 302, over the past four years. "I enjoy the students—they are a lot of fun," Penner said. She also advises the College of Agriculture's food science quiz bowl team, which practices two hours each week.
Penner is married to Dr. Marc Johnson, Director of K-State Research & Extension and Dean of the College of Agriculture. She has two daughters and one stepson. She also has three cats. An avid flower gardener who is partial to roses, Penner also enjoys growing vegetables and herbs. She is co-organist at her local church. Other hobbies include playing the piano, cooking, watching movies and walking. (MH)
When you see the word sustainability, what does it mean to you? Do you think of economists, politicians, biologists or perhaps genetic engineers? How does the word sustainability relate to our food supply?
In the early years of our nation, immigrants crossed the ocean to settle on a foreign continent. They didn't really know what to expect when they got to America. They weren't able to bring along very many personal possessions. But the one thing that many of our ancestors did choose to bring to the New World was a collection of garden seeds. They knew they must be responsible for taking care of themselves, and that included growing their own food.
The word sustainability means to be able to continue. The pioneers of Kansas took control of their lives. They not only grew their own vegetables, but produced their own meat and milk, as well. While most of us are not in a position to have livestock, almost all of us can take an active part in how we obtain our food supply.
Environmental responsibility in food production includes the impact of farming on the soil, water, and air, as well as the impact on the natural resources used to produce the crop. Are we good steward of our soil and water? Are we using more than our share of fossil fuels in crop production, processing and transportation?
A sustainable environment promotes a healthy, growing economy. One way to reduce the environmental impact of transporting food long distances and to promote economic opportunity in your community is to eat more locally grown foods. Farmer's Markets, CSAs, and home gardening are all options.
Farmer's Markets provide a means for the public to purchase wholesome produce in their own community. Produce from the farmer's market is usually fresher since transit time is reduced. Some markets in Kansas prohibit produce shipped in from out of state. If you want to know about the pest control or fertilization practices that were used you can visit with the grower. The majority of the vendors at a farmer's market are residents of the area, so money spent at the farmer's market stays in the community.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enterprises also provide income for local families. In a CSA system a group of members agree to help financially support the farm throughout the year, and the producer agrees to in return provide the members a share in the crops harvested over the growing season.
Home gardening bypasses many of the steps in the food production chain. You can walk directly out into your garden and pick fresh produce. Transportation expenses are eliminated. Garden produce can be preserved by freezing, canning or drying. At the end of the season, garden refuse can be composted and returned to the soil. The gardener has complete control over pesticide and fertilizer use. And what tastes better than fresh produce from the garden?
Gardening is also a means of carrying on stewardship lessons from generation to generation. Kids love to get involved in gardening projects. Gardening is a great way to teach responsible use of the environment. Gardening promotes health through exercise and the consumption of more fruits and vegetables. Everyone in the family can be involved. Even the youngest member of the household can help chose that perfect tomato for tonight's dinner.
Each one of us has an ecological footprint that measures what we consume of nature's stores. It includes the land used to supply all our energy needs; the land used by all roads, buildings, parking lots, etc; the land used to grow our food; the forests to provide us with wood and paper; the land needs to dispose of our waste.
How big is your ecological footprint? The average American uses 30 acres of land to support his or her needs. That is about the size of 30 football fields. Already humanity's footprint is over 30% larger that what the world has to offer. We are consuming more than what nature can provide.
Robert Gilman of the Context Institute compares sustainability as extending the Golden Rule over time...Do unto future generations as you would have them do unto you. A sustainable society does not borrow resources unfairly from other parts of the world, or from future generations. A sustainable society can continue for a long time by recognizing that people, the economy and the environment are all intertwined. It is our responsibility to pass on to our children and grandchildren a world where they will be able to sustain themselves.
We all eat. We all have eaten all of our lives. Therefore, with the exception of some problems with table manners, we should all have good eating skills. . . right? Having good eating skills, also known as eating competence is as important as knowing about a healthy diet, yet many adults and teenagers show behaviors that fall short of eating competence. Ellyn Satter, a noted expert on feeding behaviors and relationships notes that eating competence is " …not about being a good dieter. Competent eating is more than restricting yourself to lose or maintain weight and more than trying to get yourself to eat only healthy food. Competent eaters are positive and comfortable with eating and make sure they get enough to eat of enjoyable, nourishing food." Four areas of competent eating skills have been identified: Eating attitudes and behavior, Internal regulation, Food acceptance, and Contextual skills. Eating attitudes and behavior skills include feeling comfortable with eating, relaxed and enjoying foods. Internal regulation skills refer to abilities to trust your hunger and appetite and to use fullness as a gauge for the amount of food to eat. Food acceptance skills mean that you are flexible in the foods you will eat, with respect to not only variety but also timing and amount. Contextual skills include behaviors and attitudes related to food planning, purchasing, and preparation so that your diet is healthy and enjoyable.
Recent research into eating competence has shown some interesting associations with other lifestyle issues and personal characteristics. For example, males tend to show more characteristics of competent eaters. Persons who are satisfied with their weight display more competent eating behaviors than persons either unsatisfied or neutral about weight status. Worries about enough money for food are associated with eating competence problems.
Contextual skills appear to be the least developed of the four areas. This is not a surprise because fewer people cook or have time to focus on meal planning or purchase. However, efforts to develop contextual skills appear to be important to improve nutritional health. For example, persons identified as competent eaters were noted to be more likely to consume the recommended amount of vegetable servings a day (three or more) and to have maintained this behavior for six months or longer.
Knowledge about nutrition may not be enough to improve eating competence. Information about body image, self-reflection on the personal role of food and courses that empower people to plan, shop, prepare, and enjoy meals show the most promise for developing competent eaters.
Thus, while it is important to eat healthy, in an environmentally friendly manner, our overall health will benefit with attention to eating competence. Are you a competent eater? Current research underway at KSU is focused on developing an instrument that will identify competent eating patterns. For example, would your responses to these statements be Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely or Never?
Being a competent eater doesn't mean throwing nutrition concerns to the wind, but means putting them in perspective with your overall needs and resources and doing the best you can. Competent eating means continual striving to enjoy your food and to work toward enjoyment of a healthy diet by developing skills in all four areas.
(BLK)
Spotlighters: search here for some common and uncommon sustainable agriculture terms. Good Luck!
(TB)
Have you noticed how just being around plants makes you feel better? Or how excited you are when you pick the season's first vine-ripened tomato? How do you feel when you share a bouquet of flowers from your garden with a friend? With a little planning and creativity, everyone can garden.
Gardening is a source of personal satisfaction and pride, providing pleasure and opportunity for relief from daily stress. Gardening is useful in relieving stress through providing a calming, restorative experience. The sharing of plants, flowers, or produce can open doors of social interaction in welcoming, non-threatening ways.
Gardening provides physical benefits as well. It offers opportunities for mild exercise. Weak muscles can be strengthened and limited joint flexibility ranges can be increased through the lifting and reaching motions of gardening. Physical stamina and other skills including balance and coordination can be improved.
Fruit and vegetable gardening provides nutritional and economical benefits, too. Vegetables grown in the home garden are fresher, may have better nutrient values, and usually cost less than vegetables sold in markets.
A confusing issue for grocery shoppers has been cleared up, thanks to the October 2002 launching of national organic standards for agricultural products. In the past, terms were not consistent across the nation, and shoppers couldn't be certain what label terms really meant. Here is what consumers can now expect when they see the USDA organic seal:
* 100% Organic --These products are made from entirely organic ingredients.
* Organic --This label indicates 95% organic ingredients.
* Made with organic ingredients -- This indicates that the product contains 70% organic ingredients.
* Some organic ingredients--This claim may appear on products containing less than 70% organic ingredients.
Organic foods are increasingly popular _ the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) reports retail sales of organic foods have grown at a rate of 20% per year since 1990, with U.S. sales reaching $7.8 billion in 2000. Thanks to these new national standards, consumers can tell what they are actually purchasing when they "buy organic."
A salsa easy enough for kids to make!
8 servings
Makes 4 servings
Questions or concerns about this publication? Contact Shelly Burklund, 207 Justin Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, Phone: (785) 532-1670, FAX: (785) 532-1678