When Jennifer Johnson opened the doors of Misfit Doughnuts and Treats to the public for the first time on May 13, her entire stock of vegan desserts was wiped out in a little under three hours. With doughnut flavors like lemon poppy seed, cannoli, s'mores, and blood orange white chocolate, Johnson is aiming for vegan-friendly decadence, and maybe convince some skeptics along the way.

"People say, 'You can't make that vegan.' And I say, 'Watch me,'" says Johnson, who has been a vegan for the last seven years. "Vegans at heart are just a bunch of foodies."

Before opening Misfit, Johnson was the owner of Pudgy Girl Bakery, which made vegan pastries and desserts largely for wholesale and special orders. After three years, however, Johnson made the hard decision to close the bakery in late 2016. She says she was devastated by the closing, but Misfit Doughnuts was already on her mind. Johnson says a friend pointed out the space at 982 Monroe Avenue and suggested she start a bakery there. Johnson shrugged off the idea until a second friend called her with the same idea.

"OK, that's a sign from the universe," Johnson says she thought at the time. She moved into the space in March, started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, and was ready to open by May. Now, she's try to keep pace with demand. Her numerous flavors are constantly rotating, and she hopes to add more menu options as business develops.

Although Misfit sells a variety of desserts, doughnuts are the star. That's clear from the bakery's logo, an anthropomorphized doughnut sporting a mohawk, Chuck Taylors, and thick-rimmed glasses. The name of the bakery itself is a nod to punk band The Misfits. References to other elements of pop culture appear throughout Johnson's creations: the Black Flag doughnut (named for another of Johnson's favorite bands) is filled with strawberry sriracha jam and topped with chocolate ganache; or there's the Twin Peaks doughnut, a cherry pie flavor with crumble topping, which was made to celebrate the revival of the cult-classic 90's crime drama.

Almost all of Misfit's doughnuts are yeast-raised brioche-style, which Johnson appreciates for their rich texture, pillowy softness, and large air pockets. In conventional baking, those desirable attributes are achieved with a healthy amount of butter, eggs, and milk but, of course, this is a vegan bakeshop.

Each new recipe, Johnson says, requires considerable "reverse-engineering" in order to make it compliant with a vegan lifestyle. She usually begins with a conventional recipe and works backward to find a similar-tasting vegan result. At the moment, she favors soy milk in place of cow's milk, Earth Balance in place of butter, and an egg substitute derived from chickpeas. She also has a recipe for vegan bacon that involves coconut chips and soy sauce there's a maple bacon doughnut on the menu and a vegan sausage, egg, and cheese doughnut is in the early stages of development.

Johnson hopes her new bakery will prove to be a guilt-free haven for local vegans as well as an educational opportunity for those who may look skeptically at desserts devoid of butter and eggs. It doesn't hurt that Misfit is capitalizing upon the doughnut's current surge in popularity nationwide. Nowadays, it's more likely than not that you'll be eating a dressed-up doughnut with knife and fork and not just in the morning.

Whether the current public appetite for doughnuts will last remains to be seen, but Johnson has an eye on the future. Asked what she thinks the next big baking trend might be, she pauses thoughtfully: "Churros," she says.

Read more:

Vegan doughnut shop Misfit opens on Monroe Ave - Rochester City Newspaper

Fans of fine food, especially of the vegan variety, went into a tizzy when word came last monththat the chefs behind Philadelphia's acclaimed plant-based Vedge restaurant were opening a concept in Washington. Their street-food-themed V Street won't arrive until late fall, so be patient.

[The chefs behind the best vegan food in the country are opening a restaurant in D.C.]

In the meantime, if you're looking to get your fix of satisfying food free of meat, eggs or dairy, you've got plenty of options. Here's a sampling of local spots that are exclusively vegan:

Elizabeth's Gone Raw: Once a week, this downtown venue offers a tasting menu of minimally cooked vegan fare, with such creations as a cauliflower terrine with kelp caviar and yellow pepper-turmeric sorbet.1341 L St. NW.

HipCityVeg: This Philadelphia import puts a vegan twist on fast-food staples. Its signatureCrispy HipCity Ranch is a pretty good riff on a fried chicken sandwich.712 Seventh St. NW.

[Tastes like chicken? We tried HipCityVeg's Crispy HipCity Ranch.]

NuVegan Cafe: Formerly Woodland's Vegan Bistro (and before that, Everlasting Life Cafe), the menu here features an array of comfort and soul food-inspired options, from fried chick'n and lasagna to mac and cheese and collard greens.2928 Georgia Ave.;8150 Baltimore Ave., College Park.

Postmodern Foods:In addition to a line of juices, this organic operation has a repertoire that includes sushi, collard wraps and desserts.762B Walker Rd., Great Falls.

Shouk:A pita-based shop with Middle Eastern flair that doesn't use the word vegan. The veggie burger may be the best in Washington. 655 K St. NW.

[Shouk is serving our new favorite veggie burger in Washington]

Soupergirl: You'll find filling, interesting soups, plus salads and sandwiches, at this pair of shops. Some of the best offerings are in the summer, when there's a variety of refreshing gazpachos.314 Carroll St. NW;1829 M St. NW.

Sticky Fingers: A longtime staple on the vegan scene, this bakery offers a large menu of sweets (cakes, cookies, muffins, etc.) and casual savory fare. (There's a sister diner, Fare Well, on H Street NE.)1370 Park Rd. NW.

Read more:

The next frontier for vegan restaurants? Not calling yourself a vegan restaurant.

What D.C. restaurants have finally changed about the way they treat vegetables

Continued here:

7 vegan restaurants where you can eat so much more than salad - Washington Post

Babies. Just the word can make you smile. And that baby smell (the other one) its more relaxing than a visit to the Dalai Lama. But what goes on inside those little, developing brains can be puzzling.

Luckily, we know from brain scans and observational studies just how much, right from the start, infants are tuned in and reacting to the events and people around them. And we know what provides the nutrients a youngun needs to develop his or her full intellectual and emotional potential. The short menu is LARIS + L: love, attention, responsiveness, interaction, stimulation and then more love. If you, Mom and Dad, provide those nutrients, it makes all the difference.

Frequent, affectionate interaction, with touch, eye contact, lots and lots of words and songs, is essential. Children learn social behaviors, language, facts and ideas from love and human interaction. Studies show that they DO NOT learn as well from TVs, digital games or electronic programs even if those are delivering information specifically designed for infants and children.

One notable study 20 years ago found that children who are spoken to a lot from the get-go with complex sentences, explanations of whats around them and interactive questions even before they seem to understand, end up with higher IQs at age 3 and better school performance at age 9. And subsequent research reinforces that its hearing words from another person not a TV, video or audio tape that offers learning opportunities and the intellectual stimulation needed to thrive.

In fact, a new study presented this month at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting looked at 894 children ages 6 months to 2 years and found that 20 percent of them were spending at least 28 minutes a day playing with a handheld digital device. And for every 30-minute increase in handheld screen time, the kids had a 49 percent increased risk of expressive speech delay! So put your cellphone in your pocket or bag, not your kids hands! Then talk to your child as you wheel him or her in a stroller or ride in the car. Point out your surroundings. Interact.

Other essentials for nurturing your infants brain development include good nutrition and a routine of sufficient sleep.

As your child switches from breast milk (exclusive during the first 6 months, then complemented with solids up to 12-24 months) or formula to solid foods, you want to make sure he or she gets a full range of nutrients essential for cognitive development. Nutrients (especially choline, folic acid, zinc, iron and special fats like omega-3 DHA) actually can modify gene structure and expression, effecting brain growth and development. To make sure your infant and toddler gets those building blocks, a varied diet rich in vegetables, healthy oils such as extra-virgin olive oil, fiber from grains and cereals, and proteins from antibiotic- and hormone-free meats and salmon will do the trick.

A calm routine of sufficient sleep also allows the brain to develop as it should. Newborns sleep about 10.5 to 18 hours a day, with irregular wake times lasting one to three hours. Up to 12 months, babies need nine to 12 hours at night. They also take 30 minute to two-hour naps up to four times daily. Toddlers need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep every 24 hours, with decreasing naptimes. When kids are deprived of necessary sleep, some studies indicate that it stunts neurodevelopment, is linked to hyperactivity and reduces school performance.

So envelop your child with affectionate words and touch; talk, sing, play soothing music; and read to your child, even as a young infant. Eliminate digital devices from cribs, strollers and little hands! Make sure to provide sufficient nutrition and establish a healthy sleep routine. These steps not only provide a secure emotional base, but help brain development at every stage and age during your childs formative first years.

The You Docs' column runs in Wednesday's Extra.

See the original post:

The You Docs: Baby brain boosters - Roanoke Times

On June 28 at 6:30 p.m., the Jackson Library will host a workshop from Ocean County SCORE that is designed to educate entrepreneurs and help small businesses start, grow and succeed. The program is for adults. Registration is required. Details: 732-928-4400; option 4.

The documentary Destinys Bridge will be shown at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 434 Aldrich Road, Howell, at 1 p.m. June 10. The screening is free and open to the public. Destinys Bridge focuses on a former tent city in the woods of Lakewood which served as a home to people who did not have a permanent residence. Refreshments provided by Thrivent Financial Group.

A multi-family community yard sale will be held at Jensens Deep Run community center on June 3 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rain or shine. All are welcome. The entrance is on Route 537, a short distance east of the Route 537 and Route 539 intersection, Cream Ridge. Turn at Longview Trail, proceed to stop sign, community center is on the right (20 Longview Trail, Cream Ridge, Plumsted Township).

The Italian American Cultural Society of New Jersey invites members of the public to its June dinner meeting on June 8 at 7 p.m. at Frankie Feds, 831 Route 33, Freehold Township. The restaurant is BYOB. The cost is $35 per person for members and $45 for non-members. Cash is preferred, no credit cards. To reserve seating, call Anthony Grassi at 917-743-3311 or Richard Favara at 732-861-9465.

DeBows United Methodist Church, corner of Route 571 and Route 537, Jackson, will host its annual flea market and bake sale on June 3 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend. There will be a food concession with breakfast and lunch items. Interested vendors may call Sue at 732-928-0352 to reserve table space ($10). Details: debowsumc.org

A meeting of the Monmouth County Retired Educators Association will be held on June 13 at the Spring Lake Manor, Spring Lake, at 11 a.m. Monmouth County Surrogate Rosemarie Peters will discuss wills and the Surrogates Office. The associations annual philanthropic award will be presented. Members are asked to bring a non-perishable donation for the food bank and school supplies for Bridges at the Shore. For luncheon reservations, contact Sue at 732 995-7754. New members are always welcome.

The Monmouth County Retired Educators Association will sponsor a member and family picnic at Oak Tree Lodge, Wall Township, on June 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be food, entertainment, games and activities. The cost is $5 for members; non-member guests, $35. Children under 5 are free. Guests age 5 to 11 are $15 per person. Details: Sue, 732 995-7754.

On June 5 at 6 p.m., the Jackson Library will host Martin Mosho as he discusses Unsung Heroines The Role of Women in the American Civil War. Mosho will discuss womens roles as volunteers, nurses, spies and combatants. The program is for adults and registration is required. Details: 732-928-4400 and press option 4.

The Jackson Rotary Club will sponsor a bus trip to the Tropicana Casino, Atlantic City, on June 11. Cost of the trip is $34 which includes bus transportation, sandwich, chips and beverage on the bus, $25 back in slot play from the casino and gratuity for the driver. Bus leaves at noon and returns at 9 p.m. Proceeds benefit local organizations. For reservations, call Tom Barchie, 732-207-4029 or 732-849-6309.

The Jim Hall Memorial Homeless Vets Motorcycle Run and BBQ/Picnic will be held at noon June 24 at Jackson Elks Lodge No. 2744, 1059 East Veterans Highway, Jackson. Tickets are $25. Registration for the ride starts at 9 a.m. and the ride kicks off at 10 a.m. Food, beverages, entertainment by the Mangos and vendors. Proceeds of the day benefit homeless veterans. Details: joelamo90@gmail.com

The Monmouth County Park System is seeking vendors for its Eco-Elephant Family Flea Market to be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 17 at the Dorbrook Recreation Area, Route 537, Colts Neck. Individuals, businesses, nonprofits and crafters are welcome. Vendors must provide their own table and merchandise. Cost: $30 per space. Reserve a space at http://www.MonmouthCountyParks.com. Details: Al Weaver, 732-542-1642, ext. 31.

A program on the Art of Meditation for Beginners will be held at the Jackson Library from 10-11:30 a.m. June 6. The program is for adults. Participants will learn about different techniques of meditation that may work best for them. Program led by Shazia Zaman. Wear comfortable clothes. No experience required. The program is free and walk-ins are welcome. Details: 732-928-4400.

The film Under One Sky: Arab Women in North America Talk About the Hijab will be shown at the Jackson Library at 7 p.m. June 12. The film is for adults. Arab women living in North America explain the ideologies behind the hijab (veil). Followed by Q&A with Mariam Jalabi, director, Syrian National Coalition, United Nations. The program is free and registration is required. Details: 732-928-4400.

The Jackson Library will host the seventh annual Verity Academy Piano Recital from 2-4 p.m. June 17. Classical music will be performed by students of the Verity Academy. All ages welcome. Registration required. To register, call 732-928-4400 and press option 4.

The Jackson Library will host a Red Cross blood drive from 2-7 p.m. July 31. Anyone who is at least 17 years old, weighs a minimum of 110 pounds and is in generally good health can donate blood. All blood types are needed. Donors should bring a photo ID. Visit http://www.redcross.org to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.

Look for turtles, egrets, herons, ospreys and other wildlife during a boat tour of the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell. Each 45-minute tour leaves from the Visitor Center, Windeler Road, Howell. Tours are offered at the top of the hour from 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, May 6 through Sept. 4. Wednesday tours are offered at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. from July 5 through Aug. 30. Evening tours are offered on the first Friday of each month May through September; call 732-751-9453 as times vary for the evening tours. All tours are weather and water level dependent. The fee is $6 per adult and $4 per child age 12 and under.

A coloring for adults program will be held at the Jackson Library from 10-11:30 a.m. June 20. Rediscover the joys of coloring. Coloring sheets and art supplies provided along with light refreshment and relaxing music. Adults 18 and over. Seating limited. Registration required. Registration is open now. Details: 732-928-4400.

Adults 18 and over can create their own rainbow clay necklace at 2 p.m. June 22 at the Jackson Library. Supplies provided. Seating is limited. Registration required. Registration opens June 9. Details: 732-928-4400.

The Jackson Library will host an Adventure in Art workshop from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 10. The workshop includes hands-on instruction by artist Nancy Bonta Voitko. Adults 18 and over. Seating limited. Registration required. Registration opens May 8. Details: 732-928-4400.

The Upper Freehold-Allentown Municipal Alliance will host Bike Night 2017 on June 7. All makes and models of bikes are welcome. American and metric bikes will be present. A car show will be held on June 28. All makes and models of cars are welcome. Both events will be held from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Roost at the Cream Ridge Golf Course, 181 Route 539, Upper Freehold Township. Door prizes, judging, awards, music, food and beverages. Vendor opportunities are available. There is no entry fee, but donations for the alliance are accepted. Details:609-758-7738, ext. 230.

The Jackson Librarys knitting group, Knit-Chat-Chain, is seeking donations of yarn and wool. The members of the group create sweaters, hats, scarves and blankets to donate to charity. Yarn donations may be brought to the Circulation Desk during library hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details: 732-928-4400.

New Jersey Blood Services is in need of volunteers to work blood drives in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Tasks include assisting donors with registration, watching donors for post-donation reactions and responding to their needs. Details: Jan Zepka, 732-616-8741.

St. Aloysius Church, 935 Bennetts Mills Road, Jackson, offers support groups to help people better understand their feelings and to meet others who are dealing with the same life issues. A bereavement support group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. and a divorced and separated support group meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. Both meetings are held in the parish office. A freewill donation of $5 is requested. Details: Email St AloysiusGonzagaGroup@gmail.com.

Items for the Datebook may be sent to gmntnews@newspapermediagroup.com. Please submit items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.

Read the original:

Tri-Town News Datebook, May 31 - centraljersey.com

Published time: 30 May, 2017 21:09 Edited time: 31 May, 2017 11:42

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al ash-Sheikh, said that the Muslim preachers who have been recently approving singing and listening to music by worshipers were being insubordinate, local media report.

Abdul Aziz Al ash-Sheikh said that such "recalcitrant" preachers went against their own convictions, by changing their stance after decades of banning music.

The Grand Mufti also criticized preachers who used fictional stories in their sermons and in advising their flock.

Read more

We have the book of God (the Koran), its enough and there is no need for such fairy tales, he said, as cited by Okaz daily.

According to the Grand Mufti, the Muslim faith strictly forbids such things as listening to music and singing.

However, some Saudi preachers have been recently insisting that the ban on music in Islam was questionable.

Last year, the imam of Quba Mosque in Madinah, Sheikh Saleh Al-Maghamsi, said that Saudi Arabia where concerts have been outlawed for decades was in bad need of novelty and modernization.

As for music, three Muslim scholars have said different things,Maghamsi who believes that only singing, but not music, should be banned was cited by Arab News.

The Saudi General Entertainment Authority has been pushing for relaxing the strict Sharia rules in the country.

In his interview with Reuters in April, the Authoritys head, Ahmed al-Khatib, said that Riyadh could be transformed 99 percent to look like London or New York.

In March, live music has made its comeback to the Saudi capital with renowned Arab singers, Rashed al-Majed and Mohammed Abdu, performing in Saudi Arabia for the first time since the 1980s.

The entertainment authoritys primary goal was the reintroduction of cinemas across Saudi Arabia, Khatib said.

READ MORE: Saudi Arabia's first Comic Con penalized for 'violation'

However, Khatib said that the entertainment reforms will only be implemented if the population desires them.

READ MORE: 'Dont open doors to evil': Top Saudi cleric calls concerts & cinemas a 'depravity'

Abdul Aziz Al ash-Sheikh, who heads the opposition to the move, has previously warned that cinemas will bring rotten and atheistic movies to the country.

Read more:

Top Saudi cleric slams preachers who approve music & singing - RT

13:03 Wednesday 31 May 2017

We have teamed up with the organisers of the Swanbourne Music Festival to give away 10 pairs of tickets to the August Bank Holiday weekend event where Toploader is headlining.

Can this be real or is it just a beautiful dream?

Its a warm Sunday night during the August Bank Holiday weekend. The 27th to be precise. Its 8:00pm.

READ MORE: Toploader to headline one of Bucks best days out at Swanbourne

Youve spent most of the day listening to great music, chilling out, chatting with mates, relaxing in the balmy atmosphere of The Swanbourne Music Festival being run by The Betsey Wynne Pub.

Youre a fan of Toploader whose reputation as a genuine crowd-pleasing live band is second to none. Perhaps you saw them supporting Paul Weller, Robbie Williams, Noel Gallagher, Tom Jones, Simple Minds or Bon Jovi? Perhaps you saw them at a host of great venues and events like Glastonbury, V-Festival, T In The Park, Wembley Stadium and Chris Evanss CarFest.

You probably also support most of the local live music venues, so you know many of the other dozen or so bands appearing. Youve eaten well. Youve tasted some amazing beers and wines. Youve sampled The Swanbourne Estate Gin and now youre just waiting for the Toploaders set to start...

What a great dream...

Now imagine if you hadnt paid a penny to come because you had won:

One of 10 pairs of tickets for the Betsey Wynnes Swanbourne Music Festival

But wait...

One of those 10 pairs had also been invited backstage to meet Toploader before their set and to present them with a bottle of Swanbourne Estate Gin courtesy of The Betsey Wynne!

Just a Dream...????????????????????

Make it a reality by emailing the correct answer to the question below to damien.lucas@jpress.co.uk by midnight July 31st 2017 and be sure to put BETSEY COMP in the subject header and include your full name, address and phone number.

Q) In Toploaders global hit song were they Dancing in the...

A) Sunlight

B) Natural light

C) Daylight

D) Moonlight

E) Bright lights

Find out more and how to book tickets here: http://www.swanbournemusicfestival.co.uk or on the Festivals dedicated Facebook Page.

Original post:

Win a dreamy day out with Toploader at Swanbourne Music Festival - Bucks Herald

It wasnt double digit growth for organic food sales, but 8.4% growth for organic food sales in 2016 is nothing to quibble about.

The OTA report notes that the 8.4% increase in organic fruit and vegetable sales in 2016 - the same percentage as overall sales gains for organic food - is nearly triple the 3.3% growth for total fruit and vegetable sales. The survey claims that organic fruits and vegetables account for 15% of the produce that Americans eat. Does that sound a smidge too high? Perhaps a little, it seems to me.

The survey numbers from the OTA differ in no small degree from the United Fresh Produce Associations FreshFacts on Retail report, which pegged organic produce sales at retail (not including processing or foodservice outlet sales) at $4.46 billion in 2016, up 13.2% (double digit!) from 2015. Whats more, the United Fresh numbers - from Nielsen Fresh - said organic sales in 2016 accounted for 9% of all fresh produce sales. The 9% number from FreshFacts is fully 40% below the OTAs 15% estimate for organics share of the produce market.

Of course, the OTA release takes an enthusiastic approach to the sector, and there should be no apologies for that.

The first sentence of the news release reads:

The robust American organic sector stayed on its upward trajectory in 2016, gaining new market share and shattering records, as consumers across the United States ate and used more organic products than ever before, according to the Organic Trade Associations (OTAs) 2017 Organic Industry Survey....

This wording is only slightly different than about a year ago, when the Organic trade Associations 2016 Organic Industry Survey was released with these words:

The booming U.S. organic industry posted new records in 2015, with total organic product sales hitting a new benchmark of $43.3 billion, up a robust 11% from the previous years record level and far outstripping the overall food markets growth rate of 3%, according to the Organic Trade Associations 2016 Organic Industry Survey.

So, the OTA says, the double digit growth rate of 2015 and many previous years has settled down below 9%. The point is that organic sales are growing at several times faster than the overall market and warrant the attention and marketers and retailers.

Here are more highlights from the 2017 OTA survey:

Where to from here?

Organic Trade Association CEO and executive director Laura Batcha said the organic sales are growing but said more is needed to keep the sector growing. From the release: ...the organic sector is facing challenges to continue its growth. We need more organic farmers in this country to meet our growing organic demand, and the organic sector needs to have the necessary tools to compete on a level playing field. That means federal, state and local programs that help support organic research, and provide the organic farmer with a fully equipped tool kit to be successful, she said in the release.

We know the OTA wants a federal promotion and research checkoff for organic products, but nothing is assured for that outcome now.

When will organic growth plateau and begin to look like the pedestrian results of the overall U.S. food sector? The larger the sector gets, the harder it is to capture big percentage sales gains. Organic has room to grow, but the comfortable moniker of double digit organic produce sales gains must be revised - at least according to the OTA 2017 survey.

Read more:

OTA numbers solid but fall short of double digit yardstick - The Packer

Credit: Pixabay.

Many people are rightfully disappointed by how most conventional farmers grow food, which has springboarded a massive movement around organic food. This is supposedly food derived from crops and meat thats been grown in a healthier and simpler manner, akin to how it was done in the good ol days before intensive agriculture. Because organic food has a smaller yield, buyers often have to pay a premium for the same amount of conventional-corporation-poisoned food thats a market worth $35 billion in the US. But is the price tag really worth it? Organic food buyers will tell you theyre not only providing themselves and family with healthier, better quality food theyre also helping the environment. A recent study, however, suggests thats not the case at all.

According to the study authored by Hanna Treu fromHumboldt University of Berlin and colleagues, Germans who ate an organic diet required 40% more land to grow their food than those who ate a conventional diet. And in the end, the two diets had roughly the same carbon footprint.

These counter-intuitive findings can be explained by meat consumption. As we often write here at ZME, growing meat is the most unsustainable kind of agriculture, particularly beef, as it requires immense amounts of water, land, and feedstock. Organic meat even more. So, although the participants who ate a conventional diet consumed 45% more meat than those who preferred organic, their land use was far smaller.

Credit: Clean Prod.

These findings arent at all surprising given a previous studywhich found organic farms have a 20% lower crop yield than conventional farms.

Sales of organic food have grown by 20 percent annually, and experts predict that the industrys share of the U.S. food market is expected to grow from about 2 percent to roughly 3.5 percent by the end of the decade. About10,000 American farmers have made the transition to organic food production on about 2.3 million acres of land, according to the USDAs Economic Resources Service.

If all US wheat production were grown organically, an additional 12.4 million hectares (30.6 million acres) would be needed to match 2014 production levels. If you extrapolate these numbers for the rest of the world, it soon becomes clear that organic farming is unsuitable as a mainstream option.

Bearing this, as well as the higher costs, in mind, it seems unlikely organic food will ever become the go-to choice for most Americans. There simply isnt enough room to farm it and it might not even be worth it. Thats because contrary to popular opinion:

Journal reference: Hanna Treu, et al. Carbon footprints and land use of conventional and organic diets in Germany. J Clean Prod 161: 127-142. Published online: 2017.

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Organic food requires 40% more land than conventional farming for ... - ZME Science

Newser

Meditation Has Drawbacks, Too Newser (Newser) Meditation is widely considered a worthwhile practice, particularly as it relieves stress. But it can also cause stress, forcing practitioners to experience fear and even relive traumatic experiences, according to a new study. To put a ...

Read more here:

Meditation Has Drawbacks, Too - Newser

All the songs on Capacity, the upcoming album from Big Thief, are guitar songs save for one. Instead of Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek's wiry guitar arrangements, "Mary" pairs a hallowing piano and organ with the closeness of Lenker's consoling voice. It's hard to imagine any other arrangement sounding this fitting. Recorded in one take with Mat Davidson from Twain on piano, "Mary" is a song that so flawlessly captures an ineffable, deeply personal experience of the world that it becomes universal. It is the sound of snow piling on the windowsill of your childhood home, of a summer rain slanted against some beloved attic's cooling roof, of a childhood photograph rediscovered in a faded frame.

And it's the sound of Lenker's grandparents' house in Andover, Minn.

"We had a fireplace there," she remembers. "And every winter we spent every single winter there. I have memories of sledding down in the backyard; there was a hill that went down a path through this patch of woods. And we would just slide down the hill for hours. And then go inside and my grandma would make incredible hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon she was a heavy cinnamon user and my grandpa would put a fire on, and we would be there. And my grandma painted. And she'd bring out all these crafts and we'd sit and work on paintings and making things ... My grandparents and my grandma, in particular defined homey coziness in my life when I really needed it. Just that feeling of being completely cradled. That was my safe space. It just had this particular smell like potpourri and cloves and cinnamon. And it always smelled that way."

Lenker wrote "Mary" in that house. She first played it on her grandparents' keyboard some years ago, when she was 21 and just home from college, where she'd met a lifelong friend named Mary. ("There's really nothing like meeting a real friend on this earth who holds a space for you to be yourself," Lenker says.) "Mary" carries the warmth of that friendship and those winters.

"It's about childhood being brought to life and reignited after the slush of the teenage years," Lenker says. "There's just a little capsule of a song that allows me to revisit all these colors and pictures and textures and feelings. There's a few lines where I realized that sometimes it's easier on this journey for me to give love and kindness and tenderness and empathy to those I really care for ... and sometimes a little more challenging to direct it inwardly and give it to myself. And when I first wrote the song I thought I was definitely writing it all about this dear friend and these experiences and that time folded into other memories and just like a non-linear stream of life but then later I started realizing in listening to it that a lot of the lines were applicable to myself, and things that I needed to hear."

The song has a simple structure, but its chorus especially is uncommon in its elegant lyricism. As the piano draws back, Lenker incants a quickening series of memories and images in alliterative, internally rhymed fluidity. She lands on a note and repeats it ("What did you tell me, Mary, when you were there so sweet and very / Full of field and stars you carried all of time"), swoops on the beguiling phrase "monastery monochrome" and eventually lands on a passage where she flickers between two notes so lightly the change is almost imperceptible: "Aching planning high and smiling cheap drink dark and violent full of butterflies the violent / tenderness the sweet asylum." Her phrasing, lyrics and performance recall Judy Garland in "Over The Rainbow" the sound of a voice rocking back and forth in a lullabying third as if it were the beating of small wings, lifted off a catalog of simple beauty. Lenker writes at once from the sound of words and their meaning, creating a blissful avalanche of euphonious phrases like the childlike "boom balloon machine and, oh."

"First it sounds and then it means," Lenker says. "That song feels like crying and laughing at the same time. That's what it feels like to me."

That's the sound of Capacity's two polarities. The front of the record is often intense, and sometimes violent. It's a meditation on resilience and recovery with an emphasis on the painful moments that beget them. To Lenker's mind, "Great White Shark" is, roughly, the bridge from the troubled opening to the record's nurturing latter songs. "Mary" is at this section's apex. It is the feeling of being held at last in love, by yourself, through others.

"There's a lot that happens to the body in the beginning of the record that's harsh," she says. "And I think there's a lot that happens to the body in 'Mary' that is finally wonderful."

Standing outdoors, talking by phone on a May afternoon in Wimberley, Texas, Adrianne Lenker remembers winter in her grandparents' house in Andover, Minn., and the song that breathed from its walls with the smell of potpourri, cloves and cinnamon.

"It always feels good to sing that song."

Capacity comes out June 9 on Saddle Creek.

Link:

Big Thief's 'Mary' Is A Meditation On Resilience And Recovery - WBAA