Yield: About 8 to 10 (6-inch) pancakes

1 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoon salt

1 cups water

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons soy or almond milk, optional

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, oil, vanilla and optional soy or almond milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until just blended.

A weekly treasure trove of tastiness, featuring reviews from restaurant critic Ian Froeb and how-to videos by food writer Dan Neman.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Pour batter onto the griddle or skillet until it forms a 6-inch puddle. Cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry; check underneath to see if the bottom is lightly browned. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Per pancake (based on 8): 102 calories; 2g fat; no saturated fat; no cholesterol; 2g protein; 19g carbohydrate; 4g sugar; 1g fiber; 125mg sodium; 78mg calcium

Canola oil and almond milk were used in calculation.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

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Vegan Pancakes | Recipes | stltoday.com - STLtoday.com

If you thinkwineis just made of some crushed up grapes fermented in a barrel, think again. Fish bladder protein, crushed crustacean shells, egg whites, gelatin, and casein milk protein are all commonly-used in wine-making process, from your bottom-shelf rose to a vintage Bordeaux.

So finding an animal-friendly tipple if you're ahardcore veganorvegetariancan be tricky. And may be one of the reasons that while there has been a 360 per cent spike in people dabbling in veganism in the UK since 2006, separate research from the US shows that 84 per cent turn back to consuming meat and animal products soon after.

Animal products find their way in wine as fining ages, which are used to clarify the drinkand to carry unstable proteins. A fining agent is added to the top of a wine vessel. As it sinks to the bottom, the agent binds with proteins in the wine.

The majority of people are unaware that wine, although made from grapes, may have been made using animal-derived products, the PETA animal welfare website readers rather sadly.

But a bit of fish bladder protein or crushed up crab isnt going to stop vegans from enjoying a glass of red. And much like using sweet potatoes as a replacement for eggs in cakes, or even switching cows milk for almond or soy, vegans have thought up plenty of cruelty-free ways to get their wine fix.

According to Peta, carbon, bentonite clay, limestone, kaolin clay, plant casein, silica gel, and vegetable plaques are all used as alternatives to animal products.

AndEliza Frey, assistant winemaker at Frey Vineyards, has been making vegan wine way before the lifestylewas fashionable. She has worked at the Frey Vineyards in Mendocino County, California around 100 miles from San Francisco, for a decade. Pinor Noir, Sangiovese, Merlot and Pinot Grigio are all made by the vineyard.

Founded in 1980, Frey is theoldest certified organic winery in the US. The team there specialise in making additive-free, gluten-free andorganic wines.

There has been an increase in interest in vegan wine, in line with the rising popularity of plant based diets in general," Frey tellsThe Independent. "In the past most people assumed wine was vegan."

We have always worked with vegan wine. We practice low impact winemaking, so we never use sulphites, animal based fining agents, colours, stabilisers, enzymes or extracts. We rely on the quality of fruit to make wines of high quality and character," she adds.

So what does vegan wine taste like, exactly? While we can all argue that a pizza tastes just as good not dripping in mozzarella, its hardly true. Does wine suffer the same fate?

Vegan wine taste similar to other wines, says Frey. In fact, animal products dont seem integral to the winemaking process at all, she argues.Factors like varietal, growing region, the ripeness of the fruit at harvest, choice of yeast, contact with grape skins during fermentation and exposure to oxygen and oak have more of an effect on what a wine will taste like than whether or not it is vegan.

Wine is inherently vegan until an animal based processing aid is chosen by the winemaker, adds Frey. At Frey vineyards we test each batch of wine to see if fining is necessary to ensure that the wine will be stable on the shelf for consumers. We do not fin our red wines, but our white wines often require fining. For batches that need to be fined we use bentonite clay.

But dont be fooled into thinking that vegan wine is any more virtuous than regular plonk.

Vegan wines are not necessarily healthier than others," she warns. "Factors such as growing methods in the vineyard and preservatives in the wine are the biggest factors in determining the healthiness of a wine."

Those intrigued by pairing vegan food and vegan wine should try richer and more robust wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot pair best with heavier, heartier foods like roasted mushrooms in olive oil and lemon, root vegetable puree, or a hearty primavera sauce with olives and rosemary, according to Frey.

For spicy, ethnic cuisine like coconut lemongrass soup or fresh basil spring rolls with peanut sauce choose a crisp white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc, a dry, not sweet, Pinot Grigio, or a light bodied Pinot Noir.Medium bodied reds like Sangiovese, Zinfandel and blended table wines like Frey's Natural Red or Organic Agriculturist are great with grilled vegetables, hearty kale salads or quinoa pilaf with parsley and pumpkin seeds.

See more here:

Vegan wine: Meet the woman removing the fish bladders and eggs from our bottles of red - The Independent

Go Vegan World has accused the National Farmers Union of entirely missing the point in its recent criticism of the campaign which has been appearing across the UK and Ireland on billboards, taxis, motorways and at underground stations as well as full page adverts in national newspapers.

The campaign features powerful, highly thought-provoking messages such as Dairy Takes Babies from their Mothers, Humane Milk is a Myth: Dont Buy It and Vegetarianism is Not Enough for male chicks who are killed at birth by the egg industry.

The award-winning advertising campaign is designed to encourage people to question the notion that humans are better than other animals; and to get them to think seriously about the ethics of continuing to use animals as food, clothing, entertainment, and for research.

On 5th February, the Sunday Telegraph ran a full page Go Vegan World advertisement featuring one of the campaigns Dairy Takes Babies from their Mothers slogans.

However, Michael Oakes of the National Farmers Union (NFU) dairy board responded to the advertisement, by writing an open letter criticising the GVW campaign, calling it misleading and claiming standards of animal welfare in dairy production were high.

The Go Vegan World campaign, however, is not trying to mislead anyone. Rather, the adverts portray an accurate picture of the dairy industry, substantiated by evidence which can be researched thoroughly on the Go Vegan World website.

GVW Campaign Director and Founder of the Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary Sandra Higgins said: For the NFU to defend the dairy industry by referring to animal welfare and benign treatment entirely misses the point of the campaign.

Veganism is about justice. Justice cant be accorded to others unless we are willing to swap places with them. None of us would voluntarily choose the life and death of any mammal used in the dairy industry or any other form of animal agriculture or animal use. The only way to be fair is to abolishalluse of them. Other animals share our capacity to feel and have an interest in living for their own reasons. To respect this fact, we are morally obliged not to use them.

There is no need for farmers to feel threatened or disheartened about veganism. We will need and value farmers more than ever in a vegan world.

Farmers can rest assured that there will be no more vocal and effective a voice in ensuring that they receive all necessary support to transition to alternative, more ethical and sustainable ways of making a living, than that of the vegan community.

Sandra is passionate that the general public has a right to know the facts involved in dairy production, including those farms that carry a Red Tractor quality assured label. These labels are part of the myth of humane farming that the campaign aims to highlight. She points out that most people are not aware of the exploitation of the female reproductive system and the slaughter on which dairy is predicated.

The GVW campaign seeks to dispel the myth that dairy is essential for human health, a myth that the dairy industry has promoted as fact for decades. In fact, studies have demonstrated that consumption of dairy increases the risk of bone fracture, breast and prostate cancer, as well as obesity, cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. There is a growing body of research that shows that a switch to a vegan lifestyle would actually benefit the environment, human health and help alleviate world hunger.

The Go Vegan World Free Vegan Guide can be downloaded click here.

The London Economic published a story of a woman who tried to go Vegan for a week, read her story here

Is it time to let dairy fail? read article here

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Go Vegan World Hits Back At National Farmers' Union For Entirely Missing The Point Of Vegan Campaign - The London Economic

Last semester, a group of vegans banned together to create the new Vegan Cooking Club. Now, they meet once a month to discuss, cook and eat vegan recipes as a group.

The organizers of the club were impressed to see that Sodexo already provided a full section of food that was vegan and gluten free. With these options already popular for students on campus, Caitlin Applin knew there would be enough people interested in starting a new club based on vegan food.

The fact that we had a whole section of food that was vegan and gluten free meant to me that Johnson had a significant number of students who ate vegan food every day, and I thought I could bring these people together and make it mean something, said Applin.

For a new club, the Vegan Cooking Club has met the requirements that the Student Government Association has in place for all clubs including monthly meetings and attending all club fairs. Their success has impressed SGA members including Brittney Malik, who is the director of clubs for the SGA. The Vegan [Cooking] Club started from nothing, said Malik. They only just became a club last semester, but they hit the ground running. We get a lot of new clubs each semester, and they usually have a hard time getting off the ground, but that wasnt the case with the Vegan Cooking Club.

Applin started to build the club by working closely with Sodexo employee Peggy Edwards, who is the vegan chef on campus. Edwards then started to reach out to other students who were interested in the possible club.

She started talking to more of the people who came by her station every day and found other vegans and vegetarians, even just students curious about it. We could tell we had enough people interested to get something going, said Applin.

Edwards, who is a vegan herself, is the clubs advisor and cooks with them at every meeting along with teaching the group tips to improve their cooking skills.

There have been quite a few things I have learned so far. I have been introduced to a bunch of new ingredients and a handful of tips and tricks that are important to know when cooking and baking vegan that I had never even heard of before, said Applin.

During the club approval process, there were some initial concerns about a Sodexo employee acting as a club advisor because the college does not directly employ them, and that partnership had never been done before.

We were worried about the collaboration between the club and Sodexo, but after meeting with Edwards and hearing the goals she had for the club, I knew that the club would grow to be something great, said Malik.

Edwardss dedication to the club is clearly shown, and anyone who attends lunch at the college will see Edwards serving up her vegan dishes and enthusiastically inviting students and staff members to the clubs events.

I love working with this club. Its the best part of my job, said Edwards.

Currently, the club has 10 members who are working closely with Sodexo and cooking every month with Edwards. The club has been able to gain more control over what they are eating and have even made a difference when it comes to what Sodexo serves during mealtimes.

The club has made it easier for us to talk to the people in charge of what we are eating, said Applin. We have been able to make a lot of suggestions and tell them what we like, and so far we have seen a lot of changes to what vegans and gluten-free students here are able to eat. More desserts, salad dressings and toppings such as nutritional yeast and gluten free croutons. Tom does like to make sure all the students know that if you write anything down and give it to them, they do take all suggestions into consideration.

The club is preparing for a dinner that they will be hosting in April, and during every meeting, they practice cooking one dish that they will serve and discuss what they may change in the future.

One of the first things we made was barbecued jackfruit, and when you saut it, it has the same texture as pulled pork, and its delicious but also doesnt remind you of meat. We are going to use it in one of the appetizers, and I cant wait for everyone to try it, said Applin.

The next meetings for the club will be March 18, March 25, April 15 and April 19 at 10 a.m. in the kitchen in Stearns. Applin encourages anyone to show up ready to cook no matter their experience level. The club is also looking for anyone who is interested in volunteering to serve food at the event on April 27 at 5 p.m.

We are holding our first dinner to raise money for the North Country Animal League, said Applin. Not only is this full course meal 100 percent vegan and gluten free, but we are also doing it almost completely waste free. So basically everything you are served will be edible down to the silverware and cups.

Tickets cost 15 dollars per person, but students with a meal plan are free. The event will be held in the Stearns performance space, so tickets are limited and sold on a first come first serve basis.

Tickets for the event will go on sale in March, and club members will be selling tickets in Stearns. Students or community members interested in the event can also contact Caitlin Applin through her JSC email, caitlin.applin@jsc.edu.

Its great to see that people are excited about what we are doing. I never imagined so many people to be talking about it or interested in the event, and now its almost overwhelming to see how much this is doing, said Applin.

See the rest here:

A place where Vegans meet - Basement Medicine

San Antonio Express-News (subscription)

Recipe: Vegan Blueberry Buckle San Antonio Express-News (subscription) Instructions: Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish or cast iron skillet and set aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sugar and margarine in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until light and ...

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Recipe: Vegan Blueberry Buckle - San Antonio Express-News (subscription)

Popular Newcastle cafe Super Natural has pulled off a first by introducing vegan beer on draft.

The vegetarian favourite is leading the way in serving up the hard-to-get beer and not just any old beer: top brands Stella Artois and Boddingtons will be on sale to customers from Friday.

Already the pumps are installed and, following a brief closure on Thursday, the Grainger Street eatery will re-open this Friday with a new-look bar area set to be the first vegan bar in the country.

Fresh branding will be seen soon too on the exterior of the cafe which has become a favourite with customers since its move to a more central location around eight months ago from its previous home in upper Princess Square.

The vegetarian and vegan food it serves - such as spicy Mexican Burrito; chicken and mushroom-style pie and sandwiches with inspired salads - is a far cry from the old days of nut roast and is clearly winning over non-veggie customers too.

Many would be hard-pressed to taste any difference in, for instance, its dairy-free cakes or meat-free curries. And co-owner Andrew Bloomfield, who runs the business with Mark Rogers and cooks a lot of its dishes himself, reckons its the same with the beer.

If you dont know its vegan, you wont know the difference, he said.

Which are the best vegetarian restaurants in Newcastle?

The vegan Stella Artois and Boddingtons taste like the real deal and if, as expected, they prove popular then more additions could be on the cards.

Already, Super Natural offers a range of vegan wines, ciders and bottled beers - as well as soft drinks - but it took Andrew quite some time to source a draft beer that met the exacting standards.

Alcoholic drinks dont, obviously, contain animal products but what many people dont realise is that the same cant be said for its filtering or clarification processes which tend to make use of a substance obtained from fish bladders.

Andrew said: There are vegan beers out there; you just have to source them carefully.

These beers weve found are popular and very big brands: its just so happens they dont use the that manufacturing process.

Andrew has been in catering for years, running his first cafe in the city when he was 27.

Now the joint business reflects both his and Marks lifestyle choice, born from a concern for animal welfare.

Its our passion, he pointed out.

He himself followed what he says is a common process - being vegetarian before turning vegan - and Super Natural caters for people at each stage.

But its also proving a hit with non-veggies and enjoys plenty trade from passers-by who are keen to enjoy a meal or a snack in comfy surroundings, with relaxing music and art as a backdrop.

An exception is made for them with the option of cows milk for their coffee - as not having it might prove a step too far! for those willing to try something completely new.

Andrew said: Our concept is to try to take vegetarian food and vegan food to a wider audience.

Were trying to make it more mainstream and to get people just to come in and try it.

Super Naturals new-look bar will coincide with the introduction of late opening on Friday and Saturday nights which will also see a range of bar snacks, such as loaded nachos, on the menu.

We believe there isnt another vegan bar in the whole country, added Andrew.

Its unique and, hopefully, it will be good for the city.

Excerpt from:

Vegan beer in Newcastle: Three cheers for Super Natural as the city's eatery serves up a first - ChronicleLive

Unlike its predecessors, the new Nintendo Switch has a boring operating system. Not only does it lack Nintendo's characteristic oddball playfulness, it's also nearly silent. There's no music. It's a shame.

The 3DS and the Wii U, Nintendo's two most recent gaming systems, both had incredible menu music. If you've been using a Switch for the past few days, you may have already started to forget just how good those devices sounded. Here's a refresher.

Wii U owners, give this a listen:

Aaaaah. It's so relaxing! You can almost hear the pitter-pat of little Mii feet as they crowd into the plaza. It's so much more musically interesting than your average "welcome to the spa" music like you get on the PS4 and the notably dull PS Vita.

The 3DS did something similar with its main menu music, and I actually wrote an entire article dedicated to the handheld's many melodies. There was separate music for the home screen, the eshop, the system settings menu, the Mii plaza, and even the health and safety information page.

And they were all good! Seriously, here's the 3DS health and safety music:

Not only is that music just generally nice to listen to, it also makes me feel healthy and safe? It's on-brand and everything.

For comparison's sake, here's what the Switch sounds like:

Yes, that is a still image of the Switch home screen. You can just look at it and not hear music, and you'll have the same experience as actually using a Switch. In fairness, the Switch does have some nice built-in sound effects, a collection of snaps and chimes that make using the console a little bit more sensorially satisfying than your average Android touchscreen device. But it's still a big step down.

It can't be easy to compose system music for a video game console. It's music that millions of people will listen to every day, but if they notice it, the composer's usually done something wrong. Nintendo has never taken this challenge lightly, and I'm surprised to see them skip it with the Switch.

Given Nintendo's history and musical pedigree, I'm still hopeful that the Switch will get an update that adds a melody or two. And I can understand why they might want to launch with a stripped down, functional operating system before they began adding things. In a year, my Switch might serenade me as I browse my friends list and look for things to buy. Give us the tunes, Nintendo.

Please log in or register to gain access to this feature.

We often talk about the games we love and the games that get better over time here on the Kotaku Video Game Website. But what we don't mention as often are the ones that are really, really bad.

I pray none of these nightmares happen to my Switch, or yours for that matter.

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The Nintendo Switch Really Needs More Music - Kotaku Australia

Regardless of whetheryoure a parent, an environmentalist, or just a plain old shopper, chances are youve gazed out overthe supermarket producesection and asked yourself, Should I buy organic?

Everyones heard of the scary chemicals used by agribusiness to keep yourapples worm-freeits what generates the fearthat makes organic produce lucrative. In exchange for more money,consumers are told they can have pesticide-free peace of mind.On Wednesday, the Environmental Working Group (which calls itselfanonpartisan organization aimed atprotecting human health and the environment) released its annual ranking of the best (Clean Fifteen) and the worst (Dirty Dozen) producewhen it comes topesticide content. The list is meant to be a tool for the consumer: If your favorite fruit is among the Dirty Dozen, the thinking goes, youd be safer buying organic.

Strawberries and spinach hold the top two spots inthis years Dirty Dozenmore than 98percent of samples tested positive for pesticide residue. One sample of strawberries, the report states, came with 20 different pesticides, while spinach samples had on average double the amount of pesticide residue by weight as any of the other crops reviewed.

Strawberriesrankhigh on the Dirty Dozen list.

Photographer: Mark Elias/Bloomberg

When buying conventional, the guide says, try to stick with the Clean Fifteen: These fruits and vegetables, including sweet corn, mangoes, eggplant, and cabbage, had the fewest pesticides present and in the lowest concentrations. The guide also helps shoppers feel as if they are saving money safely: You dont need to cough up extra cashfor already expensive avocados, for example,becauseonly 1percent had detectable pesticide.

But experts in pesticides and toxicology say thisannual list, seen as helpful for sales of organic produce, oversimplifies a complicated issue. Just because pesticides are on an apple doesnt meanthe apple is dangerous. Meanwhile, critics say, the EWG survey muddies what is a much more important message for American consumers: Eat more fruits and vegetables. Period.

In fact, organic marketing that emphasizes the perceived threat of pesticide residue could be dissuading some consumers from buying fruits and vegetables at all. And thats really not healthy.

One critic of the list is Carl Winter, director of the FoodSafe Program at the University of California, Davis. In 2011, heco-authored a studyconcluding that the level of pesticides consumers were exposed to viathe Dirty Dozen was negligible. Whats more, they found thatorganic produce had some pesticide residue, too.And finally, they reported, EWGs methodology does not appear to follow any established scientific procedures.

Take the bell pepper. According to EWGs 2010 report, it had high levels of the organophosphate insecticide methamidophos. Organophosphates can be verydangerous, and even mild poisoning can cause vomiting and chest tightness. But Winter found that thereference dose (RfD), or the highest acceptable level of a toxin that can be consumed orally, as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was almost 50times higher than what was found on those bell peppers.

Sonya Lunder, an EWG senior analyst, acknowledged Winters report but advised caution that the EPAs continued efforts to revoke tolerancesspecifically for neurotoxic insecticidesis a sign that some pesticides do pose a safety risk in the food supply.

Other studies do support theEWGto a point. In 2011, three reportsshowed prenatal exposure to organophosphates had a measurable impact on achilds neurological development, including lowering their IQ byan average of as much as seven points. The independentstudies began during pregnancy and followedthe children until they were seven years old, both in low income New YorkCity neighborhoods where they were exposed through home pesticide use, and in Californias Salinas Valley, Americas No. 1vegetable-growingregion. The studies showed that prenatal exposure to organophosphates (as opposed to consumption of food tainted by it) islikely to have long-term, deleterious impacts on children.

Immigrant farm workers harvest spinach near Coachella, Calif.

Photographer: David McNew/AFP via Getty Images

In 2015, another study compared organophosphate byproducts in the urine of conventionalproduce consumers withthose in the urine of organic consumers.Not surprisingly, organic fans showed lower levels. But,says Cynthia Curl, an assistant professor at Boise State University and the studys lead author, there isnt firm evidence that organic eaters were any healthier in the end.

An organic diet dramatically and immediately reduces or eliminates exposure to organophosphates, Curl said. Is that enough to lead to a measurable health difference? Thats what we dont know. In other words, working in a field or living in a home where pesticides are sprayed isnt the same as eating a fruit or vegetable with just a little bit of residue, and even less after its been washed or cooked or both.

Winter points to the old toxicologist adage: Its the dose that makes the poison.

Testing has shown that organic produce sometimes haspesticide residue, both chemicalsapproved for use in organic agriculture and those coming through drift, irrigation, and other kinds of inadvertent contamination, Winter saidin a2012 study, Pesticide Residues in Imported, Organic and Suspect Fruits and Vegetables.

QuickTake Organic Food

In 2010, for example, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation analyzed 137 organic produce samples and found 20 of them, or 14.6percent, had pesticide residue, including seven that had higher levels than would be allowed under the rules of the U.S. National Organic Program. Wintersconclusion: Organic produce has lower levels of pesticides than conventional produce, but none of it is worth worrying about.

The EWG doesnt include testing on organic produce in its calculations, andLunder points out that the testing that has been done involves many fewer samples. Plus, says Curl from Boise State, the pesticides most people are concerned with, such asorganophosphates, arent used in organic agricultureat all.

As for long-term buildup, Winter says the studies that setallowable levelstake that into account and are done over long periods of time. Our typical exposure is often 100,000 times lower than levels that show no effect in lab animals who have been fed the chemicals on a daily basis throughout their lifetime.

Curlconcedes that the EWG list remains helpful for consumers despite its shortcomings. If you are concerned about reducing your level of exposure to pesticides, she says, eating organic is one way to do that.

One misperception about the value of organic foods, saysMichael Joseph, chief executive of Green Chef, a certified organic meal kit company, is that consumer pesticide exposure isthe overriding concern. Eating organic means supporting an industry that uses less harmful chemicals, and thats good for soil health, minimizing runoff into waterways.

Ive been down in Costa Rica to conventional banana fields where whats happening is you wind up polluting that local water system and make it unusable for a local population, he says.

But Winter said lists leveraging the fear of pesticides might be doing harm to the most vulnerable.

The most important business stories of the day.

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In astudy published in late 2016 that surveyed more than 600 low-income household shoppersin the greater Chicago area, one reason people avoided buying fruits and vegetables was because of publicity about pesticides levels in non-organic options. In response to several statementsabout the differences between organic and conventional fruits and vegetablesincluding assertions that organics werent more nutritious and that both may have safe, low levels of pesticidesthe statement citing the Dirty Dozen list elicited thegreatest number of people to choose less likely to purchase any type of fruits or vegetables.

Put simply, fear of pesticides can drive people away from fruits and vegetables in general. And even EWG recognizes thats a bad result. (Eating conventionally grown produce is far better than skipping fruits and vegetables, the group said in its 2016 report.)

We know so much about the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and theres so much uncertainty about levels of residues, Curl said. I never want my work to be interpreted as we shouldnt eat fruits and vegetables because we can't afford organic.

The rest is here:

How Organic Produce Can Make America Less Healthy - Bloomberg

In Lane County we have been blessed to have a visionary entrepreneur at the genesis of the organically grown produce and foods movement, Pat Leonard. With the help of Leonards talents, research and advocacy, Oregon passed the nations first organic foods laws and statutes in 1973.

Former U.S. Congressman James Weaver helped immensely by educating and nudging decision-makers in the direction of supporting the greatest public interest.

California incorporated many of the provisions of Oregons law in enacting its own organic foods-labeling law in 1979. Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy introduced meaningful organics-related legislation in 1990 as part of that congressional sessions Farm Bill.

Weavers successor in Congress worked for amendments to water down organic food production standards, and that weaker version of organic standards passed Congress. Removed were the environmental stewardship and sustainable agricultural purposes in Leahys proposed legislation.

Were fortunate to have had visionary leaders in some parts of the business community here, such as Leonard. Our burgeoning green business sectors and our local food economy all have Pat Leonard to thank each wakeful day for his efforts and successes, which some once said were quixotic.

Rob Handy

Eugene

More Letters in the editor's mailbag articles

Mail letters to: Mailbag, 3500 Chad Drive, Eugene, OR 97408-7348

E-mail: rgletters@registerguard.com

See the rest here:

Thank Leonard for organic legacy - The Register-Guard

Posted March 09, 2017 16:16:34

A central Victorian organic farmer has teamed up with a Samoan counterpart in sharing farming techniques and to learn from each other's experiences.

Norma Tauiliili, who is touring Australia on a three month Rotary-funded visit, said farming in the Pacific nation was a slow, laboured process often troubled by a lack of resources.

"We don't have that much equipment, like machinery, we all use our hands to do our work. That's the problem," Ms Tauiliili said.

"Even with seeds we don't have that much, we have to buy them from the agricultural store and give them out to our farmers."

Ms Tauiliili is from Apia in Samoa where she works as a senior field officer for Women in Business Development Inc (WIBDI), an NGO that works in 183 Samoan villages which nurtures certified organic agricultural enterprises.

Her first stop was a certified organic orchard in Harcourt, central Victoria, run by third generation orchardist and 2015 Victorian Rural Woman of the Year, Katie Finlay.

"We're a tiny farm here in Australia but we're fully mechanised. We have forklifts and tractors and every bit of equipment we could want," Ms Finlay said.

"Having Norma come here, through her eyes, we're a big fancy farm that's got all the equipment they just dream of having."

Ms Finley said that many Samoan farmers just wanted access to tools.

"They want hoes and rakes and seeds. It's that very basic form of infrastructure that we take for granted," she said.

Ms Finley said it had been a "real eye opener" understanding the practical considerations of bringing market opportunities to farmers with so few resources.

It was not just a lack of mechanised equipment that made farming more challenging in the small Polynesian country.

Many Samoan farmers do not have vehicles, making it difficult to transport goods to the local market.

That is where WIBDI step in.

"[We] pick [the farmers] up and help them out with transportation, and after the night market we deliver them back home," Ms Tauiliili said.

The support offered by WIBDI also extends to funding a youth program tackling truancy and unemployment.

"We reach out to those villages that have youth that don't go to school and don't have jobs," Ms Tauiliili said.

"[It involves] learning and giving them knowledge and skills for organic farming and how to take care of their environment because nowadays climate change is a really big issue for our country."

While Samoa lacks resources, Ms Finley said its people have a different, more prosperous relationship to their land than in Australia.

In Samoa, most families own land and additional family members also have access.

"If it's family land then each of the [family members] have a right to the land. They can build houses on the land," Ms Tauiliili said.

"Some of them will divide the land and some will share it."

Ms Finley said one of the barriers for young farmers in Australia was this access to land.

"It changes your perspective of what is wealth and who has access to what," Ms Finley said.

"Farmers in Samoa don't have access to seeds and tools, but they've got as much land and water as they could possibly want so they have a lot of inherent wealth available to them.

"One of the gifts that we can give our young farmers here in Australia is helping them get access to farming land.

Topics: human-interest, women-in-agriculture, women, sustainable-and-alternative-farming, community-and-society, feminism, work, harcourt-3453, pacific, samoa

Excerpt from:

Sharing organic food-growing knowledge across the Pacific - ABC Online