Down to Earth - Raising Cattle, Kids and Consciousness » 2009

Consumers unsure about new food technologies

By Sara | 03/29/09 - 8:21am | Comments (2)

I recently read a new report on consumer’s attitudes about food technologies. The report was done by the Food Standards Agency (an independent UK Government department aiming to protect the public’s health and consumer interests in relation to food).

“Overall, the public was found to be wary, uneasy and uncertain about emerging food technologies. Having said
this, emerging food technologies tend not to be top-of-mind concerns”

I’m not all that surprised, but it set me to thinking about our attitudes toward “new” in food and how it’s changed since the 50s and 60s.
Over at Texas Locavore, I saw a video of a new short film on slow food: “Slowing Down” by Adrian Tapia

The film blames our fascination with new technology as a big part of the reason we got so far away from “slow food” and became that infamous fast-food nation.But if we were so anxious to try everything new “back when’; from microwaves to Mel-mac dinnerware (remember when plastic was “cool”?) what’s changed? I think there are several reasons:

“New” is no longer new; technology is advancing so rapidly that we are being overrun with ‘new’ every day. Perhaps we are feeling out of control?
Trust; I suspect that those making food purchase decisions in the 50s and 60s had a much greater trust level in government and the media than consumers do now.
Balance: Personally, I think we’ve gotten out of balance with consuming in many ways. There is increasing nostalgia for simpler times and new technologies don’t fit in with that.
Emotional Arguments: In our web-enabled age, consumers are bombarded with information and emotional arguments against technologies (often with slanted science) abound. The report found that emotion was a primary driver in opinions about food technologies.

All of this begs the question which prompted the report in the first place: Should consumer opinion shape government policy on food technology?

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Forget basketball, participate in “Meat Madness”

By Sara | 03/20/09 - 7:48am | Comments (0)

Just for fun, the folks over at So Good blog are having a tournament of their own. Each day, you can vote for your favorite meat dish in a NCAA tournament-style matchup. Today’s contest pits Bacon (#1 seed) versus Pork Chops and Ham versus Pulled Pork. Yesterday, Steak trounced Roast Beef and Buffalo edged Veal in the bovine bracket.

So, go vote your gastronomic favorites! Any bets on the ultimate winner? I can’t decide between steak and bacon.

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New Video About Processed Meats

By Sara | 03/18/09 - 8:50pm | Comments (0)

The American Meat Institute (AMI) has released a YouTube Video which seeks to counter some of the recent press about health risks from eating processed meats. I admit I am a big fan of bacon. In fact, I have read in several places that bacon is the single most frequent food that lures people out of vegetarianism.

Even though this comes from an industry group, (so obviously there is an agenda) there are some good facts in here. For example, only 5% of the nitrate in our diet comes from processed meats–far more comes from green leafy vegetables and other plant sources. Although I’d fall short of calling lunch meat a health food, the video points out that lunch meats can be low-fat and/or low sodium. They also correctly say that many of the sensational press articles about “processed meat” have confused pickled and very high-salt meat-based diets (such as in parts of Asia) with the typical lunch-meat in the US.

I’m a huge advocate for simple, less processed foods. But, the take-home message is that you don’t have to feel guilty for eating an occasional hot-dog or giving your children lunch meat on some days. In moderation, lunch meat or nitrate-cured bacon is not something to lose sleep over.

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Bad journalism abounds on both sides of the issues

By Sara | 03/18/09 - 9:45am | Comments (0)

Back in 2007, we wrote about a paper claiming the use of growth promotants in beef production was more beneficial to the environment than grass-feeding. Virtually the same story is in the most current issue of Beef Magazine. I find it interesting that Beef doesn’t provide a link to the report, and the link I included to the report in my blog post no longer works. Nor can I find the report anywhere on the CFGI website. At least the original Iowa State Report is still available. Note that this report has nothing to do with the environmental effects of either type of production.

I do not argue that increasing the efficiency of production can be beneficial for the environment and for the economy. I take issue, however, with propaganda disguised as journalism. I believe this article (like many on the other side of the debate) to be misleading and less about information than influence.

I have the same problem believing extreme positions on any subject; be it claims that we will be poisoned if our food is produced using any technology invented in the 20th Century, or disregard of any and all concerns that some technologies have negative effects.

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The Value of Chores

By Sara | 03/05/09 - 11:44am | Comments (1)

Amanda, over at Beef Daily Blog, is hosting a discussion about ranch chores, which got me thinking about my own chore philosophy.

I can’t say I was a big fan of chores as a child. Now that I’m a Mom, I have come to the conclusion that a good chunk of what’s wrong with our society, our economy and our food/health status could be fixed if all children grew up doing chores.

My boys go to a Montessori school where there is no homework. Instead, parents are asked to pledge they will involve their children in daily life activities, such as laundry, grocery shopping and cooking. I am convinced that, if a parent does so consciously, the children learn more of value that way than any amount of homework can teach them. It is especially so out on a ranch, but true enough in any home.

When children are responsible for helping take care of their environment, they are truly a part of the family. Face it, especially when they are young, having children “help” often just isn’t much help. It is tempting to do it yourself. BUT, if you are taking the time to teach them or to work beside them, they are gettting serious “quality time” from you.

I think we unconsciously teach our children to be passengers when we take care of all their needs. Without participating in life chores, how can we expect them to suddenly be competent parents or responsible adults once they leave home? Chores teach children responsibility. Perhaps as importantly, when children inevitably fall short on their responsibilities, they can experience the consequences in ways that are sooo much cheaper than learning that lesson later in life.

At our ranch, our boys are part of the food chain all the way through. They are there when we artificially inseminate, help name the calves, go with us when we take beeves in for harvest and they really love a good steak. In fact, we joke that at our ranch, we know our beef “from semen to sewer”.

Children don’t need to be on a ranch, though, for chores to contribute to an appreciation for where their food comes from. Chores such as gardening, cooking, grocery shopping or going to the farmer’s market help promote healthy eating habits. It’s amazing what vegetables children will eat when they grow them themselves. Especially if you get some of the cool varieties, such as purple ‘green’ beans, rainbow chard, purple carrots, zebra striped tomatoes or blue potatoes.

All this adds up to self-esteem. And it’s a lot cheaper than therapy, martial arts classes or reform school!

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Mommy blogs, we’re out there…

By Sara | 03/03/09 - 9:07pm | Comments (2)

I just joined a “social network” of Moms who blog. Although I didn’t initially think of Down To Earth as a “mommy blog”, as I look at the list of other self-proclaimed Mommy blogs, I think we fit in. The list of group members is below; check some of them out, and maybe you’ll find a new friend or some useful information! Not surprisingly, “Moms” are out there, doing everything under the sun, and some of them have a lot to say about it.

http://blog.weddingpaperdivas.com/

http://blog.tinyprints.com/

http://www.momstart.com

http://iamharriet.blogspot.com

http://akblessingsabound.blogspot.com/

http://www.coolmomguide.com/

http://www.shortpumppreppy.com

http://johnsonsnutfarm.blogspot.com/

http://mamamentor.com/

http://moomettesgramsmusings.com/

http://ifmomsaysok.wordpress.com/

http://www.dominiquegoh.com/