Rivendel Farms

  The official “Earth Day” has come and gone.

I hope that no matter where you were this week end you were able to take a few moments and think about the earth and just what is the future of this very fragile planet we call home.  

  So many times we take  for granted, the air, water, soil, animals large and small.  Even us, the

“superior being” (I say this with , ???!!!::??!!), we are only as strong as the living things around us.  We are all so intricately intertwined.

  Here at the farm we had a very lovely week end.  Cool for the last few days of April but sunny and clear, just a little rain clouds around and some wind.   We need that rain.  But we did not get enough to make a difference.  So back to irrigation this week, I have never in my 30 years of gardening had to water in April !  Makes me worried for our traditional dryer times of July and August.

  It seams to me that the month of April got switched with the month of March!  We had temperatures in the the 80’s in March  and temperatures in the 50,s and 60.s in April!  Which sent all plants into over drive in March. We had daffodils blossoming with Iris !  Red buds and dogwoods came and went in a weeks time !  The asparagus started in March, usually in mid-April, and it is gone already. So if you did not get any or enough to satisfy your pallet or fill your freezer you are not alone! It has left a lot of people wanting more of a good thing this year.

We also had a “Frost Warning” for last night, the 22nd of April !  What !!!!  (Last frost day for western KY is April 15th) We covered the pepper plants. We lost our 64 tomato plants 2 weeks ago to frost, and have to start again. But I am waiting a few weeks to make sure. So tomato’s will be later rather than earlier this year.  On a great note………..the cabbage, broccoli, and peas are much happier with the cooler temperatures.

  Until next time happy gardening and green growing.

Tell Congress to Support Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food

In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don’t have that choice when it comes to GE ingredients in the foods we purchase and feed our families.  This led the Center for Food Safety to submit a legal petition to the FDA demanding that the agency require the labeling of GE foods.  In response, Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) and Representative Peter DeFazio (OR) have authored a bicameral Congressional letter in support of our legal petition and will be urging their fellow Members on Capitol Hill to sign onto their letter.

Unsuspecting consumers by the tens of millions are being allowed to purchase and consume unlabeled genetically engineered foods, despite the fact that FDA undertakes no testing of its own, instead relying only on a voluntary consultation with industry and confidential industry data to assure safety.  Internal FDA documents discovered in prior CFS litigation actually indicated the foods could pose serious risks, but those views were overruled.

Genetically engineered foods are required to be labeling in nearly 50 countries around the world including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, China, New Zealand and many others.  A recent poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. As ABC News stated, “Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare.” Yet the United States is one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t require labeling of GE food!

Please write and call your U.S. Senators and Representative and urge them to join the Boxer-DeFazio letter in support of labeling!

Center for Food Safety

Need help eating smart?

Go to, Nutrition Action Health , there news letter keeps you up-to-date on food safety and nutrition information.

As well as our classes on Home cooking using all natural and Organic ingredients, or take a class to learn to grow your own “Smart Food".

Don’t take my word for it, or the USDAs’, do your own research, take action for what you drink or eat. Be an educated Omnivore (meat and vegetable eater). 

Become a “Smart Food” eater.

I have asked you this question before in previous blogs.  Go to our Bakery site and ck it out.

This was emailed to me by Michael F. Jacobson, PH. D

If you read Nutrition Action Health letter, you likely already know that phrases such as "multigrain" or "made with whole grain" are often synonymous with "made with mostly refined white flour, and NOT whole grain."

Kellogg probably wouldn’t sell a lot of Eggo waffles of any variety if their labels proclaimed that the waffles were "made with water" and "mostly white flour."  Yet water and white flour are the top two ingredients in Eggo Nutri-Grain Whole Wheat Waffles, whose labels tout their "whole grain" and "whole wheat" content. 

Today we’re sending a team to the Food and Drug Administration to make the case that the agency should stop that kind of deception by requiring food manufacturers to disclose exactly how much whole grain is in “whole grain” bread, crackers, pastas, and other foods.

ABC News’ World News with Diane Sawyer came to CSPI on to report on the various whole grain claims we found in the supermarket.  Here is their story.

(Go to ABC News’ World News with Diane Sawyer and look for her video on “Are whole grains really whole?”

Do your cupboards harbor any "whole grain" foods that are primarily made with white flour?  Tell us about them in the comments on our Facebook page and we’ll make sure the FDA takes a look at those as well !

Sincerely,

Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Need help eating smart?

Nutrition Action Health letter keeps you up-to-date on food safety and nutrition information.

I want to be a part of the fight for safer, more nutritious food by contributing to CSPI.

Anna-bell has had her calf. A beautiful heifer ,that’s a girl, her name is Clara-bell. Big brown eyes with long lashes. She also has a new Auntie.  Tinker-bell, no I did not name her she came with that name. How timely.  She will have her baby Christmas 2012.

   WELCOME THE BELL FAMILY, RIVENDEL FARMS NEWEST MEMBERS!