For Immediate Release

For Immediate Release
January 22, 2007

Contact:
Caroline Craven
Ph: (818) 585-5660
E-mail: mail@farmosafarms.oirg

Farmosa Farms Supports Push For Major Farm Bill Changes

Washington, DC – Farmosa Farms today joined hundreds of other groups around the country to call for a more balanced farm bill – one that would make real progress toward educating consumers of all ages, supporting family farms, promoting entrepreneurship in rural America, enhancing conservation, advancing diversity and support for socially disadvantaged farmers, and tackling the serious hunger and diet-related health problems facing our nation’s citizens.

A report, “Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food Policy,” was released today with endorsements by more than 300 organizations, including Farmosa Farms. The report was developed under the auspices of the Farm and Food Policy Project, a collaboration of rural, family farm, conservation, anti-hunger, nutrition, faith-based, public health, and other groups such as our suburban-based, online, educational nonprofit, FarmosaFarms.org.

The report outlines innovations aimed at reducing hunger and soaring rates of obesity; promoting entrepreneurship and economic development in farm and rural communities; encouraging local food production, providing incentives for more environmentally-friendly farming systems, and reducing barriers and creating opportunities for young and beginning farmers and ranchers getting started in agriculture.

It's necessary that we look at everyone involved with the food process with significant focus on the consumer. This plan is well-rounded and includes the basics needed to keep us on the right track while offering options for the future.”

A complete copy of the Farm and Food Policy Project’s policy statement and recommendations may be viewed and downloaded from its Web site at www.farmandfoodproject.org.

Farmosa Farms, a California non profit corporation, provides a free online resource to promote agriculture for good health within all communities as an online community. In addition they offer customized services and presentations on nutrition education and agricultural awareness. The Farm can be reached at FarmosaFarms.org or NutritionalHome.com (go shopping and help the farm!). For further information call Caroline Craven at 818.585.5660. What's in your milk?

Wheat Free Apple Crisp gets 5 Stars!

Our Wheat Free Apple Crisp was just reviewed and received 5-stars - Again! Check it out here: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/reviews?rid=117347&sort=t

The last check said to cook it 20 mins longer - so test the timing if you make it. And remember, use all organic ingredients - or at least as many as you can. It's not just the consumers that benefit from organic ingredients. Think of the farmers and the workers! Imagine what their lungs and health future is.

Wheat Free Apple Crisp
- Make it Now and let us know what you think!

Determine your center

Determine your Center: Determine whether your life is driven by:
money
family
work
spouse
pleasure
possession
church
friend
enemy
self

"The ideal is to create one clear center from which you consistently derive a high degree of security, guidance, wisdom, and power." Stephen R. Covey "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

A matter of discipline...

"It's a question of discipline," the Little Prince told me later on. "When you finish washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Farm Bill - Finding Balance

Comments in response to Farm and Food Policy Project, "Seeking Balance...". Keep up the great work, guys! And those who haven't yet, click here to endorse this movement now!


Farm and Food Policy Project
(202) 543-1300
www.farmandfoodproject.org



17 January 2007

Dear Jesse and Team,

Your “Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food Policy” is great! Thank you for all of your hard work putting together such an important and necessary document. Please add our name as a national supporter. We are a nonprofit corporation with the purpose of promoting agriculture for good health within all communities and can be found on the internet at www.farmosafarms.org. We provide nutrition education as well as marketing and business consulting to individuals and organizations alike: Suburbia is our home – a place where both young and old are in need of and receptive to some “smart-shopping” education.

We are most thrilled with your understanding of the importance of “Innovations to Expand New and Competitive Markets”. We are a strong believer in the responsibility of the consumer and the effectiveness of advertising and branding, if done appropriately of course.

We find that not only do, “too many Americans remain hungry or uncertain about where their next meal will come from,” (p. 6) but many do not know how to eat smart. Nutrition education is listed as a core farm bill priority (Yes!). In addition I would share this concept earlier in the paper to emphasize the importance.

For example, in the Introduction, p. 2, first paragraph, it is stated that, “All Americans, whether farmers or not, recognize that agriculture is vital to the nation and must remain productive, profitable, and sustainable.” I do not believe this is true, or even remotely true. People take agriculture for granted, thus the need for better education and changes in policies. Average Joe does not know the difference between a subsidy and a Sub-side. The general public can barely identify a proper portion size or an averagely healthy meal let alone organic and trade-fair. Granted, they are getting smarter, the markets are changing but we need more!

As you know, the lack of ability to “shop smart” is a significant part of our country’s increase in diet-related diseases such as Obesity and Type II Diabetes. I recommend adding a bullet point to the, “Evidence of the current imbalance is all too apparent” section, specifically on the importance of educating both consumers and businesses. Not only do consumers need and want to learn how to eat healthier but businesses can and want to work smarter. Businesses have the opportunity to make prevention a priority (they may as well help their target audience live longer, stretch the buying dollar, build economy to last, etc.), and they can make prevention profitable! Business schools can be looking at their curriculum: Are they teaching how to make wellness profitable? Let us encourage all that as well.

Keep up the great work and keep us posted.


Best wishes,

Caroline L. Craven
president

Farm and Food - Check this out!

The Farm and Food Policy Project

A diverse coalition of family farm, sustainable agriculture, rural, public health, anti-hunger, environmental, faith-based, and other groups is forming to shape the 2007 Farm Bill....

Get Involved!

Appetite for Profit

A must read for everyone:

Due Date Approaching! Seeking Balance in US Farm and Food Policy

Dear Colleagues,

We are rapidly approaching our deadline of January 17 to gather as many
sign-ons as possible before the Farm and Food Policy Project's (FFPP)
declaration "Seeking Balance in US Farm and Food Policy" launches publicly
on January 22nd at the National Press Club in Washington DC.

I've also attached the Dear Colleague letter and the document again for
those of you who wish to take another look at the declaration. This
declaration includes the major priorities of the Community Food Security
Coalition and our partners in the Healthy Food and Communities (HFC)
Workgroup of the FFPP. It represents the consensus wrought between farm,
conservation, anti-hunger, nutrition and community food security
organizations participating in the FFPP process. This document is the FFPP's
opening statement for the upcoming Farm Bill.

Please forward the Dear Colleague letter and the declaration far and wide!
Thanks so much for your time,

Jessie Dowling
Outreach Coordinator
Farm and Food Policy Project
(202) 543-1300

Celebrate The Obesity Society and all that is New Orleans!

Mark your calendar for the event of the year:

The Obesity Society’s
2007 Annual Scientific Meeting

October 20-24
Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center
New Orleans, LA

Celebrate The Obesity Society and all that is New Orleans!

Visit the Meeting Home Page for details as they become available.

UK Environment Secretary - is he as smart as an organic turnip?

Rachel Dechenne's Comment:

David Milliband argued, in an interview with the Sunday Times published today, that organic produce is a life style choice with no hard evidence that it is healthier than conventional products. It suddenly made me wonder:" How does he got his now famous nickname 'Brains' while head of Tony Blair’s policy Unit?" I think that its brain is just another victim of the mass experiment in human nutrition to which Britain, like other western countries, has been subjected since the 60’.
Graham Harvey says in is new book ‘We want real food’: "Today we are all eating basic foods that have been stripped of the antioxidants, trace elements and essential fatty acids that once promoted good health."More, conventional farming are allowed to use 400 different chemicals as well as antibiotics without prescription while the highly regulated organic farming has only the choice between 4 natural fertilizers and needs doctor prescription for antibiotics. Isn't this pretty convincing of its healthier attributes?

As for the inexistent conclusive evidence 'Brains' is referring to, I suggest he starts nurturing his Oxford trained brain with the words of Nobel Prize-winner Alexus Carrel echoed by Charles Northern. Both spoke out against the poorly mineralized foods, resulting from the agricultural industrial revolution, as extremely damaging for the metabolism of plants, animals and man. Organic farming tends to reverse this by reinstoring the natural biodiversity of the environment it uses to produce its food. In the UK, the Medical Research Council has published 6 reports under the supervision of McCance and Widdowson over a 51 year period (between 1940 and 1991). The reports showed how mineral levels in many everyday items have fallen during a period of intensive chemical farming. The list of hard evidence goes on.
If he is still not satisfied, he could conduct its own experiment using Professor A.F.W. Brix's devise to measure the real food value of the fresh produce in modern supermarket. He would find that organic farmed food is much more likely than conventional ones to offer nutritional benefits. For instance, Research has shown last year the high level of omega3 naturally found in organic milk while conventional dairy products need to be artificially fortified to offer the 'same' kind of level. Of course they are then sold with a premium and under the name of functional food. These functional food are more expensive than organic and still under-regulated.
The real issue is one of power and food politics. Who is really benefiting from chemical intensive agriculture? Certainly not the consumers of these devitalized (or artificially re-vilalized industrially) produced food. Who then? Why , Mr. Brains, are you protecting their interests rather than those of the people you are supposed to represent?

US Crops depend on immigrant laborers...

Los Angeles article, Thursday, 11 January 2007 by nicole.gaouette@lattimes.com:

"California's Democratic senators introduced legislation Wednesday that would put some illegal immigrant farm workers on path to citizenship and revamp a little used agricultural guest workers program..."

The number one question among farmers these days is, "Will there be enough workers to bring in the harvest?"

"About a million undocumented laborers work California's 76,500 farms, making up about 90% of the state's agricultural payroll..."

One Farmer, Toni Scully, a Lake County pear grower, estimates that, "about 25 percent of the county crop was lost in 2006 due to labor shortages."

It's a bi-partisan bill which has current favor of passing, but supporters want more. As it stands,it H-2A guest program includes over 300 pages of regulations and requires farmers to go through 60 different steps. "Only 2% of American agriculture uses the program cause it is so difficult to use," says Sharon Hughes, executive vice president of the National Council of Agriclutural Employers.


Learn more about the immigration "blue card" law here:


Statement of Senator Dianne Feinstein
The Need for AgJOBS is Now


Importance of the Blue Card Program for Agriculture
Floor Statement: May 22, 2006


Converting Illegal Aliens to Blue Card Guest Workers
by George F. McClure

And let us know your thoughts!

Nutrition Competiencies are Coming!

Should nutrition be taught in schools?

According to California Agriculture's, January - March 2007 issue on, "Nutrition Competencies for California Children, Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12", a majority of our teachers agree (72.9%). The need is there as obesity, Type II diabetes and other illnesses are on the rise.

Nutrition Competencies are not required in schools - yet. But in the mean time learn more at: http://nutrition.ucdavis.edu


California Agriculture is a publication of University of California

Thoughts for the Week

Some thoughts to keep us charged through this week:

"Focus on your Circle of Influence."
-Steven R. Covey, Habit 1 - Be Proactive

"True Freedom lies only in the creative process. The fisherman is free when he fishes according to his instinct. The sculptor is free when carving a face."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, A Guide for Grown-ups, Wartime Writings 1939-1944

Ready for the New Year!

We are cranking away here, planning and preparing for the coming year!

We are looking into a scholarship program for nutrition and agricultural education within suburban areas. The need is great. And there is so much to do with the "Farm" (website) - what a blast!

We can not thank Rachel Dechenne enough for her continued support. Her articles are brilliant and mind-opening, which is just what we all need!

Some thoughts to keep us charged through this week:

"Focus on your Circle of Influence."
-Steven R. Covey, Habit 1 - Be Proactive

"True Freedom lies only in the creative process. The fisherman is free when he fishes according to his instinct. The sculptor is free when carving a face."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, A Guide for Grown-ups, Wartime Writings 1939-1944

Stay strong, nutritious and remember, we have choices and it's our responsibility to make smart decisions at the market. What's in your milk?

Nutrigenomics & Rachel Dechenne

Rachel Rocks! Check out her article on nutrigenomics - Click here - and also check out all of the work she has already done: Click to learn more about Rachel. Keep up the Great Work, Rachel! And get some good snow-boarding in this year -

Wishes for the New Years

The first week of January - wow! We have heard so much about what and how to eat healthy over the years it's overwhelming at times. What is the bottomline about it all?

As a nutrition educator I help lead folks to the right solutions for them. As you often see in our blog here at the farm, we share the thoughts of nutritionist, Jill Brook from DietforHealth. She has a great grasp for her target audience and her information is invaluable as daily reminders.

Some folks want more - they really want to clean out their system from toxins and learn to eat healthier. We have posted some simple nutriton and health papers at: http://farmosafarms.org/getclean.shtml

It's all a matter of where you are and where you want to go. That's what the bottomline is all about. And, of course, tred lightly this gentle earth.

Happy New Years and Keep us Posted on your activities!