Stop legislation which prevents labeling of GMO's in your food

Reposted from WAPF.org

Deny Americans the Right to Know Act (DARK Act)

Last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted to undermine states’ rights and deny you the right to know what’s in your food.  By a vote of 14-6, the Committee approved S.2609, Senator Roberts’ version of the DARK Act to prohibit mandatory state labeling of genetically engineered (GMO) foods.

The next step is the full Senate, and we have to stop this disastrous bill there!

There’s talk of a “compromise,” which is likely to include a proposal for QR codes — patterned boxes on a package that you can scan with a smart phone, which then takes you to the company’s website which you have to search to find out whether or not the food has GMOs.

Your Senators need to hear from you now: Tell your Senators to oppose S. 2609, or any compromise that doesn’t result in mandatory, on-package physical labeling of GMOs.

There’s a reason why we call the bill that passed the House last summer the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act (DARK Act). This bill would prohibit any state from labeling GMOs and make federal labeling voluntary – which has been the law for the last 14 years and is a failed policy.

Tell your Senators that voluntary labels don’t work, and they must reject the DARK Act.

TAKE ACTION

Call or email both of your U.S. Senators to urge them to oppose Senator Robert’s bill or any bill that pre-empts state laws for labeling GMOs.

You can look up who your Senators are and find their contact information:

    Online: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

    Phone: 202-224-3121

Here’s a sample script for a call:

Hi, my name is ___, and I am a constituent. I urge Senator _____ to vote against S.2609, which would block mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods.  I urge the Senator to stand up for both states’ rights and individuals’ rights to know.

We have a right to know what is in our food so that we can make educated decisions about the food we eat. The free market can only work when consumers have the information they need to make informed choices among different products.  

Contrary to what you hear from industry, GMO food labeling will NOT increase food prices. Companies frequently change labels for all sorts of reasons, without passing those costs on to consumers; even Campbell’s Soup has said GMO labeling will not increase the price of their products. The increased cost often repeated by big food and chemical company lobbyists includes the cost of switching to non-GMO ingredients to avoid labeling – which simply points out that these companies know that many consumers would not be buying their products if they knew they contained GMOs.  This is fraud, not a free market.

The use of a bar code or QR code is not a valid substitute for mandatory labels. Over a third of all Americans don’t even own smartphones and could not read such codes. And many of those who own smartphones are not familiar with QR code and wouldn’t even know that the information was available.

I urge Senator ___ to vote against S.2609 or any bill that would block state laws for mandatory physical labels on GMO foods.

A phone call is more effective than an email. If you do send an email, please replace the opening few lines with your own personalized message – personal messages have more impact than form emails.

You can also download a fact sheet on the House version of the DARK Act at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/hr-1599-fact-sheet to send as an attachment to your email, or as a follow up to your call.

Chicken Stock Recipe

Chicken Stock Recipe

This recipe if from one of my favorite cooks books, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Make this stock and drink by the cup to heal the intestinal lining, strengthen bones, recover from illness, ease inflammation, and maintain vibrant health.  Use as a base for homemade soups.

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings*

gizzards from one chicken (optional)

2-4 chicken feet (optional)

4 quarts cold filtered water

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 large onion, coarsely chopped

4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 bunch parsley

*Note: Farm-raised, free-range chickens give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses, such as chicken salads, enchiladas, sandwiches or curries. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Potluck! You are invited to a traditional foods meal Weston A Price Style

I have been the local chapter leader for the Weston A Price Foundation for a little while, and finally I am hosting the first event for the Roaring Fork Valley chapter, a potluck.  Who is this Weston A Price fellow and why does he have chapters you ask?  Read on.  For details about the food, skip to the bottom.   

Weston A Price was a dentist, and a meticulous researcher.  He looked all over the world for answers to why some people had dental cavities, and others didn't.  He was able to document very convincingly how diet effected dental health.  Populations who ate traditional whole foods diets with essential high fat animal foods were free from dental cavities, and many other diseases.  When those peoples incorporated the "modern" foods white flour, white sugar, and processed vegetable fats, their dental health deteriorated rapidly.  Dr. Price documented over and over that whether the diet was primarily plant based like the Polynesians, dairy based, like the Swiss, or primarily animal based and incredibly high in saturated fat like the Inuit people, as long as they were eating traditionally and consuming high quality fatty animal foods, particularly seafood, they were free from dental disease.  He went on to identify what he called fat soluble activators in these foods which he felt were the key substances.  You will recognize a few of these fat soluble activators as Vitamin A, and D, found only in animal fats.  He also did clinical trials feeding people cod liver oil and butter to restore them to health.  Of course his work flies in the face of conventional diet dogma, but I can not remember that last factual thing I heard about diet or health in the news... That is another topic.  

Weston A Price Chapters

The foundation has a network of chapters and chapter leaders all over the world.  The chapter leaders serve to connect members with the farms and ranches it their area producing food in line with the nutritional principles the Weston A Price Foundation supports.  Some chapters meet and hold events like this potluck.  For more information please go to the website.

The food- September 2nd at Sustainable Settings

You are cordially invited to a potluck for people interested in this traditional foods way of eating.  Weston A Price members in the area are invited.  Those who are interested in learning more about Weston A Price, his research, and where to find the highest quality animal foods locally, are also invited to attend.  If you are not familiar with Weston A Price, please go to the website WestonAPrice,org.  If you don't know what to bring you can look up recipes from Sally Fallon's cookbook Nourishing traditions, or give me a call.  Please RSVP to tell us who will be coming and what you plan to bring on our Facebook page Weston A Price Foundation Roaring Fork Valley chapter, or call the office at 970-236-6178 for details.

Traditional Foods Potluck

Do you think Weston A. Price and Sally Fallon are awesome?  Do you enjoy cooking and sharing foods made in traditional ways?  Do Salmon roe, raw butter, and home fermentation experiments get you really excited?  Then please consider joining me for a traditional foods potluck!  This will be a place to share nutrient dense foods prepared with the wisdom of Weston A. Price and our ancestors in mind.  If you are interested please send me an email and I will add you to the email list specifically for these potlucks.  If you have no idea what I am talking about please check out www.WestonAPrice.org, or come in for a visit.

Butter and Bacon are good for you

Edit: It depends on how the bacon was processed see this post.

That is what the Weston A. Price Foundation says, and I agree with them.  Their mission is to share the research of Dr. Weston A. Price, a Dentist who did comparative studies of people eating traditional whole foods diets, with those eating more modern refined diets.  He found that people who ate traditional whole foods, and high quality animal foods had fewer cavities, did not need braces and were much healthier.  They also had less heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and childbirth problems.  The foundation is a fabulous resource for information about the dangers of soy, the benefits of raw milk, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K, and finding high quality nutrient dense foods.  Please check them out at www.westonaprice.org.  They publish a fascinating journal 4 times a year with great research and information.  I have copies in my office you are welcome to borrow.  If you join the foundation you will receive the journal for free, and from now until the end of the year they have a special bonus of $100 in coupons towards very high quality products for your health with membership.