Weekend Reading

Reading

Michael Jacobsen of the Center for Science in the Public Interest has a great article over on the Huffington Post about the FDA and food additives.

Local Fun

Saturday, July 21: S.T.O.P., Electronic Waste and Drug Collection, Sea Cliff Public Works Facility, Altamont Avenue, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Safely dispose of pollutants. The following items are acceptable: pesticides & insecticides, motor oil & antifreeze, brake & transmission fluids, solvents, drain & oven cleaners, paints, spot removers, photo chemicals, car tires, aerosol cans, AAA, AA, C, & D batteries, barbeque grill propane tanks, fluorescent bulbs, thermostats & smoke detectors. The following electronic equipment is also acceptable: TVs, computers, monitors, scanners, printers, fax machines, VCRs, DVRs, DVD players, video game consoles, cell phones, PDAs, stereo equipment, telephones, answering machines, microwave ovens, digital cameras, typewriters. 

The NY Botanical Garden is sponsoring a series of family dinners with Mario Batali's chefs this summer.

On Sunday at Sands Point, there is a family nature program on "pond critters."

Action Alert: Stop the House Food Bill

From the Environmental Working group:

This is quite simply the worst piece of food legislation I've ever seen.

The House could vote any day now on its version of the 2012 farm bill - the single biggest factor that determines what ends up on your plate - and it's a doozy. This bill would feed fewer people, help fewer farmers, do less to promote healthy diets and weaken environmental protections - all while giving hand-outs to Big Ag!

We can't afford to wait. EWG Action Fund is leading the charge to fight this bill, but we need your help. Ask your member of Congress today to reject this farm bill.

Click here right now to take action. We cannot let this bill pass.

It would:

• Repeal the program that helps farmers certify that their crops meet organic standards - at a time when demand for organic food is soaring.
  
• Exempt genetically-engineered crops from environmental reviews and set arbitrary deadlines on regulators. This provision would eviscerate already weak oversight over genetically-engineered crops by allowing sales of foods that haven't been analyzed and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  
• Provide fewer incentives for healthy diets. This bill would cut nutrition assistance programs by $16 billion. It would not expand access to fruits and vegetables, as the Senate has proposed, and would take the "fresh" out of USDA's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program for school children.
  
• Eliminate common-sense rules that protect water from pesticides. Reps. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) tacked on riders that would damage water quality and wildlife habitats. More than 1,000 American lakes and streams are already too pesticide-fouled to meet federal clean water standards.
  
• Cut $6 billion from conservation programs that benefit farmers and help keep air and water clean.
  
• Give big handouts to Big Ag. Big subsidized growers would get higher price guarantees for their crops - driving more tax dollars to mega-farms and driving out small family farmers. It would also expand crop insurance by $9.5 billion. Right now, farm businesses can get unlimited insurance subsidies: 26 of them collected more than $1 million apiece in 2011.

We deserve better than this travesty. Everyone should have access to affordable, healthy food. Tell your member of Congress to reject this bill right away.

Click here to take action today. Tell your member of Congress to reject this farm bill.

This bill is mind-boggling. We need to stand up now. Thank you for adding your voice.

Sincerely,
Ken Cook
President, EWG Action Fund

Weekend Reading

Reading

You still need to read your labels. And read how Big Food has co opted the label 'organic' to include synthetics etc. 

Want your kids to be more active? Buying Wii Fit and its ilk won't work according to a new study.

Local Fun

Sunset Serenades continue on Thursday nights in memorial Park at 7pm.

The beach also has music every Friday night.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Our vegetable plants from the PCA Plant Sale continue to grow!

Our cucumber plant climbs the azaleas

Cherry tomatoes grow taller

Still waiting for the pepper plant to show flowers

Action Alert: Snack Standards in Schools

From the Healthy Schools Campaign:

Tomorrow, HSC is joining advocates for children’s health and learning in Washington, DC for a special briefing on national nutrition standards for all food and beverages sold to children in schools.

For the first time, the USDA will soon propose national nutrition standards for foods sold in schools through vending machines, school stores, a la carte lines, and other venues outside of the school meal programs. While the USDA has set nutritional standards for school meals, snack foods sold in schools are widely unregulated.  Creating national guidelines is an important step in supporting children’s health, especially in light of the high rates of obesity and related illnesses among children.

Now, we need your help ensuring that our elected leaders recognize and support this critical effort. Please take a moment today to invite your senators and representative to this briefing.



At the briefing, attendees will learn how updated nutrition standards can benefit both children’s health and schools’ bottom lines.

Thank you for taking action to support schools in providing healthy food that boosts student health and fuels learning.

Sincerely,
Rochelle Davis
President and CEO

Farmers' Market Roundup

Our local farmers' markets are now in full swing!


Glen Cove: 18 Village Square. Sundays: 7 a.m.-Noon. Small but could not be more convenient. Last year, besides produce, they had fresh breads, pickles and fresh local fish.

Oyster Bay: Audrey Avenue north of the Oyster Bay Bandstand. Fridays: Noon-6 p.m. July-October.

Roslyn-North Hills: Christopher Morley Park, Searingtown Road. Wednesdays: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. July-November. Market items will include fruits, vegetables, olive oils, pickles, flowers, plants, artisans breads, soup stocks, homemade soups, fresh roasted coffee, goat cheese, dairy products, jams and jellies, honey, raviolis, honey, pasta, homemade sauces (pesto, tomato, etc.), seafood, baked goods from five different vendors, smoked meats, soups, salads, homemade granola bars, fresh pickle vegetables, tapenade, honey, salts, dessert sauces, chutney, spices, stuffed breads, homemade soaps/ oils and dog treats.

Locust Valley: Forest Ave., across from Post Office. Saturdays: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. July-November.

Port Washington: Town Dock, Saturdays: 8 a.m.-Noon. June-October.  Organizers plan to expand this year's market significantly over last year.  Plus, the Golden Earthworm farm will be there with organic produce. (Note: Some sources say the hours are 8-12, others say 9-1).

And venturing further out ---

The Queens County Farm Museum sells its produce at a farm stand on site Wed- Sundays from noon - 5pm.  Fresh eggs if you're lucky - they sell out quickly. Plus, they have their own wines for sale - and while you're there, you can drop off your compost.

The Old Bethpage Restoration Village Farm sells organic produce grown on site through Sept. On Sundays  from 10-12pm and Wednesdays from 4-6pm.

The New York Botanical Garden also has a green market on Wednesdays from 9-3pm.  Extensive offerings plus weekly demonstrations.

The Crossroads Farm at Grossmann's in Malverne is interesting, too. The daily farmstand sell sorganic crops from the farm as well as hosts a "made on Long Island" market - all made possible by the Nassau Land Trust.