First, a little history. The Federal Farm Bill is a legislative
mechanism to guide farm policy and is restructured every five years. This
long-range plan gives the agricultural economy continuity in resource development
and planning, without being tied to a particular Presidential administration.
It arose from the Dust Bowl era, in part to implement conservation measures,
for the good of the greater society, not just the farming community. The main
historical purpose is to stabilize the food supply for
the nation. The Farm Bill contains numerous programs to keep the farming
community in crop and livestock production despite devastating droughts,
floods, or outside economic forces like fuel shortages. Let’s face it, a steady
food supply is essential to economic growth and political stability of our
country.
With interstate commerce and mechanization
improvements after World War II came a greater ability for fewer farms to
produce more food for the growing urban population. This was having a negative
impact on rural economies as raw commodities were being shipped to factories
for processing and further distribution. For this reason, programs to support
rural development began to creep into the legislation. As a way to support
seasonal variations in productive capacity of the farms, the federal government
began purchasing the surplus and providing it to schools as a way to better
feed and educate our young people. This concept carried over to welfare
programs with the idea that free food will help people be more productive.
Conservation programs have been steady aspects of the Farm Bill throughout all
of the years. The overarching
long-range Farm Bill also became a great vehicle for rural legislators to
stimulate economic development, now known as “pork”.
The “get big or get out” era of the late 70’s
worked, given the consolidation we now see in agricultural supply chains. Some
say farmers now feed 178 people as compared to 28 after the Depression. Others
say they don’t feed any people, just the industrial machine with raw
commodities. This consolidation also concentrates the power of farm policy into
the hands of a few. The vast majority of funds in the Farm Bill go to food
stamps, now known as SNAP, school lunch (schools get about $1 per child for
lunch), along with summer feeding programs. This is how oversupply is managed.
The recent days of paying farmers not to grow
products are over. There are much better crop insurance programs now in place.
Conservation programs are still a tenant of the new, proposed legislation. Mac
was recently in Washington, DC advocating for stronger support of programs that
support organic crop and livestock production, processing, and marketing. The
Organic Trade Association has determined that organic foods, collectively,
would be the fourth largest commodity in this country, wow! Organic farms produce 4% of the food supply,
yet access only 0.04% of USDA’s budget. Several programs that are critical to
fostering this growth were thrown over the fiscal cliff last year. Their status
is considered an add-on to baseline funding priorities within the new Farm
Bill, so they were left behind during the extension period that kicked in since
Congress did not pass a new Farm Bill on schedule last year. Among other
things, lack of funding has jeopardized ongoing research into organic
production techniques. (Interestingly,
some segments of commercial agriculture now employ techniques developed for
organic growers, greatly reducing overall pesticide use around the country.)
Mac, and the other organic farmers, all feel good about
how they were received on Capitol Hill last week, though many of the staff
people in Washington don’t fully realize the overreaching support for organic
foods. We know that it goes way, way
beyond 4% of the food supply. Elmwood
Stock Farm is part of that 4%, but Elmwood’s CSA membership and farmers market
customers, who choose to eat local and choose to eat organic, are a much bigger
constituency. As Congress and their
staff continue to debate and shape the newest Farm Bill, they need to hear from
the consumers of organic food to really realize how big and broad the interest
in organic has become.
In Your Share
Fresh Asparagus
Bok
Choy – organic
Romaine Lettuce – organic
Radishes – organic
Spinach – organic
Strawberries - organicRecipes to Enjoy
Strawberry
Burrata Salad, adapted
from Vegetarian Times and shared by a CSA member- if you prefer your berries as
a dessert, serve the strawberry mixture spooned over vanilla ice cream – yum!
¼ C white
balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar
4 C hulled,
halved strawberries
¼ C fresh basil
leaves, cut into ¼-inch ribbons
6 oz burrata
cheese, cut into quarters (can be found locally, but if you prefer another
option, fresh mozzarella will work as well)
4 T olive oil
Cracked black
pepper
Bring vinegar,
sugar, and salt to a boil in a small skillet.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3 minutes or until reduced by
half. Cool 1 minute, then pour over
strawberries in small bowl and stir to combine. Gently stir in basil ribbons.
Place burrata
quarters on salad plates. Surround with 1 cup strawberries, drizzle with olive
oil and sprinkle with pepper.
Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Basil, thanks to a
CSA member for sharing this Rachel
Ray creation.
1
shallot
2
T aged balsamic vinegar
1
tsp superfine sugar
Juice
of ½ lemon
1
½ C small strawberries
2
to 3 C fresh spinach leaves
½
C fresh basil leaves
4
to 5 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt
and freshly ground pepper
Chop
the shallot and put it in a small bowl. Add the vinegar, sugar and lemon juice
and set aside. Hull the strawberries and cut them in half. Transfer to a
serving bowl along with the spinach and basil. Whisk the olive oil into the
vinegar mixture and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad with the
dressing and season with salt and pepper.
Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken with Bok Choy, thanks to a
CSA member for sharing this recipe she found online. The vinegar balances with the bungency of the bok choy,
but you can use some organic chicken stock in place of half of the vinegar if
tartness is a concern, for equally tasty results.
2
onions, sliced
4
cloves garlic, smashed
2/3
C apple cider vinegar
1
T brown sugar
1
bay leaf
ground
black pepper to taste
8
skinless, bone-in chicken thighs – or 1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces
2
tsp paprika
1
large head bok choy, cut into 1-inch strips
2
green onions, sliced thinly ( for garnish)
Combine
onions, garlic, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and bay leaf in
slow cooker. Season with black pepper. Place chicken atop mixture. Sprinkle paprika
over chicken over top, cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.
Switch
slow cooker to High. Add bok choy to chicken mixture; cook another 5 minutes.
Garnish with green onion.
Fresh
Asparagus and Onion Frittata,
adapted from a Cooks Illustrated recipe
12 organic eggs
3 T half and half
½ tsp salt
3 T half and half
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 T oil
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
½ pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed and spears cut on the bias into ¼ inch pieces
3 oz favorite cheese, cut into ¼ inch cubes (cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, goat cheese, all work nicely)
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
½ pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed and spears cut on the bias into ¼ inch pieces
3 oz favorite cheese, cut into ¼ inch cubes (cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, goat cheese, all work nicely)
Adjust oven rack
to upper-middle position, about 5 inches from heating element; heat broiler. In
a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper until
well combined, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
Heat oil in a
12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to skillet and cook,
stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the
asparagus and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned
and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese to the eggs; add egg
mixture to skillet and cook, using spatula to stir and scrape bottom of
skillet, until large curds form and spatula begins to leave wake but eggs are
still very wet, about 2 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly; cook
without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.
