Thanks to overwhelming grassroots support, a bill to allow farmers to sell raw, or unpasteurized, milk directly to consumers is moving forward in the WI State Legislature, but more calls are need to get the bill scheduled for a vote.

Family Farm Defenders has identified two key legislators who need to hear from their constituents on this issue.
Action Step: If you live in the district of Sen. Fred Risser, Madison, (608-266-1627) or the district of Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink, Wood and Portage counties,  (608-266-8366) their support is especially critical to obtaining a floor vote on the raw milk bill (Rep. Vruwink is chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee.)

Residents of all other districts should contact their Representatives and urge them to press Assembly and Senate leadership for an immediate floor vote, and to vote “yes” on the bill with no further amendments.

Contact for more info: John Peck, Family Farm Defenders, 608-260-0900, familyfarmdefenders@yahoo.com

Next week, as early as Tuesday, April 13, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on S. 510, a sweeping overhaul of federal food safety law.

The House food safety bill passed last year (HR 2749) included several measures that threaten small-scale organic producers, including a registration fee of $500 and blanket application of complicated monitoring and traceability standards — regardless of one’s farm size. There’s no doubt that industrial agriculture needs better oversight. But family-scale local and organic farms are probably the safest in the nation – they are part of the solution, not part of the problem — and need to be protected.

Senator John Tester (D-MT), a certified organic farmer himself, is proposing an amendment to S. 510 that would exempt small-scale farmers and food processors from the most burdensome regulations. Small-scale operations are already subject to adequate regulation by local and state agencies.

Action Step:
Please call Senator Feingold (202-224-5323) and Senator Kohl (202-224-5653) to urge them to support the Tester amendment to exempt small farms from registration fees and regulations that could force family farmers out of business.

Contact for more info:
John Peck, Family Farm Defenders, 608-260-0900, familyfarmdefenders@yahoo.com

You are invited to catch a Sneak Preview of Tim Erskine’s new comedy short, “The Case of the Tainted Cheese Curds” – A Door County Boys Mystery.

The Case of the Tainted Cheese Curds, a short comedy film by Sister Bay resident Tim Erskine. Running time is 21 minutes

Door County locals Jim (Tim Erskine) and Mark (Pat Palmer) run afoul of two hapless criminals (Peter Ciesla and Joel Kersebet) and a plot to poison thousands of Green Bay Packers fans with bad cheese curds. Along the way, the boys find a map that takes them to a remote cabin in the woods and into a secret Door County cave in search of buried treasure.

Stephen Kastner’s 10-minute documentary, “Midsummer’s Music 2010 – 20 Years in Door County” will open the evening screening. Later in the evening, he will show two music song-videos featuring original works performed by singer/songwriter Debra Hadraba: “Be Brave, Have Heart” and “Time on Fire.”

“This evening is like open-mic for filmmakers,” says Kastner. “It’s an open-ended invitation to any and all Door County filmmakers who wish to screen their work. We hope to do this on a regular basis.”

Ed DiMaio will also be sharing 3 or 4 of his recent short films. He calls them, “improvisational video poems.” Any one who wishes to add their works to the evening’s roster may call Stephen at 920.256.9449 with questions. The screening room is equipped with a 36″ widescreen TV monitor, supplemental audio speakers and a standard DVD player.

The films will be shown in the loft above the Deli at Greens N Grains Natural Food Store in downtown Egg Harbor and screenings are free – however, the seating is limited to 30 persons. You may make a seating reservation by calling 920.868.9999 or by email at info@greens-n-grains.com.

“The $6.50 natural and organic dinner special; soup, salad, a fresh baked roll and tea will feature another tasty example of the Deli’s specialties,” says Kathy Navis, store owner. “We start serving at 6 pm with the film screening at 7 pm. The dinner special is available to anyone without reservations, but our film seating is limited.”

Greens N Grains Natural Foods and Deli is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm – except on movie nights when they will remain open until 9 pm – in downtown Egg Harbor at 7821 Hwy 42, and can be reached at 920.868.9999 or by email at info@greens-n-grains.com.

Paul Bentti, sales representative for Garden of Life (GOL) will be at Greens N Grains Tuesday, March 30 from 10 am ’til Noon. Stop by in person on Tuesday, meet Paul and register for a chance to win a drawing for a $100 worth of GOL products at Noon.

Currently boasting the number one selling products in three focus groups in the Natural Products Industry:  probiotic, green food, and enzyme, with their three supplements: Primal Defense™, Perfect Food®, and O-Zyme™, and more than 30 other nationally distributed products, Garden of Life is indeed on a mission to empower people to attain and maintain extraordinary health.

Nutritionists, medical practitioners and healthly lifestyle advocates agree that there is a direct correlation between nutrition, exercise and health. Raw, whole food nutrition, from organically grown sources, is more beneficial for health than isolated nutrients. When coupled with exercise, a diet that includes the consumption of raw, live foods, particularly those containing probiotics, enzymes, and products of their fermentation, is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

Garden of Life is the brainchild of author Jordan S. Rubin, a cutting-edge expert on health and nutrition. Since his recovery from a near fatal digestive disease that nearly ended his life, Rubin has dedicated his life to sharing his dynamic health programs and has written three books – Patient Heal Thyself, Restoring Your Digestive Health and the recently released New York Times Bestseller The Maker’s Diet.

Jordan founded Garden of Life in 2000 to help people attain extraordinary health. Based on the belief that consumption of whole, living, enzyme and probiotic-rich foods, as well as a nutritional ingredient he branded Homeostatic Soil Organism™ blends (HSO™ blends), are the foundation for nutritional health. His goal is to empower people to attain and maintain extraordinary health.

In just four years, Garden of Life has achieved explosive growth in a burgeoning nutritional supplements specialty industry of nearly $5.3 billion. Today, Garden of Life enjoys national distribution to more than 10,000 retailers, including Whole Foods, The Vitamin Shoppe, Wild Oats, select GNC stores, independent health food stores, mail-order retailers and physicians’ offices. Recently Garden of Life was named the 5th fastest growing business in America by Entrepreneur magazine.

Join us Tuesday, March 30 any time between 10am and 12pm for an open question-answer session with Paul Bentii. Ask him your questions on how Garden of Life supplements can help support your health and or  your RAW lifestyle. You must register in person on Tuesday before Noon for a chance to win $100 worth of Garden of Life products, but you need not be present to win.

The bi-weekly film series at Greens N Grains Deli presents Michael Moore’s latest mockumentary of the “American Way” on Thursday, March 18 at 7 pm.

Premiering in USA and Canadian theaters on October 2, 2009, Capitalism: A Love Story has just been released in mass distribution on DVD March 9, 2010.

The film alternates between fierce critiques of the status quo, coupled with personal portrayals of the suffering caused by the recent economic crisis – countered with Moore’s trademark comic social satire. In February 2009 during the final production, he issued an appeal to the people who worked on Wall Street or in the financial industry to share firsthand information, invoking them to, “Be a hero and help me expose the biggest swindle in American history.”

Deborah Young, writing for the trade paper The Hollywood Reporter, wrote of Capitalism: A Love Story, “Although it’s less focused than Sicko or Fahrenheit 9/11… because its subject is more abstract, this is a typical Moore oeuvre: funny, often over the top and of dubious documentation, but with strongly made points that leave viewers much to ponder and debate after they walk out of the theater.” Young acknowledged Moore’s simplification of the topic and added, “But here his talent is evident in creating two hours of engrossing cinema by contrasting a fast-moving montage of ’50s archive images extolling free enterprise with the economic disaster of the present.”

The film will be shown in the loft above the Deli at Greens N Grains Natural Food Store in downtown Egg Harbor and screenings are free – however, the seating is limited to 30 persons. You may make a seating reservation by calling 920.868.9999 or by email at info@greens-n-grains.com.

“The $6.50 natural and organic dinner special; soup, salad, a fresh baked roll and tea will feature another tasty example of the Deli’s specialties,” says Kathy Navis, store owner. “We start serving at 6 pm with the film screening at 7 pm. The dinner special is available to anyone without reservations, but our film seating is limited.”

Greens N Grains Natural Foods and Deli is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm – except on movie nights when they will remain open until 9 pm – in downtown Egg Harbor at 7821 Hwy 42, and can be reached at 920.868.9999 or by email at info@greens-n-grains.com.

Joining a CSA is a way for individuals and families to partner with a local Door County farm in a unique sharing experience.

Carmon's Gardens CSA

A Community Supported Agriculture farm (CSA) is usually a small family-run enterprise that markets produce directly to members of their local community. Customers purchase “shares” in the CSA farm before the growing season begins. This advanced commitment permits the farmer to invest in the best seeds, purchase or update equipment and develop a related planting and production schedule. The CSA provides partners on both sides with peace of mind.

The customer knows their food will be raised locally, without pesticides on a sustainable farm. Partnering with a CSA farm localizes the food experience, “putting a face on your food.” Living in cyclical harmony by eating food that is provided in tune with the seasons, furthers an authentic connection with the earth as spring summer and fall crops come to your table.

The farmer is able to focus completely on the task of growing the finest, most sustainable and nutritious produce. In return for a subscription the farmer agrees to grow, harvest and deliver the produce every week to a designated drop-off or pick-up site.

“CSA Partners share the risk, gain the bounty!”

As a member of a CSA you will share in the bounty, but also experience the unpredictability of Mother Nature. Because of the small scale and community-oriented approach, a CSA provides greater ongoing communication between partners and producers of food, as evidenced weekly in the shares delivered. There will be times when certain crops fail to meet up to expectations, but there will be others that come through with unexpected bountiful yields. Partners share a living bond with the land, the weather and the seasons and soon discover that they are eating in a much healthier manner than ever before.

Carmon Mabrey

Carmon Mabrey has been a gardener for many years. For several seasons Carmon’s Gardens has been supplying Egg Harbor’s Greens N Grains Natural Food Store and an increasing number of restaurants in Door County with his fresh produce – including Mr. Helsinki’s, Saveur and Harbor Landing. This year, Carmon is launching a 20+ member CSA to serve the Door Community. Carmon’s Gardens will provide CSA members with a real organic food experience, equivalent to those springing up across Wisconsin and in communities all over the world.

From the start, everything in Carmon’s Gardens has been grown under sustainable agricultural practices, fully ripened using no synthetic fertilizers, chemical herbicides or pesticides. Food grown this way not only tastes better and lasts longer, but contains all of the nutrients that real food should provide.

Throughout the 20-week season you can expect a variety of herbs, leafy green vegetables and root crops that include many heirloom varieties. Carmon’s Gardens will grow: asparagus, beans, broccoli, beets, basil, carrots, cilantro, cucumbers, dill, eggplant, fennel, garlic, head lettuce, kale, leeks, lettuce mixes, peas, peppers, potatoes, spinach, squash, sweet corn, rosemary, Swiss chard, sunflowers, tomatoes and zucchini.

A CSA seasonal share subscription at Carmon’s Gardens costs $500 and provides shareholders with a weekly minimum half-bushel of the best quality sustainable produce as harvested for 18 weeks – 1/2 bushel is equal to a standard grocery bag filled 3/4 full.

A share will abundantly feed 2 people. Half-shares are also available for $300, providing the same quantity on a bi-weekly basis. Shares will be available for pick up at either Greens N Grains in Egg Harbor or at Carmon’s Gardens in Jacksonport. The season begins in mid- June and lasts until late October.

A typical early-season half-bushel will include mixed greens, peas, asparagus, garlic scapes and spinach. Mid-season offerings will include beans, new potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, tomatoes, garlic, Swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, beets and eggplant. Late season boxes may have broccoli, eggplant, kale, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, winter squash, potatoes and pumpkins.

Available “add-ons” include:

• Local eggs by the dozen laid by pastured chickens at either Cherrydale Farms in Sevastapol or Sunset Farm in Brussels.
• A variety of fresh artisan bread from Heidi’s Breads of Washington Island – baked for the most part with locally grown organic wheat flour in a wood-fired brick oven that results in delicious hearty breads.
• A variety of Wisconsin-roasted, organic, fair-trade coffees – sourced from Alterra in Milwaukee and Just Coffee in Madison. The coffee varieties are available in regular or decaf.

CLICK for a sign-up form… Questions? Call Greens N Grains at 920.868.9999.

For years, advocates of natural health have been hammering away at the message that soda causes diabetes and obesity.

The soda industry, meanwhile, has remained in denial mode, mirroring the ridiculous position of the tobacco industry that “nicotine is not addictive.” Soda doesn’t cause diabetes, the industry claims, and it’s perfectly safe to consume in essentially unlimited quantities.

The Corn Refiners Association has joined the denial with its own spin campaign that seeks to convince people High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is totally natural and completely harmless. HFCS is, of course, the primary sweetener used in sodas and soft drinks.

Now comes new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention annual conference in San Francisco. This new research reveals that over the last decade, soda consumption has conservatively caused:

• 130,000 new cases of diabetes
• 14,000 new cases of heart disease
• 50,000 more “life years” with heart disease over the last decade

“The finding suggests that any kind of policy that reduces consumption might have a dramatic health benefit,” said senior study author Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo (associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco).

The American Beverage Association, meanwhile, says this study hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal yet and therefore it doesn’t count.

Click to read the entire article at NaturalNews.com…

The Soloist is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy who develops schizophrenia during his second year at Juilliard School. Ayers becomes homeless and plays a two-stringed violin in the streets of downtown Los Angeles. One day Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), an LA Times Columnist, meets Nathanial and decides to write a newspaper column for the Los Angeles Times about Nathaniel Ayers and his homelessness. An old woman takes sympathy and sends Steve a cello for Nathaniel to play. In attempting to help Ayers, Lopez is forced to grapple personally with the complex issues and frustrations surrounding the thousands of mentally ill who are homeless on the streets of L.A.

The Soloist, directed by Joe Wright, was written by Susannah Grant, based on a series of columns written by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, who chronicled the plight of Nathaniel Ayers, Jr., a musician with schizophrenia, and eventually was chronicled in Lopez’ book, The Soloist.

The film will be shown in the loft above the Deli at Greens N Grains grocery in downtown Egg Harbor and screenings are free – however, the seating is limited to 30 persons. You may make a seating reservation by calling 920.868.9999 or by email at info@greens-n-grains.com.

“The $6.50 natural and organic dinner special; soup, salad, a fresh baked roll and tea will feature another tasty example of the Deli’s specialties,” says Kathy Navis, store owner. “We start serving at 6 pm with the film screening at 7 pm. The dinner special is available to anyone without reservations, but our film seating is limited.”

Greens N Grains Natural Foods and Deli is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm – except on movie nights when they will remain open until 9 pm.

Danielle Maestretti’s article, reprinted in the latest Utne Journal, is worth a gander…

“A young mother of two, tired of spending her evenings in the kitchen hammering out slow, “sustainable” recipes, recently embarked on an interesting experiment: She and her husband would try one month of quick-and-dirty dinners—“if it came frozen, wrapped in cellophane, in a plastic tub or with a pop top . . . we would buy it and eat it”—followed by one month of ‘the locavore’s dream,’ complete with herb-growing, bean-soaking, and trash-composting.”  Read more…

The article is derived from Sierra Filucci’s original,

Fast vs. food

…that appeared in the Sacramento News & Review (article originally appeared in the East Bay Express).

A series of classes designed to introduce students a class on seed-starting for home gardeners  featured at the store in Egg Harbor.

Starting Garden Plants from Seed
Thursday, February 25, from 2 – 3:30 pm
by Linda Cockburn

Local organic gardening maven Linda Cockburn will teach you how to start all of the plants you need for a complete home vegetable garden… in just one flat! And, with only one light! Get a jump on the growing season by doing what the greenhouses do at home. Linda will also share information on heirlooms and organic growing techniques. Class fee of $5. Advance registration required.

Call 920.868.9999 or e-mail info@greens-n-grains.com to register for any classes.