Cook Creatively with Canned Food

Posted on February 22, 2012 by fillyourplate
Cooking with Canned Foods

February is National Canned Food Month, when we can celebrate and be thankful for the wide array of food products available in canned versions.  For many consumers, canned food offers a way to expand the kinds of food they eat all year round without increasing their budget.  Mixing fresh Arizona produce, pork, beef, and chicken with canned fruits, vegetables, beans, and other items can help boost your nutritional intake, fill your plate with fabulous food, and stretch your food dollar a little farther.

History

The concept of canning food in order to preserve it for later use has been around for more than 200 years.  During the Napoleonic Wars, the French found a way to use glass jars to preserve large quantities of food and transport it over long distances to feed the soldiers.  It didn’t take long before glass jars were replaced by canisters made from wrought-iron and tin for practical reasons.  These canisters are the basis for what we refer to as cans today.  As the population in the western world began to shift from rural areas and farms toward urban centers, improvements in canning food offered a way to feed people as they moved farther and farther from the source of their food.

Safety

A key consideration from the first can of beans to today’s table is food safety.  Today’s canneries operate under strict regulations put in place to ensure the safety of the canned goods produced.  The best way to be safe is to follow the recommendations of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service which says:

  • Don’t eat canned goods that have been exposed to high temperatures (100 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • After opening the can, store unused canned goods in plastic or glass containers in the refrigerator for maximum safety.
  • Avoid eating food from cans with deep dents or dents along the seams of the can.
  • Don’t eat canned goods that have frozen and thawed or refrozen on their own.
  • Never eat food from a can that appears swelled or is leaking.
  • Don’t eat canned goods that smell or look unusual.
  • If you can food at home, follow all necessary safety precautions for the type of food you are preserving.
  • Check home-canned jars for cracks, swelling, loose lids, foul odors, and milky liquids before eating.  If any of these are present, do not eat the food.

Recipes

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Arizona Farmers Reach Out to Consumers during Food Check-Out Week

Posted on February 21, 2012 by fillyourplate

Arizona Farm BureauAs they have done for the past decade and a half, farmer and rancher members of Arizona Farm Bureau will reach out to Arizona families in their communities during Food Check-Out Week (Feb. 19-25 this year). The official theme of the week is “Stretching Your Grocery Dollar With Healthy, Nutritious Food.” The theme reflects the continuing reality that many Americans are feeling an economic squeeze and as a result, prepare more meals at home.

Offering practical information and tips on how to put nutritious meals on the table with fewer dollars is just one aspect of Food Check-Out Week. Many participating farmers and ranchers also are committed to responding to broader questions consumers may have about food?how it is grown or raised and long-term effects on people’s health and the planet.

Arizona Farm Bureau’s Fill Your Plate web-based hub satisfies Arizona families’ desire to meet with Arizona farmers and ranchers, find healthy recipes and learn more about Arizona’s agriculture. A new feature on Fill Your Plate is its “Celebrity Q&A” that highlights local celebrities and their comments about food and Arizona agriculture.

“Arizona Farmers and ranchers have not had a voice in conversations about where food in America comes from,” says Sharla Mortimer, a farmer and rancher in Yavapai County and chair of the Arizona Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. “Now more than ever, both during special observances such as Food Check-Out Week and as we go about our day-to-day routines, we are committed to participating in conversations with our Arizona families, to answer the questions they might have about food.”

While various County Farm Bureau’s in Arizona are celebrating in different ways, statewide the Women’s Leadership Committee will be at the Arizona Capitol Thursday, February 23rd from 9:30 to 11:30 beginning in the House of Representatives to meet with legislators and provide a graphic of Arizona’s top 16 Commodities. Additionally, they’ll be giving away Apple pies made by Apple Annie’s, a local Cochise County farmer with Apple orchards.

About Arizona Farm Bureau

The Arizona Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and improving the Arizona agriculture industry through member involvement in education, political activities, programs and services. As a member services organization, individuals can become a member by contacting the Farm Bureau. Go to www.azfb.org to learn more. For information on member benefits call 480.635.3609.

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Gleaners Needed! Help St. Mary’s Save this Winter’s Citrus Crop!

Posted on February 21, 2012 by fillyourplate

Citrus Gleaners Needed
St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance is asking the public for assistance to glean the plentiful grapefruit and orange trees around the Valley in attempt to reach this harvest before the warmer weather hits in the spring and makes the fruit unusable.

Thousands have called the St. Mary’s “Citrus Hotline” this winter and the Food Bank has more people on its waiting list than groups who have volunteered to pick them. As a result, hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh citrus that could be distributed by the Food Bank are in danger of not reaching those in need.

Anyone who has a few hours on either a weekend or weekday can help right away with the gleaning process. Church groups, community organizations, business volunteer groups or individuals and families are encouraged to help make sure that nature’s bounty is shared with those in need.

Volunteers can reach the Food Bank gleaning organizers via email at citrus@firstfoodbank.org or by calling Grace Rodil at (602) 343-5629.

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Celebrate Mardi Gras like a Cajun

Posted on February 20, 2012 by fillyourplate
mardi gras

What's cooking in your kitchen this Mardi Gras?(Photo credit: patrix)

As the onset of Mardi Gras mayhem gets closer, people from every state will be looking to New Orleans with a little longing and a bit of envy.  Who wouldn’t want to line the streets to watch the parades, dress up for the many parties, and partake in the fabulous food found only in Cajun Country?  If you didn’t make hotel reservations before December  or don’t have the extra money in the budget to go to Mardi Gras this year, why not bring Mardi Gras to you!  You might not be able to wrestle up a proper Mardi Gras parade, but with fresh Arizona food and the right recipes, you can fill your plate with a variety of Mardi Gras munchies worthy of their own celebration.

To make your Mardi Gras celebration memorable, make sure you include these Mardi Gras favorites on your menu.

  • Cajun Jambalaya uses the ingredients found in the low-lying swamp regions of Louisiana and often includes crawfish, shrimp, duck, turtle, alligator, venison, chicken, or turkey.  This type is also called brown Jambalaya and has a spicier, smokier flavor than some other versions of the dish.
  • There are almost as many different ways to make Gumbo as there are items thrown during a Mardi Gras parade.  The most popular kinds made today are Seafood Gumbo and Chicken and Sausage Gumbo which feature meat, rice, vegetables, and are thickened with okra or roux.
  • It just wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without a King Cake to help everyone celebrate.  This special cake was traditionally part of the Epiphany and represents the three wise men that brought gifts to the Christ child on Twelfth Night.  King cakes are still part of Epiphany celebrations today but are also very popular during Mardi Gras.  The cake is made from cinnamon spiced dough that is baked into a ring with a surprise hidden inside the dough.  The surprise is a trinket, most often a plastic baby, and the person who gets the piece of cake containing the baby has to host the next party or provide the next king cake.  Don’t forget to top your cake with sugary glaze in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power.
  • Beignets make a great breakfast, snack, or dessert for your Mardi Gras celebration.  These deep-fried pastries, similar to donuts, are popular throughout the French Quarter.  Sprinkle yours with lots of powdered sugar and pair them with a cup of chicory coffee served au lait, just like you would get at Café du Monde.
  • The Hurricane, the only kind people from New Orleans like to experience, is a drink created at the famous Pat O’Brien’s pub in the French Quarter.  The drink didn’t get its name because of the powerful punch it delivers, but rather from the type of glass it comes in which looks like an old fashioned hurricane lamp.  Make sure to garnish it with orange slices and cherries and serve it in a tall glass.

Our own Arizona-originated recipe have plenty of spice even if not Cajun style. In the tradition of Sonoran Mexican food, you can check out Fill Your Plate’s recipes for some special Arizona spice!

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What Ingredients the Celebrity Chefs of Fill Your Plate Can’t Live Without

Posted on February 17, 2012 by fillyourplate
Celebrity Chef dish

Each month, Fill Your Plate shines the spotlight on a local celebrity chef.  Sometimes they are chefs that are local or national celebrities, and sometimes they are local or national celebrities that are foodies, chefs, or just love local Arizona grown food as much as we do.   One of the great questions we ask each celebrity is what food they can’t live without.  Here are some of the most interesting answers.

Dave Zino, the Executive Chef and culinary spokesperson for the Arizona Beef Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, lists pantry staples like garlic, onions, cracked black pepper, and kosher salt as the ingredients he could not do without when cooking.

Here are some great recipes featuring Arizona beef and Dave’s “can’t do without” ingredients.

Read more about Dave Zino on Fill Your Plate.

 

Gwen Ashley Walters, who writes for Phoenix Magazine and Edible Phoenix, is a professionally trained chef and full-time food journalist.   She cannot do without salt and uses several different types in her cooking including kosher salt, Fleur de Sel, Murray River Pink Salt.  Her kitchen is also always stocked with staples like garlic, shallots, fresh herbs, and Queen Creek olive oil.

Here are some great recipes featuring Arizona ingredients and Gwen’s must have staples.

Read more about Gwen Ashley Walters on Fill Your Plate.

 

Carey Peña, current anchor of the 3TV nightly news, is an Emmy Award winning journalist and Arizona State University Alum.  Carey lists lemon, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and cayenne pepper on her must have list of healthy cooking ingredients.

Here are some great recipes featuring Arizona produce and Carey’s must have ingredients.

Read more about Carey Peña on Fill Your Plate.

 

It’s no surprise that Tad Peelen, co-owner of Joe’s Real BBQ and Joe’s Farm Grill, can’t live without BBQ Sauce.  Without a doubt, BBQ Sauce is his favorite ingredient!

Here are some great recipes featuring Arizona pork and Tad’s must have ingredient.

 

Read more about Tad Peelen on Fill Your Plate.

 

Mary Jo McDonald, host of the MaMa Jo’s Monday Meals in Minutes segment on KEZ, lists extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme as the ingredients she can’t do without in the kitchen.

Here are some great recipes featuring Arizona ingredients and Mary Jo’s “can’t live without” list.

Read more about Mary Jo McDonald on Fill Your Plate.

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2012 Food Trends to Fill Your Plate

Posted on January 31, 2012 by fillyourplate
Are your tastebuds craving Korean food?

Wondering what food trends 2012 has in store to tantalize or torment your taste buds?  If you ask the experts, the answer may leave you confused and looking for clarity.  As the American Farm Bureau explained in a recent post, while there is general disagreement amongst the experts whether it will be Korean or Indian food that dominates, it is likely to be one of these fun, foreign flavor combinations.

Here in Arizona, we have access to fresh produce and fabulous farm products all year round.  If you are looking for easy ways to incorporate the latest food trends into your family menu, look no farther than your local farmer’s market and local grocery store.  Whether the trendiest plates are filled with food from Korea, India, or somewhere else entirely, you should be able to find most of the ingredients you need from local farms and ranches.

To keep you on trend, let’s take a look at what types of food and flavors are common to each type of food.

Korean Food

The staples of Korean cuisine are rice, vegetables, and meat including beef, chicken, and pork.  Most meals center on steamed rice that is augmented by a wide variety of side dishes.  One of the most popular of these side dishes called Kimchi is made from napa cabbage fermented in a solution of garlic, scallions, and chili pepper and may be served at every meal.  Traditionally, Korean families would make enough Kimchi to last the whole season since the fermentation kept the food preserved for years.

Flavors commonly found in Korean food include sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and paste made from fermented beans or fermented red chilies.  Although not indigenous to Korea, white short grain rice is the preferred grain in Korean cuisine.  But Koreans don’t just steam their white rice.  They also grind it into flour for rice cakes, cook it into gruel, and make it into wine.  Soy beans are also a main staple of Korean food and have been since people populated the Korean peninsula.  Soy products of all sorts can be found across Korean cuisine and almost every part of the plant is used in one way or another.  Soy beans also play a big part in the fermentation that is a cornerstone of this kind of cuisine.

Korean food also uses a broad array of vegetables which can be fresh, steamed, pickled, or as part of a stew, soup, or stir fry.  Common vegetables include cucumber, potato, sweet potato, spinach, napa cabbage, bean sprouts, chili peppers, garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms.  A variety of noodles also play an important part in Korean cuisine.

Indian Food

Although Indian Food varies from region to region, there are a few staples that cross regional boundaries.  These staples include rice, pearl millet called bajra, whole wheat flour, and a wide variety of legumes including pigeon peas, red lentils, chickpeas, and mung beans.  Some of these legumes are also used to make flour and all of them can be served whole, husked, or split.  The majority of Indian food is cooked in some kind of vegetable oil although the base of that oil varies from region to region.  Spices also play a significant part in Indian food and create the base of many of the traditional flavors associated with Indian cuisine.  Common spices include chili pepper, cinnamon, black mustard, garlic, ginger, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, and coriander.

Dishes and other dominant ingredients vary from region to region including the use of meat as many Indian dishes are vegetarian.

To find local sources for the fabulous ingredients featured in these two types of food, use the “Find a Food Product” section of Fill Your Plate.  Everyone wins when you use local ingredients to stretch your food dollars!

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25 Recipes to Spice-up Your Super Bowl Sunday Spread

Posted on February 1, 2012 by fillyourplate
The San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl XXIX troph...

What are you cooking on Super Bowl Sunday? Image via Wikipedia

As we head into Super Bowl weekend, both teams are getting ready to take the field and people everywhere are prepping and planning for one of the biggest parties of the year.  Unlike other sporting event championship games, there is something about the Super Bowl that brings people together.  Whether you are a hard core football fan or barely know the difference between a first down and a touchdown, there is a good chance Super Bowl Sunday will find you munching chips and dip while you cheer for your team or whatever team helps you win the football pool at work.

There are only a couple things you need in order to host a great Super Bowl party – a big television, comfortable seating, and fabulous food.  From chips and dip to delicious desserts, the right Super Bowl spread can win the day no matter which team wins the game.  This Sunday, take advantage of the great southwestern flavors that Arizona has to offer and surprise your guests with a little spice and they will be talking about more than just the best play of the game on Monday.

Here are 25 recipes sure to spice-up your Super Bowl Sunday.  Each one features fresh Arizona ingredients you can easily find at one of our local farmer’s markets or grocery stores.   With a little pre-planning and some pre-game prep, you can mix and match them to make a menu that guarantees guests will remember more than just the commercials.

 

  1. Avocado Appetizer
  2. Baked Goat Cheese Appetizer with Shrimp Basil
  3. Fried Zucchini 
  4. Garlic Cheese Fingers
  5. Green Chili Wontons
  6. Chicken Enchilada Dip
  7. Corn and Black Bean Salsa
  8. Jalapeno Pepper Dip
  9. Cantaloupe Basil Salsa
  10. Arroz Con Chile Verde
  11. Artichoke Dip
  12. Cha Cha’s Chili Corn Bread
  13. Chicken Tortilla Soup
  14. Black Bean and Goat Burger Chili
  15. Desert Chicken Salad Sandwiches
  16. Smothered Burritos
  17. Grandma Gertie’s BLT jalapenos
  18. Hawaiian Meatballs
  19. Quick Pork Fajitas
  20. Sonoran Hamburgers 
  21. Sonoran Hotdogs
  22. Arizona Melon Dessert
  23. Christy’s Yummy Goey Bars
  24. He-Man Cowboy Cookies
  25. Nuts Over Brownies

 

Just like the teams that take the field on Super Bowl Sunday, the best way to have a winning day is to have a plan and prepare ahead of time.  Plan your game day menu around dishes that can be made ahead of time and that are easy to serve and easy to eat.   A great game day spread doesn’t distract from the game, but enhances the entire experience! Find more great Super Bowl recipes here!

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Fill Your Plate with Chicken Wings This Sunday

Posted on February 3, 2012 by fillyourplate
Bowl of "Wings"

Can you imagine a Super Bowl celebration without chicken wings? Although this tasty snack will be filling the plates of football fans around the country this Sunday, the game day staple has only been around for about 50 years.  Originally developed by a bar owner in Buffalo, New York as a snack for her son, buffalo wings created a market for one of the least popular parts of the chicken.  This year, the National Chicken Council is predicting that more than a billion chicken wings will be eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

 

The buffalo wing was created in 1964 at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York.  The hot sauce supplier of the bar took the wings on the road with him as a way to sell more hot sauce and their popularity spread.  In the early 1990’s, restaurants like McDonald’s and KFC helped make them mainstream.

 

The chicken wings that will make their way onto a quarter of the plates this Sunday are actually only 2/3 of the actual chicken wing.  The flapper, which is the thinnest part of the wing, is detached and exported to Asia.

 

The sharp increase in demand caused by the Super Bowl means that wing prices are at their highest in December and January.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Poultry Market News, the price of a pound of wings in Indianapolis during mid-January was 50% higher than it was in July of last year.

 

Research compiled by The NPD Group shows that chicken farmers should have been rooting for the Ravens during the playoffs, since a Giants/Ravens Super Bowl would have resulted in the highest level of wing consumption of the possible matches.  As it stands, wing consumption should be average.  Although New Englanders are 6% less likely than others to order wings, those in the Mid-Atlantic are 24% more likely to order them.

 

Here in Arizona, local farms make it easy to get everything you need to make your own chicken wings with all the fixings this Sunday.

 

“I know our family is looking forward to some traditional Super Bowl Sunday food including chicken wings,” says Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers. “We also like vegetable trays just because so much of what’s on our veggie tray is coming from Arizona in the winter including carrots.”

 

From fresh wings to carrots and celery to cream and other dairy products for your dip, our grocery stores and farmer’s markets are stocked with great choices grown right here at home.

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Arizona Agriculture is Alive and Well and Hiring

Posted on February 6, 2012 by fillyourplate
Agriculture and Arizona Farmers

Arizona Farmers boost state revenue. Image by thegreenpages via Flickr

A recent article on Yahoo! stated that three of the top five most useless college degrees are in agriculture, which has farmers and ranchers around the country standing up and speaking out.  The article, based on job growth statistics from the Labor Department, claims that jobs in agriculture and horticulture will see significant declines in the next seven years and the increase in animal science jobs doesn’t make up for the fact that the degree is too specific to be useful in any other field.

 

However, as is artfully explained in this article from the Huffington Post, the statistics tell a slightly different story upon closer examination.  One of the stats used in the original Yahoo! article indicates that farm manager jobs will decrease by 64,000 over the next seven years.  This is true, but those projected losses refer to the number of self-employed farm producers which will decrease as farms continue to consolidate and make productivity gains from new advances in technology.  However, the labor department also says that jobs are expected to increase in that time frame for qualified managers of large consolidated farms and specific farm and ranch niches.  Additionally, the average age of a farm manager today is 55, which means there will be opportunities for qualified farm managers as today’s managers start to retire.  The futures of the other two agri-majors cited in the Yahoo! article are also more promising than they were portrayed.

 

At a time when jobs are scarce in almost every field, it makes sense that college students would want to focus their studies on majors that are likely to provide them with employment after graduation.  But the importance of agriculture related degrees to our food supply and the food supply that people around the world depend on cannot be overstated.  Here in Arizona that is as true as anywhere in the country.

 

The Arizona agriculture industry provides almost 60,000 jobs, and that doesn’t include the harvest jobs that are only seasonal.   The economic impact of Arizona agriculture continues to grow and has kept pace with the overall economic impact of output across the state.  According to research from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Arizona, from 1990 to 2007, the economic output from crop and livestock production grew from $2.7 billion to $4.0 billion.  During the same timeframe, total economic impact of output went from $6.3 billion to $10.3 billion.

 

Arizona agriculture is one of the few industries that exports more than it imports.  This means that while our farmers and ranchers are actively providing for and maintaining our local food supply, they are also boosting the state’s economy by bringing money in through exports to other states.  Additionally, in Arizona, agriculture is one of the few industries that is looking to hire qualified candidates.  For people with a degree in one of the agricultural sciences, managerial level positions may be easier to find than someone who feels the same way as the writer of the Yahoo! article.

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Duncan’s Trading Co. Announces “Farmer in the House” Dinners

Posted on February 8, 2012 by fillyourplate
Chef Chef Beau Macmillan will be featured at Duncan's Trading Co Farm to Table Dinners

Patrick Duncan, and Mary Meyer with Chef Beau Macmillan who will be featured at the April 24th "Farmer in the House" Dinner put on by Duncan's Trading Co.. Photo credit Duncan's Trading Co.

The annual fundraising series organized by Pat Duncan of Duncan’s Trading Co., has released event dates for this spring.  Previously known as “Farm to Table,” the events are now known as “Farmer in the House” and will benefit the Association of Arizona Food Banks.  Each event will be held at a different dining location and will feature great food with wine pairings.

The current schedule consists of the following events:

Each dinner is planned by each restaurant chef and the main goal is to feature the bounty that Arizona soil can yield.  The inventive menus are served with wine pairings that complement the tasty dishes.

The cost of each event varies and reservations can be made by contacting the individual restaurants.  For more information, contact Pat Duncan of Duncan’s Trading Co., at (623) 535-1415 or by email at patdunc@msn.com.

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6 Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special without Spending Much Money

Posted on February 10, 2012 by fillyourplate
Scan of a Valentine greeting card dated 1909.

This Valentine’s Day, there are many things you can do to make it a special day without spending too much money. The list is endless of things you could do, but we’ve listed some creative options below. Since Arizona celebrates its 100th Birthday on Valentine’s Day this Year, you could take your honey on an Arizona sight-seeing tour, too!

1.     Make Reservations….At Home

If your spouse does most of the cooking, this might be the most romantic gift you can give.  There is a reason so many early dates consist of one person cooking something special for the other.  When someone prepares a meal for us, it shows us not only that they care about us but that they can care for us.  Pick a few things your partner will love and show them they are worth all the time and effort it takes to make them a home cooked meal.  If you aren’t an experienced cook, make sure you practice your recipes before the big day to avoid becoming a cliché.

Here are some great recipes that feature local Arizona ingredients available at your grocery store or farmer’s market.

2.     Create Your Own Coupons

Show your special someone that you care all year long by creating a personalized book of coupons just for them.  Spread the love by making certain coupons only good during specific months.  Cater to the meals they love most, the hobbies they enjoy, and the activities they wish you wanted to do with them and you will give them a gift more precious than any money could buy.

3.     Send Them on a Scavenger Hunt

Bring back the blissful memories of new love by sending your sweetheart on a scavenger hunt that lets them revisit the memorable places from the beginning of your relationship.  Start with the special place where you met or had your first date and let each clue lead them to the next location.  With some forethought and pre-planning, you can make a memory more valuable than money when they finally find you, the treasure at the end of the hunt.

4.     Let Them Know All the Reasons You Love Them

Check the your local grocery store for a couple boxes of inexpensive cute kids valentine’s day cards and then write one reason you love your partner on each card.  Hide them all over the house, in the car, and anywhere else your partner spends time.  The initial finding will be fun, but this gift goes on and on as there will be little love notes that won’t be discovered for weeks or months.

5.     Check Things Off Their List

Most people have a list of things their significant other has asked them to do that they just can’t ever seem to get to.  For some people, acts of service, like checking things off their list, are more valuable than any flowers and more meaningful than any amount of money.   Show them how much you love them by secretly completing some of the higher priorities on the list and surprising them with your progress on Valentine’s Day.  Nothing says I love you like checking things off your “honey do” list.

6.     Take a Time Out

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, no one has enough time to do everything that needs to be done.  This makes time the most meaningful gift you can give your partner.  Rather than spending money you both will have to work hard to replace, take a time out together.  If you can, schedule a day off from work and spend the day together doing whatever you want.  You might go for a hike, take a long drive, window shop, or anything else that lets you spend quality time together.

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Bloggers Step Up to the Keyboard

Posted on February 13, 2012 by fillyourplate

By Cyndie Sirekis, American Farm Bureau Federation

American Farm Bureau Federation

More than 6,000 people, mostly Farm Bureau members, attended the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 93rd Annual Meeting, held last month in Hawaii. About a dozen of the attendees, all active in social media, volunteered to blog about their experiences.

 

These “guest bloggers” wrote more than 40 posts for the Farm Bureau Annual Meeting Blog. Posts about the topics below were the most popular.

 

President Bob Stallman’s annual address. In what has been dubbed the “State of Farm Bureau,” AFBF President Bob Stallman outlines the current “lay of the land” when it comes to regulations and policy related to agriculture, and highlights the organization’s priorities. He also suggests a few strategic actions for the farmer and rancher members to consider.

“We must engage directly with the consumer as an industry in ways we haven’t before,” Stallman said. “And while we must fully engage in this ongoing national dialogue about food and the devoted care we take when we grow it, we must also never, ever forget to listen.”

Blogged Jeff Fowle, a California farmer and rancher, “I believe he [Stallman] is spot on when he said, ‘…Folks, maybe, just maybe, we, as the producers of food in this country, can play a role to help unite instead of divide. It’s about time to put all else aside and for all of us to stand up as Americans first.’”

 

Advocating for agriculture. “For years when we talked about agriculture we told people how safe, abundant and affordable our food was in this country,” blogged Chris Chinn of Missouri. “Farm Bureau members learned from U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance research that consumers don’t connect to these messages because these are not concerns they have. People are more concerned about the methods we are using to produce food and the impact it might have on consumer health. We need to let people know we hear their concerns and we want to address them.”

 

Young farmers and ranchers. Results for national Young Farmers and Ranchers (aged 18-35) competitions naturally generated interest, but musings about where agriculture may be headed also garnered attention.

 

“The increasing average age of farmers and ranchers in the United States is a legitimate concern,” wrote Chelsea Good, communications director at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. “Many people my age are hesitant to take the leap and farm and ranch full-time. From increasing production costs to limited access to credit, getting a start in agriculture as a young person is not easy. However, in my opinion, the leadership development happening through YF&R indicates that our industry will have strong, competent leaders for many years to come.”

 

Farm tours. “Hawaii is facing a lot of issues in agriculture that are similar to what farmers face on the mainland, including challenges related to water, economics and animal rights activism,” blogged Hilary Maricle of Nebraska. “Additionally, they have supply issues as so much of their food is shipped in…throughout the U.S., we have things that are threatening agriculture and the effects can be seen in Hawaii. If we want to keep ag strong, farmers must continue to stand up and speak out together like our AFBF delegates [who set the policy direction for the organization in the coming year] did on Tuesday!”

 

Farmer and rancher photos. North Dakota rancher Val Wagner blogged about a surprisingly emotional standing-room only session featuring photographer Paul Mobley talking about his book American Farmer, the Heart of Our Country.

 

“As image after image played across the screen, and story after story was told, I couldn’t help but sit up a little straighter, hold my head a little higher and feel just a little bit better,” Wagner wrote. “Mr. Mobley said it best when he said, ‘If we need to look for role models in this day, we need to look no farther than the American farmer.’ Amen.”

 

Arizona’s own Blogging

Arizona Farm Bureau’s own blogs are changing the way Arizona families look at Arizona agriculture. Between Fill Your Plate’s blog and Julie’s Fresh Air Blog, more than 8,000 viewers are connecting with these blog stories monthly.

 

According to a WordPress report on Arizona’s Fill Your Plate blog, the concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. The Fill Your Plate blog was viewed approximately 32,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 12 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

 

In 2011, there were 69 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 360 posts. Julie’s Fresh Air had 150 posts last year bringing that total of blog posts to more than 2,000 (Julie’s Fresh Air began in 2006).

 

Farm and ranch families are encouraged to subscribe to both blogs. You’ll automatically be able to stay on top of what both blogs are talking about and even be able to make suggestions to the editorial teams for both blogs. Plus, subscribing allows you to participate in public outreach engagement as you can post comments to each blog. Remember, Arizona families want to hear from Arizona farm and ranch families.

 

To sign up for Julie’s Fresh Air blog, go to www.juliesfreshair.com and look for the subscribe box that says, “Sign Up for FREE.” New subscribers will receive a downloadable report on the “33 Ways to Mix and Match Your Wardrobe.” To sign up for the Fill Your Plate blog, go to www.fillyourplate.org/blog.

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Cherries on Top!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by fillyourplate
A pair of cherries

Whether you prefer them sweet or sour, cherries are a flavorful way to get in a serving or two of your daily fruit and vegetable requirement.  Although cherries aren’t widely grown here in Arizona, some of the sweet varieties do well with our mild weathers and dry climate.  This month is National Cherry Month, so let’s celebrate the great flavor and many uses of this wonderful fruit.  Here are fun facts, a bit of history, and some great recipes featuring cherries.

Fun Facts

  • It takes about 250 cherries to make a cherry pie.
  • Cherries are cousins to some other Arizona fruits like nectarines, apricots, and plums.
  • If you cataloged all the different types of cherries from all over the world, you would find more than 1,000 varieties.
  • The two most popular kinds of sweet cherries, Bings and Lamberts, are grown in North America.
  • Cherries are low in calories and are a good source of soluble fiber.  They are also a good source of antioxidants, vitamin C, beta carotene, and potassium.
  • In traditional medicine, healers used cherries for a variety of medicinal purposes including the treatment of gout.  Some alternative medical practitioners continue to use cherries today because of they contain cyanidin which can reduce inflammation and for pain relief.
  • Each year more than 300 million pounds of cherries are harvested in the U.S.
  • Cherry trees can grow more than 30 feet tall.
  • Although there are more than 1,000 varieties of cherry, the ones most commonly grown commercially are the Bing, Rainier, Royal Ann, Montmorency, Morello, and Early Richmond.
  • Cherry trees are known for more than just producing delicious fruit; they are also known for the beautiful blossoms that fill their branches in late spring.
  • Cherries are enjoyed around the world and are used in a variety of ways including as filling for pies, the final touch on an ice cream sundae, to flavor tea, to add color and flavor to salad, and to make liqueur and brandy.

 

The History of Cherries

  • Cherries, like many of their cousins in the stone fruit family, have been around since ancient times and cherry pits have been found amongst other artifacts in caves from the Stone Age.
  • They are mentioned as far back as 300 BC by one of Aristotle’s protégés, Theophrastus, in his work the “History of Plants”.
  • Wild cherries are native to Europe, western Asia, and some areas of North Africa.
  • Cherries were often used for their healing properties and their sweet flavor made them a popular treat among rich merchants and royalty.
  • George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are both credited with growing cherry trees.

Great Ways to Use Cherries

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Arizona Centennial Celebration

Posted on February 9, 2012 by fillyourplate

In Arizona, February 14th brings much more this year than simply being Valentine’s Day! In case you didn’t know it, this year, February 14th is Arizona’s 100th birthday! There are many Centennial events going on around the state to celebrate the occasion! If you want to join in on the festivities, here are just a few to choose from:

  • I HEART Arizona Party will take place on Saturday, February 11th. You can find out more information below.
  • In Phoenix on February 11 and 12 is Arizona Best Fest.
  • For the motorcycle enthusiasts, The Centennial Ride will take place on February  11th, with awards for the top 48 bikes, in honor of Arizona being the 48th state.
  • On the morning of February 14th at Phoenix City Hall and the Senate and House Lawns will be Statehood Day celebrations.
  • To celebrate 100 years of Statehood on the evening of February 14th, attend the ticketed event of Fandango! Arizona.

 

I HEART Arizona Party

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