It’s summertime. Well, almost. So below are my top 10 Arizona vegetables for summer. I’m going to make sure I either purchase at a local farmer’s market or grocery store. And, they’ll be in-season so they’ll be more reasonable in price.
1. Corn is one of the most popular vegetables, yellow sweet corn is a source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Like most vegetables, it is also low in fat and contains no cholesterol. White corn is a little lower in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Sweet corn is very rich in vitamin B1, vitamin B5, vitamin C, phosphorus, manganese, folate and dietary fiber.
2. Cucumbers taste refreshing perhaps because most of the weight of a cucumber comes from water. While they’re not considered a nutrient dense vegetable, they contain calcium, potassium and vitamins A and K. The cucumber is also a source of slow-release energy and a powerful tool in your weight-loss program. An 85 gram serving of cucumber, about ¾ of a cup, has a mere 11 calories. It has virtually no fat, cholesterol or sodium. It has 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of sugar. Dieters can find much to love in the lean caloric profile of cucumber as few foods have fewer calories than the cucumber.
A favorite way to eat cucumbers in the summer is to slice them thin and put in a jar with white vinegar, slices of white onion and a little bit of salt and pepper. Then chill. They’re a great snack throughout the hot days of summer.
3. Summer squash continues to gain popularity in home gardens and urban farms because it is easy to grow and comes in a wide variety of intriguing shapes, colors and sizes. It has a mild flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. Its versatility in the kitchen includes use in salads, soups, casseroles, stuffing, breads, muffins, coleslaw or sauces. Dried herbs such as rosemary or basil help bring out the delicate flavor. One serving or ½ cup of raw summer squash provides 10 calories with zero calories from fat.
Of the nutrients listed on nutrition labels, where Percent Daily Values is based on a 2,000 calorie diet, the Percent Daily Value for total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium are all zero. One-half cup of squash provides 2 grams or 1% of the Daily Value for total carbohydrate and 1 gram or 2% of the Total Daily Value for dietary fiber. In addition, a serving of squash provides 15% of the Daily Value for vitamin C, according to the USDA.
4. Sweet Onions are a favorite of my dad. He nearly eats one raw sweet onion a day. And for good reason, , of all the healthy benefits of onions, two elements stand out: sulfur (a compound) and quercetin (a flavonoid). They each have been shown to help neutralize the free radicals in the body, and protect the membranes of the body’s cells from damage.
Quercetin, an antioxidant, is also found in red wine and tea, but in much lower quantities. Most health professionals recommend eating raw onions for maximum benefit, but cooking makes them more versatile and doesn’t significantly reduce their potency. In fact, unlike sulfur compounds, quercetin can withstand the heat of cooking.
Regarding your heart, as with garlic, onions help prevent thrombosis and reduce hypertension, according to the American Heart Association. The juice of one yellow or white onion a day can raise HDL cholesterol (the good stuff) by 30% over time, according to Dr. Victor Gurewich, director of the Tufts University Vascular Laboratory at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston.
5. Tomatoes contain a variety of vitamins (A, C, B1, and B2), and carotene, protein, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber. Tomatoes also contain calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, boron and iodine and other minerals and trace elements. What I love about tomatoes is the variety of ways we can eat them: raw, cooked, sauces, and whatever creative way you come up with! What’s your favorite way to eat a tomato?
6. Zucchini is also a summer squash and is versatile enough to single out. It can be used in pasta sauce, added it to a stir-fry or baked into sweet loaves of quick bread. You should eat zucchini with the rind attached whenever possible, since the rind contains much of the nutritional value. Because zucchini also has a high water content, it’s very low in calories. One medium (196 grams) raw zucchini with its skin on contains just 31 calories. That same zucchini contains 0 grams of fat and 0 mg of cholesterol. If you’re trying to cut down on calories, fat or cholesterol, zucchini is an excellent choice. One raw medium zucchini, including its skin, boasts 56% of your daily recommended value of vitamin C. It also delivers 11% of your daily value of vitamin K, 16% of riboflavin, 21% of vitamin B-6 and 14% of folate. Other vitamins present in lesser quantities include vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
7. Green beans make me think of Grandma snapping off the ends of fresh green beans. Snap! Green beans, while quite low in calories, are loaded with nutrients and an excellent source of vitamin K, C, and A. The Vitamin K provided in green beans (a spectacular 122% of the recommended daily allowance in one cup) is important for maintaining strong bones.
8. Okra reminds me of my mother. I’ll eat okra in just about any form and one of my favorites was when mom would powder diced okra with cornmeal and fry it up. Okra is low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of protein, niacin, Iron, phosphorus, zinc and copper, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Okra contains known anti-inflammatory nutrients, including Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate and Beta Carotene.
9. Radishes don’t get much respect but they’re refreshing vegetable chilled and eaten as an appetizer. For the dieter, radishes contain high amounts of water and fiber and low levels of sodium and carbs. In addition, 1 cup of radishes has only 20 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates. A 1-cup serving also provides almost as much potassium (270 mg) as you would find in a banana. Riboflavin, calcium, magnesium and folate help to round out the exceptional nutrition packed into a radish. Add some to a salad or eat them as a snack, and think about the health benefits you are providing your body.
10. Chiles are one of my loves perhaps because I love hot food. Right off the bat, you know you’re going to get your vitamin C if you eat chilies. Chili peppers, despite their fiery “hotness” are one of very popular spices known for medicinal and health benefiting properties. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body protect from scurvy; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
What are your favorite summer veggies? Of course, you can check out Fill Your Plate’s Seasonal Summer Chart to determine you own. It’s time to get cooking with our summer recipes too!
If you are like us, your stress level is at an all time high and you are beginning to feel the effects of prolonged stress in your body. The constant release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline weakens your immune system and leads to dangerous health problems like high blood pressure and heart disease. Living a lifestyle that counteracts effects of stress should be part of your overall plan for wellness and self care. Diet is a powerful lifestyle tool that can alleviate stress and mitigate the damage it does to your body.
Certain foods are natural mood enhancers that help you remain calm in stressful situations. Other foods actively repair the damage stress does at a cellular level, giving your body a powerful ally to fight the effects of stress. There are lots of different foods that will help you with stress management; these foods generally fall into the following five categories:
1. High in vitamins that fight the effects of stress and strengthen the immune system like blueberries, almonds, broccoli, beef and oranges
2. High in potassium and/or magnesium like spinach, avocados and apricots
3. High in folate/folic acid like leafy greens, broccoli, artichokes and arugula
4. High is Omega 3s like walnuts, fish and spinach
5. High in fiber like whole grains, artichokes, oats and broccoli
By combining these types of foods you can use your diet to help manage the level of stress in your life. Many foods in these categories are available throughout the year in Arizona. The wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and herbs available from local farms, at the farmer’s market and in local grocery store give you a rich resource for creating a delicious, stress busting diet.
Let’s see how you can eat across these categories throughout the day to maximize the stress management benefits. Below is a sample menu offering ideas on how to incorporate the different types of foods at every meal. Full recipes can be found at Fill Your Plate via the links provided.
Breakfast
Start the day off right with a delicious bowl of oatmeal which is full of fiber and helps to boost the level of serotonin, a mood enhancing chemical, in your brain. Add a handful of blueberries and you get a rich source of vitamin C, additional dietary fiber and stress-busting antioxidants.
For a hearty brunch option, serve up a Zesty Papa Protein Scramble that incorporates spinach and avocados which are filled with magnesium and potassium and fiber-rich artichokes into an appetite appeasing, stress fighting meal for the whole family.
Lunch
Looking for a light lunch? Try The Farmer’s Favorite Salad which is filled with stress-busting magnesium-rich spinach, walnuts that offer the benefits of Omega 3s and leafy greens packed with folate and topped off with a delicious dressing.
If you are in need of a hearty mid-day meal to fuel your afternoon, Tostados made with lean steak offer the stress reducing benefits of beef and the heartiness of beans, corn, and cheese. Whip up some fresh guacamole to add the stress busting benefits of avocados to your tasty Tostado.
Dinner
Beginning with a fresh Avocado & Tomato Salad, a dinner filled with stress reducing foods is easy to pull together and fabulous for gathering the family around the table. Choose Rosemary-Sage Steak with fresh steamed broccoli for your main course and keep everyone at the table with Apple Crisp with almonds for dessert.
The variety of stress busting foods available from Arizona’s farms make it easy to eat a diet designed to fight the stress in your life and keep you healthy and hearty for years to come.
If you were old enough, you might remember April 22, 1970. That year was Earth Day’s inauguration year. It’s credited by many for launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and other environmental laws soon followed the first Earth Day 41 years ago. According to the Earth Day Network, more than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
The theme for this year’s Earth Day is “A Billion Acts of Green.” According to the Earth Day Network, “A Billion Acts of Green – the largest environmental service campaign in the world–inspires and rewards simple individual acts and larger organizational initiatives that further the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. The goal is to register 1 billion actions in advance of the global Earth Summit in Rio in 2012.”
Earth Day may be the largest civic observance in the world and the Earth Day Network may be attempting to register “A Billion Acts of Green,” but such efforts will never measure up to the daily “acts of green” found on our Arizona and American farms and ranches.
Shortly after Earth Day 2010, the United States Department Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service released the latest National Resources Inventory (NRI). Through empirical data, the NRI shows that America’s farmers and ranchers care for the land, and through their actions the environment has continually improved over the past 50 years, while at the same time farm and ranch productivity has dramatically increased even while resources needed for farming, like land and water, have been reduced.
Though every productive farm and ranch represents a billion acts of green, we’ll highlight just a few Arizona farm and ranch profiles that reflect what the NRI data are telling us and reveal the reality of our modern-day farmers and ranchers. The days of the farmer in overalls with pitchfork and mule team are long gone.
Modern-Day Farms and Ranches in Arizona Daily Produce Your “Billion Acts of Green”The Smallhouse family has been ranching and farming in Arizona for more than 120 years.
“Sustainability” is the buzzword for the green movement. Many espouse a farm is only sustainable if small, organic and producing singularly for the local or regional market. But sustainable American farms come in all shapes and sizes and produce for local, regional, national and international markets generation after generation, growing season after growing season and most of the time on the same land.
And truly sustainable farms and ranches are like Andy and Stefanie Smallhouse’s Carlink Ranch, located in Reddington, Arizona and established in the late 1800s. Fifth-generation cattle ranchers, Andy and his family before him have been raising cattle, growing hay and other forage on the same 100-square miles in southern Arizona for more than 120 years.
“America’s farm and ranch families are dedicated to caring for the land,” says Stefanie Smallhouse, also 2nd-vice president for Arizona Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors.
The Smallhouses innovate on their ranch all the time to improve the business and their bottom line. This includes producing their own biofuel from used cooking oil they collect from area restaurants. “Recycling used cooking oil reduces our fuel costs to operate our ranch,” says Andy.
Andy’s grazing management practices also conserve the land and improve efficiencies. As a result, their ranch’s biodiversity, with elevations ranging from 2,500 to 6,000 feet, is home to vast amounts of wildlife and birdlife.
You can find various innovative approaches on Arizona dairies too. By adopting new management practices and production enhancing technologies, over the years dairy farmers have been able to help reduce the dairy industry’s carbon footprint by more than 63 percent, according to the USDA. Today, more milk is produced with only 9 million cows than with 26 million cows in 1944. Another way to understand dairy cow milk production is to examine since 1980 the pounds of feed (grain, forage, etc) a cow now consumes to produce 100 pounds of milk. A cow’s feed consumption has decreased by more than 40% on average in the last 30 years.
Any dairy farmer will tell you they are committed to a healthy population and a healthy planet. And regards to sustainability on Arizona dairies, the average Arizona dairy farm is in its second generation of dairy production. Many Arizona dairy families are third-generation dairies.
Third-generation Dairy Farmer Paul Rovey says Arizona dairy families possess a longstanding commitment to sustainability.
“Arizona dairy producers have a longstanding commitment to sustainability,” explains Paul Rovey of Rovey Dairy, a third-generation dairy in Glendale, Arizona and features Jersey cows in his dairy herd. “We take care of the cows; the cows replenish the soil, which in turn, grows food for the cows. Dairy farming is about providing a nutritious product that enhances the health and wellness of humanity while leaving the earth better for the next generation. We are committed to continuous improvement.” And that continuous improvement is evident in the USDA data.
While farm and ranch productivity has increased dramatically since 1950, the use of resources (labor, seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc.) required for production has markedly declined. Howard Wuertz of Sundance Farms in Coolidge, Arizona is yet another example of Arizona’s abundant crop of farmers and ranchers that are sustainable and year after year keep improving productivity numbers.
Howard Wuertz’s parents planted their first cotton crop more than 80 years ago in Arizona at a time when rattlesnakes and coyotes dominated the landscape more than people. Today, Wuertz holds five patents in new farming technology primarily for minimum tillage above and between subsurface drip irrigation lines. He developed and was one of the first in Arizona to introduce drip irrigation to cotton farming to reduce water use. This and other innovations have continued to increase his yields.
“We reduced water use by 50% with our drip irrigation system,” said Howard Wuertz, one of the principal owners of Sundance Farms and an Arizona Farm Bureau member, “and generally on most crops like alfalfa, cotton, wheat and corn increased our yields by 30%.”
Just about everything at Hickman Family Farms is recycled.
And it’s not just about conservation and resource reduction to save water and land, it’s also about recycling. Just ask Hickman Family Farms, Arizona’s only commercial egg producing family.
In 1944, Bill and Gertie Hickman started raising chickens and selling eggs to local restaurants from their home in Glendale, Arizona, beginning with no more than 500 birds. Today, the entire family including four of the five Hickman kids, manage more than 5 million laying hens in modern, stress-free, air-conditioned facilities to provide millions of eggs for Arizona families each year.
Their farm is nearly closed looped and just about everything is recycled. Waste material including chicken manure and egg shells is composted and sold to a variety of businesses including organic farms.
Ranchers, dairy producers and farmers like the Smallhouse, Rovey and Wuertz families keep producing more food, fiber and fuel than ever before on fewer acres with fewer resources.
“Such modern production tools as global positioning satellites, biotechnology, conservation tillage and integrated pest management practices enhance farm and ranch productivity while reducing the environmental footprint,” explains Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers, a third-generation cotton, wheat and alfalfa Arizona farmer based in Mesa, Arizona. “America’s farm and ranch families are dedicated to caring for our planet. They are ethical caretakers of the land and water resources that help make our nation’s bounty possible.”
President of United Dairymen of Arizona, Rovey adds, “The look of dairy farms has changed, but our values of caring for the environment are even stronger. Generations of Arizona dairy farmers have studied the science of caring for our environment’s health. This commitment to sustainability is for our children, our community and the earth.”
Rogers, who along with family members farms more than 7,000 acres, also points out that in addition to their ethical dedication to protecting the land; it’s in the economic interest of Arizona farmers and ranchers to care for our natural resources like water and land.
“America’s farmers and ranchers take their commitment to land stewardship very seriously, especially if they want to keep farming for the next generation. That’s why you easily and regularly meet 3rd, 4th and 5th generation Arizona farmers.”
Finally, despite all the challenges of farming including un-cooperative weather, cost and regulatory burdens, America’s farmers and ranchers are doing their part to feed a growing world. Total U.S. crop yield (tons per acre) has increased more than 360% since 1950.
Note: A series of print-ready “USA Today-style” graphics illustrating the above talking points (developed by AFBF based on the NRI survey) may be viewed/downloaded here: http://bit.ly/cwTb0h.
More details on Earth Day 2011 are available on the Earth Day Network’s website at http://www.earthday.org/.
“Farmers will always respond to better markets,” says Buckeye, Arizonacotton farmer Ron Rayner. “Most growers are trying to find a place to put extra cotton in their crop mix because that’s what price is telling us to do right now. With the old crop, price rationed supply. That’s the duty of price. For the new crop, price is telling us that we need to come up with more acres. If a dollar [a pound for cotton] is not enough to create more acres the price will come up.”
Rayner also explains that while higher commodity prices may initially mean a few extra dollars, it doesn’t mean a farmer sold his crop at the higher prices you see right now. Whether a wheat, cotton or soybean farmer, setting a “sell price” too far in advance while markets are on top is risky since whatever contract price you set must be honored.
Plus, if prices get too high, manufacturing markets might switch commodities. In the case of cotton, manufacturers could always consider manmade fibers. Certainly we won’t convert to polyester bed sheets, but some fiber markets are adroit at switching to another cheaper fiber.
Too, any good farmer will invest back in the business during high prices to pay down debt and build the business. Say Arizona farmers and ranchers, it secures their futures for the lean years that happen more frequently than the good years.
It’s a misnomer that farmers are making tons of money. As oil prices rise so do the costs to operate the farm. Farmers feel the pinch in greater amounts as they might purchase fuel in the thousands of gallons at a time during planting and harvest.
And since cotton farmer Rayner can’t set the price of his cotton (the market does), he must absorb those increased costs to raise the cotton.
The rising price of oil isn’t only affecting on-farm costs. You and I are feeling it too. The Consumer Price Index shows energy prices have increased by more than 7 percent in the past year. As a result, the cost of food has risen nearly 2 percent since the beginning of the year.
Fuel, transportation and energy drive retail food prices as the graphic below illustrates.
America’s Heartland Still Breaking Ground on TV’s Frontiers
By Erik L. Ness
Never in the history of television has there been a show with the scope and unique purpose like America’s Heartland. This weekly series about the people, places and processes of American agriculture started as most good things do, with a simple idea hitched to a vibrant vision.
The show originally started as California Heartland and was a hit in the Golden State, even the San Francisco market. Some visionary folks at the Farm Bureau in that state got behind this magazine formatted show and it grew in depth and dimension until it became obvious to those involved that Heartland could succeed on a national platform.
A key player in this big idea is former California Farm Bureau President Bob Vice who says farmers and ranchers are serious about having to continually educate a population mostly removed from their agrarian roots. It was obvious to him that public television was an excellent medium to tell the stories of the families who grow our food, fiber and fuel.
It took a couple of years to secure the proper funding for such a huge endeavor and to shoot enough shows for the first season. The plan was to offer the show to PBS stations nationwide and to provide financial backing from a number of sources to cover production and other costs.
Heartlanddebuted on the national airwaves in 2005 and has been gaining audience and supporters ever since. The show is now completing its sixth successful season on public television stations across the land and on RFD-TV, which is billed as “Rural America’s Most Important Network.”
But the real key to the success of Heartland is its reach way beyond the rural audiences and small towns. It has managed to crossover into the major TV markets and is supported by urban residents just as strongly as folks out in the countryside. It seems the stories being told by the Heartland producers and reporters were interesting to a wide demographic swatch. An early letter writer to Heartland’s originating station, KVIE in Sacramento, Calif., said basically that she didn’t know how much she didn’t know about agriculture — until she tuned in.
Currently the program is on 230 public television stations and networks and on RFD-TV in primetime on Wednesdays and Sundays. According to series producer, Jim Finnerty, the show has excellent ratings and is on the air in 20 of the top 25 markets in the country.
As Heartland has grown and evolved over the last six years it has added even more elements to help consumers understand where their food and fiber comes from. Finnerty notes that the show’s integration into the world of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, has “taken off like a rocket” in the past year. Heartlandhas a redesigned website for viewers and fans and several new features for the seventh season, including “Farm to Fork” with Dave Lieberman of the Food Network, animated nutrition features and a segment called “Ask a Farmer.”
Noted cowboy music singer, Michael Martin Murphey, has contributed his song “Close to the Land” to Heartland as the show’s musical theme since the first season. In the inaugural year Murphey said when he would ask his audiences if they had seen the show a few hands in the crowd would go up. Today he says the hands go up like a waving wheat field.
America’s Heartland is an agricultural and broadcast success story. This surprising combination works because some farm leaders and broadcasters hitched their vision to a star that is the fantastic story of American agriculture.
Top 10 Arizona Grown Foods that Are Natural Energy Boosters
Looking for a way to increase your energy? Look no further than our local farms. Here is a breakdown of the top 10 energy boosting foods grown right here in Arizona.
Spinach
Along with the other dark green vegetables on the list, spinach is packed with energy boosting nutrients including folate, calcium and vitamins A, C, E, and K. For a quick afternoon energy boost, whip up a fresh salad using spinach, broccoli, and avocados with a drizzle of lemon juice.
Broccoli
One of the cruciferous vegetables, broccoli helps convert food into energy, fights free radicals and is a great source of vitamins A, B and C. Need a great idea for dinner? Cook up some whole wheat pasta and toss with broccoli, lean pork medallions and a drizzle of olive oil.
Pork and Beef
Lean cuts of pork and beef are full of protein and iron; both of which are key nutrients for boosting your energy and keeping you going over the course of the day. Create your own power lunch by making a fabulous sandwich with a whole wheat bun, a lean cut of pork, green leaf lettuce and your favorite condiment. For a breakfast loaded with protein, use a lean cut of beef and scrambled eggs for an energy boosting way to begin your the day.
Pecans
With 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, pecans pack a powerful punch in a small package. As a good source of healthy fats, a handful of pecans makes a great 3 PM pick-me up me.
Lemons
Lemons are as versatile as they are healthy. Full of vitamin C, lemon water in the morning helps boost metabolism and gets your body revving for the remainder of the day. Use fresh Arizona lemons to make lemonade at home for a refreshing treat.
Leaf Lettuce and Romaine Lettuce
As with spinach, leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce belong to the nutrient rich group of green leafy vegetables and are full of vitamin C, beta-carotene, chromium, folic acid and dietary fiber. Because raw foods also boost energy, mix up a nutrient dense salad with leaf lettuce, romaine and spinach and top with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a satisfying lunch or a lead-in to dinner. Or start your morning right with an all natural green energy drink by making a smoothie from romaine, spinach, leaf lettuce and lemon juice.
Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe is the perfect food for anyone because of its excellent ratio of nutritional content to calories. Filled with beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate and potassium, this delicious fruit can be incorporated into all three meals and makes a great snack. Chop it into chunks and mix with strawberries and watermelon for a new take on fruit salad or slice thin to add a colorful twist to a dinner plate filled with pork and broccoli.
Cauliflower
Another of the cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower is broccoli’s less popular cousin. But don’t discount this nutrient filled energy booster. Boil it for a great source of omega 3 fatty acids or eat it raw to benefit from the vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and calcium it offers.
Watermelon
Filled with vitamins C, A and B6, watermelon boosts your energy and improves your brain’s ability to produce key chemicals like dopamine and melatonin. As a great source of lycopene, watermelon also bolsters the immune system and is a favorite for the whole family. Upgrade the kid’s afterschool treat by swapping sugary snacks for a slice of mouth-watering Arizona watermelon.
Dairy
Dairy products like cheese, yogurt and milk can play a vital role in maintaining your energy level over the course of the day. Adding a slice of cheese to the pork sandwich above adds flavor and calcium. Add a few chunks of cantaloupe to some yogurt in the blender and create your own fruit flavor sure to start your morning off right.
14 Tips that can enhance your Farmers’ Market Shopping Experience
Agriculture’s Role in American – National Agriculture Day
Cornfield sunset in Arizona Image Credit: WKenney
On March 15th, 2011, communities across the country will come together to participate in NationalAgriculture Day. This annual celebration, which is organized at the national level by the Agriculture Council of America, acknowledges the hard work and dedication that the farmers, ranchers and other individuals involved in American agriculture put in over the course of the year.
In preparation for next week’s observance, Robert Piceno, the Executive Director for Arizona’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) explains why agriculture in America is not only relevant in today’s society, but how it also remains a vital component of the strength and stability of the country.
“Agriculture is an important part of our daily lives and is often taken for granted, but in these uncertain times, it should be remembered that American Agriculture is not only important for obvious reasons – food, clothing and shelter, but, the industry also plays an important part in homeland security,” said Piceno.
Accounting for one fifth of America’s economic activity, the agricultural industry plays a crucial role in the protection of our local food sources and water supply. Their continued dedication to working the land, raising animals and producing crops used for food and as help ensure Americans will never become reliant on foreign imports for these items. This is especially important for the food supply. Just as the farmers and ranchers protect our food and water, we need to ensure they can remain competitive and viable in the global marketplace.
This is one of the ways the FSA, which is a branch of the USDA, serves local communities. Arizona’s FSA currently offers 43 programs designed to safeguard farmers and ranchers from hard economic times and allow them to grow and thrive. These programs aid the agricultural community in the following ways:
Facilitating access to government support and programs
Providing an economic safety net for farms and ranches including provision of credit to aid in farm ownership and operating costs
Providing a stabilizing influence to the local farm income and
Assists farmers and ranchers in the event of a natural disaster
Maintaining the USDA’s seed, feed and fertilizer database
Piceno urged local citizens to learn about their local agricultural programs and family farms. He also asked that everyone thank their local farmer or rancher not only for the abundant food, fuel and fiber they provide, but also for standing in as the first line of defense of our food supply, in times of peace and of uncertainty.
For more information about National Ag Day, visit www.agday.org and to learn more about the Farm Service Agency, visit online at www.fsa.usda.gov.
If you want to make permanent, positive changes in your diet you need to learn how to eat smarter. It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat it. Your food choices can help you reduce the risk of illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Healthy eating can also ward off depression. Eating healthy will boost energy, stabilize mood and help regulate weight.
Rather than dump all unhealthy food out of your pantry, create a plan for a healthy, satisfying diet by adding more fruits and vegetables to your recipes and meal plans. Implement small changes as they will be easier to stick with in the long run.
Healthy Tip #1: Plan for success
Change your eating habits over time. Thinking that you can change your diet to a 100% healthy one overnight isn’t realistic. Instead of counting calories or weighing and measuring portion sizes, think in terms of color, freshness and variety. Find recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Instead of reaching for potato chips for a snack after lunch, grab an apple or some carrot sticks. Rather than having bread and rice for dinner, swap bread for a vegetable. Keep track of how many fruits and veggies you’re eating a day right now and add more to your diet – a small, positive change.
Healthy Tip #2: It’s not what you eat, but how you eat it
Being healthy isn’t just about how much food you have on your plate, but it’s how you think about food. Think about food as something to be enjoyed, not something to simply eat because you have to. Enjoy your meals. Savor them. Arrange the food on your plate so that it’s eye appealing. Eat with others when possible. Plan for family dinners and don’t eat in front of the television. Remember breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. It’s a great way to start the day with a piece of fruit and a whole grain meal.
Healthy Tip #3: Eat a rainbow of colors
Fruits and vegetables should be the cornerstone of any healthy diet. Low in calories and packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals, fruits and veggies are part of a healthy diet. When selecting what to eat, go for the colors of the rainbow:
Greens are rich in zinc, Vitamins A, C, E and K, iron, potassium and help strengthen the blood.
Fruits provide antioxidants, fiber and vitamins. Apples provide fiber; berries are cancer-fighters; oranges and mangos offer vitamin C.
Sweet veggies can curb cravings for other sweets. Examples of sweet vegetables are sweet potatoes, winter squash, certain onions, corn, carrots and even beets.
Shop local whenever possible and incorporate in-season fruits and vegetables into your daily menu plans.
Healthy Tip #4: Add healthy carbs and whole grains to your diet
Rather than eliminating carbohydrates from your diet completely, choose healthy options such as whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly to keep you feeling fuller longer. Unhealthy carbs include white flour, refined sugar and white rice that digest quickly and spike blood sugar levels.
Whole grain options include brown rice, quinoa (KEEN-wa) and barley. Whole grains and other healthy carbs are rich in antioxidants and protect against certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease. Select foods containing whole grains and fiber like slow cooking oatmeal.
Healthy Tip #5: Don’t forget the protein
Foods containing protein are broken down into amino acids, the building blocks of growth and energy. Protein comes in many forms.
Red meats such as high quality beef are a way to incorporate protein into your healthy eating.
Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos and lentils are healthy non-meat alternatives.
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios are healthy protein choices especially as a snack.
Making healthy lifestyle choices are important for both you and your family and are easy to incorporate into your daily routine with a little time and planning. When in doubt, follow the USDA Food Pyramid. Make sure your daily diet includes dairy, water and a dose of exercise.
Politics have been part of irrigated agriculture since the first Sumerian ditch bosses controlled the waters of Mesopotamia. The importance of irrigation can be seen throughout the history of mankind as farmers and engineers worked to provide reliable water resources for food and fiber crops and adequate sources of water for the general public.
Today’s advanced irrigation systems are economic dynamos that energize local and regional economies far beyond their primary mission of watering important crops. They provide needed hydro-electric power, recreational opportunities, public safety, habitat for wildlife and water conservation initiatives.
As with any system that provides such value and vital economic assets, many interests seek to get their hands on the check valves in an effort to control the water and all that comes with it.
Protecting irrigated agriculture is the primary mission of a group of farmers, ranchers and irrigation organizations called the Family Farm Alliance. One of the organization’s main concerns is the fact that many of the attacks on irrigated agriculture are being promulgated through the bureaucratic rule-making process beyond the reach of Congress. Dan Keppen, director of the group, joins others in agriculture who believes congressional oversight hearings related to federal regulations affecting agriculture and water use are in order.
Keppen says there are numerous examples of activist groups and the government trying to shut down irrigation in the name of a bite-sized fish and an over-sized political agenda. Farmers and their water have been under attack in the central valley of California over the delta smelt, and irrigated agriculture was all but shut down by the government in the Klamath Basin of Oregon.
Keppen says there is a determined effort by a number of interest groups to “reallocate” agricultural irrigation water using the tangled tenants of the Endangered Species and the Clean Water Acts. The Klamath Basin Irrigation Project on the California-Oregon border has been providing water for crops and helping with flood control for a century, but since 2001 farmers have seen their water reallocated to meet the “perceived” needs of a species of salmon far downstream. Keppen says such disruptions in the rural systems and economies “lead to uncertainties” in an industry that relies on advanced planning, especially in regard to the amount of water used to produce a crop. The ripple effect of this government action forced Klamath growers to pump ground water at considerable expense or move their operations hours away.
But, there is hope. Farmers in the central valley of California recently received a favorable court ruling that will require the government to reconsider its fish-over-farmer agenda that has cost the local economy billions in lost production and thousands of jobs. A federal judge questioned the validity of the science regarding the delta smelt decision and also ruled that the federal agency involved must consider the economic impact on humans when making decisions that can impact the entire culture of one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world.
The fact that farmers had to go to court to secure a fair shake is just one more point that highlights the need for congressional oversight of regulators. As has been the case in the West, regulations often deal a staggering blow to local economies. The farm and ranch families who are impacted by such sweeping mandates must remain engaged and involved at every level of government to make sure a little silver fish is not really a red herring.
Erik Ness is a new contributor to AFBF’s Focus on Agriculture commentary series. He is a media consultant and a retired staff member of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau.
Celebrate National Oatmeal Month!
Do you remember those mornings when you rolled out of bed and shuffled down to the breakfast table only to be faced with a bowl of oatmeal and your mom saying, “Eat your oatmeal, it’s good for you?” It turns out that Mom was right all along; oatmeal is good to eat and good for you too!
Studies show that eating oatmeal can improve your dietary health because it provides both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber in oatmeal helps improve the level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and improves the overall cholesterol health of the individual who’s consuming oats. Nutritionists have likened oats to tiny sponges that pick up cholesterol and carry it out of the body.
We’ve all heard the news and know about the significant health benefits that oatmeal has to offer. Regardless of whether you enjoy your oatmeal for breakfast, or even in an oatmeal cookie; oatmeal is great any time of the day.
Because of its flavor and consistency, oatmeal is great topped with sugar, walnuts, milk, fruits, jam, chocolate chips or a light sprinkling of cinnamon. If you love peanut butter, why not have a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter swirled into it for lunch? It’s a great, delicious alternative to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. To use oatmeal at dinner time, you can grind oatmeal in a food processor, mix with your favorite spices and coat poultry or pork and bake it up. Because of its moisture-enhancing qualities, oatmeal helps keep the moisture sealed in the dishes you cook.
If you simply can’t bring yourself to indulge in the velvety warmth of a bowl of oatmeal, you can still reap its benefits by making oatmeal cookies and creating granola snacks. And remember, oatmeal is also good for your skin – taking an oatmeal bath pampers your skin and offers a moisturizing, soothing affect that can relieve the symptoms of most skin disorders and relieves dry winter skin.
Oatmeal fun facts:
In January, sales of oatmeal soar. In a recent survey, Americans stocked our cupboards with more than 34.6 million pounds of oatmeal- enough to make 475 million bowls of oatmeal
Milk remains the most popular oatmeal topping followed by sugar, salt, fruit, and butter or margarine. Those toppings deemed unusual but that many enjoy are: peanut butter, eggnog and cottage cheese.
More than 80% of all US households have at least one container of oatmeal in their pantries.
Oatmeal cookies are the number one non-cereal usage for oatmeal, followed by meatloaf.
Oats were discovered in China in 7,000 BC but the ancient Greeks were the first known civilization to use oats as porridge (cereal).
An 18-ounce container of old fashioned oats contains about 26,000 rolled oats.
Oatmeal is eaten as a breakfast cereal 89% of the time.
Quaker Oats are used in more than 24 countries
There are myriad types of oatmeal on the market – from old fashioned to instant. Rolled oats that have not been cut into small pieces are considered old fashioned and take about five minutes to cook. Old fashioned oats produce a chewier consistency. Instant oatmeal typically has sweeteners, other ingredients or flavors added.
During National Oatmeal Month revel in your love for this delicious, good-for-you-food.
While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, citrus fruits have long been known as a tasty and nutritious part of a daily diet. Citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin, minerals and fiber and they also contain phytochemicals which have been shown to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
Citrus – oranges, Clementines, lemons, limes and tangerines, to name a few – are prized for their Vitamin C but they also offer an impressive list of other essential nutrients including: potassium, foliate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, and riboflavin. Additionally, this easy-to-eat fruit contains no fat or sodium and, being a plant food, no cholesterol.
Oranges have been cultivated for thousands of years and is believed to have their origin in South and indo-China. It’s said that clergyman Pierre Clement crossed a mandarin and an orange and this pairing gave life to the popular Clementine – a seedless mandarin with a looser, easier-to-peel skin.
Lemons originated in North India or Burma and limes are native to Malaysia
Lemons and limes are the most detoxifying fruits. If you want to cleanse your body (internally) you can squeeze lemons or limes into your orange juice or drink it in a glass of water.
In Malaysia it’s believed that the juice of a lime will scare away evil spirits
Lemon trees can bloom and produce fruit all year and each tree can produce a whopping 500 to 600 pounds of lemons annually! That’s about 1,000 to 2,000 individual fruits per tree.
Have a sore throat? Reach for a lemon and add equal amount lemon juice to hot water for an anti bacterial gargle
Because of their high vitamin C, lemons prevent scurvy – a disease that causes bleeding gums, loose teeth and aching joints. Even today, the British Navy mandates that every ship carry enough lemons so that every sailor can have one ounce of juice per day.
Because of their scurvy-preventing properties, the demand for lemons hit a peak during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Miners were willing to pay huge sums for a single lemon and because of this trees were planted in abundance throughout California
Fashionable ladies in the European Renaissance used lemon juice as a way to redden their lips.
Citrus fruits and their juices add great, fresh flavor to many recipes in addition to being great squeeze and served with a bit of ice and sugar. Here is a recipe that we really love from Fill Your Plate: Citrus Marinated Grilled Turkey.
Have a favorite citrus recipe? Post it here!
What’s the Dirtiest Job on Your Farm? Video Contest hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Farm Bureau members from across the nation are invited to shoot and share their best home videos posted to YouTube of just how challenging, arduous and grungy farm and ranch work can be. And, if their real-life farm and ranch jobs are tough enough and compelling in video format, they will have a chance to see their video on the big screen, in front of 5,000 or so other farmers and ranchers attending the 2011 AFBF Annual Meeting, Jan. 9-11, in Atlanta.
The deadline for the contest is Dec. 29, 2010. Once members have their hard-work videos posted to YouTube, all they need to do is send a link before the deadline date to the contest e-mail address: FBWORKS@fb.org.
The video contest draws on the annual meeting’s overall theme of “Producing Results,” and is well-matched with the subject of hard work, which is often the favorite topic of our keynote speaker Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs program.
The winning video submitted by a Farm Bureau member will be featured during the 2011 AFBF Annual Meeting Closing General Session, Monday, Jan. 10.
We all know that variety is the spice of life when it comes to what we should be eating. Nutritionists recommend that we eat a rainbow of colors every day to help ensure we get the proper balance of vitamins and minerals in our diet.
Fortunately in Arizona, we grow a rainbow of foods all year ‘round that are delicious and nutritious and that can help us stick to a healthy diet.
Here are our top seven picks for Arizona grown foods to eat every day.
Milk – We all know the health benefits of milk and that drinking it, whether “white” or chocolate is good for your bones and teeth and the calcium and Vitamin D benefits can’t be denied. Milk is provided by the farmers of United Dairymen of Arizona, who sell it to local grocers like Bashas’. You can also purchase milk straight from the farm at Superstition Farms and Shamrock Farms.
Eggs – They are an excellent source of protein for building up healthy bones and teeth. Egg yolks are the best dietary source of choline, for example, a nutrient that’s necessary for healthy cell membranes. Choline is also essential for our brain development and function, and plays a critical role in our metabolism of fats. The yolk of the egg is also a good source of Vitamin B12 (with one yolk providing about 10 percent of the daily value), as well as lutein and xeaxanthin, two antioxidants that may reduce the risk of age‑related macular degeneration. Hickman’s Family Farms has been providing Arizona with eggs from its family farm since 1944. Find some delicious egg recipes on our website at FillYourPlate.org.
Melons are not only delicious, but they are an excellent source of potassium and Vitamin C. They are also free of fat and cholesterol and are low in calories. Melons are available year round at local supermarkets such as Bashas’ and are produced by farms like Rousseau Family Farming Company. You can even purchase fresh watermelons straight from their farm in the summer time!
Broccoli is packed full of fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Use it in your holiday relish trays, throw it in a soup or a stew, or just eat it raw. Broccoli is good for you. Many Arizona farmers grow broccoli. Check out our list of Arizona Farmer’s Market to buy broccoli fresh from the farmer.
Carrots. Do you remember your mother telling you to eat your carrots because it will give you better eyesight? Carrots offer protein, calcium, iron, Vitamins B1, B12 and B6 as well as Vitamins C and K and fiber. This is one well-rounded vegetable that is great for dipping and snacking and in recipes. Did you know that baby carrots don’t grow they way they are packaged? Here’s an interesting video that shows how baby carrots are “born.”
Leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce, are also a necessary part of a balanced, healthful diet. While eating spinach might not make you as muscle-popping strong as Popeye, it is rich in vitamin C, fiber and carotenoids. Add its lutein and bioflavanoids and spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. Lettuce, a popular choice for sandwiches and salads it is a good source of chlorophyll and vitamin K. Iceberg lettuce provides a good source of choline. Romaine lettuce is the most nutrient-dense of all the lettuce varieties and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, folic acid, manganese and chromium. Lettuce is low in calories and water dense it is a good way to fill up if you’re on a diet. Most of our leafy greens come from Yuma, Arizona. They supply most of the country with our salad needs during the winter!
Apples: Everybody knows that, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and it doesn’t hurt that apples are a delicious, low calorie treat. Apples also contain magnesium, copper, calcium, iron, potassium and are rich in vitamins A, B6 and C. If you’re craving an apple you can find them and take a farm tour at Apple Annies.
You can find innovative, healthy and delicious ways to use all of these veggies, and more, at the Fill Your Plate website where you can search for recipes by ingredient.
Looking for a light lunch? Try The Farmer’s Favorite Salad which is filled with stress-busting magnesium-rich spinach, walnuts that offer the benefits of Omega 3s and leafy greens packed with folate and topped off with a delicious dressing.
By Erik L. Ness
Do you remember those mornings when you rolled out of bed and shuffled down to the breakfast table only to be faced with a bowl of oatmeal and your mom saying, “Eat your oatmeal, it’s good for you?” It turns out that Mom was right all along; oatmeal is good to eat and good for you too! 
While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, citrus fruits have long been known as a tasty and nutritious part of a daily diet. Citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin, minerals and fiber and they also contain phytochemicals which have been shown to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. 
dirty, tough jobs in the process of providing food and fiber for their fellow Americans. But, the big question is—Can they compete with the Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs show host and narrator Mike Rowe, who will be the keynote speaker at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2011 Annual Meeting, Jan. 10, in Atlanta? We will soon find out.
We all know that variety is the spice of life when it comes to what we should be eating. Nutritionists recommend that we eat a rainbow of colors every day to help ensure we get the proper balance of vitamins and minerals in our diet.