Fourth in a series on food prices. The first is here. The second is here. The third is here.

By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau

“Farmers will always respond to better markets,” says Buckeye, Arizona cotton 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.

Related articles

• Rising Food Prices Part I: A Farmer’s Point of View
• Rising Food Prices Part II: How to Manage your Food Budget
• How to Make the Most of the “Stretch Your Food Dollar” Menus: Rising Food Prices #3
  

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.

Heartland debuted 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.  Heartland has 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.”

The show and its website have also become valuable tools for educators working to bring agriculture into their classrooms and curriculum. In fact, the new web-based educational game, “My American Farm,” offered by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, features videos from America’s Heartland episodes. The program has a number of national sponsors, such as the American Farm Bureau, that have renewed or offered new support for the show. But there is room for more.

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.

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.

Related Articles:

• Move Over Farmville: Here Comes My American Farm
• America’s Heartland: Still Breaking Ground

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.

Related articles

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• 14 Tips that can enhance your Farmers’ Market Shopping  Experience

On March 15^th, 2011, communities across the country will come together to participate in National Agriculture 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.

Related articles

• Family farmers need livestock market reforms (sfgate.com)
• How the next farm bill could plant a new crop of farmers (grist.org)

Related articles

• New U.S. diet guidelines urge less salt, more dairy – USA Today (news.google.com)
• Complex Carbohydrates For Heart Health (everydayhealth.com)
• High-Fiber Fruits and Vegetables for Healthy Eating (brighthub.com)

By Erik L. Ness, contributing writer for American Farm Bureau Federation

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.

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.

Check out Fill Your Plate for oatmeal recipe ideas like the simple yet hearty cookie.

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.

We’re lucky here in Arizona that now is peak season for citrus, especially the Clementine (part of the mandarin family but typically seedless), tangerines, grapefruit and lemons. Did you know that Arizona and California produce 95% of all citrus fruit grown across the United States?

Interesting citrus facts:

• 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!

There is no doubt about it, farm and ranch families perform a lot of 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.

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.

A full listing of the contest rules can be found at: http://fb.org/index.php?fuseaction=2011annual.contest

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. 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.
5. 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.”
6. 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!
7. 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.

Whether you like it crunchy or smooth and no matter which brand you prefer (and people are devoted to their brands!) it’s National Peanut Butter month, so enjoy the treat that has been around since 950 BC. Americans love their peanut butter as evidenced by the fact that we eat 700 million pounds a year (3 lbs per person)!

Peanuts weren’t originally found in the U.S. it’s believed that the peanut made it to Africa from Peru and were brought by early South American explorers. The peanut was then traded to Spain, and from there made it to the Americas.

After they made it to the American shores, peanuts were grown commercially in North Carolina as early as 1818 and in Virginia in the 1840s. George Washington Carver used the peanut as a replacement crop in 1890 when the cotton crop was destroyed by weevils. Carver is credited with being the father of the peanut industry for his work with the legume.

Peanut butter, in all its creamy deliciousness, began with a doctor in St. Louis in 1890. It’s believed he was looking for a protein substitute for people whose teeth were in too poor of condition to chew meat. The doctor ground the peanuts in a meat grinder and made paste.

Not long after that Dr. John, and his brother, W.K. Kellogg patented a peanut butter paste process before they turned their attention back to cereal.

The United States didn’t actually see the introduction of peanut butter into the mainstream until the St. Louis World Fair in 1904 when you could purchase it at a concession stand at the fair.

In 1928, Pond Company produced a smooth peanut butter where it was sold under the Peter Pan brand. Jif was produced by Proctor & Gamble in 1958 and remains the most popular brand even today.

In addition to Americans consuming the most peanut butter, the United States is also the biggest supplier of peanut butter.

You may wonder, though whether peanut butter is healthy as it contains saturated fat and sodium.  Dr. Walter C. Willett, a nationally known nutrition expert wrote that the presence of saturated fat doesn’t automatically kick a food, such as peanut butter, into the “unhealthy” camp.

A typical 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter has 3.3 grams of saturated fat and 12.3 grams of unsaturated fat. In moderation, some saturated fat is okay. Eating a lot of it, though, promotes artery-clogging atherosclerosis, the process that underlies most cardiovascular disease.

Peanut butter also gives you some fiber, some vitamins and minerals (including potassium), and other nutrients. Unsalted peanut butter has a terrific potassium-to-sodium ratio, which counters the harmful cardiovascular effects of sodium surplus. And even salted peanut butter still has about twice as much potassium as sodium.

So, grab a piece of wheat bread, a banana or a stalk of celery and slather on some peanut butter and enjoy!  Here’s

10  fun peanut butter facts:

• Aachibutyrophobia is a fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth)
• The two major peanut producers in the US are Georgia and Texas; peanuts are also Georgia’s official state crop, with at least 50% of the production being used for peanut butter
• An 18 ounce jar of peanut butter needs 850 peanuts to be made
• Former presidents, Jimmy Carter and Thomas Jefferson, were peanut farmers
• Peanuts are not actually nuts: they are legumes and grow underground
• Peanuts account for 2/3rds of the total snack “nuts” consumption in the USA
• The world’s largest peanut is 20 feet tall, and it’s currently kept in Turner County, Georgia
• One acre of peanut crop yields 2860 pounds of peanuts, enough to make 30000 peanut butter sandwiches
• Americans on the West Coast prefer chunky peanut butter, whereas those in the East Coast like it creamy
• The reason peanut butter sticks to your mouth is that its high protein content absorbs moisture

Pumpkin carving is a big Halloween tradition in America, but did you know it wasn’t the first vegetable to be carved for the holiday? Here are some interesting facts about the much-loved pumpkin.

Long before people began carving pumpkins, the Irish carved turnips and rutabagas, lit them with embers and used them to ward off evil spirits. It’s believed that this Celtic custom lead to our modern day pumpkin-carving tradition.

The reason for the change from rutabagas and turnips to pumpkins? Pumpkins are hollow are easier to carve. In Arizona, we have many farmers that grow and sell pumpkins and offer many pumpkin and harvest events for the Halloween season.

There are some people who think that the pumpkin should be our national fruit because it is believed to have been served at the first Thanksgiving feast with the pilgrims and the Indians back in 1620. Pumpkins were also at the first Independence Day celebration. The pumpkin is associated with autumn holidays as both an entrée or dessert dish as well as for decorations to grace holiday tables.

If pumpkins are on your menu, you should know they are rich in potassium and Vitamin A and they’re high in fiber.

Now for some pumpkin fun facts: Did you know…

• Pumpkins are grown all around the world
• A pumpkin is a squash? It’s in the same family as squash and cucumbers
• Morton, Illinois, is the self-proclaimed pumpkin capital of the world.  In 2008 the state produced 496 million pounds of pumpkins
• Pumpkin flowers are edible
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made measured five feet in diameter and weighed more than 350 pounds
• Pumpkins were believed to have removed freckles and cured snake bites
• Pumpkins are 90 percent water
• The largest pumpkin weighed 1,140 pounds
• Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available for picking in October
• The name “pumpkin” originated from the Greek word, “pepon,” which means, “large melon”
• The original “pumpkin pie” was made by colonists when they cut off the pumpkin tops, removed the seeds and filled the insides with milk, honey and spices and baked in hot ashes.

If all of this pumpkin talk has you craving a pie or some bread or even some pumpkin soup check out some of our recipes on FillYourPlate.org.  You can also find local farmer’s markets that sell pumpkins on FillYourPlate.org too.

There’s still time to celebrate National Potato Month. How have you celebrated the spud? According to the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, potatoes are by far the most popular vegetable in American. Many of those most-enjoyed veggies, though are processed into French fries. We consume, on average 16 pounds of French fries a year – French fried potatoes are not quite as healthy as those prepared in other ways, though you can bake yourself up a batch of homemade French fries that are both yummy and better for your health!

It’s estimated that the average American consumes more than 140 pounds of potato a year! By comparison, we eat about 50 pounds of tomatoes – the second-most consumed veggie. But wait, tomatoes are technically a fruit, but for argument’s sake, they’re still considered the second most consumed vegetable by the USDA.

How well do you know your potato? 10 potato fun facts:

• The debate still rages as to who actually invented the French fry – Belgium or France. The Belgians claim street vendors sold “Belgian fries” before the French ever offered them.
• One if every 14 potatoes grown in the US ends up in a McDonald’s fryer! They also turn out more than 1/3 of all the fries sold in US restaurants.
• The potato is 80% water, 20% solid.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest potato ever grown was 18 pounds, four ounces and was grown in 1795 in England.
• Henry Spalding planted the first Idaho potato in 1837.
• Potatoes are the second most consumed food in America; milk products are first in line.
• Even though potatoes have a bad reputation in some foodie circles (possibly because of the deep frying!) they are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. A medium-size potato has less calories than a grapefruit, more usable iron than any other veggie and more potassium than a banana. They are high in fiber, fat free and extremely versatile when it comes to fitting them into a daily meal.
• Saratoga Springs, New York was the birthplace of the potato chip in 1853 when they were originally known as Saratoga Crunch Chips.
• Why call them spuds? There are a couple of theories – once is because of the “Spudder” – the shovel-like tool that digs up potatoes or because of the wooden barrel they are sorted into after picking.
• Want to make your baked potato the centerpiece of the meal? Pierce it with a fork, one time lengthwise and one time cross wise then press the potato at both ends to make it “blossom.” Using a knife to open a baked potato flattens it and alters its texture.   

When you’re putting together your next meal idea, consider incorporating the potato in a new, exciting dish. Check out some of our recipes. If you can’t get enough of your French fries, though, try this healthier, baked version.

Take six large russet or other baking potatoes, scrubbed and vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch strips or leave thicker if you prefer more of a potato wedge. Lightly spray baking pan with vegetable spray. Lay potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet. Spray strips lightly with vegetable spray before placing pan in oven.

Bake 15-20 minutes, turn, continue baking until crisp and brown, approximately 15-20 minutes more. Enjoy!