All you need to do is turn on the news to hear about the obesity epidemic in our country.  The national statistics are staggering and it isn’t just our children that are in danger.  In 2010, the CDC found that one-third of the adults in this country can be classified as obese based on their Body Mass Index (BMI).  The reality of this statistic is that one in three American adults now has a higher risk of developing a wide range of serious health problems than their peers.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) obesity has been linked to increased rates of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, gout, sleep apnea, and liver problems.  Obesity has also been linked to an increased risk for certain types of cancer.  Obese men are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate and obese women are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer of the gallbladder, uterus, cervix, or ovaries.

Here in Arizona, the stats from the CDC aren’t much better.  In 2009, the state crossed the 25% threshold which is an increase of more than 15% in barely 20 years.  The rate at which the percentage of the population that is obese is increasing is even more shocking.  In 1989, Arizona’s adult obesity rate crossed the 10% threshold into the 10-14% range where it stayed for more than 10 years.  In 2000, the rate moved up to the 15-19% but it remained there for only 3 years before moving into the 20-24% range in 2004.  In 2007, the obesity rate crossed into the 25-29% range for the first time and it has been riding the 24-25% line ever since.  These figures show that the rate over the past 10 years is increasing almost 3 times as fast as it during the previous 10 years.

As we head into March, which is National Nutrition Month, helping people find ways to eat healthier is on everyone’s minds.  A recent FoodieCast from the American Farm Bureau about Supermarket Trends talks about what the Shoppers Supermarket chain is doing to help their customers make better-for-you food choices.  Last year the company launched Nutrition IQ which is an in-store, color-coded nutritional navigation program.  By using visual cues to indicate the better-for-you choices on the shelves, the chain is making it easier for shoppers to find and select the healthier version of foods they eat every day.

These kinds of programs, which are available at several supermarket chains, also help dispel the myth that healthy food is more expensive.  By incorporating the nutritional tags or labels into the regular product displays, supermarkets make it easy for shoppers to see that healthy options and better-for-you choices are all around them.  Here in Arizona, you can find similar programs at:

• Albertson’s, which uses the Nutrition IQ program
• Basha’s which has their own program called Nutrition Tags
• Safeway, which provides the Simple Nutrition program

This month, regardless of your BMI, take the opportunity to look at how you are eating and see if there are changes you can make.  Refocusing on our nutritional needs and paying attention to what we are putting into our bodies is the best thing we can do to safeguard our health now and for the rest of our lives.

Related articles

• CDC: One In Three Adults Obese (myfoxphoenix.com)
• Are Americans Getting Fed Up With Obesity? (webmd.com)
• Americans Aren’t Getting Any Skinnier (nlm.nih.gov)

These days, fruitcake is often mentioned at the holidays but generally only in a disparaging tone.  The heavy, alcohol soaked, fruit and nut filled cake that was once a holiday staple is now the laughingstock of the season.  But it wasn’t always that way.  There was a time that the fruitcake Aunt Doris sent you may have been the difference between life and death.  Read on to find out why and to learn other interesting facts about fruitcake.

1.     Fruitcake has been around forever, or at least as long as we have.

Forever may be a bit of a stretch, but no one really knows who made the first fruitcake or when it was made.  Because fruitcake is dense and packed with calories, it was perfect for our hunter gatherer ancestors and has always been a part of our culinary history.

2.     Fruitcake lasts forever.

Or at least it seems as if they last forever.  This type of cake has an extraordinarily long shelf life due to the alcohol preservatives it contains. 

3.     Fruitcakes are like fine wine.

They get better with age.  Fresh fruitcake needs to sit and ripen for at least a month before it can be eaten and unlike most cake and bread, fruitcake only gets better with time.

4.     Fruitcakes can be resurrected.

Even fruitcake will get stale if you store it too long or if it is stored improperly.  Resurrect your fruitcake by steaming it which will bring back the flavor and the moisture.

5.     Fruitcake can save your life.

One of the reasons fruitcakes were treasured throughout our history was because they were an efficient way to preserve food for long journeys and bitter winters.  The long shelf life of a fruitcake meant that cakes could be baked in the summer and fall and used to supplement food stores over the entire winter.

6.     Fruitcake can tell your fortune.

But only if you are female, single, and sleep with a piece of it under your pillow after you go to a wedding.  If you are and you do, you will dream about your future husband. 

7.     Fruitcake is like a cricket game.

In that both fruitcake and cricket games seem to appeal only to the British and both can take an entire week to complete.  Fruitcakes require specific skills to mix and bake them properly a process that can last from several days to a full week.

8.     Fruitcake is more than just fruity.

It’s also nutty.  In order to be a proper fruitcake, it must contain nuts and the standard red and green candied fruits and it must be soaked in some kind of alcohol like rum or brandy.

9.     Fruitcake is a good luck charm.

Nut growers used to bake fruitcakes at the end of one growing season and then wait until the end of the next season before eating them in order to ensure good luck and a successful harvest.  

10.   Fruitcake is the gift that keeps on giving.

If you don’t eat it this year or next year or in the next twenty years, you can always join the millions of others who have made fruitcake number 8 on the list of most re-gifted items. 

Fruitcake around Arizona.

Fruitcakes have definitely grown in variety through the years. Are you a fan of fruitcakes? Do you have a favorite fruitcake recipe you would like to share? Or, perhaps, do you have a story about fruitcakes you’d like to tell? If any of these apply to you, please share your comments with us! We’d love to hear from you!

If you picture the perfect Mother’s Day, what do you see?  Does the thought of poorly made pancakes, piled up by cute children and a well meaning Dad delivered via a tray decorated with paper flowers make you smile?  Does your picture feature a posh brunch in an elegant setting featuring fine china and fancy linens?  We all have an idea of what the picture perfect Mother’s Day should look like but when was the last time you asked your Mother her thoughts on the perfect day?

If there is one thing that mothers everywhere would agree is needed in order to have a perfect Mother’s Day, it would be time spent with children, her family, and the people she loves most.  Skip spending money on sending flowers and instead grab some flowering plants from the local farm or greenhouse and spend your time celebrating and spoiling your mother.  The plants will provide an ongoing reminder of the people who love her and bring back fond memories of her special day all year round and nothing says “I love you” like spending time with someone.

Thinking about your mother’s day plans for this weekend?    A recent poll conducted by Mouth by Southwest in Phoenix shows that many Mom’s would rather have dinner for their special meal than breakfast or brunch.  Wondering where your Mother weighs in on this poll?  Ask her. You may find out that she would prefer to sleep in on Sunday or loves the idea of spending the morning reading the paper with a cup of tea.   Then, make this year extra special by stepping outside of the expected and delivering a day uniquely designed for her.

Looking for an original idea? Take mom out for Mother’s Day but not to a fancy restaurant or country club brunch.  Take her outside in the yard and have a good old fashioned barbecue.  This can be an extra-special way to spend the day if you have more than one generation of Mother’s to recognize or for those with large extended families.  By turning Mother’s Day into a multi-generational family celebration filled with the best food Arizona has to offer, you can create a picture perfect memory for all the Mothers in your family.

Get the other family members to pitch in and raid the local farmer’s market for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry.  Set up a few grills and let the Mom’s relax and sip their favorite local wine while you create a mealtime masterpiece.

For a menu that takes you outside the ordinary BBQ fare, start off with a salad or two like the Golden Beet and Pomegranate salad, Farmer’s Favorite Salad or Country Garden Salad that all feature fresh in-season foods like beets, arugula, carrots, tomatoes, and spinach.  For the main course, serve up a traditional burger with a twist like the Rasher Bacon Burger, or go a little more formal with Rosemary Sage Steak or Citrus Grilled Turkey.  Grill up fresh Arizona zucchini, squash, carrots and potatoes to accompany the meats and don’t forget dessert.  Make a one of a kind dessert by composing a trifle made with cubes of Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cake, fresh apricots and nectarines and homemade whip cream.

So, pick up the phone, round up your relatives and make this Mother’s Day one she will always remember.

Related Articles:

• The Secret to Looking Good & Feeling Good
• Fill Your Plate: Recipe Tab

By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau

Pet Sitters International is celebrating their 12^th Annual “Take Your Dog to Work Day” this Friday, June 25^th. It made me chuckle at first.

Why? Well, on the farm and ranch, our loyal dogs are with us daily at work.

In fact, herd dogs on ranches are some of the hardest working dogs you’ll encounter. Up at dawn eagerly awaiting with wagging tail to follow your signal as the day begins on the ranch. If they can help it, they don’t miss a day. In fact, farm and ranch dogs have perfect attendance.

Our own dog stories while growing up on the Murphree Farm in Pinal County are full of joy and heartache. Our farm dogs were our best friends and even taught us about life and death.

So, I thought Arizona farmers and ranchers (and former farmers and ranchers) should tell their stories about their dogs. Here are a few.

AlAnn Ranch Alpacas in Yavapai County

By Ann L. Lamon (Paca Ranch Girl)

My dog, Ash, is a 5-year-old Great Pyrenees (GP)/Anatolian livestock guardian. She sleeps all day, and at night keeps the coyotes, owls, mountain lions and bobcats at bay with her puppy friend, Major. Major is a pure breed GP, but too young to know the ropes yet. That’s part of Ash’s job too, to teach Major.

Ash loves her alpacas, and has even gone so far as to lick a new (llama) newborn baby clean and keep her company when she sleeps.

Our barn cats love Ash too! Ash is warm and soft and makes a good bed on a cold day.

Ash even eats hay, mineral and pellets with the alpacas, though I make sure she gets a good quality dog food — whether she eats it or not!

Bar T Bar Ranch in Gila County

As told by Danny Tomerlin to Kacie Tomerlin

Wags was worth more than a man’s day wages and he showed up to work every day. A Border Collie/Australian Shepherd, he worked hard every day learning the trade through instinct and hand signals. One of the oddest parts of my dad, Buck, and Wags relationship is they never spoke to each other, they were both the strong silent type.

One story I recall distinctly, Dad and I were riding in a rough piece of country with another old cowboy, Jack, who helped us from time to time. Well, Dad, Wags, and I were on the opposite side of a wide canyon from Jack and we could see he had missed some cows.   Without a word exchanged between my dad and Wags, Wags headed out across the canyon following up behind the old cowboy. We lost sight of him, but Dad said, “Don’t worry, he’ll show up.”

We were all scheduled to meet up at the spring at the bottom of the canyon and hold up the cows before moving them on to their new country. When Dad and I joined up with Jack, Dad mentioned that there were still some cows in the canyon that were missed and then walked off toward a shady piece to pull his saddle and wait a bit. We followed suit. After about 15 minutes of resting in the coolness of a mesquite tree, we heard some cows coming through the brush. Sure enough, Wags was pushing the six cows into the tank lot at a nice, gentle pace. I realized then that Dad knew Wags was bringing the cattle and he was just waiting on his best help.

Alberti Farm in Minnesota

By Dru D. Alberti, AIS, CIC, AFIS, Sr. Ag Field Specialist, AgMax®, FBL Financial Group, Inc.

For some reason, our Minnesota cropland seemed to grow rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. So, each spring we’d be out in the field, an empty hay wagon rolling along behind the tractor. The entire family would walk the field, picking up rocks, and tossing (or lugging them) to the wagon. One day, our Border Collie, Robyn, came running up to us, holding something in her mouth. She got nearer the hay wagon and “plop!” She put the stone in her mouth on the hay wagon. When I said the whole family helped clear rocks that meant the dog, too.

Typical of the mid-west, we used tiling to drain the fields, with culverts running under roads and driveways. Robyn was great at helping clear out the culverts, dragging sticks and branches out. Occasionally, she’d snag a root ─ still connected to a tree ─ with her teeth, and then there would be a struggle. She always managed to break off the offending limb, and toss it on the bank, out of reach of the spring run-off.

She moved with us to Arizona back in 1998, and retired to be a back-porch dog. She was with us for 14 years, and even now, years later, I find myself calling our dog, Cinch (yes, another Border Collie)  by her name. Robyn won’t be with me at work on Friday, but she’s with my whole family in spirit, every day.

S Open A Ranch in Coconino County
Story told by Bonnie E. Jones, Field Manager/YF&R Coordinator, Arizona Farm Bureau

My grandparents’ blue-heeler, Pud the Second, was incredibly bored when they retired from ranching several years ago. Un-neutered and bored is not a great combination for a working cow dog, and he used to try to visit town to find a girlfriend.

My grandmother, Dixie Jones, kept him shut in the front yard in Payson, and was dismayed one day to look out and find him gone. Likely cussing the dog, she hopped in the pickup and headed to town. She only made it down to the corrals before she spied the truant.

The neighboring ranchers were using the Jones’ corrals to load some bulls, and there was Pud, loading them one at a time. All the cowboys were up on the fence. Grandma apologized for Pud getting in their way and asked if she could get him back.

Not so fast. They asked her if they might keep him until all the bulls were loaded. One had gotten on the fight, hence their fence-top perches, when Pud showed up and put the bull in his place and in the trailer. She sat back and watched until Pud was done, turned down an offer for the dog, and then she and Pud returned to the front yard. I guess once a cow dog, always a cow dog.

Klinker Family Farm in Nebraska

By Jim Klinker,Executive Secretary, Chief Administrative Officer, Arizona Farm Bureau

Dogs are invaluable on farms. I grew up with terriers and black Labradors.

They were your home security system. They were the first to greet you before sunrise to feed the livestock. They followed me and my brother’s bikes to the corner every school day morning and were there mid-afternoon when we got back home to do chores. They helped heard the cattle in from pasture every evening. They were the first to hear the auto accident that occurred on a remote rural road and woke us up to get the victims help.

And they were the farm’s rodent control. In the old days corn was picked with the corn on the cob-picker/shellers were not yet invented. A shelling crew would come in and back up to the corn crib and shell the kernels off the cob. There were mice and rats in the corn and as the crib emptied of its corn, those rodents had less and less cover. At a point, they would scatter and the dogs would do their job hitting one rodent after another.

Yes, fond memories of Sparky, Blacky, Lady and Pepsi at work every day on that little family farm in eastern Nebraska. Now I have two Shih-Tzus who sleep on the bed and I get them up every morning. But in their own way they remind of those farm dogs of long ago.