What we're reading:
Berkshire Organics' newsletter: a new source for local milk-- Leahey Farm
"Leahey Farm has been family owned and operated since 1889. Nestled in the October Mountain region of the Berkshires, it is one of the last small family farms left in Lee. Leahey Farm produced and sold milk for more than 100 years. For many years they have only raised beef, pork & lamb now owners Phil & Jen Leahey are returning the farm to its original roots as a dairy farm.
"Berkshire Organics is pleased to offer the first dairy products from Leahey Farm (with more to come) for delivery & market customers. This week we have Whole Milk (with Cream Top), Pasteurized but not homogenized. The fresh milk is delivered to the market on Wednesdays & Fridays. To order online type Leahey into the search box (top right corner) or reserve by calling 413-442-0888.
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What we're reading
We've been reading the e-news blasts from the farms in the Berkshires, learning directly from the farmers what's been happening on the farm, and at the farmers market.
in addition to working at the farm and at farmers' markets.
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What We're Reading
"In A Grain Of Golden Rice, A World Of Controversy Over GMO Foods"
"There's a kind of rice growing in some test plots in the Philippines that's unlike any rice ever seen before. It's yellow. Its backers call it "golden rice." It's been genetically modified so that it contains beta-carotene, the source of vitamin A.
"Millions of people in Asia and Africa don't get enough of this vital nutrient, so this rice has become the symbol of an idea: that genetically engineered crops can be a tool to improve the lives of the poor.
"It's a statement that rouses emotions and sets off fierce arguments. There's a raging, global debate about such crops. Read/ Listen here
News Analysis
In the NY TIMES
Michael Pollan comments: "My point is these people need a better diet even to make the golden rice work, so why not just work on getting them a better diet? How does a bowl of golden rice compare with a carrot? How many carrots, or vitamin supplements, or squash seeds, can you buy and distribute with the hundreds of millions that has been spent developing golden rice? Is this the best use of our resources? I don't know the answers, but these are key questions no one seems to be asking.
Pollan continues: "I am willing to get behind a G.M. product that offers the world something great, but I'm not at all sure this is the killer app everyone thinks it is. It seems to me the focus should be on alleviating poverty and improving diet. As is so often the case, the G.M. product ignores contexts - cultural, nutritional, etc. Will people eat bright yellow rice - that supposedly takes longer to cook, in places where fuel is scarce? Maybe. (They won't eat brown rice, which already exists and is far more nutritious.)....
Keep reading online at the NY TIMES here
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Berkshire Grown's 2013 Buyer's Guide to Locally Grown Food, Flowers and Plants:
Woven Roots Farm, Lee, MA photo by Jonathan Hankin
Find your way to farmers' markets, local farms and farm stands. Look for a copy of the Guide wherever you find brochures and flyers around the county. You can also browse listings of Berkshire Grown members on Map-o-licious..
The Buyer's Guide is distributed free throughout the Berkshires at more than three dozen locations. Many thanks for support from our members and the
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