Apples

"Nor is it every apple I desire,
Nor that which pleases every palate best;
'T is not the lasting Deuxan I require,
Nor yet the red-cheeked Greening I request,
Nor that which first beshrewed the name of wife,
Nor that whose beauty caused the golden strife:
No, no! bring me an apple from the tree of life."

--Henry David Thoreau, Wild Apples

10 November 2013

Apples 

“Apple” – the word and its associated translations appear across time and culture.  In my childhood Bible, Eve’s original sin was portrayed as an apple.  I was told the stories of Johnny Appleseed, who spread the good news of reforestation west to the Mississippi River.  Nowadays, my interactions with apples pertain to desserts, smothered pork, Christmas decorations, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s offspring.  I tend to shy away from apples at the grocery store because they always rank highly on the “Dirty Dozen” listing and buying organic fruit ranks lower than meat and dairy on my sustainably prioritized shopping budget[i]. 

Most recently, I fussed on campus because someone swiped the Angry Orchard hard cider I had stowed in a collective fridge.  I was annoyed because hard cider is generally more expensive than beer but I always keep a few on hand for that one gluten-intolerant friend that sheepishly unleashes a reverse guilt trip “No, it’s a weird allergy.  I’m used to it.” 

So this was news to me. Householder and Flesher’s article is primarily an agricultural forecast explaining upcoming economic trends, and my appetite for sustainable food was not sated[ii].  Naturally I fell into the Internet, chasing down this phantom 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP from here on out).  “Methylll…. me... meth?!!” No, don’t worry.  Here’s a short explanation of how 1-MCP is used in fruit and vegetable production. 

Were you ever told to put a banana in the fruit bowl because it makes the other fruit ripen faster?  This effect is real, and having to deal with the waxy lime-green tomahawks for sale at the grocery store these days is quite useful if you prefer eating your groceries the same calendar week they were purchased.  Bananas (and lots of other produce) emit ethylene gas, which drives the ripening process[iii]. 

Why does this matter?  Understanding ethylene gas production is the key to why the Wolverine State’s apple growers are championing 1-MCP.  1-MCP is diluted with water (with other trace components) and dispersed as a vapor in enclosed coolers, greenhouses, etc.  The 1-MCP vapor blocks the apples’ ethylene receptors and halts the ripening process for an extended period f time[iv].  As long as the vapor and environmental conditions remain the same, apples can remain in storage for 9-10 monthsii. 

2013 has been generous to Michigan orchard owners, with a predicted harvest of 30 million bushels – that’s 12 apples for each Americanii.  These apple growers are embracing the application of 1-MCP as a way to store and sell apples at market demand levels over several months, rather than sell during harvest, which would flood the market and reduce the price received by all.  Staggering sales of apples will allow growers to receive stable and higher incomes on average for late 2013 and early 2014. 

Sounds great right? I couldn’t tell at first, so I dug deeper into the research and use of 1-MCP around the globe. 

Here’s what I found:

A.     1-MCP has been cleared for use in produce in by health administrations in the US and the EU[v].  I generally feel a bit better about chemicals approved by the EU, especially France – the nit-pickiest of all eaters.  1-MCP is used frequently in wine production, so I can’t help but suspect a bit of oversight could have occurred at this point for the benefit of France’s most prided industry. 

B.     But all in all, the research I read showed that

a.     More research is needed to understand the affects of 1-MCP ingestion on humans (duh, we could always use more research)

b.     Existing research has found that produce stored using 1-MCP vapor does retain residue of the plant growth regulator.  Levels of the chemical residue exist on produce, but in no cases were concerning concentrations found[vi].  However, in the US the EPA classified the active ingredient in 1-MCP to be a biochemical pesticide and exempted it from the federal requirement of establishing a tolerance levels[vii].  The exposure level for lab animals was higher than a human consumer would ingest.  One study examined inhalation of 1-MCP vapor in high concentrations by rats and found adverse affects on nasal pathways and the spleen[viii]..  To me, this is a reminder that a genuinely sustainable food system includes sustainable labor.  Use of the chemical today is limited to enclosed spaces – greenhouses, storage coolers, trucks – meaning drift of the vapor is minimalvi.  Workers in the greenhouse should be provided clean gear and enclosures should be vented before entry to prevent exposure to 1-MCP.  Using 1-MCP application on outdoor crop fields is a new idea that could make vapor drift problematic, although (you called it) more research is needed. 

c.      Other research has found that on top of slower maturation, produce treated with 1-MCP vapor retained water-soluble antioxidants until allowed to ripen, meaning a consumer eating a fruit in June could get a full dose of vitamin C despite it being off the branch since Novemberv.  Research also found that 1-MCP vapor storage prevents apples’ appearances from degrading over long storage monthsv. 

Here’s what I took away:

My mind always goes to alternate (more holistic) ways of preserving food.  We could make jams and jellies and pies and donuts and smothered porks till the holiday sales are long gone, which I am 100% for.  But, for all that effort the apples used would undoubtedly be a drop in the bucket of the actual crop and you know… diabetes.  To my fellow eaters out there, be mindful of the availability of Michigan and Midwestern apples this year.  We all find ourselves looking for Cuties in September or farm-fresh eggs on dark winter days.  Let apples be a positive reminder of seasonality in what we eat, and for apples that may no longer be affected by seasons, be aware of how much technology is used before they hit the shelves 9 months later. 

On the ethical issue of whether eating 10 month old apples is how we should be eating in 2013, I have no problem with it.  OF COURSE if I were to buy apples I would buy organic (if affordable) just for peace-of-mind.  If I were to grab an apple slice stored in 1-MCP I wouldn’t eat the whole tray but certainly would eat a slice or two.  It is important to remain aware of the future food supply.  To compensate for the human population, produce with long-term storability that retains nutritional value will facilitate healthy food access in the future US. 

My recommendation for the future of food sustainability would be for consumers to educate themselves on what produce is available locally, regionally, and domestically.  If you can afford what is local and fresher from the branch, continue your support.  For those without that option, be aware that producing food at lower prices means measures are taken to reduce input expenses by cost cutting through new, and oftentimes scary, technological innovations.  I won’t deny that I wouldn’t set foot in a greenhouse filled with the 1-MCP gas and remain stringent on my labor stance that no worker should have to experience exposure.  Farm labor and safety regulations, when properly and locally implemented, could ensure this.  I also won’t deny that 1-MCP applications on outdoor crops is an enticing perspective, but again scary.  Farmers having the ability to slow their crop’s maturation could mean better harvests.  Farmers could put their crops “to sleep” during drought to reduce loss and later allow crops to mature completely.  More control over the demand for agricultural water could have enormous advantages in urban and drought-prone areas.  However, it is unknown if outdoor application of 1-MCP could cause the pesticide to leach into water supplies, affect local plants, or be inhaled by humans and animals.  Use of 1-MCP to increase storage life, retain produce nutrition, and maximize yields is tantalizing and will likely lead to new and expanded uses in the near future.  Hopefully, enough time will be allocated to allow for proper testing for environmental implications.  Studies may take longer because they are tracing stored food over several months, but then again an equal amount of time will be available for careful observation and composed methodology. 

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[i] Shapley, Dan. “The New Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic.” The Daily Green. Accessed on 9 November 2013 http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods#comments

[ii] Householder, Mike and Flesher, J. “Rockabye apples: Michigan's apple industry doesn't want record yield to go to waste.” The Republic, Columbus, IN.  Accessed on 9 November 2013 http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/da84183890ea47f99cdf6977848fb9f8/US--Food-and-Farm-Sleeping-Apples

[iii] “What Causes Bananas to Ripen?” Accessed on 9 November 2013. http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4574458_what-causes-bananas-ripen.html

[iv] “1-Methylcyclopropene (MCP) (224459) Fact Sheet.” Ombudsman, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511P) Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed on: 9 November 2013 http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/fs_PC-224459_25-Nov-09.pdf

[v] Watkins, Chris. “The use of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on fruits and vegetables,” Biotechnology Advances, Volume 24, Issue 4, July–August 2006, Pages 389-409, ISSN 0734-9750, Accessed on 10 November 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2006.01.005. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073497500600022X)

[vi] 1-methylcyclopropene; amendment to an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. 2008. Lanham: Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/190300255?accountid=10598

[vii] Serafini, Maureen. Re: Registration of theMajor Change in Labeling for 1-Methylcyclopropene Contained in AFxRD-038 (EPA Reg. No. 71297-6; Chemical Code 224459). New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Accessed on 10 November 2013 http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/herb-growthreg/fatty-alcohol-monuron/methylcyclo/afxrd_mcl_0409.pdf

[viii] 1-methylcyclopropene; amendment to an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. 2008. Lanham: Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/190300255?accountid=10598

Closed Loop Farming and Value Added Products Chapel Hill, NC

15 April 2013

 Closed Loop Farming and Value Added Products Chapel Hill, NC

This April, I had the privilege of touring Chapel Hill Creamery in Chapel Hill, NC. I took away two major lessons from my visit and would like to use this blog post to share them with friends and visitors of the Duke Campus Farm.  First, the potential for selling a locally made “value added” product like cheese.  Second, the major benefits of “closed-loop farming.”  But first, let me set the scene.

Chapel Hill Creamery

The 37-acre operation began with a handful of Jersey dairy cows and has grown to support over 30 Jerseys, along with two oxen, barnyard poultry, and hogs.  The milking parlor has six milking machines and the girls are milked twice a day.  The dairy cows are rotationally grazed, which I saw during my visit.  The girls were roaming across a 2-acre field, quietly munching on luscious ryegrass and lounging in the mid-spring sun while contentedly chewing their cuds.  In my work I have seen hundreds of herds of dairy and beef cattle, so let me say: These were some happy cows. 

Like many states, North Carolina has outlawed the sale of unpasteurized or “raw” milk, meaning anyone who wishes to sell milk must have access to a pasteurization tank.  You can imagine that Flo and Portia who own the farm did not make this sizable investment when they opened their business with just six Jerseys, instead opting to turn their cows’ milk into cheese.  Portia and Flo however, do not make simply one type of cheese from their herd – they now produce and market seven different cheeses. 

Our group sampled three of the Chapel Hill Creamery cheeses.  There is the buttery and creamy “Carolina Moon” cheese that spreads on bread, a raw milk “Hickory Creek” cheese that is full-flavored, and the “Dairyland Farmers Cheese” that is equally moist, smoky, and tangy.  The Dairyland Farmers Cheese was my personal favorite, and while slowly eating it my mind raced with what types of flavorful dishes would benefit from its strong smoky flavor. 

Portia and Flo retail their cheeses at multiple farmers’ markets and sell them wholesale to local grocers like the Maple View Country store and Whole Foods.  At this time their sales are divided roughly 50-50, with half of their cheese being sold directly to consumers at farmers’ markets and the other half being sold at food retailers.  When small farmers market their goods, a mixture of wholesale and retail sales is often preferred because grocery stores purchase in bulk and with consistency (depending on your contract).  Selling retail at farmers’ markets gives the farmer the biggest financial return because they remove the middleman.  By combining the two, local farmers like Portia and Flo can have an income that is profitable and reliable. They also benefit from selling cheese, because it is a value-added product.

Benefits of value added products

So what is a value added product? Basically, it means you take a raw product, process it somehow, and sell it at a higher cost because of the added resources and labor.  For Portia and Flo, this means they milk their cows and then use their cheese-making facility built onto the back of their milking parlor to produce wheels of delectable cheese.  For local farms, value added products can be delights like jams, jellies, pickled eggs, sausages, bacon, butter, yogurt, and yes, even Mapleview ice cream. 

For Portia and Flo, raising a reasonable number of dairy cows was the life they wanted, and selling cheese was the way to make it pay for a number of reasons.  First, they add value and reduce input costs by making cheese on-site, meaning no fuel and transportation costs are added until it is actually time to take cheese to market.  Second, they diversified their product line by selling seven types of cheese, meaning if you don’t like the tanginess of the Dairyland Farmers Cheese you can instead try their 2012 NC State Fair Best of Show Calvander cheese.  Finally, they found a niche market because no one nearby made dairy cheese.  Additionally, there is an ethereal added value some customers receive from purchasing locally made goods from a farm whose animals have exceptional living conditions. 

While the Duke Campus Farm does not sell value-added products, we do have workshops that feature food processing, like with kimchi and kombucha.  The Duke Campus Farm does however practice a closed-loop farming system like Chapel Hill Creamery.

Closed-loop Farming

 To understand the benefit of closed-loop farming, think about all the inputs necessary to grow vegetables or in this example, make cheese. To make cheese you need cows (check), land (check), grass (check), water (check), and fertilizer.  The dairy cows at Chapel Hill Creamery are rotationally grazed which means a large portion of their diet comes from grazing. While Portia and Flo rotate their cows on a very structured system, their manure input will not equal the amount of nutrition they removed from the soil.  So, do they drive down to the local farm store and purchase chemical fertilizer by the ton? Certainly not!

Instead, hog waste is occasionally spread on fields to restore depleted nutrients and organic matter.  The hog waste comes from their own herd of roughly 15 pigs that live on the farm in an outdoor enclosure.  When asked, Portia said that she had never planned to have pigs but it made the most economic sense for their needs.  When she said this, she wasn’t just referring to their waste, but also their diet. 

When Portia and Flo began making cheese they produced a surplus of whey as a byproduct.  In the past farmers would just dump the whey and call it a loss, but the material eventually became classified as an animal waste which means there is now a mountain of regulation about waste-whey.  So, the option emerged: do they install a wastewater treatment system that can properly break the whey down for disposal, or find an alternative way of making it disappear.  They chose the alternative method and invested in hogs hungry for whey.  The hogs consume every drop of whey the dairy cows produce in exchange for some supplemental feed and soft hay bedding, far less demanding than a state-approved wastewater treatment system!  As mentioned, the whey-fed hog waste is put back on the fields to fertilize grass for the cows, plugging a hole where nutrients would have quietly left the farm and increased the rate of soil depletion. 

Once their time on the farm comes to an end, the whey fed hogs are processed at a North Carolina slaughterhouse and then make their way to the customer base.  Whey fed pork is a niche product in the meat market, with more people trying it because they have heard that the meat is better-marbled, more flavorful and produces a more tender hog altogether.

Portia and Flo’s hogs are also another example of a value-added product because whey fed pork is a specialty meat that is hard to find.  If anything were to happen to their cheese income, they also have pork as a secondary source of revenue.  By closing the waste-loop on their farm, Portia and Flo saved tens of thousands of dollars they would have spent on a wastewater treatment system, added an on-site source of animal waste aka fertilizer, and successfully turned a problematic byproduct into bacon. 

Conclusion

At this time, the Duke Campus Farm produces fruit and vegetables and does not have animal waste to use as fertilizer (hog waste cannot be spread near food for humans, just grass for cows).  We do, however, value composting residual plant and vegetable matter.  This way, nutrients that were stored in leaves, stems, and dented watermelons make their way back into the soil for the next crop. 

All in all, I hope that you (readers) are now familiar with the concepts of value-added products and closed-loop farming.  These critical principles of local farming help make ends meet for businesswomen like Portia and Flo, who have more freedom to work on their next gold medal cheese and give more attention to their cows to check for sickness, rather than worrying about the legality of their production’s byproducts and if fertilizer is affordable this year. 

Happy Cow Creamery and the 2012 Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Conference

26 November 2013

Happy Cow Creamery

This year, I spent the last few days of October attending the 27^th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference in Greenville, SC.  For three cool Autumnal days hundreds of farmers, scholars, educators, and food enthusiasts gathered beneath the banner of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) to reflect on the progress food has made in the past year.  After devouring an actual feast of local food, members fanned out to learn and discuss their preferred food and farming topics.  The crispness of late fall with Halloween just a few days away reminded me that there is a something out there to fear… Mega-Ag.  But not a single individual at the conference feared it; instead they remained poised at the challenge.

On Saturday, I was given the last minute opportunity to visit a chemical-free pasture grazed dairy in Pelzer, SC.  When I received the invitation I was on the phone with my boyfriend,

“I have to go right away,” I said, “they’re leaving in a few minutes.”

“Go now, go see some happy cows,” he said, fully aware of my extreme fondness for bovines and sunshine.  At that time he could not have known how choice his words were, because when we arrived this is what we saw: PICTURE

We were greeted and treated to a Neapolitan array of Happy Cow milk as well as buttermilk and cheese then toured the bottling room, milk parlor, and pastures.  The bottling room was actually the remodeled feed silo used to store corn when the dairy first opened.  Our group looked into the barn where cows exiting the milking parlor meandered back and forth, taking a rest in some hay and relishing in the “udder relief” of being milked. 

The owners Tom Trantham and his wife began farming in 1968 and purchased their 100 acre site in 1978, planning to open a dairy.  He managed the farm exactly the way he was expected to, spreading fertilizer and herbicides to grow grain to feed his cows that were confined to a concrete pad.  Despite his repeated efforts though, the dairy farm slowly crept toward bank foreclosure. 

Then in 1987, the year of my birth, his confined dairy gals made a daring escape into an adjoining field, ravenously devouring the tastiest leafy tops.  At their next milking, he noticed that their milk output started rising by the pound.  And what did he owe this increase to? Not chemicals or hormones, it was the nutrition provided by the diversity of grasses the ladies had feasted upon, those pesky grasses that encroached upon his carefully fertilized and planted grain fields.  By 1988, his farm was chemical free and he had begun a rotational grazing system with small fields and daily herd moves.  The future of food had become a bit brighter for my infant self, now 25 years old and striving to ensure the happiness of every cow, chicken, and pig. 

Mr. Trantham took rotational grazing to a new height with the “Twelve Aprils” pasture management approach.  Twelve Aprils grazing, now internationally recognized, posits that with thoughtful management and grass species selection pastures can be green and lush with springtime-like growth every month of the year. 

Happy Cow Creamery is now a booming local business, attracting customers from all along the southern coast and beyond.  A small market operates in the former grain barn, selling Happy Cow dairy products and other independent farmers’ goods like sausage and salsa. 

During my time at the a Soil and Water Conservation District I worked with an array of livestock and poultry farmers and during the height of the recession saw more dairy farmers hang up their coveralls than any other group (proportionally).  Even with monthly government subsidy checks dairy farmers could not afford to keep their farms operating.  Why? Because in AR dairy farmers grazed their cows, milked them, and sold the milk to a processing plant who then distributed it to grocery stores.  A generally small carbon footprint, but the price farmers received for milk wasn’t enough to stay open.  Again, why? Because dairy operations that milk twice a day then turn their girls out to pasture can’t compete with the production from industrial milk barns where cows remain in individual pens their entire lives, eating a strict grain and oftentimes hormone laced diet.

Happy Cow Creamery continues to flourish, despite “going against the grain” with a pasture grazing system because they are able to pasteurize and market their own product, not to mention the Trantham family’s dedication to sustainable use of their land.  51% of Happy Cow milk is sold wholesale to nearby grocery stores and the remaining 49% is sold retail in their on-farm store.  Retail sales mean a much better price for the farmer, a price so good they can stay in business. 

I have high hopes for America’s remaining grass-fed dairies.  If buyers have the option to buy any sort of local food, milk is a top choice.  The local marketing potential is through the roof if they can break free of corporate buyers the same way Mr. Tratham’s cows broke free of their concrete pad.  Many would compare getting a small business loan to purchase a pasteurizing and bottling system to tearing through a barbed wire fence, so if you as an individual are wondering what you can do, I recommend you encourage a Farm Bill and USDA staff that provide many small loans to many small farmers, instead of single giant loans to build a mega-milkplex. 

For the future of farming, the more direct marketing farmers can access, the better.  Companies used to profit by skimming cream off the top, but now they control everything but the cow.  Milk is a commodity, a necessary product that the government has taken steps to ensure remains at a falsely low cost.  But the inclusion of another link in the sales and distribution chain has put too much strain on those at the beginning end. 

As always, we at Duke Campus Farms encourage everyone to buy food that is from local and sustainable farms, farms like Happy Cow Creamery whose product travels a total of 48 ft from cow to bottle and is still going strong, even though they haven’t applied chemicals since Reagan was in office.

Meat and Greet

10 October 2012

MEAT AND GREET

            Chickens have always been prominent in my life.  In 1991 a poultry farmer sold my father a five acre pasture next to his broiler houses so he could pay to replace one house's collapsed roof.  That pasture was where we built our house and where I lived for the next 14 years.  When I was in early elementary school my sister and I even liberated a rooster and a hen from his houses and kept them as pets for a time. 

            After college I worked for two and half years with the 250 poultry farmers in Washington County, Arkansas, where I visited their operations for nutrient management planning, inspections, and regulatory compliance.  Each year I submitted their production numbers to Little Rock, reporting weights and ages of tens of millions of chickens and turkeys that went to slaughter.  Despite my ample experience in and around chickens, I had never actually killed one. On October 2, 2012, that changed.

            On a warm October afternoon, a group of Duke poultry enthusiasts ventured to Coon Rock Farm outside of Hillsborough, North Carolina for a chicken processing workshop.  It was completely hands-on (and later hands-in), as we were paired together to select a rooster to kill, clean, and disembowel into a bird ready to eat, just add heat.  I paired with my friend Kim, who selected a choice clucker who was placed upside down in a metal cone on a fencepost.  Turning chickens upside down leaves them calm and passive because it incites sleep instincts, and they can then die without being overwhelmed by panic and fear (in theory).  To kill the chicken, a practiced hand can use a knife to remove the head sticking out of the bottom of the cone. 

            Regrettably, I do not have a practiced hand.  I tried my hardest to make a swift kill but it did take a bit longer than I had hoped.  After the kill, we scalded the body in hot water to loosen feathers, then tossed him into the aptly named “Mother Plucker” which stripped him of his feathers in a matter of seconds.  After chilling awhile in some cold water we pulled him out to remove the innards.  This was actually the most surreal part of the experience for me because the innards were still warm and steamy.  It was this moment that secured the connection in my brain that an animal that was alive roughly 20 minutes ago was now being deconstructed for the choicest bits.  Our Rhode Island Red had officially become meat. 

            We took our bird back to Durham and Kim later made a tasty improvised chicken pho for the Farmhand Fall Festival.  When eating the meat, I can't say I felt any guilt or remorse toward the rooster that just a few days earlier had been wandering about the barnyard, scratching in the dirt and grazing in the grass.  He had a good life, a considerably long and happy life compared to the chickens I was accustomed to working with.  But our chicken was different than the hundreds of thousands of chickens I'd waded through in Arkansas' factory-farm chicken houses.  Our bird was smarter; he had a look about him that he could survive on his own for a short time, knowing how to graze and when to seek shelter.  The birds I had worked with in the poultry industry were intricately bred to be ideal for American eating with lots of muscle, just enough fat, and absolutely no survival instinct or degree of intelligence. 

            The chickens my sister and I had emancipated as children were similar: stupid and helpless.  After my chicken destroyed my mom's flowerbeds, we took them to a small farm nearby that grazed birds.  The farmer and her husband reluctantly accepted our chickens into their flock and even as a child I could tell they had very low expectations.  Commercial broilers are not bred to live long, their tiny hearts can't sustain their rapid growth or high muscle density.  

            My feelings about eating meat have not changed.  Even at the small local scale, Coon Rock Farm is still a business, and at their age and gender the roosters were more valuable dead than alive.  In my view, tending animals is part of the human identity.  We enjoy taking care of living things and I can't say the same for any other member of the animal kingdom.  I consent that there are many ways to care for living creatures that don't result in their killing for consumption, but chickens were domesticated from the tropical rainforest to be eaten, either as embryos or animals.  Farming poultry is a tradition in my eyes and is embedded in our culture.  I have had a few moments of sadness in the past week, mostly because I wished I had been able to kill him quickly so his last thoughts would be of the sunny day with lush grass and plenty to eat, but I fear he felt panic in the end and for that I feel terrible.  Through this experience I realized how much skill is involved in chicken processing, just like the skills the farmers at Coon Rock use to let their birds live contentedly and humanely.