June 2011

GREETINGS

May, as usual, has been a quieter month for MARV than March and April. After the outreach and tabling activities of those months, we can take a bit of a breather and start thinking about what to do next.

On the one hand, it’s beginning to be a bit stale for us to just go on doing the same things we’ve done for years. On the other hand, promoting the idea that people should eat less meat and dairy is what MARV is all about – and the need for that work is becoming continually clearer and starker as the world population continues to grow and the limits of sustainable use of water, fisheries, and agricultural land are already being reached or surpassed by the world’s people.

So the question we need to address is how we can reinvigorate ourselves and our efforts in order to become even more effective in this work. For while there have been significant gains for vegetarianism over the last few years on the national level, it is also true that here in the Milwaukee area the meat-is-what’s-for-food attitude is still dominant, while globally there is an increased demand for animal foods due to poor people climbing out of poverty and quite naturally desiring a richer diet than their previous near-starvation. These trends, taken together, are hideously unsustainable. And so our work is needed more than ever.

Figuring out how we as a group can address the need to do more than ever before, now while the opportunity exists, is our next task.

M.A.R.V. ACTIVITIES

Sun., June 5, 5 PM, regular potluck at the Friends’ Meeting House, 3224 N. Gordon Pl. in Riverwest (from Humboldt Blvd., go east on Auer a few short blocks to the parking lot).

Food theme is Non-Dairy Month (non-dairy ice cream substitutes to be supplied).

Subsequent regular potlucks will be on July 3, Aug. 7, ?Sept. 4?, Oct. 2, and Nov. 6.

Other veg-friendly potlucks

I have not heard of a macrobiotic potluck in June, but you could try calling Pat O’Neill at 414-964-9759.

The Urban Ecology Center’s vegetarian potluck should be on Thurs., June 16 at 6:30 PM at 1500 E. Park Pl. – call 414-964-8505 to confirm. Bring plate and fork as well as your meatless dish.

Vegan Meetup: to find out about possible events, check the Vegan Meetup website.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“…diets containing large amounts of vegetables and fruits offer protection against stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and various cancers…. The foods highest in cholesterol and saturated fats are meats, dairy products, and eggs, so vegetarians enjoy a significant health advantage when it comes to protecting themselves from the leading killers and disablers of Americans.”

-- Drs. David O. Wiebers and Jennifer Leaning of the board of directors of Humane Society of the United States

NEWS

Animal foods – and raising them – are still bad for you. Meat doesn’t even have to be eaten to kill you: Wisconsin State Farmer reported on a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that a Minnesota hog “farm” worker died because the “farm” failed to keep methane-clearing fans working in the hog “barn” and the resulting buildup of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide was fatal to the worker. Also regarding the pitfalls of industrial agriculture, a manure storage structure that failed in eastern Iowa resulted in a three mile long fish kill.

For that matter, you don’t even have to eat animal foods for them to endanger you: a Florida company recalled packages of grape tomatoes due to salmonella contamination – although, as usual, no one asked where the salmonella had come from. And in the “you can’t make this stuff up” department, there were news reports of exploding watermelons in a province of eastern China. Apparently quite a few farmers there, noting an increased popularity of watermelons, tried growing them for the first time, and in their enthusiasm applied way too much of a chemical that speeds growth, so when rains came and swelled the fruits they just blew up. Personally, I would wonder about the safety of eating such chemically treated melons anyway, so maybe it was all for the best.... And a report in the new (to our area) publication Natural Awakenings discussed a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found that added sugar may be bad for the cardiovascular system as well as the waistline.

Then there was a report in E Magazine about a Texan research team that discovered the quite poisonous flame retardant PBDE in samples of supermarket butter, mostly low but in one case very high. It apparently got into the butter from the wrapping paper.

A NY Times report looked at a variety of fermented fish which is a beloved delicacy in Thailand but which is believed by medical researchers to account for a very high incidence in that country of an otherwise very rare and fatal liver cancer. And a different report looked at concerns about tilapia, which can be easily farmed since they grow happily on corn and soy pellets – but the problem is that when they are fed these items instead of the lake plants and algae that wild tilapia eat, their omega-3 fatty acids are minimal, making them a not especially healthy choice in that regard (not to mention the concerns about using corn and soy as feed for animals instead of people).

Meanwhile, the controversies about milk are still thriving. Supporters of raw milk demonstrated their case by bringing a cow to Washington D.C. in support of a Pennsylvania farmer who is the subject of federal legal action. Other government action involves a possible ban on chocolate milk in schools (due to its added sugar), and a proposal by the federal government to make the food industry overhaul how it advertises cereal, soda, snacks, restaurant meals, and other foods to children. Such rules would come too late, though, for a man who made the rather disgusting news of documenting the eating of his 25,000th Big Mac.

A different issue of concern is that global climate change is already beginning to decrease potential crop yields in a number of countries, raising possibilities of higher food prices and increased world hunger.

On the other hand, there were two quite different bits of potential good news regarding cattle. One was a report that Brazil may finally crack down on cattle ranchers who are deforesting the Amazon to create additional pasture land. The other was a report about U.S. small farmers who are reviving the practice of plowing with oxen instead of tractors: this saves gas and thus decreases the farm’s carbon footprint while actually fertilizing the fields with manure and creating a use (and fairly decent life) for bull calves other than becoming veal. Kind of a win-win scenario all around.

Meanwhile, of course, plant foods are still good for you.

An item in Prevention magazine reported on a study which found that women with diets high in riboflavin (vitamin B2) had significantly less PMS symptoms than people with lower levels; mushrooms and spinach were mentioned as foods high in that vitamin (as are whole grains, molasses, legumes, and nuts).

An item in the June Natural Awakenings reported on findings that extra virgin olive oil (presumably when used in moderation) can help protect the liver from oxidative stress and resultant damage. A Prevention item also looked at olive oil and reported that, while so-called light olive oil is not any lighter in calories than other olive oils, all olive oil can be used both raw and in cooking, and that looking for a more recent harvest date can be a way to find oil that is richer in antioxidents and other beneficial plant substances.

Since Prevention is a relatively mainstream sort of publication, I thought it a very good sign that a feature article in the June issue looked at “The New Vegetarians” – four women who gave up meat for different reasons “and say doing so changed their lives for the better” (to quote the article’s blurb). Their reasons for going veg vary. The New York horse breeder started because of concerns about hormones in beef and then learned of the environmental effects of producing animal foods and ended up vegan. The San Franciscan was simply concerned with avoiding her family’s tendency to die young of heart attacks (her doctor considers her diet the reason she’s not already on meds). The nurse from Savannah, Georgia became vegan out of concern for the animals. And the newlywed from Virginia went vegan to lose weight – and ended up not only doing so but learning to be a decent cook. A sidebar to the article encouraged would-be vegetarians to

avoid going overboard on starches and instead fill their plates with plant-based protein such as nuts, seeds, soy, and legumes. Suggested iron sources were egg yolks, beans, and cooked spinach; leafy greens were recommended as calcium sources for nondairy eaters; and walnuts and flaxseeds were mentioned as sources of omega-3s (as are dark green leafies); it was noted that vegans should take a B-12 supplement. But it was very nice to see such a positive article about vegetarianism in so mainstream a publication.

The new Natural Awakenings had an item about black rice, which is now reaching the U.S. and gaining popularity for both its exotic look and its nutty flavor; it also seems to help soothe the inflammation involved in allergies, asthma, and other diseases. Another item reported on findings that beet juice can not only lower blood pressure, but may also increase blood flow to the brain, which would be good for people worried about dementia but also about doing well on a big exam or meeting.

Finally, Prevention mentioned asparagus as a quintessential Spring vegetable, a dark green leafy full of nutrients and also inulin which helps the good gut bugs. Vegetarian Times suggested looking for fresh fava beans (i.e., in the green bean stage) as a legume with a creamy texture and buttery taste. And while dandelions are done, lettuce, spinach, scallions, radishes, and strawberries are a-comin’ in.

CONNECTIONS

Anyone interested in North American Vegetarian Society’s 2011 Vegetarian Summerfest should note that it will be held on July 5 – 9, barely a month away. So if you want to participate in its many workshops, vegan meals, networking, and entertainment you should contact NAVS right away. The website is

vegetariansummerfest.org and contacts are phone number 518-568-7970 or vegfest@telenet.net

There are simply too many Farmers’ Markets now for me to list them all here. This is good, since they are such a nice way to find locally grown fresh produce while interacting with the people who grew it. So it is good that there are many of them, all over our area. But I don’t have room to list them, so I hope it will not upset people like my techphobic self if I supply a website that you can use to find ones convenient to you. If I could navigate it easily, anyone can. It is SavorWisconsin.com

Also on the subject of eating locally, Community Supported Agriculture farms can be great. Many may be fully signed up for this year by now, but not all; at least one, High Cross Farm, that delivers to Milwaukee, was listed as not full on another website I found. If you’re still interested in trying to find a CSA for this year, look up the website LocalHarvest.org

THE VEGGIE TABLE

Chuck and I visited friends in Madison a couple of weeks ago, and they took us to a restaurant that was new to all of us, where we had a most excellent meal.

The Green Owl is a completely vegetarian restaurant. A good two-thirds of the items on the menu are always made vegan, and every one that isn’t has a vegan option already built in. It was so relaxing to order food in such a setting, where we didn’t have to worry about being surprised by unwanted hidden ingredients! Furthermore, the food was delicious. We shared a side of kale crisps among the four of us, and each chose a different entrée; none of us was disappointed; I particularly enjoyed my Vegan Schnitzel. And to top it all off, the serving sizes were sane (i.e., moderate) enough that I actually had room for a most tasty dessert – a pleasure I rarely have opportunity for.

Green Owl’s menu includes four appetizers, four salads, (including a lunchtime-only Custom Salad Bar), six sandwiches, six sides, six entrees, two soups, and four “Veg. Jr.” choices. Beverages include juices, iced and hot teas, lemonade, kombucha, soda, and for dine-in customers a full bar. Décor is simple but pleasant and relaxing. Prices are moderate (by our cheapo standards).

Green Owl is closed on Mondays but open Tues.-Thurs. 11 AM to 9 PM, Fri. and Sat. 11 AM to 10 PM, and Sun. 11 AM to 3 PM. The address is 1970 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI. The phone number is 608-285-5290.

We recommend this place, and plan to return.