| LIFESTYLE / ECOSALON HOME Aug 29, 2008 at 12:30 pm by Mike Sowden Government's Stamps of Approval for Local Farmers You know by now that we fly the flag for local farmers' markets. They're economical (no. 3 on our 10 Ways To Eat Well On A Budget), healthy, food-mile free, seasonal (varying your tastes and stimulating your imagination) and help support your local economy against the forces of mass-produced, dumbed-down food. But supporting local markets is largely a grassroots exercise. Wouldn't it be nice for a little federal help? As Valerie Bauman reports for the Huffington Post, that support could be here at last - through the U.S. Food Stamps program. Market retailers are being provided with wireless terminals (looking very similar to shop-based credit card readers) that will allow their customers to purchase market food using electronic benefits. With unemployment rising and wages stagnant, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is expected to rise to 28 million in 2009. This is a hefty investment in local, small-scale food production - and low-income families will get to enjoy the many benefits of market food. It's a refreshing change that a winning solution is here for a challenge we face. Image: edseloh Related Posts ↓ |
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| LIFESTYLE / ECOSALON HOME May 2, 2008 at 10:21 am by Vanessa Barrington New Orleans Farmers' Market Report: Signs of Spring Recently I had the pleasure of traveling to the pleasure capital of the United States, New Orleans. Being me, one of the must-go places on my list was the farmers' market. I had to see what people were eating in springtime in the Crescent City. It was good to see the market somewhat recovered after the storm-due to lots of support from ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| WELLNESS / ECOSALON HOME Aug 11, 2008 at 9:30 am by Susan Chaityn Lebovits 10 Ways to Eat Well on a Budget With gas prices at an all-time high, people are looking for ways to cut back, but that doesn’t mean that you need to skimp on fuel for your body. Eating healthy food won’t siphon your wallet if you follow these tips from the University of Michigan Health ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| WELLNESS / ECOSALON HOME Jun 26, 2008 at 9:00 am by Vanessa Barrington Seasonal Eating: Heirloom Tomato and Summer Squash Gratin Tomato season is just beginning and you're probably pretty happy to eat them raw in salads or simply drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper. But come August or September, you might be glad you tucked this recipe away in your bookmarks folder. (Especially if your neighbor dumps a heaping sack of squash on your doorstep). Easy to ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| WELLNESS / ECOSALON HOME Jun 19, 2008 at 9:55 am by Vanessa Barrington How to Keep Basil Fresh for a Week (Plus 8 Useful Tips) Fragrant, bright green, giant bunches of organic basil show up in farmers' markets and CSA boxes all summer long. If you're like me, you'll throw a few leaves into a salad or sandwich, but you may have a hard time using up a whole bunch before it goes bad, unless you make a batch of pesto. Here's a tip straight from a farmer. Simply put ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| WELLNESS / ECOSALON HOME May 26, 2008 at 6:00 am by Vanessa Barrington Seasonal Eating: Easy Cherry & Apricot Parfaits Shiny, bright red cherries are the first of the stone fruits to appear each year in late spring, followed quickly by blushing sweet-tart apricots. All of this before the peaches, nectarines and melons even think of ripening. When I see the first cherries, that's when I start thinking of summer. And summer is the time for easy, ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| WELLNESS / ECOSALON HOME May 12, 2008 at 1:05 pm by Vanessa Barrington Seasonal Eating: Baby Artichokes with Potatoes, Fresh Herbs, and Lemon The first person to figure out that an artichoke was edible was either very hungry, very clever, or both. Certainly they lived somewhere in the Middle East, as that's where this edible flower originated. From there, the green spheres spread to Italy, France, and the rest of Europe. They were brought to this side of the globe by both French ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| WELLNESS / ECOSALON HOME May 5, 2008 at 11:13 am by Vanessa Barrington Seasonal Eating: Avocados Stuffed with Wild American Shrimp If I didn't live in California, I think the avocado would be my one non-local produce exception. Luckily, they only disappear from our farmers' markets for a couple of months in the dead of winter so we can enjoy them nearly year round here, but they are exceptionally good right now. True, they wouldn't pass muster with the ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| WELLNESS / ECOSALON HOME Apr 16, 2008 at 11:32 am by Vanessa Barrington Last of the Root Cellar Recipe: Spiced Celery Root Soup with Bacon and Honey For seasonal eating, now is one of those in-between times - there are the squashes and sweet potatoes of winter and the tender leafy greens and pea pods of spring. Although we may want to be eating spring foods, in many parts of the country, they just aren't ready. Early spring would be the time, in traditional agrarian households, ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |
| ARTISAN / ECOSALON HOME Apr 17, 2008 at 1:23 pm by Elaine Lipson Bright Green Spotlight: Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture Where can you find a sustainable agriculture paradise, family farm activities, and award-winning cuisine within an hour of Manhattan? Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., is all of these things and more on 80 acres of farmland, gardens, pasture ...Read More Related Posts ↓ |