A few things to cover today.
First, I went to meet my friend and sustainable guru Simran Sethi at the Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Big Food for Farmers Rally yesterday. Simran is an accomplished journalist and has been covering the green/susty/traceable game longer than most. Though I missed it, she spoke at the rally.
Here is Simran getting interviewed after her speech. She's like the Angelina Jolie of sustainability....only with some really impressive greem credentials that don't include Gone in 60 Seconds.
There were farmers from all over the country and far reaches of Canada. They came to bear witness to the court proceedings that are to determine if the case against Monsanto terrorizing small organic farmers for saving their seeds, seed companies for not bowing down to Monsanto, citizens taking a stand against a company that controls over 86% of our food system will go through to the next level of the justice system.
They had their own suit.
Even OWS farmers need a suit to take care of business.
Food Democracy Now! was fully present. Speaking about how living in Iowa surrounded them by GMOs all day, every day. Seed cultivators were there to stand by their products. There was a chef jumping up and down with an anti-GMO sign. (wasn't me but hey, I was screaming)
This woman with this great sign was one of the more vocal in the support for our American farmers.And there was farmer after farmer making their case with the Occupy Wall Streeters repeting everything said to create a human microphone.
A farmer from Vermont was there with her husband and toddler daughter. She was crying as she spoke. She said, "Monsanto doesn't want my daughter to ever bear children." Couldn't disagree or call her extreme. She wasn't exaggerating. All toxins put into our food system and environment affect the female reproductive system first. No joke. It's proven. It's scary.
Simran and I went back to Print to have lunch and talk about the projects we're both working on. It was really interesting to hear about the companies that are legit in the organic/traceable/sustainable dept. No surprise we talked about the news about Whole Foods, Organic Valley and Stoneyfield all giving in to Monsanto.
She said her head was going to explode while I thought I was wiping mine off the wall. We're brainstorming on a way to work together. Cannot wait.
On a more intersting note, check this out
Interesting things afoot
I found this on a Murray's Chicken. It's a way to go to their website and find out the farmer that raised this chicken. So I bought it.
I went to the site and it gave me five possible farmers. Well, it's better than nothing and an interesting concept. They just need to hone this. Give me one farmer with this arm around that one specific chicken I bought with the two of them smiling and giving peace signs to the camera, and I'll be happy.
Sherwin and I had a shoot today. We're working on a bunch of videos where I cook from a mystery box of greenmarket items with a special mystery guest.
Today was a dry run without the extra special guest in the kitchen with me.
We had Claire Marin the beekeeper and owner of Catskill Provisions put the box together at the market this morning.
Claire with her mystery box of items at Union Square Market
Here are three of the dishes I made.
Multigrain baguette, goat's milk, queso blanco, cherry tomatoes w rice wine vinegar and olive oil, honey comb
Ostrich steak marinated in soy, olive oil and red onion, sauteed oyster and button mushrooms, baby garlic confit
Maple sauteed golden crisp apples, creamy chevre with spring light honey
Have a wonderful day. It's 55 degrees outside for the millionth time this winter.
Go figure.