Food Almanac 2012: Forecasting the Year Ahead in Food, Farm Policy, and Politics

Since 1818, The Farmers Almanac has provided farmers with uncannily accurate weather predictions based on the predictions of their esteemed weather prognosticator, Caleb Weatherbee.

On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, the 2nd Annual NYC Food Almanac will predict what will - and call for what should - happen during 2012 in the food and farm policy and politics affecting New York City, the northeast region, the nation, and our planet.

The Food Almanac 2012 panelists include:

Brian Halweil, Worldwatch Institute and Edible East End (Moderator)

Cheryl Rogowski, W. Rogowski Farm

Mark Dunlea, Hunger Action Network of New York State

Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez, Print Restaurant

David Haight, American Farmland Trust

Thomas Forster, The New School

The evening will begin with networking and seasonal hors d'oeuvres from The Cleaver Co. A simple winter supper will follow the panel discussion and Q&A. Wine and local beer will be served.

Proceeds from this event will benefit Food Systems Network NYC, a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to ensuring the health and well-being of New Yorkers through access to good, wholesome, nutritious, and safe food and to supporting a strong, sustainable regional farm and food economy.

FSNYC brings together regional and local stakeholders - from producers to distributors, advocates, officials, and eaters - to generate synergies that will help defeat hunger, improve health, and create a vital, regional food sector. FSNYC is a program of The Fund for the City of New York.

When: Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 6:30 to 9 pm

Where: 632Below, 632 Hudson Street (b/t Jane and Horatio Streets) New York, NY 10014

Tickets: $35 - FSNYC members (please contact Gabrielle Blavatsky for discount code), $45 - non-members*

Purchase Tickets Here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/220929

*Become a member of FSNYC today to receive discounts on this and future events! Visit our website to join now!

Food Systems Network NYC

 From Sarah Alexander at Food & Water Watch:

 Ask Walmart to Reject Genetically Engineered Sweet Corn

January 17, 2012

Dear Heather,

It's a few weeks into a new year, and it's time to launch our campaign to get Walmart to reject Monsanto's genetically engineered sweet corn. Genetically engineered sweet corn could be planted this spring, but Walmart can refuse to accept it, protecting consumers from this untested and unlabeled product. Can you sign our new petition asking Walmart to reject genetically engineered sweet corn?

Why should you ask Walmart to reject Monsanto's Genetically Engineered (GE) Sweet Corn?

1) Whether you shop at Walmart or not, they are the largest U.S. food retailer, and if they won't sell genetically engineered sweet corn, it's likely that farmers won't plant it.

2) Genetically engineered sweet corn will not be labeled, so you won't know what you're buying.

3) Monsanto's GE sweet corn hasn't been tested for human safety, and it contains three different genetically engineered traits that haven't been used in food eaten directly by people.

Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and General Mills have already agreed not to use GE sweet corn in any of their products, but we need other stores to follow their lead to end the market for this untested sweet corn.

Over the next three months, we'll be building our campaign to get Walmart to do the right thing, and we'll need your help every step of the way. From signing petitions, to joining in our national days of action, we need you to make this campaign a success. Take the first step now by signing our petition to Walmart.

Sign the petition to Walmart today:
http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9105


Thanks for taking action,

Sarah Alexander
Education & Outreach Director
Food & Water Watch
salexander(at)fwwatch(dot)org 

Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.

Food & Water Watch, 1616 P Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 • (202) 683-2500

As it is a new year and we do want to start it out right, I'd like to bring up an organization I've written about before. AmpleHarvest.org was started a few years back by a master gardener that realized, like himself, there are tons of master gardeners that have much more food than they can eat, give away or make any use of.

Amazing, no?  We are so short on good, wholesome, grow-it-out-of-the-ground food.  The soup kitchens and the like only take canned, packaged foods.  Too much worry about spoiling with nowhere to store it. So, he started this organization and now there are thousands of locations nationwide where master gardeners, weekend farmers and even the people that have too much basil on their window sill can drop off really good food and those that need it, anybody really, can pick it up for free.

Yup. Free.

Out of work, kid in college working off tuition, working mom with no extra dough, citizens of this country without a home. Everybody can donate and everybody can go there and take what they need.

Go to www.ampleharvest.org and you'll be amazed.  These locations are everywhere.

So simple.  Even Google got in on the act and started working with AmpleHarvest.org to keep their maps up to snuff.

This is my inspiration for the New Year.  Here's to Gary and a very simple idea with a small powerhouse behind it.

Now here's a little meatball love.

 RECIPE: Kofte Makhani (lamb meatballs in tomato curry)

There's no real connection as to why I'm putting this recipe in except that I love it more than I should.

Tomato Curry:

 1T canola oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 ½  cloves garlic, minced

¼ ” ginger, minced

1-2 green chilis

1 ½  large tomatoes, chopped

4 T tomato paste 

1 T salt

 4 tsp paprika

2 ½ tsp coriander

2 ½ tsp garam masala

½  tsp chili powder

1 T cilantro, chopped

1.       Heat oil in large pan and caramelize onions

2.       Add garlic, ginger and chilis and cook for 10 minutes. Add water if needed to keep from burning.

3.       Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook until tomatoes begin to break down.

4.       Puree in blender and return to pan.

5.       Add salt, paprika, coriander, garam masala and chili powder to curry.

6.       Stir in kofte and cook, covered, over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

7.       Finish with cilantro, adjust seasoning to taste.

Kofte:

2 lb. ground lamb

2 eggs

1/4 cup bread crumbs

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

4 stalks cilantro

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 teaspoons paprika

-combine bread crumbs, chopped garlic, cilantro, salt, garam masala and paprika in a food processor

until pureed.

Robot Coup: the recipe calls for bread crumb, but I had some lavash hanging around and that worked fine. Any old bread-type item will do. You may refer to me as the Ansel Adams of food photography.

1. Mix lamb, egg and puree together. 

2. Shape kofte into golf ball sized balls.

3. In a saute pan with a teaspoon of oil seer the kofte. This is to render some of the fat out of the lamb.

Cooking kofte. Not great looking yet, but it gets better.

You can just add the meatballs to the curry without rendering the fat out but it

will make for a much heavier curry and lamb is already a fattier meat.

4. Finish cooking the kofte in the tomato curry.

Everyone ate the kofte before I had a chance to take a picture. And yes, the note in the upper right hand corner is me thinking whether or not I should take up knitting. Stop laughing.

United States Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (NY) Coming to Bronx for Food & Farmbill Listening Session

January 4, 2012 at 11am

Event Location

Hostos Community College, D Building, 

 149th Street and Walton Avenue,  Bronx, NY 

Savoy Multipurpose Room on the 2nd Floor

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will be coming to the Bronx on January 4th to hear community members' concerns about the food system and seek input on how she can improve access to healthy, affordable through changes in the "Food and Farm Bill". 

As Congress begins debating the next Farm Bill, Senator Gillibrand will continue her statewide agricultural listening sessions to gather input from local farmers and advocates. 

As the first New Yorker to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, Senator Gillibrand plans to focus on a broad range of food policy and agricultural issues that are important to New York in the next Farm Bill, including nutrition, access to affordable healthy food, farmers markets, CSAs, organics, new market opportunities, assistance for dairy farms and specialty crops, and investments in renewable energy.  

This is New York City's opportunity to discuss the importance of improving healthy food access in the five boroughs, ending food insecurity, supporting our local farmers, and protecting our foodshed. Come out tell the Senator what changes you would like to see in the food system this Wednesday!  

Please RSVP to FarmBillNYC@Gillibrand.Senate.Gov

Want to learn more about the Food and Farm Bill? Click here  

Food Systems Network NYC

www.foodsystemsnyc.org