Good Old Fashion Donuts

I absolutely love this time of year! Especially with all of the goodies that are made and given around. I know in my family we are huge fans of homemade donuts! My mom has a killer recipe of real spudnuts that she got from my great grandma. It is a family tradition to spend some weekends with friends frying up donuts with a hot griddle of oil and nicely risen donuts!

During my freshman year of high school I took an elective health class. One big part of the class was learning how to read labels and know the nutrients content of the food we ate. I decided that I was interested in the calorie count and the nutrients contained in my moms donuts. Taking all of the ingredients we measured it all out and counted...lets just say I will probably never do that again for something that I love so much! I have been on the look out for a healthy alternative since then. Thats when I came across this recipe that makes donuts using sour cream.(See Complete Receipe) 

This recipe contain a much higher nutrient count than normal donuts for a fraction of the time to prepare them. It was a great find! They make a great breakfast food and is an excellent source of carbohydrates. They keep you full longer and are quick and easy. Give it a try! 

 

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What's in Your Food?

The media has covered material about Genetically Modified Organisms and consumers have question about the safety of this technology. Clark Isrealson, Cache County Extension Agent, provides insight.

The Revolution of Food- My Plate

In 1994 the USDA center for nutritional Policy and Promotion was established in the United States. Its purpose was to "improve the nutrition and wellbeing of Americans." It strove to provide reliable resources and information for Americans in order to improve their ability to select and consume healthier foods. They provided resources such as the food guide pyramid then the mypyramid that had some additional information about specific portion sizes and added in an emphasis in physical activity(Choosemyplate). In most recent years the My Plate food guide showed proportion sizes simply and clearly emphasizing the most important part of a diet, half of your portions being fruits and vegetables and the other being mostly grains with protein (MyPlate).

An interesting aspect of the revolution of dietary guidelines is how much they have changed over the years. During the early 1900s there was a huge focus on getting carbohydrates and protein. In the mid 1900s (the difference), the dietary guidelines changed again to having more fruits and vegetables, then additional changes were made to consuming less grains.

Nutrition guidelines are always changing to promote the healthiest way of living. Following updates and being on top of the current information is important for consumers. Choose My Plate.org is a great resources for information and additional understanding for individuals and families.

The Revolution of Food- GMOs

I have missed a few weeks since I last posted. Over that time the topic of food has been going through my mind so I studied it out and will produce a series over the next week about food, especially since it is getting close to the holiday season when a lot of people become concerned with their food consumption and seem to be very interested in exactly what kind of food they are eating, whether or not it is nutritious, and the how it is produced. GMO's or Genetically Modified Organisms is an example of a hot topic in the food industry right now. That can be a pretty scary term. What does that really mean to have a genetically modified organism? Is that consumable? Is it healthy at all? I had the opportunity to interview a family friend Clark Israelson, an Extension Agent for Cache County in Utah about GMO's and his take. (Later on I will have a pod cast covering the topic with more detail.) First let us define GMOs. A GMO is a Genetically Modified Organism that main purpose is to increase production and value of the product.(GMO facts) While talking to Mr. Israelson he stated that GMOs have been around forever, as animals have adapted and changed. It is the survival of the fittest at its finest as the weak genetics are eliminated. GMOs are used to increase crop production and produce a weed resistant, higher yield, more nutritious product. (GMO Benefits) Although I recognize that there is a bias, but with adequate research consumers can come to their own conclusion and choose for themselves. There are many resources for information, for and against the consumption of GMOs. A few would include, Food And Agriculture Organization of United Nations,International Union of Nutritional Sciences, and Genetic Literacy Project. These sources have facts from studies taken and information that is reliable.

Are there Pumpkins?

There isn’t a better time of year to have pumpkin pie then during the holiday season. Although the pumpkins companies are experiencing some stress this year as the their crops are coming in and there is a huge shortage of pumpkins. In an interview with NPR News,  Roz O’Hearn from Libby’s Canned Pumpkin Company  said that there is generally enough pumpkins to give them a “cushion for next year,” but that there isn’t a cushion this year. There should be enough pumpkins to last until Thanksgiving but after that no one knows.(See Article)

No one wants to go this season with out pumpkin pie, so with this shortage of canned pumpkins consumers have to get a little creative! The best way to do that is to make your own. This isn’t hard too do. After scraping the pumpkin clean of the insides cut it in half. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place each half of the pumpkin in the oven and cover with tin foil. Bake for about an hour or until tender. Scrape the pumpkin meat from each side and puree in a blender. (Pumpkin Puree Recipe)The puree can be kept in the freezer and used all year round. Enjoy your pumpkin!  

There's a Market

In early blog posts I talked a little about the need for support of small family farms and the number of individuals going into agriculture careers, particularly those with an agriculture back. Something that has been brought to my attention is the number or individuals entering an agriculture based occupation with little or no agriculture back ground. While the number of farmers has decreased, the number of individuals who are new to agriculture occupations has increased. (start to farm)

These individuals have a drive to succeed and produce quality products for consumers. As a result of this increase of agriculturist there are additional resources for these new farmers. The United States Department of Agriculture provides multiple introductions and educational information for new farmers including the New Farmers Guide and Start to farm financial support.

Now I understand that not everyone wants to be a farmer but there is so much that each person can do to help support agriculture and specifically these new farmers. In an early blog post I discussed the purpose of small family farms and how the producers at these farms bring their products to farmers markets. I am going to put in another plug for these farmer markets. A lot of the farm represented at the farmers markets are owned and operated by first time agriculturalist. So many are just starting out and producing quality products.

There are farmers markets every where. Edible Wasatch and similar websites can direct you to the farmers market nearest to you. Find a market and support a farmer today!

It Runs In the Family

Have you ever taken a drive out through the country side and enjoyed a quiet afternoon away from the city noise? As you drove did you notice the acres of farm land? Have you ever stopped to think about who runs that land? The majority of these small farms are run by families who have passed the lifestyle of farming down from generation to generation. Although, according to The Real Truth Magazine only one-third of these family farms have a successor, someone who will continue the farming tradition. There has been an ever increasing number of large scale farms. As large commercial farming increases, the number of small family farms decrease as generations move farther and farther from agriculture back ground. The need for more land to build houses and provide space for an ever increasing population has been the cause of many of these small family farms selling out.

What is going to help keep these family farms from becoming completely extinct? Many of these family farms provide organic produce that can be found at local farmers markets. While these products may not have as long of a shelf life they provide a healthy alternative that can be frozen, bottled, or canned for later use. During this time of year there are family owned pumpkins patches and produce stands that can be a great family opportunity. (USDA- Small Family Farms)There are so many ways that small family farms can be supported but it needs to start now. 

The Age of the Farmer

As a child, I remember my dad after a long day of work, picking up his guitar almost every night to play a song or two before we would all go to bed. One of the songs he would sing was an old Waylon Jennings song, "Mama's don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys, don't let them pick guitars and drive them old trucks, make em be doctors and lawyers and such."  I would laugh at that song and think to myself, why would anyone not want to be a cowboy or a farmer? Isn’t that every kid's dream?

In the last 5 years, research has found the age of the farmer is increasing from 55 to 57, with 30% of farmers over the age of 75. Twenty percent of U.S. farms today are operated by those with 10 years or less of experience.(Young people on Farms)

So what would keep someone from staying on a farm and continuing to work in agriculture?  Jennifer Leavy and Naomi Hossain of the Institute of Development Study found that there are four reasons someone would move away from agriculture:

•      Youth want better education to get better jobs
•  Farming is mentally and physically challenging  
•   They don’t consider it as a future because of the lack of access to inputs and land   
• Changing norms, new opportunities to seek education and employment 

The generation gap between the farmers of yesterday and farmers today continues to grow, where less and less know about farming, leaving the older farmers with no one to take their place. So whether or not you are involved in agriculture consider what you can do to increase agriculture awareness and job opportunities. As the age of the farmer goes up and the world population continues to rise, the need for agriculture based workers needs to be rising with it. Jobs are waiting to be filled.