Rural Peru Gets Connected

Going “off the grid” has connotations of romance and counter-culture in the US, but to 600 communities across rural Latin America, off the grid means they will remain poor and under-developed. Imagine what can happen when each community is given solar panels and, in some cases, a back-up wind generator to produce renewable and clean energy.

Food Systems Planning at the Local and Regional Level

Ever more Americans are becoming urban dwellers and access to good quality, reasonably priced food grown sustainably is more and more challenging. Food is grown using chemical-laden agricultural methods and travels longer distances to kitchen or table. We need to find ways to bring sustainable food production closer closer to home.

Food Issues Too Political for the White House?

Big Food and Big Ag are doing their best to keep their products on the shelves, on the tables, in school lunches, and in the minds of children all the while posturing to offer healthier foods. Big Money is now in the act and the lobbying is hot and heavy. Is it getting too hot in the kitchen? Marion Nestle took a look at the latest direction the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign is going and noted: “Apparently, she has given up on encouraging food companies to make healthier products and stop marketing junk foods to kids.” Ms. Obama announced that she will now focus on getting kids to be more active.

Don’t feed your kids Twinkies for breakfast!

The Environmental Working Group reviewed 84 popular brands of breakfast cereal and found that Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, nearly 56% sugar by weight, is the worst breakfast cereal for children to eat. A one-cup serving of the brand packs more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie!

Product Profile: Coffee? Tea? RōBarr (Roasted Barley)!

Linda O’Brien and her husband, Jim raise barley – lots of barley – for a large national brewer. Now they are exploring new opportunities: transitioning their fields to organic production and offering a value-added product – roasted barley. Linda has launched her product line of roasted barley, RōBarr, in Montana and Spokane Washington. You can buy it online too!

Calling the coffee alternative RōBarr, Linda has launched a new business roasting, bagging, and marketing grains that can be used for a flavorful beverage as a coffee or tea alternative.

Oganic Whole Grains Grown in Northeastern Montana

Those who farm in northeastern Montana – the northern Great Plains – face very cold winters, very hot summers, and very little rain (11-14 inches annually). Some farmers are finding that organic growing methods are providing a better market, reasonable prices, and more net profit than conventional methods.