Disappearing Foods: Encouraging a Comeback

[amerikat]

I posted this in Energy and Environment and thought it may be of interest here in the Gardening Forum.

Disappearing Foods: Encouraging a Comeback
A new book, "Renewing America's Food Traditions" by Gary Paul Nabhan, identifies 93 foods once common in American kitchens but now in danger of disappearing. Some are livestock breeds or varieties of crop plants; others are wild species such as the Carolina flying squirrel.


This article includes and interactive map of North America showing foods that are fast disappearing in your area.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/04/29/dining/20080430_LIST_GRAPHIC.html#


THe link in enviroment and energy works

[Shoelace]

1. thanks amerikat

very interesting interactive map in that link. I found out that "Makah Ozette potato" nearly disappeared from our northwest area so am now looking for a source to buy some seed so I can grow them. :-)

[hippywife]

2. This seems to be a really good site

to order rare and heirloom varieties. http://www.seedsavers.org/

A friend already joined and I'm really looking at it hard. It's only $35 for the first year and $30 to renew. :hi:

[Shoelace]

4. Seeds of Change is a good one too for rare, heirloom seeds

I've not ordered from them as I've been able to find what I need at a nursery here in town. I've thought about joining seed savers but the 35 dollar charge seems a bit steep to me as I've got limited space and my garden is already so full of goodies, I've barely got room for much more. Here's the website:

http://www.seedsofchange.com/default.asp

Another place to order rare, heirloon seeds is Baker Creek, they seem to have a really good collection.

http://rareseeds.com/

Onward and outside to see how my growies are doing today!

:woohoo:

[hippywife]

5. To this point,

I've gotten all of my seeds from Seeds of Change for the past two years. And you're right, they do have alot of heirloom and rare varieties. I'm looking more closely at Seed Savers because Seeds of Change is now owned by Kraft Foods. Once again, corporate food systems and big agra have to get their nibs into something good. It's a trust thing, ya know? :hi:

[Shoelace]

6. oh NO!!!

I didn't know that and am right with you not trusting big agra but had no idea that this happened. Well so much for that idea.
Holy Cow, I just read an article about Monsanto :spank: , the biggest and worst of them all, who bought out Cargill (sp?).

So that makes seed savers even more valuable and worth looking into.
Thanks for the head's up. Guess I'd better check out my local seed producers as well. :scared:

[hippywife]

7. I mis-spoke.

It's a division of Mars, Inc. I did email back in January when I was looking at ordering my seeds and asked if they just bought the processed food side of the business or all of it and how the new ownership would effect the organic seed side of the business.

This was the response I got:

Seeds of Change is a division of Mars, Incorporated. It is run independently by Seeds of Change associates, some of who are located in Mars facilities. SOC continues to maintain its original mission, which is to provide consumers with a range of 100% certified organic products. It is separately managed as a global unit from other Mars businesses to deliver its vision as a leading certified organic seed and food business.

Still, I'm just not sure, ya know?

Oh, and re: Monsanto...what a bunch of fucking nut cases! :crazy: Have you read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan?

[Shoelace]

8. haven't read that book but

am very aware of what Monsanto is all about on a global level, the horrid damage they've done, etc. I'll try to get the book from our library.
I figure they are worse than nut cases, they are the essence of evil!:evilgrin:
They, like Halliburton, KBR, and all the rest of the mega-corps in the world, seem hell bent on destroying our planet.
Am hoping Mama Nature has a few tricks up her sleeve for them all. :shrug:

[hippywife]

9. Awesome book, really.

I hope if she does have a few tricks for them, that she also has good aim and leaves the rest of us alone who are trying really hard.

I really can't believe the amount of greed that runs rampant in this country. Especially the last 8 years. I know it's been going on a very long time but this last administration has seemed to give them carte blanche! :mad:

[amerikat]

10. found this on Google

It might help you find some seed taters.

http://www.slowfoodblog.org/?p=221

[hedgehog]

3. They missed scrapple.

And no mention of paw paws!

[NJCher]

11. one of the most interesting articles ever

That was fascinating. I alerted all my fellow foodies, too.



Cher

[ThomWV]

12. I was looking in the produce section of a local grocery store the other day

I was simply amazed by how little variety there was at the local grocery store we rarely use the other day. This is a small chain store in a small community. We rarely go to it for much because they have limited selections and to be honest about it, pretty poor quality too.

Fresh they had broccoli, cauliflower, some sort of string bean (they don't call string beans by their right name anymore, you ever notice that?), and corn on the cob. For greens they had head lettuce and celery. That was it. Oh, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes over on the side with a few bags of under ripe citrus fruit too.

Where were the radishes, turnips, egg plant, endive, leeks, squash, spinach, the bitter greens, and all the other things that make up a well rounded diet? Nowhere to be found, that's where they were. When I was young grocery stores were limited by local availability and the seasonality of their products but with shrimp being shipped half way around the world as an example of the new mobility of food and the emergence of greenhouse agriculture for food production the matter of the season means nothing anymore. They sell what people demand and it seems that people demand burgers and fries more often than they want okra.

[bhikkhu]

13. I'm growing an heirloom tomato mix this year

Has anyone had success at saving seeds? Any special preparations to sprout them next year, and whether I will wind up with odd mixes if I have a variety growing together?

[knitter4democracy]

14. Same with apples--we've lost 90% of the varieties we had in 1776.

Granted, many of them were for making hard tack (hard apple cider), but still. All those apples gone. That's why I search out small orchards with older varieties.

It's the homogenizing power of media, I think. The same thing has happened to our language as has happened to our kitchen tables--people eat what everyone around them eats or what they see on tv or are taught at home, same as talking the way they hear it. With so many people not really cooking anymore, relying on convenience foods, we're losing a lot. Thank goodness for the seed saving groups and the slow food movement.