Good News For Strawberry Fans

Like most small children, my granddaughter loves eating strawberries. They fit snug between the thumb and index finger, a succulent bite that goes right into the mouth, leaving a handy green stem for easy throwaway and a bit of juice dribbling onto the chin. Ever since I learned how many pesticides are used to keep strawberries disease-free, I have been urging family members and blog readers to shun non-organic fruit. The more people to request organic and buy organic, the more organic fruit places like Wellfleet Marketplace will carry. Yesterday came the stupendous news that pesticide maker Arysta is removing cancer-causing methyl iodide from the market. Gone, just like that. Yes, the company gave in to the many consumer groups who had gathered names on petitions and lobbied the EPA and the FDA. You may remember methyl iodide is a neurotoxin, not really something you want to consume, and especially bad for the developing bodies and brains of small children, as well as for the workers who harvest the strawberries.

I will continue to recommend buying organic and locally grown organic strawberries at that, whenever possible. Why? Because pesticides can cross the thin skin into the fruit. Traces of 54 pesticides were found on non-organic strawberries tested by What’s On My Food. Unacceptable!

Local organic strawberries also taste better. I can remember shopping at the open-air market in France, when strawberry season came around, at the beginning of spring. How luscious those French strawberries were! They also smelled sweeter. Sweden, too, still has a strawberry season. Strawberries that originate on the other side of the country, or the world for that matter, don’t. They are made to travel. Can you remember what real strawberries taste like?

June 17th, the Wellfleet Historical Society will hold its annual strawberry festival. Do you think the organizers should purchase organic strawberries this year?

And, here are a couple questions from David Wright: "As the person who may be buying the strawberries for the Hist. Soc. festival, it would be helpful if you would also ask these two questions of your readers: 1) do you know of a local farm that could supply organic strawberries in the large quantity we need? I'd estimate we serve over 300 people. We could find no local supplier, organic or otherwise, to fill our order last year.
2) Would you be willing to pay twice as much (that would be $10-12.00) for a single serving of organic strawberry shortcake? Unless the answer to both these questions is yes, I'd venture to say that the best we could do would be to offer an organic option for those particular enough."

Film Sparks Debate at Library

Jules Besch, which sells stationary in town, had the most beautiful hydrangeas in bloom last month. Check them out. This photo reminds me of one of our summer guests, from Canada. Chantal told me how she had tried to transplant a blue hydrangea years ago, but could no longer provide the type of soil required, due to the strict environmental laws in her country, and that the blue blossoms had turned pink. I learn all kinds of things from guests. I did not know, at the time, how much further advanced Canada is, compared to the United States, when it comes to the environment ...

Yesterday evening, at the library, I watched “A Chemical Reaction,” a SafeLawns film about how a small town in Quebec enacted a ban against pesticides that went all the way to the Supreme Court and influenced legislation in other provinces, including Ontario. While it’s wonderful that one woman in Hudson was able to get this ban enacted, her success has serious implications for Massachusetts, which is one of 41 states that was subsequently targeted for preemption laws by the chemical industry. What that means is a Massachusetts town can no longer create and vote in a bylaw that is contrary to state law. And, changing a state law would be a monumental endeavor. The Poison People have got us in a bind. (You may have heard of Marblehead's success: it was able to ban pesticides on town property but cannot impose a general ban.)

Following the film, there was an animated Q&A. A man in the audience expressed frustration with a neighbor, who had hired a chemical spraying company to kill ticks on his property and "protect" his four children. What the neighbor, a doctor, did not seem to realize is the high risk these toxic chemicals pose not only to his kids but to the abutter's family – as well as to our water. We all drink water from private wells. The water comes from a sole-source aquifer. Put chemicals in that aquifer and we all suffer. The general conclusion was more education of the population on the effects of toxic chemicals is required.

There will be future screenings of other films on the subject here in Wellfleet, organized by myself, Laura Kelley, and Beverly Callistini, in the months to come as we struggle to educate ourselves on the toxic soup our world has become. Stay tuned!

Got Ants? (Part 2)

Ants congregate where there's food, so there must be plenty of ants at Oysterfest. A month ago I wrote a post about ants and received a detailed comment from Mandy Robinson at Prudential Cape Shores, so Mandy, this post is for you. What to do about bugs is an extremely timely subject. Should pesticides be used? Two days ago I wrote about trying to catch ticks with dry ice and posted information on an organic insect repellent. On Friday, the Chicago Tribune ran a story called ‘Hold the pesticides, bug experts say: Green alternatives work just as well to zap the bad bugs of summer while sparing the good bugs.’ As you all know, I am always happy to suggest options that do not require pesticides because pesticides filter down through our sandy soil into our single source aquifer. The Chicago Tribune article mentions ammonia will deter ants, that you should wipe their trail clean. Since I promised Mandy I would follow-up with some environmentally safe pest removal companies, available on Cape Cod, I spent part of my afternoon yesterday searching the Yellow Pages ...

“What do you recommend for the removal of ants?” I asked a rep at A1 Exterminators in Harwich.

“Crack and crevice treatment …with Suspend. It’s a spray,” said a young woman. “Or, bait can be tried but that takes more time.” When I asked about environmentally friendly options, she said she did not know of any.

Ants, Etc. in Mashpee sounded promising, but I got an answering machine.

I found Terminix listed under Environmental & Ecological Services and called to ask about options.

The woman spoke so fast I only caught half her words: "...inside and outside your home."

“What product do you use? Is it a chemical?”

“We do not provide that information over the phone. Can you give me your zip code? Sometimes we do offer a non-chemical product. Hold while I check to see if it’s available in your area.”

Unfortunately, no Terminix operators use a natural product on Cape Cod. I expressed surprise and suggested it might be a good idea to start such a service. She said she did not think this would happen and added, “Thank you for choosing Terminix.”

I was about to point out that I had NOT chosen Terminix, but the woman had already hung up.

Next I called a pest company in Boston. On Angie’s List, I read that Environmental Health Service had rescued someone with an ant problem for a mere $200: “They were fabulous. I had a raging ant problem. Suddenly I had hundreds of them in my house. It was awful. They came out right away and sprayed the perimeter of the house. The ants were gone within 12 hours. It was like a miracle.”

Here’s the EHS response: “I would love to say we perform miracles but unfortunately that is not the case. You had a severe ant infestation that had a brood nest (main) nest around the exterior of your home. It was linked to several satellite colonies in and around your home. Our detailed inspection located several colonies including the main one and our treatment directly to them eliminated the infestation completely in a short period of time. This meant that we eliminated the problem with zero need to treat the interior of your home as many other firms like to do. This is a more environmentally friendly method that obviously yields great results.”

Environmental Health Service covers all of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Optimistic, I placed a call. EHS does not come to the Cape, but recommends Cape Cod Pest Pros in Sandwich.

“Oh, must be sugar ants,” the amiable man at Cape Cod Pest Pros told me after listening to my report of last month's invasion by half a dozen ants, resolved with cayenne pepper. “They live in soil around the foundation of the house and find their way up through water lines. It’s a simple fix: soil treatment with a gel bait that’s less toxic than Lysol.”

“Sounds great!” I exclaimed.

“Where do you live?”

“Wellfleet.”

“We don’t go down to Wellfleet. But I can recommend a great guy at A1 Exterminators ….”

Whoa! Already did that. So I called back and ended up recommending that A1 adopt some of the practices of Cape Cod Pest Pros and Environmental Health Services, that realtors would send them hundreds of clients. I doubt that will happen since the owner is in Lynn, but who knows? In the meantime, Mandy, you can always suggest ammonia as a deterrent ….

Tropicana OJ: All Natural and Indestructible, too

This week the 7GenBlog brings word of lead in 85% of kid’s juices. Do we say ho-hum, or get mad as hell? Unfortunately this study did not include orange juice, everyone’s favorite breakfast drink and what I served guests for breakfast without a second thought, that is until recently.

Once upon a time, to drink orange juice, it was necessary to squeeze an orange with your hands. This was messy so machines were invented to make the process more efficient. Several types of juicers became available. The first was a glass bowl with a pointy center. You know the drill. Cut orange, apply half to the rosette, twist. The juice runs down the sides and collects in the bowl. The squeezer gets to drink his reward.

For more than an individual portion of OJ, families used to use a different machine, made of aluminum. It looked like a meat grinder on legs, and with a crank. Here’s how it worked: you put a glass under the spout, place half an orange in the machine, then squeeze by lowering the lid. The orange presses against a sieve and presto: OJ dribbles into the glass. Today we don’t even bother to squeeze oranges. We buy OJ at the supermarket in half-gallon cartons.

I started thinking about OJ a few days ago when Alisa left this comment on my post about Purity organic drinks: “I remember the first time I went to Florida to visit my husband's parents who live there. They have orange trees in their yard. My husband pulled some oranges off the trees and made OJ. It was the best stuff I ever tasted – and it was just pure OJ. NOTHING ADDED TO IT. Just think of how much more OJ they could sell – and how much money they could save – if they just only put OJ in the dang bottle?”

Then, during the heat wave, I left a half-gallon of Tropicana in my car for two days – at least. Oh, God! I said to myself when I realized my mistake. Surely this juice has gone bad. It will taste sour and be totally rancid, curdled, or have turned some scary shade of brown.

Not at all. I opened the carton and poured myself a glass. Same old fresh-tasting OJ. Did not suffer one bit from the ordeal.

“What’s in this stuff anyway?” I said to Sven who was making himself a sandwich. “100% Pure & Natural Orange Juice. Never from concentrate. Contains orange juice from the US and Brazil.” The carton also says “pasteurized.”

I could not help but wonder what Tropicana put in to preserve the juice for days. So, I called their hotline.

A friendly woman told me Tropicana undergoes a “fast pasteurization by heat” process, done quickly so the juice “doesn’t lose nutrients.” The OJ contains, “no water, no preservatives.”

I asked her if the oranges were organic and the answer was no, that Tropicana uses a “low level of pesticides.” When I asked for more information, she described them as a “wide variety of pesticides to control insects,” then quickly added, “We follow FDA guidelines. There’s a waiting period after the crop is sprayed prior to harvesting, and all fruit is washed several times. Removes any residue.” (Anyone who wants the real nitty-gritty on pesticides go to What’s On My Food.)

Online, I found a food scientist who claims to have worked with Tropicana in the past. He writes, “They are really Pepsi. (Co.). So they have the same moral compass. Basically if juice is over 99% of the formulation, then it can be called 100%. As for natural flavors, it is probably a bunch of aroma chemicals that are derived from nature or are naturally occurring in nature. They could also be extracts of citrus fruits to boost the impact. And then they could also be some chemicals that are used to preserve the flavor. Basically ‘flavors’ is a general heading for thousands of different compounds. These companies are just working within government regulations. They are not going to declare the names of chemicals if they don't have to, that would scare consumers …”

I told the Tropicana woman about having left the carton of OJ in the hot, hot sun. She pronounced herself “flabbergasted” and said three hours max outside the fridge is what she recommends, that I should have thrown out the carton.

No preservatives?? Hmmm …

I bought Purity organic drinks for guests this month, but they contain only 25% juice. I would love to hear from readers on this. Have you found a breakfast drink you feel comfortable with? Should I switch to serving smoothies, or use smaller glasses and squeeze oranges myself? Do you believe Tropicana can be good for you if it does not spoil after two days of hot sun?

What's On My Food?

Above, two boxes of strawberries. On the left, the berries grown in my brother’s yard. On the right, berries from the farmer’s market in Amherst. Both varieties were full of flavor and pesticide-free. Now, the next time you are at the store check out the berries not labeled organic and packaged in plastic by a company whose name begins with D. They are huge and flavorless and, no doubt, laden with pesticides. I discovered a new site which I would like to pass along: What’s on my Food? Take a look. If enough people start paying attention and speak up, perhaps the folly of pesticide-laden foods will end. (This spring a Harvard study linked ADHD to organophosphate pesticide exposure.)

People across America are realizing the benefit of local food, grown in community gardens. Perhaps the urge to eat organic is why a community garden was started last year here in Wellfleet, located beside the Senior Center? Preservation Hall is holding its annual garden tour this Sunday, and the tour ends at the Community Garden, after informal visits to four other Wellfleet gardens. Preservation Hall events are always worth attending. The tour starts at noon and continues all afternoon. Tickets can be purchased online. (Here Sven sits in the flower garden at Chez Sven. Who knows? Perhaps one day it, too, will be on the Preservation Hall garden tour?) Finally, on June 29 Slow Food Cape Cod will show Fresh by Ana Sofia Joanes at Main Street Gourmet in Orleans, 7 pm. Organizer Mary DeBartelo asks that we all think about this question: where do you buy your food and how do you make your purchase decisions. To reserve for the screening and potluck, contact Mary at Main Street Gourmet.

Got Strawberries?

I try not to serve guests regular store-bought strawberries because they are laden with pesticides. Hatch's, on the town hall parking lot, and Phoenix Fruit in Orleans carry strawberries produced by growers who raise crops that are pesticide-free.

You may have already signed a petition against a new pesticide, methyl iodide, which some strawberry farmers in California hope to use. Scientists are against: “This is without question one of the most toxic chemicals on earth," said John Froines, professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles. Please read the full New York Times article that explains the implications for the rest of the country. The chemical is known to be a neurotoxin, as well as developmentally toxic, and an endocrine disruptor. Oh, and it causes breast cancer. The deadline to tell California State regulators to reject methyl iodide and urge the EPA to ban it is June 29. Sign the petition here.

Speaking of berries, the Historical Society is holding its annual Strawberry Festival this afternoon, from 2 to 4, at the Methodist Church. Strawberries that are organic? Non-organic? Hmmm ....

If you miss the Strawberry Festival, get yourself some strawberries without pesticides and try MarthaandMe's recipe for yummy strawberry shortcake ...

Cry the Beloved Honeybee

At the Wellfleet Eco-Expo last Saturday, Laura Kelley spoke about the plight of the honeybee. Apparently, colony collapse continues. Apparently, we lost one-third of the honeybee population over the winter. (Read about it here.) No need to be a rocket scientist to realize the situation is dire. The subject is one that definitely merits your attention, but I know next to nothing about it. Colony collapse may be due to widespread use of pesticides, as I reported in this blog over the fall. Since I'm not a honeybee expert, I asked my beekeeper friend to provide a few more details. Here’s Laura:

“No honeybees = no food. For the flowers we love, the plants we eat, and honeybees, we must be non-toxic inside and outside our homes.

Colony collapse disorder was labeled in 2007 after we lost half the honeybee population on the planet. One third of the honeybees worldwide didn't survive last winter. Honeybee keepers are breeding honeybees as fast as possible. More and more homeowners are interested in having hives in their back yards, which is great, but unfortunately we are not able to produce as many queens as needed to feed the human population worldwide. Almonds and apples will be the first edibles to become scarce at our local grocery stores, followed by citrus fruit, blueberries, and cranberries.

Over-development is a problem. Humans occupy the places honeybees used to live and feed. Planting anything that flowers will help the honeybees, for they need to forage.

The best thing we can do to help honeybees become more comfortable on earth is to change our life-styles and become completely non-toxic inside and outside of our homes and bodies.

Everyone who eats or owns land or purchases anything can help honeybees. How? Remember, your dollar is your vote.

Think about where you spend your money. Your patronage shows you believe in an establishment/corporation/local farmer.

Make conscious decisions before spending. Ask yourself, is this company doing the right thing to help our planet?

A lot of establishments claim to be organic or all natural, but are they truly?

We've got to support local farmers and businesses that make a difference. Your patronage will help honeybees because there will be less toxins in the air, water, soil, as well as in the plants that are harming them now.

The immune systems of honeybees have become compromised due to human impact and the overuse of toxins.

It’s up to us now. There are still some honeybees left. We do have a chance of survival, but we must change our habits today. Scientists predict humans have five years to live after the honeybees die, and then we will be eating only gruel (anything that is brown, rice, wheat, corn). Nothing green will survive very long.

Other natural pollinators and human pollinators are not as aggressive in pollinating as honeybees. Humans continue to populate, honeybees continue to loose population – the balance is off. We see what’s happening, we talk about it, but will we react in time? Will these changes be sufficient to reverse the fate of honeybees and ensure their survival?

It's all in your hands now. Since you've read this post and understand what you can do, the one question I have is, will you sign on or will you take part in harming the one creature that is absolutely crucial to the next generation?”