Michele Payn's Blog, page 13

When beliefs and behaviors differ

         “Seth
Pecksniff, a character with a holier-than-thou attitude in Charles Dickens’s
1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit, was no angel, though he certainly tried to
pass himself off as one. Pecksniff liked to preach morality and brag about his
own virtue, but in reality he was a deceptive rascal who would use any means to
advance his own selfish interests.” according to Merriam-Webster.

         Why do you need to know this? Pecksniffery has been used as a synonym for hypocrite, apparently since 1949. How does that relate to food? Well, finding a way to point out the inconsistent actions we take around issues related to food, health, and nutrition has cost me a lot of worry. But a farm-mom friend in Illinois gave me the perfect word from her thesaurus – pecksniffery.

         Pecksniffery is
a way of saying that we want to hold certain beliefs around what is right in
food, health, and nutrition – yet we sometimes behave differently. For example, I
believe in eating healthy, but then stress drives me to chocolate. I intend to
do the right thing, but my actions do not always align with my belief.

         Inconsistent
behavior happens all over the grocery store, including in the cereal
aisle.  Have you bought any organic fruit loops lately?  How about
some natural cocoa puffs? Why when General Mills made a GMO-free Cheerios sales
did not in increase at all?

         If we pause and
become aware of our choices, we’re likely to find hypocrisy on our plate, in
our cart and across food labels.

         Case in point: potatoes. Potato grower John Halverson points to the sales of potatoes as an example of consumers spending their dollars differently than they say they will when surveyed about food choices: “Consumers constantly say they are looking at healthy attributes, but sales of fresh potatoes continue to shrink while sale of chips and fries grow at record pace.”

         Let’s face it;
we all want to believe we’ll buy “healthy” food, but then reality strikes. Or
in this case, the potato chip crinkles. At the deli, in a restaurant – or a
French fry reaches out and grabs you at the fairgrounds food booth. We may want
to believe we’ll buy more “whole” food like a baked potato, but the numbers
don’t lie about America’s preference for fried food.

         The same goes
with issues like GMOs. One of the reasons I’ve extensively covered this
contentious issue is because of the hypocrisy involved.  Is GMO evil in
your grocery cart, but miraculous if it saves a little girl’s life? Is GMO good
if it can cure blindness through golden rice, but wrong if used to keep worms
out of sweet corn?

         Canadian farmer Dale Leftwhich talks about the medical value of GMOs. Not because of the crops he grows in his fields north of the border, but because it’s far more personal to him. Dale has a daughter who was diagnosed with diabetes at age seven.  “Life is better because of a stable source of insulin due to a GMO process with bacteria producing insulin. There’s an abundant source of consistent, cost effective insulin due to GMO,” he explained.

         Is it possible
emotionalism has clouded our thinking on issues like GMO, how meat is raised
and “big” agriculture? Is it possible we are practicing pecksniffery?

Read more
at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to arm yourself with 25
truths you urgently need to know about food so you can shop without guilt,
confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying , releases November 5 to upend the way you think about eating
choices.

The Demonization of the Corn Stalk

Meg, a friend and fellow professional speaker from suburban Chicago, visited our farm with her daughter, Frankie, on a beautiful blue-sky summer weekend. Frankie soon started asking a furry of questions, including, “What is that growing in the field? Isn’t that sweet corn?” Frankie had correctly identified it as corn, but then we had a 30-minute discussion about the differences in types of corn with these city friends.

“See how most of the corn is a bunch taller and has bigger stalks than other corn? That’s field corn,” I explained. Most of the time in the Midwest, you see field corn. Field corn is not sweet corn. It is grown as livestock feed, use in human food, or for ethanol. Field corn comprises 99 percent of the corn crop in the United States. Humans can eat it, but field corn is starchy and bland, without the sugar contents found in sweet corn. There’s nothing “wrong” with field corn—and the fields are not filled with poisons—but field corn just doesn’t taste good until it is processed into a product.

Unfortunately, corn has been vilified in recent years, from movies being
made about how corn is poisonous, farmers being forced to grow corn, and how
such a monoculture crop is destroying the environment.

There’s no need to demonize the corn stalk, though—corn is healthy for both animals and people. Corn is an important part of a diet, whether it is sweet corn in the vegetable case, corn meal in the baking aisle, or white corn in tortilla chips. Corn is also essential to livestock as an energy source; in other words, it helps to feed livestock to produce meat, milk, and eggs. That’s actually where the majority of corn goes: 34 percent of field corn is used as livestock feed, according to the USDA. Animals need corn. It has to do with energy, feed palatability and a properly functioning rumen in cattle.

 Read more
at  Food Truths from Farm to Table to arm
yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can
shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book, Food Bullying, releases November 5 to upend the way you
think about eating choices.

Water is the lifeblood of a sustainable family business

Three generations working
side-by-side to bring in harvest. Identical twin daughters. Long days of
staring at little red berries, followed by short nights. Energy, patience,
stamina and passion are needed to bring in this tangy holiday tradition.

         Fall
harvest in Massachusetts is a beautiful combination of crimson color on this
cranberry farm and colorful foliage, bringing joy to the long days, according
to Dawn Gates, who farms with her family.

         And
it’s a life Dawn Gate-Allen wouldn’t trade for anything. She’s a working
mom, but her office involves tall boots and a lot of water. And solar-powered
sensors talk to her laptop – wherever it might be. Those sensors make sure the
cranberries don’t get beyond 105 degrees in their bogs and have enough
moisture. Wouldn’t that be handy for your plants?

         The
next time you drink a cranberry juice, enjoy a handful of craisins or cook with
cranberries, consider this; your cranberries have to float to be harvested. And
there’s a whole lot of focus on the environment to get them to that point.

         They
myth of agriculture not prioritizing sustainability is unrealistic. To infer
farmers and ranchers are not invested in sustainability reflects a lack of
firsthand familiarity with today’s food production practices.

         Protecting
the environment is top priority for cranberry farmers. Dawn and her husband
have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in conservation upgrades including
pop-up sprinklers, automated irrigation and new water control flumes.  Solar energy gives constant battery power to
the automated irrigation receivers, saving 15 percent in fuel annually.

         Water
is literally the lifeblood and recycled throughout the bog system. Water
provides frost protection in spring fall, protects root zones during the
harshest winter months and is essential to harvest.

         “It’s
a privilege to be a farmer and take care of our land.” That care is such a
concern that they use food grade oils in the harvesting equipment because if
something does happen, they have equipment to contain and cleanup the
spill.  Maybe oil companies could learn something from this
cranberry-growing family?                    

         Moving
to the opposite side of the country; there are few places in the U.S. that have
been challenged by environmentalists like California. Van Groningen and Sons
started farming there in 1922 with a dairy farm, moved to row crops and today
are known for melons, sweet corn, gourds, pumpkins and almonds. I visited Ryan
Van Groningen, fourth generation on the farm, about how they preserve water.

         “We
do not recycle water, but we do preserve water. All of our fields and ranches
use drip irrigation, which considerably lowers the amount of water a crop uses.  We must make decisions on what will grow,
depending on water availability. At times, growers will need to fallow prime
farmland because they do not have enough water to provide for all of the
acreage, if planted.”

         Having
lived in California a few years, I can attest to the very real concern of water
there. It’s a critical factor in the business of growing fruit and vegetables,
many of which come from the west coast. Van Groningen & Sons farms around
5,000 acres where they grow our melons, sweet corn, pumpkins and nuts.  It
sounds like huge business, but seven family member owners maintain an active
daily role, along with 50 full-time employees.

         Water
is the lifeblood of both of these family farms, large and small, west coast and
east coast. Sustainability is a driving business concern to farmers and
ranchers – and
since their families are involved with the land and water on a daily basis,
it’s personal. Protecting their business
for future generations is also a part of the sustainability model.

Read more at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to arm
yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can
shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying , releases November 5
to upend the way you think about eating choices.

Checkout with truth, not fear or guilt

         It’s time for a confession: I dread going to the grocery store. It’s
overwhelming and takes too much time. Besides, food costs too much. And how is
a mom or dad supposed to know if they’re doing the right thing for their
family?  Go back to the basics.

         Confusion and emotionalism has made food a battleground. The marketing is
getting bigger. The misinformation grows. Activists continue to bully.
Celebrities and politicians take opinion-based positions instead of looking at
the facts.  Food shaming persists. As a
result of all of this, food buyers are filled with guilt, confusion and
overwhelm. 

         I feel your pain. Unless I have a child along to try to teach them about
making healthy choices, my grocery trips are known for speed – grab and go. Be
done with it.

         Partially because I have the patience of a gnat. Mostly because I understand the system behind the food. I know the people raising food are doing it the right way for the right reasons. I also believe USDA, FDA and EPA protocol protect our food I know the science involved (sometimes too much) – and trust it.

         I can’t just grab a bag of potatoes, pick up a steak or select cereal
without thinking about the people and practices it took to produce that food.
That’s when the misleading claims about farm families and todays farming and
ranching practices becomes personal and makes me want to run screaming down the
aisles.

         Instead, I have to find comfort in knowing I’m doing the very best I can
for my family – just as the dad next door is. Just as you are.

         What are you family’s ethical, healthy, environmental and social standards? Stick to those and measure all food claims accordingly. The truth in food lies in the way it was produced, how you choose it and the value it brings to your family. That is ultimately YOUR decision and you don’t need approval from an outside party. My hope is that you know the truths so you, too, can ask better questions and adjust as necessary.

         My mantra is to know the farmer, know the science, or know the system.  In other words, do you have firsthand
perspective on how food is raised and why a farmer or rancher uses certain
practices? Or, do you know the science behind the food claims to check that
it’s common sense?  Or, do you know the
agricultural and food regulatory system well enough to trust it?

         Here are three quick ways you can cut down on the clutter and confusion
when buying food.

Go back to the basics. If a claim causes you to question it and say “wait
a minute”, it is likely sensationalized and you should walk away.Know your family’s ethical, health, environmental and social standards –
and measure all food claims against those.If you know farming, science, or the food system, you can stay focused on
buying food that is right for your family – and quickly cutting through the claims.

         Check out with truth in
food; leave the guilt behind.

Read more at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to arm
yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can
shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying , releases November 5
to upend the way you think about eating choices.

There is no singular “right” way to buy or grow food

        Is it really possible a label on food is more important than civility? I think not. Is it likely marketing on healthy foods is just as challenging as marketing on junk food? You decide for yourself, but after 15 years of researching the topic, I’d say absolutely. Let’s get to the bottom of it. There is no singular right way to raise meat. A label should not infer superiority or inferiority. A brand making those marketing claims on food labels is best avoided, in my opinion. Marketing on labels is confusing and leads to guilt.

         You decide what is the right meat for you based upon your family’s needs and priorities. Not on brand, label claims, guilt or status symbol.

         Janeal Yancey, a Ph.D. meat scientist at the University of Arkansas
explains the differences between three meat labels.

Organic : Animals must be only fed organic feed and
allowed to graze only organically-managed pastures. They are not to be given
hormones or any other growth-promoting agents, and only allowed to be given
vaccines when they are not sick (nothing else). There are requirements that
they must be allowed access to outdoors. All of these regulations are certified
by agencies accredited through USDA. In order to place the USDA organic seal on
the label of a product, it must be made with 95 percent or greater organic
ingredients. Meat labeled as “organic” is very expensive because it costs a lot
to produce. Natural: Lots of people
think that ‘Natural’ is the same as ‘Organic’. It is not. According to USDA
Food Safety and Inspection Service, a product with the word ‘Natural’ on the
label must be “A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and
is only minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was
processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product. The label
must include a statement explaining the meaning of the term natural (such as
“no artificial ingredients; minimally processed”).” Grass-fed : Producers feed
cattle grain for the last three or four months of their life, an efficient way
to get the cattle to gain weight and fatten to a point where American consumers
like to eat beef. Most of us like juicy, tender beef, and that comes from
marbled beef.  Grass-fed beef is
generally leaner and has a stronger flavor than grain-fed beef.  To be labeled ‘grass (forage) fed’ meat (most
likely beef or lamb), the animal must have only been allowed to eat grass or
hay for its entire life (except milk when they are babies). Grass feeding takes
a longer time to get cattle large enough to slaughter, and there is not as much
meat on grass-fed beef. So, it costs more.     

         Personally, I choose conventionally raised meat with as few marketing claims as possible.  Science supports this choice and I find conventionally raised to be the most responsible for animal welfare, as well as more sustainable – considering the waste that occurs with organic meat. Those are my standards. What are yours?

         Read more at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to
arm yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you
can shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying ,
releases November 5 to upend the way you think about eating choices.

A love of playing in the soil

         Meet Tyson Roberts, a vegetable grower just outside of Salt Lake City,
Utah – a
man who wears many hats and a man who is committed to the land that has been in
his family for 150 years. When I asked why he farms, he quickly responds: “it’s
a relationship with the land, with the soil. It’s how I was raised and how I
want my kids to be raised. It’s a family thing.”

         The farm raises sweet corn, potatoes, popcorn, garlic, sweet potatoes
onions, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes – he likes to say his farm grows “anything
you need for salsa.”

         Their business is a great example of how all of us owe our existence to
soil – and the nutrition that comes forth when water is added to the earth.

                    Crop rotation is critical for soil management
when growing vegetables. Some crops, like tomatoes, use a lot of nutrients, so
rotation protects the soil from having too many nutrients taken up by plants.
It’s also logical to rotate because certain types of ground is not suited to
grow different crops. If you plant a product in the wrong soil type, it leaves
it susceptible to different diseases, increases pressure from weeds and you’ll
end up spending a whole lot more on inputs (the products to provide nutrients
or combat diseases).

         In other words, farmers growing crops need to be soil scientists. It’s
especially true for those planting a variety of crops like vegetables; the
farmer has to know their soil type and what they are planting. Soil can change
dramatically in half a mile. Some ground is sandier, some is heavier. Potatoes
and tomatoes are in the same family so they can’t be planted annually right
after each other. Research is required to know which rotations (the order crops
are planted in) result in more problems with diseases in the plants.

         Soil testing is done in the spring before planting and again in the fall
so farmers can compare what winter does with the soil.  Some fields require nitrogen, but the amount,
timing and application differ based upon crop, soil and time of year. The soil
in the other fields require potassium and phosphate, which is plowed into the
root zone. Yet another specific area may require iron. Soil health has a lot of
moving pieces to put together.

         Healthy soil grows more food. Healthy soil requires fewer inputs. Healthy
soil preserves generations of farmers. Healthy soil requires less water.
Healthy soil just makes sense for farmers.

         Farmers apply a lot of science and expertise to caring for their land to
raise food. Nurturing the soil is key to their existence – and ours. That is
true whether the farmer has 50 acres in Utah or 5,000 acres in Arizona. Healthy
soil grows healthy food for you.

Read more at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to arm
yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can
shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying , releases November 5
to upend the way you think about eating choices.

Where fruits grow, bugs go

         Chemicals are bad, right? Not quite. Chemicals are a building block of life. All living organisms are usually built from these six chemicals: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and sulfur. It is also true life produces chemicals, such as carbon dioxide.

           Plants also make their own
pesticides. These have adapted over time and allowed some plants to flourish
while others do not. Yes, plants have survival of the fittest. In order to beat
out bugs, fungi and weeds, plants have adapted over time.

         While it may seem ideal to grow food without the use of chemicals, it is
not realistic. Why? Where fruits grow, bugs flourish. The sugar in fruits acts
like an addictive drug for insects, who attack fruit in the form of worms, bugs
and larvae. And in the interest of food safety, there is little tolerance by
processors, retailers or consumers for buggy fruit.

         Case in point: cherries. Ben LaCross is a second generation cherry grower
and talks about the process needed to grow the perfect cherry. “It’s a lot
harder to grow a healthy cherry tree commercially than a tomato plant or any
garden. We can’t grow commercially viable cherry orchard without crop
protection products.”  Trees are attacked
by root worms and borers, leaves are destroyed by fungus, and the fruit is
infested by bugs.

         “Fungal diseases are a major problem with fruit crops because they have
no immune system to fight off pathogens.” Ben points to leaf spot as an
example.  “Trees have to be sprayed for
this fungus every seven days since the leaves are growing so quickly. If trees
aren’t sprayed, they lose their leaves. No leaves, no life.”

         Just as you would treat ringworm on your skin, fungal diseases on fruit
trees are treated with a mix of chemicals and copper-products, applied at
minimal rates by spraying the trees. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
label mandates the last spray is 7-14 days before harvest.

         Pests start attacking the cherries as soon as the tree puts out
fruit.  Plum Curculio is
an insect that uses green fruit to lay its eggs, which hatch into a worm at
harvest. Ben pointed to the zero tolerance processors have for this; if one
worm is found, all the cherries are wasted.

         Not only will the processor not accept a load of cherries if a worm is present – the entire orchard will have to be abandoned. In other words, all the time, labor and preparation costs are wasted – a very costly problem.

         How do cherry farmers like Ben be sure they deliver cherries with no
bugs? Spray pesticides. The alternative is no product for maraschino cherries,
cherry baked goods or cherry ice cream. The pesticides have been extensively
researched and are applied at the smallest amount possible – but they are
necessary in Ben’s cherry orchards.

         Keep in mind: without chemicals, cherries wouldn’t be readily
available to you.

Read more at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to arm
yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can
shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying , releases November 5
to upend the way you think about eating choices.

Pecking order isn’t pretty

         Warning – you may change the way you look at animals.  You see, chickens are cannibals. They will
peck and peck at each other until…well, you know. They are also amongst the
world’s largest scavenger population. Chickens don’t just wait for a farmer to
thrown corn down and happily peck the ground. They will eat what they find.
Corn. Bugs. Feces. Garbage. Oats. Worms. Each other.

         Wait…what? Yes, I said chickens will eat each other. Chickens are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. They will injure one other, bully a weaker chicken and eat a sick bird. Animals naturally operate in a hierarchy that ensures survival of the fittest. While it may seem gross to you, animals follow this hierarchy even when that doesn’t fit into idyllic images of farms.

         Before you get too grossed out and never eat an egg again, let me explain
why I’m sharing this. There is a differentiating factor between humans,
companion animals and farm animals. Please keep eating your eggs and meat; both
are essential sources of protein.

         Yet, it’s important to understand animal behavior – even when it is gross
– if you’re going to judge animal welfare. That’s called full transparency and
it’s not always pretty. The American Veterinary Medical Association defines
animal welfare as “the
state of the animal; the treatment that an animal receives is covered by other
terms such as animal care, animal husbandry and humane treatment.”

         It is a farmer’s job to protect the state of the animal, in concert with professionals like veterinarians. It is not a simple task; there are actually college degrees and academia who focus exclusively on the care of poultry. Protecting the state of the animal involves science, patience, the ability to read animals, and protocols.

         One of the way farmers protect chickens from each other by beak
management. This technique, similar to trimming toenails, keeps the beak blunt
so they can’t peck each other. Is it cruel? Not unless you consider trimming
your nails cruel.

         However, taken out of context, with no knowledge of what animals can do
to each other – a video or photo of a chick having its’ beak trimmed can look
awful. Please pause when you see these images and think about context. Why would a farmer use that practice with
animals?  What is the consequence if they
don’t?

         Today’s chicken farms are highly regulated; most chickens live in a
temperature controlled barn so they are not out in the heat or snow. They have
access to food and water 24 hours a day. They have a belt that takes away their
manure. And contrary to some claims, laying hens are not fed growth
promotants or antibiotics. It’s illegal to do so.

         However, hens are vaccinated for salmonella
through their breast bone, which has been attributed to improving food safety.
Cages have also prevented diseases from spreading since they have limited
exposure to other birds. As Willamette Egg Farms in Oregon state “Simply put,
healthy hens lay the best eggs. We are committed to providing our hens with the
best possible living environment.”

Read more at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to arm
yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can
shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying , releases November 5
to upend the way you think about eating choices.

The reality of convenience

         Do you ever feel like an Olympian juggler? Finish up major project to
meet a work deadline. Get kids fed after school. Shuttle to basketball, then
piano. Pick up dry cleaning. Run to grocery store. Don’t forget the dog food.
Get to the baseball game.

         And then it’s time to feed everyone. Yikes, there’s no time for that, but
they are screaming something like “get in my belly.” Grab some fruit to go,
throw veggies in a snack bag and hit a drive thru to get your family fed in
between activities. And then just breathe…they are happily eating, so you have
done your job in taking care of them.

         Or have you? Some believe
they can’t stop at fast food joints. That’s a choice. Others believe anything
pre-cut in produce is wrong. That’s a choice. 
Another grocery buyer may avoid canned or frozen fruit or vegetables.
That’s a choice.  One choice is not right
while the others are wrong.

         Personally, I believe today’s harried parents need permission to STOP THE GUILT. If buying a bag of pre-cut apples at McDonald’s is the best you can do to get fruit in your kiddo one evening – so be it. Likewise, if you live in snow in the winter, frozen and canned fruit are better than going without. If using frozen vegetables allows you enough time to cook a meal, you are doing the right thing.

         “I don’t want to be judged for what is in my grocery cart.”

         Turns out that food guilt is alive and well – even in the small town I
live in. As I was sitting with a group of friends one evening in my living room
while we all enjoyed a glass of wine, the conversation turned to guilt at the
grocery. I was a bit surprised to find even the most independent moms fall prey
to food shaming and worry about being judged by what’s in their cart.

         My friend Harley fusses about being judged by processed foods like pizza
bites in her cart since one of her sons struggles with weight. April worries
what it looks like if cross-fit people see her cart has anything but fresh
ingredients with the “right” label. Becca stresses about people judging her if
she has any processed foods in her cart.

         Let me be crystal clear; your grocery cart is your business. No one else’s. It’s food – sustenance – and you’re trying to do the best thing for your family. No one should be judging another person because they have processed food, fresh food or deli food. It’s food!

         What’s important to remember is convenience is a scale…and no answer is perfect. You may need to purchase frozen meals for your kids staying after school for a musical. They can have a salad the next day – the world won’t end. Likewise, if you are higher on the convenience scale, you could consider grabbing a bag of carrots instead of Cheetos. The reality of convenience is about balance and moderation.

         Convenience is sometimes necessary – do not let others tell you what is right or
wrong for your family. Only you know your reality.

Read more at   Food Truths from Farm to Table  to arm
yourself with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can
shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying , releases November 5
to upend the way you think about eating choices.

Excuse Me, There’s a Cucumber in My Papaya

The first time I visited Hawaii and
discovered the sweet fresh of papayas, I thought I was in heaven. I had never
touched them before in the grocery store since they were kind of foreign
looking. You know how it goes: if you don’t know what to do with a food, you
skip it.

After eating untold quantities of the fleshy
orange innards of papaya on the islands, I make it a point to seek them out
now.

A devastating ringspot virus hit Hawaii in the 1940s. Papaya growing moved between islands, going from Oahu to Puna, and then the virus was found in back- yards nearby. Aphids spread the virus, which nearly destroyed papaya plants. The result was nearly $17 million lost in papaya business for the islands.

Finding a solution to this became the focus
of everyone involved with papayas, to save both family businesses and a major
contributor to the Hawaiian economy. A team of researchers tested hundreds of
plants to see which were resistant to the virus and chose a cucumber. They
identified the gene that was resistant to the ringspot virus from the cucumber
and isolated it so they could use it in the papaya.

The solution came from the virus itself—meaning it’s like a vaccination we take to avoid chickenpox. Scientists isolated the gene from the cucumber from the virus’s protein coat and inserted it into papaya cells. One of the papaya cells added the new gene to its own DNA, which was incorporated into the papaya. It allows the cells’ defenses to recognize the virus’s gene product as foreign and destroy the virus by chopping it into such small pieces that no infection occurs.

Then came the regulatory agencies, charged
with making sure the new virus- resistant papaya was safe for humans and the
environment. Animal Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) considered the
impact on agricultural environments, and the EPA looked at the pesticidal
impact of the viral coat protein produced by the transgenic papaya. Finally,
the FDA considered the food safety aspect of the transgenic papaya.  And the once-endangered
papaya plant continued to exist.

Genes are in every living being—including you; they’re not the bad guy. Remember the pain of picking seeds out of grapes? Thank a gene for your seedless grapes. Enjoy watching your kids bury their face in watermelon with no worry of choking on seeds? Thank a gene for your seedless watermelon.

Another great example of genes at work is
the Arctic apple, which was developed in British Columbia, Canada. This apple
doesn’t brown as fast because they have slowed down the gene that causes
browning of the apple. I don’t know about you, but no matter how many times I
try to talk myself into eating those leftover brown apple slices—they still
kind of gross me out.

Genes can do amazing things, from protecting a plant for long-term survival, to offering more nutrition in a piece of fruit, making it more convenient for those of us who enjoy fruit.

Read
more at   Food Truths from Farm
to Table  to arm yourself with 25 truths you
urgently need to know about food so you can shop without guilt, confusion, or
judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying ,
releases November 5 to upend the way you think about eating choices.