Michele Payn's Blog, page 14

What does organic mean?

       There is no singular right way to raise produce. There is no singular right way to purchase produce.  The good news? There’s a solid system in place to protect you whether you buy organic or conventional fruit.

         Organic farming is a food production process. It is defined by the USDA and producers who want to use the USDA organic label on their food must be certified. They have comply with federal regulations, just as conventional producers do. Both types of farmers must follow rules for safe production practices. Both care for the soil. Both organic and conventional foods are inspected. Both control pests. Both types of production are regulated and monitored for safety when it comes to levels of chemicals, pesticides and antibiotics.

         The organic crop production standards require that:

 Land must have had no prohibited substances
applied to it for at least three years before the harvest of an organic crop.Soil fertility and crop nutrients will
be managed through tillage and cultivation practices, crop rotations and cover
crops, supplemented with animal and crop waste materials and allowed synthetic
materials.Crop pests, weeds, and diseases will be
controlled primarily through management practices including physical,
mechanical, and biological controls. When these practices are not sufficient, a
biological, botanical, or synthetic substance approved for use on the National
List may be used.

         Some of the botanical and mineral-based pesticides allowed in organic
production include nicotine sulfate, sulfur, sabidilla, neem and lime sulfur –
which have varying levels of toxicity, the same as chemicals used in
conventional farming. A complete list of synthetic substances allowed in the
National Organic Program can be found at the “Electronic Code of Federal
Regulations” at the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

         Do you assume foods not labeled organic are less nutritious and may even contain harmful chemicals, pesticides and antibiotics? Research shows otherwise.

         I was speaking at a food conference, where dietitians questioned the
sustainability of organic as compared to conventional farming. They were
surprised to learn organic produce can have pesticides used. These healthcare
professionals also seemed shocked to learn the difference in productivity and
potential implications of organic’s lower yield requiring more land.
Sustainability in food production is far more complex than only looking at a
single factor, such as pesticides.

         Don’t get me wrong; I support organic farmers and believe they have a right to choose the best market for their family. Organic foods have gained popularity; there is a clear perception that organic foods are safer and more nutritious. Again, I question the science, and ask how much is marketing? At the end of the day, your fruit selection comes down to choice.  All fruits have chemicals in them, raised with some sort of pest protection – and are nutritious. You choose what is right for your family; that’s a decision that should not be driven by guilt. The good news is that we have choice; you can likely find food to fit whatever philosophy you want.

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.

Skip the antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers

         Bacteria are bad, right? Gross little creature that make us sick? Not
quite; there are good and bad bacteria. You need some to maintain a healthy
digestive system, yet others can kill you.

         Bacteria are microscopic living organisms, usually one-celled, found everywhere. And yes, your gut houses a whole bunch of them!  They are even under your fingernails and all over your skin; you’re actually the host to about a trillion bacteria. Bacteria can make you sick or be beneficial, such as those in your gut.

         Interestingly enough, antibacterial soaps don’t necessarily solve the
hand-washing problem. The FDA announced in 2014 manufacturers have to show
over-the-counter antibacterial soap is both safe and more effective than
conventional hand washing.  Given the
amount of anti-bacterial use amongst the mom crowd, this could cause a bit of
hysteria. No need. There’s a simple answer. Wash your hands with soap for 15-20
seconds. It’s simple. 

         “Clean hands save lives” is the CDC’s mantra. They indicate washing hands with soap and warm water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes in most situations.

         Turns out the same is true for your fruit, but skip the soap.The FDA does
not recommend washing produce with soap,
detergent, bleach or commercial washes. Rather:

Handle produce with care to minimize bruisingWash in cold waterDry off any excess waterKeep produce that is supposed to be kept cool in the refrigerator (set at
40 degrees F or below)Dispose of any fruits or vegetables that look like they are going bad

         Washing your fruit and handling it properly goes a long way towards food
safety. Don’t assume fruit are laden with chemicals. In other words, they can’t
be sprayed right before harvest and the fruit is certainly not “drenched” in
chemicals, as some claim.

         What’s that waxy feel on your apple? Food-grade wax put on at the packing
house to help preserve the apple. What’s the white stuff on your grapes? A
harmless coating that the grape plant naturally produces to keep moisture in
the grapes. Wash and wipe; these substances will go away.

         There is also the bad side to bacteria, usually in a less controlled
environment, such as when your fruit decomposes into brown mush in the back of
your refrigerator. 

         The bacteria causing fruit and vegetable to spoil actually won’t harm
humans, though they can make the produce mushy, which is more attractive to
human pathogens such as Salmonella. E. Coli and listeria are another
example of bacteria that causes human illness. These are the bacteria that can
make you sick.

         No system is perfect, including agriculture. However, it’s good to know there are benchmarks and audits protecting your fruit. At some point, a consumer has to balance if they are more comfortable with pesticide use in food production or the potential for bacteria. I always go with what science supports, which means I’m O.K. with pesticides used responsibly.

         Whether it’s in the fruit aisle or with meats served at a restaurant, we
need to consider food safety. If we continue to put so much pressure on farmers
to produce more with less while increasing regulations, we will be importing
significantly more food.

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.

What is food bullying?

Has anyone ever made you feel bad about the food you choose to eat? Is it OK to shame people about their eating choices if it’s not socially acceptable to shame people on race, religion, or sexual orientation? Why is a pregnant woman made to feel guilty if she’s not buying the “right” label of food, or a new dad totally frustrated over the thousands of options found in the grocery store? Is it necessary for a college student to be shamed over her choice to eat meat or not?

I don’t think it’s O.K. to shame, judge, or taunt others about their farming or eating choices. That’s why I wrote Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying B.S., which will be released November 5, 2019. Many people have never heard of food bullying, so I wanted to help frame this issue, as it’s an alarming trend in the $5.75 trillion business of food.

Bull Speak (B.S.) refers to the bad behaviors, deceptive label claims, marketing half-truths, and other unnecessary drama surrounding our food plates today. Frankly, it’s all just B.S.! An $8 gallon of milk from a specialty store is not superior to a $2.99 gallon of milk from a convenience store. Both the perceived better label and resulting sense of superiority are often B.S. Assuming you are a better person because you bought the “right label” of food is no different than schoolyard bullying over the “right brand” of clothing.

Bullying
operates from a point of privilege, preying on fear. Food marketing is often
fear-based. This misleading marketing has made food overly emotional, to the
point where our nutrition is seemingly trumped by moral statement. The
resulting social movement has caused an alarming rise in food bullying. The
more food bullying, the more B.S. food—and so the cycle continues.

Consider this; if the power in your food choices has shifted to what you read on marketing labels, you are likely being bullied. The front of food packages frequently contains misleading and B.S. information—because companies want you to spend your money on their product. The Michigan State University (MSU) Food Literacy 2018 study showed that 87% of people are at least somewhat influenced by food labels in their food buying decisions.

Bullying doesn’t happen without fear—and there’s a whole lot of fear in food today! Food bullying literally takes food out of someone’s hand—by removing choice, creating emotion, or forcing an individual into groupthink mentality.

“Somebody
telling me I’m buying/eating incorrectly if I don’t eat vegan or organic” is
how a Wisconsin millennial summed up food bullying, while another local friend
said, “It’s simply someone belittling my eating choices without knowing the
reason behind them.” A Canadian baby boomer dad pointed to food evangelists who
try to force their viewpoint on him.

What does food bullying mean to you? It’s likely different for everyone, but bullying typically appeals to esteem or belonging needs. It can be done with the best of intentions, or to change your buying behavior. Isn’t it time we stopped bullying?

Pardon me, you dropped intellectual property in my food

What technology do you use every day? I’m completely an Apple girl —from my phone to my office equipment to AppleTV to my daughter’s iPod. Yes, I drank their cool-aid and believe Steve Jobs had a brilliant mind in recreating Apple—though I refuse to wait in line for new releases.

         How many people
do you know who will camp out for the latest iPhone, AppleWatch or release from
this iconic brand? They want the hottest technology in their hands as soon as
it’s released. Whether a business, productivity or entertainment tool, it’s
technology they ‘have to have.’

         What if one of
those loyal Apple fans decided to hack into the iOS(Apple’s operating system)
and steal intellectual property (IP)? Would they go from an Apple lover to a
convicted criminal? Likely. Consider Apple’s actions to protect their iOS from
even the government—IP is a big deal to a business who has invested billions in
developing it—and they are rather adamant about protecting it.

         How is that any different when it comes to plants? Yes, seeds are a natural plant product—you can go out to any tree or plant and find seeds. Yet, as you look at your knockout roses, know those are patented genetics.  And that beautiful flowering snowball hydrangea? It contains IP in the way it was grafted on a tree.  The sweet corn you enjoyed knowing it has been sprayed with fewer chemicals because of its genetics? Also IP.

         Does IP only apply to the upper echelons of tech companies? Is a
patent on a seed less than a patent on an iPhone? I think not.  There are patents on non-GMO crops like those
making your flour, organic products, GMO seeds such as sweet corn that is
genetically protected against worms and ornamental plants that have been bred
be featured in your landscaping.

         Check out the plant labels the next time you go to a garden center
and you’ll likely find a patent. Most often, it’s a genetic patent because of
the breeding and/or technology involved. Keep in mind; someone worked a long
time and invested a lot of money to make those black petunias, grafted trees
and special-shaped shrubs.

         The same is true in the food grown to make baking products and bread; there are centuries of research, improved genetics and yes—technology invested in the ingredients in your cereal box. Genetics used in farming and ranching (on both the crop and animal side) are intellectual property, used to make more nutritious food—no different from the IP used to make an iPhone productive.    

         Examples of genetics include natural selection for a trait such as
protein in dairy breeding to make better cheese, hybridization by crossing two
kinds of peppers for better yield, genetic modification by moving a bacterium
gene into corn to as a natural insecticide, or making soybeans resistant to a
particular herbicide.

         Is
there IP in your cereal bowl? Yes. But don’t drop your iPhone in your bowl—it
wouldn’t be a good combination. The same could be said of the misinformation
around the seeds that are growing your cereal—GMO or otherwise.  Remember, IP on your plate. As you walk the
cereal aisle, be wary of false claims—and boxes with annoying toys.

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.

Is your fat better than my fat?

Lard or butter? Coconut oil as the saving grace? Bacon as a happy food ‘drug.’  Cooking shows on TV treat saturated fats like these as though they are the star of the kitchen.

         The rest of us
are left to deal with the reality of figuring out the fat puzzle, which has had
conflicting messages for 50 years. Myself included.

        There’s been a tremendous amount of research done in making more natural fats, from food science labs working to reduce fat in dairy products to plant scientists breeding a better oilseed. Canola is the by-product of such science —it was developed through traditional breeding from rapeseed, while removing the undesirable characteristics.

         According to Oklahoma State University, canola oil contains just seven percent saturated fat, compared to 15 percent for olive oil, 19 percent from peanut oil and 12 percent for sunflower oil.  Canola oil is considered the healthiest of all commonly used cooking oils. It is lowest in saturated fat and the best source of omega-3 fats of the popular oils. Canola oil, from pressed canola seed, is high in cholesterol-lowering mono-unsaturated fat.  

         Studies examining the role of canola oil in lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure have been conducted over the past 20 years. When used as part of a balanced diet, canola oil has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and have a beneficial effect on clot formation, which decreases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

         Contrary to some people’s thinking, canola is a crop unto itself.
Canola belongs to the same family as mustard, broccoli, brussel sprouts and
cauliflower. Canola seed is harvested from pods that are formed after those
beautiful yellow flowers fade away. It’s a yellow oil, usually found in between
vegetable oil and corn oil.

         North American farmers have been growing canola seed for over 30 years. About 1.5 million acres are grown in the U.S. (mostly in North Dakota) the ratio of supply versus demand of canola oil is about 1:3. The U.S. actually imports a great deal of canola from Canada, where 20 million acres are grown annually, according to the Canola Councils in both countries.

         Buying and cooking food requires understanding the different
elements. Oils or fats are an important building block in a recipe. They have
become complicated, but remember to stick close to fats created naturally.

         An avocado is a
healthier choice than mayonnaise and a handful of nuts is more nutritious than
fried chips. Limit how much you consume and balance with your diet, but don’t turn
away from the right kinds of fats and oils. Moderation is key.

Read
more at   Food Truths to Farm to Table  and take a trip around the grocery store to be
armed with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can shop
without guilt, confusion, or judgment. Learn the truths so you can recognize
marketing and move on. A new book, Food Bullying, is expected late 2019.

Sugar, salt & everything evil

         Each August, in the midst of 90-degree humid Hoosier days and school starting, the Indiana State Fair rolls around. We take my daughter’s cattle to the ‘hood of downtown Indianapolis so she can be a part of the state 4-H dairy show (a beauty contest for cows).

         Once we arrive, we unload several hundred
pounds of hay, straw and tack, while getting everything set up for the cattle
over the span of a couple of hours. Then I ask her the key question.  “What’s our treat today?” 

         “Elephant ear,”
is almost always her choice on the first day. 
Since elephant ears evoke memories of my own days as a 4-Her at the
Hillsdale County Fair in southern Michigan, I happily oblige. You might be
wondering what an elephant ear is; it’s piece of dough stretched into a large
oval, deep fried and topped with cinnamon and sugar.  The more cinnamon and sugar, the better!

         Let’s step back
and define sugar. It is a simple carbohydrate. It has been consumed since the
beginning of time. There are more than twenty individual, naturally-found
sugars, which are known as monosaccharides. 
Glucose, fructose, galactose and ribose are the only four sugars
absorbable into the human body.

        Yet movies have been written about sugar, it is claimed to cause cancer, Food Babe chortles about sugars and Dr. Oz offers his opinion. MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas says “It’s true that sugar feeds every cell in our body —even cancer cells. But, research shows that eating sugar doesn’t necessarily lead to cancer. It’s what sugar does to your waistline that can lead to cancer.”

         Rather than the
‘sugar is bad’ mantra, how about simply lessening our intake?  Dietary
Guidelines for 2015-2020 is to limit intake of added sugars to less than 10
percent of total daily calories instead of the 13-17 percent we currently
consume.

         What about salt? Did you know you would not be able to survive
without salt? Sodium is an essential electrolyte; it maintains fluid balance
and carries out vital functions such as regulating blood volume and nervous
system activity, as well as ensuring healthy heart function and muscle
contraction.

         Salt is not produced by the body, so sodium in nutrition allows us to
function. Table salt also contains a critical element that we do not get
elsewhere—iodine. Iodine is required for brain and thyroid function and iodized
table salt is recommended as the source of your sodium. Sea salt, as lovely as it is to cook with, has no iodine
in it.

         Salt is also a natural preservative, so it is often higher in canned
and processed foods. For example, sodium nitrite is used to prevent botulism in
cured meats. What’s the secret avoiding too much salt? Reading the label to
know what products contain a lot of salt and adjusting your tastes to less
sodium, and using products with less sodium.

Read
more at   Food Truths to Farm to Table  and take a trip around the grocery store to be
armed with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can shop
without guilt, confusion, or judgment. Learn the truths so you can recognize
marketing and move on. A new book, Food Bullying, is expected late 2019.

Grains are an important part of your diet.

         One of my friend’s 15 year-old daughters recently spent over 30 minutes trying to find hard-shelled tacos. You know the kind—the yellow corn shells standard in the Mexican food section? She found them, but it was the label that took forever; she wanted taco shells without a gluten-free label. In the infamous words of a teenager “Because it’s stupid they put that on the label, wheat isn’t in corn shells.”

         A teenager
clearly had a better grasp on gluten than most. Merriam-Webster defines gluten
as a tenacious elastic protein
substance especially of wheat flour that gives cohesiveness to dough. Other
definitions say gluten is a substance present in
cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of
dough.

         Milk, vegetables and water labeled have recently been labeled gluten-free. Why? If gluten was truly understood, would it need to be labeled? I think not. Gluten is undoubtedly the food fad du jour.

         Celiac is a
terrible disease. I would never question why those who have been diagnosed by a
medical professional as celiac would avoid gluten. As a person with a digestive
disorder, I understand how painful eating the wrong foods can be.

         However, the
number of products labeled “gluten-free” has skyrocketed. The gluten-free
market is now estimated to be around $6 billion with 20 percent of the
population buying these products. Bestselling books like Wheat Belly and
diets such as the paleo diet, have advised against eating carbs. As a result,
more people questioning the importance of grains like wheat in their diets.
Suddenly there is guilt over eating gluten.

         The Dietary
Guidelines recommend making half of the grains you eat whole, so try to get
some whole grains instead of a refined-grain product. When you select bread,
you’ll have to read the label because being brown or being labeled multi-grain
doesn’t make bread whole-grain. I’ve been tricked myself. Look for whole grain
wheat flour to be listed as the first ingredient on your loaf of bread.

         Quinoa is cool; I happen to love it. But wheat doesn’t deserve to be labeled as a “bad” food because of fads and false claims. Grains and gluten are an essential part of a diet. Grains can help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other health complications. Enjoy a diversity of grains in a balanced diet without the guilt!

         Grains are good
your diet. Grains provide fiber. Grains have been an essential part of
nutrition for centuries. Grains have not suddenly started poisoning people.

Read more at   Food Truths to Farm to Table  and take a trip around the grocery store to be
armed with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can shop
without guilt, confusion, or judgment. Learn the truths so you can recognize
marketing and move on. A new book, Food Bullying, is expected late 2019.

Mothers standing in judgment

      Remember the first time you heard a comment judging your choice as a mom? Did the claws come out or were you able to turn your head? Mothers don’t just judge each other on how they care for their children—they also judge each other on how they care for their cattle.

         While I was at a meeting for farm women, we took a tour of the facility and spent some time looking at calf care. Raising healthy “babies” (calves, piglets, etc.) is an area women are often charged with on the farm—and excel at it—with a mothering instinct that translates to animal care instincts.   And there can be plenty of judgment involved.

         “Did you see those calves? I don’t think they’re feeding them right” was the first whisper I heard from one woman as we walked amongst the calves on a sunny day as the birds chirped in the background. “I think they need to be treated – I would give them electrolytes” was the next comment. There were a couple calves that weren’t feeling their best—and the longer we were in the calf area, the more negative comments I heard from the women about poor calf care.  I had to quietly smile as I stood back and watched women, normally very kind and generous, make fairly judgmental statements about what they would be doing to help the calves.

         You see, each woman there takes calf care very personally. When our animals are sick, we are in distress. All the momma bear tendencies show up. Not because we are profit-driven, but because having healthy calves, piglets, or chicks is personal.  And we want to use the tools we know will treat sickness, which includes antibiotics. Keeping those babies healthy is important!

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         How would you feel about seeing a dirty kid eating candy off the ground?  Disgust? Judgment in parenting? Would you cast the same judgment on a mother who took her child to the doctor for antibiotics? It’s all about personal choice—and being responsive to changing conditions.

         Likewise, doing what is right for our animals is personal. As a mom— and a caretaker of farm animals—I am concerned about the opportunity to have my children and animals treated when they are sick.

Read
more at   Food Truths to Farm to Table  and take a trip around the grocery store to be
armed with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can shop
without guilt, confusion, or judgment. Learn the truths so you can recognize
marketing and move on. A new book, Food Bullying, is expected late 2019.

What’s growing in your veggie drawer?

My visit to South Africa is a memory I’ll carry for the rest of my life. Seeing giraffes cross the road, watching elephants play like my dairy calves and holding a baby lion was amazing. Harvesting grapes at a vineyard and sampling wine was a delight for the senses.

But what is seared in my mind forever are the eyes of hungry children. Children who live in squatter’s camps by the millions. Children who don’t care about the politics of food, but only where they can get their next meal.

I’ve seen those same eyes in Egypt from children begging. And in the Ukraine shortly after communism fell. Then back in Indiana when my daughter started school and had hungry classmates.

The debate we have around food in developed countries is a very privileged one. Yet, even in the U.S., one in six people go hungry. That number rises globally. Yet today it is more righteous to debate the politics of food than the very real problem of hunger. As Reagan noted, it’s difficult to believe people are still starving in this country.

What’s the answer to food insecurity and hunger? It is a multi-faceted answer; part of which has to be solving food waste in this country.

“It’s difficult to believe that people are still
starving in this country because
food isn’t
available.”
~ Ronald Reagan
 

Did you know Americans throw away 40 percent of the country’s food supply?  Fresh fruits and vegetables account for 22 percent of total food loss from retail, restaurants and household? Processed fruits and vegetables add another eight percent – nearly one-third the total food wasted. That’s a whole lot of smelly fruits and veggies!4

I’m just as guilty as anyone – my veggies sometimes ferment into lettuce silage and fruit goes unnoticed in the back of the refrigerator until it is a pile of brown mush. How does your refrigerator look?

Most waste happens at a consumer level. We let food go bad in the fridge, or misunderstand the meaning of expiration dates and throw away food before it’s expired. But some waste happens at the production and retail levels – produce that isn’t perfect may not be harvested on the farm, and restaurants and grocery stores toss food before it’s spoiled to make room for new shipments.

USDA and EPA announced the first-ever food waste reduction goal for the U.S. In 2015, calling for a fifty percent reduction by 2030. Food is the single biggest contributor to landfills today: 133 billion pounds of it end up in dumpsters each year in America.

We trash about $162 billion worth of food across the nation, which uses up about 25 percent of the US water supply and produces 33 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gases annually. When in landfills, food waste releases methane, a greenhouse gas. Yet, one in six Americans live in food insecurity and many of those have little access to produce?

Read more at   Food Truths to Farm to Table  and take a trip around the grocery store to be armed with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. Learn the truths so you can recognize marketing and move on. A new book, Food Bullying, is expected late 2019.

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Is Local Best?

Local food makes sense, right? Food that’s grown closer tastes better, travels fewer miles, and supports the community. My family likes to grow our own veggies, buy beef from a friend, and pick fruit locally and is quite partial to Michigan’s red haven peaches and Indiana’s cantaloupes.

Likewise, my family also enjoys pineapples from Puerto Rico, almonds from California, and strawberries in February from Florida—all thousands of miles away from my kitchen. Is it wrong of me to want fresh fruit for my family when there is snow on the ground? Not necessarily.

Eating local food seems like common sense, until you read The Locavores Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000-Mile Diet. If you’re into food, I recommend the book, though it’s a very cerebral read. Authors Desrochers and Shimizu summarize “Turning our back on the global food supply chain, and in the process, reducing the quantity of food produced in the most suitable locations will inevitably result in larger amounts of inferior land being put under cultivation.”

As it turns out, producing food requires a lot more energy than transporting food, particularly if heating or cooling of the products is necessary during transport. For example, shipping freshly picked apples from New Zealand in that country’s summer to the United Kingdom during its winter is actually more sustainable because less energy is used in cold storage. Apples grown in the United Kingdom and stored for five to nine months (experiencing normal food loss rates) used 8 to 16 percent more energy in studies cited in The Locavores Dilemma.

To quote the authors on the myth of locavorism healing the earth: “A world with modern agriculture will dramatically curtail our impact on the environment. Increased competitive pressures cause farmers to constantly find new and better ways of doing things, including economies of scale, relocating their operations or increasing their purchases from businesses located in more suitable areas—which will spare nature while increasing production.”

How much does it cost to heat your house in the dead of winter? The same is true for a greenhouse in New York trying to grow tomatoes. But if those tomatoes are grown in sunlight and shipped in, they are likely to not only taste better, but also require less total energy use.

The same is true for frozen or canned fruits. The USDA’s My Plate calls for fruit and vegetables as an essential part of a healthy diet. Canned foods are comparable to cooked and fresh varieties in their nutrient contribution—all provide needed nutrients that make a healthy diet. That does not change whether the produce was grown 25 or 2,500 miles away.

Local is great when it’s available. Canned fruit also meets nutrient requirements. So does frozen produce. What matters is you are getting produce on your plate—not whether it was grown in the same zip code or not.

Read more at   Food Truths to Farm to Table  and take a trip around the grocery store to be armed with 25 truths you urgently need to know about food so you can shop without guilt, confusion, or judgment. Learn the truths so you can recognize marketing and move on. A new book, Food Bullying, is expected late 2019.