“Founder Kenny Ausubel coined the term Bioneers in 1990 to describe an emerging culture. Bioneers are social and scientific innovators from all walks of life and disciplines who have peered deep into the heart of living systems to understand how nature operates, and to mimic “nature’s operating instructions” to serve human ends without harming the web of life.” You can readmore  about Bioneers here.

The conference brings together modern-day visionaries who are at work to make the future better than we might expect. Bioneers started twenty years ago and much of what was spoken about then has come to be our present reality…the future has arrived. At the conference we get to hear about what the next decade or two might bring.

There is a lot of negativity in the media and among people in general, but there also are a lot of wonderful things happening and at Bioneers we get to learn more about them, and become inspired. This year some of the speakers are Jane Goodall, Gary Hirshberg (founder of Stonyfield Farms yogurt, Andy Lipkis (founder of TreePeople) and Lynn Twist to just name a few. You can read about the speakers here and here is the complete brochure

The conference is October 15-17, with intensives the 14th and 18th.

I was at the Farm Tour intensive last year where we went to the Marin farmers market (a real treat to visit if you are ever in the area), met some of the farmer/vendors and then we went off to visit three farms. I even had a chance to catch up with Albert Strauss from Strauss Dairy who I had met at the Slow Money conference in Santa Fe last year.

If you can’t make it to Northern California you can still be a part of the conference. The morning Plenary Presentations, which feature the main speakers, will be beamed, in some cases live, across the country to a number of Beaming Bioneers Conferences. Depending on the location additional events may be planned. At the main conference the afternoons are for smaller workshops that you can read about in the brochure.

These beamed conference will take place from California to Massachusetts and even Alaska. You will even be able to “attend” if you are in Vancouver or Findhorn, Scotland. You can check here to see if one is near you. Click on your closest city and a link will take you to the actual event. This is also an opportunity to find out what is already happening in your local community and meet other like minded people. So if you can’t make it to Northern California you can still be a part of the Conference.

I am hoping to be there, so if you are too look for me and say hi.

Here are some photos from last years farm tour.

On the Bioneers Farm Tour at County Line Harvest

Albert Strauss telling us about Strauss dairy's commitment to the best, sustainable products over a great lunch.

A real surprise an apple orchard in the middle of nowhere.

Naturally there are animals on the farm too.

In case you have not heard about it the basic story line is Jamie goes into a town in W. Virginia that has been ranked the most unhealthy city in America with a plan to change how the community eats, since this is an essential starting point for good health. He is actually able to go into an elementary school and change their menu…but the kids have to want to eat his food! He also opens a community kitchen where anyone can come to learn about food and how to cook.

This is Jamie’s Manifesto for his Food Revolution:

“I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food. Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It’s time for a national revolution.

America needs to stand up for better food!

You live in an amazing country full of inspirational people and you have the power to change things. With your help, we can get better food into homes, schools and communities all over America and give your kids a better future.”

If you go to his web site you can even sign a petition supporting this manifesto.

As I watched the show I was surprised at the resistance that he met and the anger that he provoked. People were really mad that someone would come in to their town, and the school’s kitchen, and want to help them improve their health by changing what they eat. I saw how “normal” it has become for people to be overweight and ill and that even when offered solutions they are resistant. Who wants to be fat and sick? it seems like an easy task to want to help people but that is not always the case.

I think that one of the basic issues is that people feel threatened and have become so accustomed to this really strange way of life here in the US, where ketchup is considered a vegetable in school lunches, and a sink and microwave qualify as a kitchen….Need I say more?

I realized that it is great to promote farmers markets and local products, but what do you do when people have forgotten, or never even knew, how to cook? This is an important starting point. But maybe even before that we have to look at reeducating people about what real food is. In his show Jamie goes to the elementary school kitchen and every thing is frozen or packaged, the kids are eating pizza for breakfast and the milk is flavored. So what are the kids in our schools learning about food, or better put as Michael Pollan calls it, edible food-like substances? They are missing out on knowing what real food is and being fed low quality “food-like substances” that are creating a host of health issues and bad habits.

Here are some facts from Jamie’s Food Revolution web site, you can read the entire list here.

“Obesity, and with it diabetes, are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they’re getting worse rapidly.”        CDC Director Thomas Frieden, told the Weight of the Nation Conference in July 2009.

-More than two thirds, 68%, of American adults are overweight and one person in three (over 33%) is obese, that’s 72 million people

-After smoking, obesity is America’s biggest cause of premature death it is also a major contributor to the health problems which are the leading killer diseases:  it’s linked to 70% of heart disease; after smoking, it’s the biggest cause of cancer; and over 80% of type 2 diabetes is related to being overweight.

-Obesity accounts for nearly 10% of US healthcare spending.  This amounts to $147 billion annually

-Healthcare costs are 42% higher for someone who is obese

-Nearly one in three (32%, 23 million) American children are obese or overweight. In total, 17% of children of all ages are obese, but this rises to over 25% in all but three states for ages 10-17

-Most obese children (over 80%) will also be obese as adults.

-Today’s generation of children are predicted to be the first which will die at a younger age than their parents due to obesity-related bad health.

-8% of the population, 24 million people, in the US have diabetes of which more than 90% is type 2.

-One quarter of all adults, another 57 million people, are estimated to have pre-diabetes.

-65% of people with diabetes die of heart disease and stroke.

-More than 7% of teenagers (2 million) are estimated to be pre-diabetic, with symptoms of high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels. At the early stages, the symptoms can start to be reversed within a few weeks.  By controlling their diet, taking exercise and losing weight, people can avoid the need for expensive medication.

Pretty serious stuff here….It really is time for learning a new way in so many areas or we are going to continue killing ourselves, this country and the planet.

I was a bit amused as the show was ending thinking about this young Brit on TV teaching Americans how to eat since for years food in England was joked about since it had a really bad reputation all through Europe. It gave me hope….if things could change in the UK, and they have, then we can also change here in the USA.

A change is happening although slowly and maybe this seemingly crazy reality-type show can make an impact. I say whatever helps move us along is worthwhile. So break out your cookbooks and let’s all get cooking again as we did in this country when obesity was not epidemic, illness was not “normal”, health costs were manageable and our rivers were clean.

After visiting a farmers markets in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico what I came away with more than anything else (besides delicious food) was the recollection that in fact organic farming is really the original, natural way that farming existed…unfortunately in most of the world we have just lost our way.

Before the chemical companies needed a new market following World War II fruit and vegetables, even in America, were grown without pesticides and herbicides; and just as a reminder this was also a time when cancer was not nearly as commonplace as it is today. I think that just about everyone knows someone who has or has had cancer…could this be merely a coincidence?

But back to organic farming and farmers markets… in Cabo I visited the Wednesday farmers market, which is located just above the hustle of the small city. What I found there was really exciting and delicious. Great homemade tamales, salsas, and mole sauce. Beautiful vegetables, fruit, humus, and cilantro & pumpkin seed pesto. Beyond the food I also had a feeling that the market was a real gathering place. A place where locals, visitors, and part time residents come together. Whether meeting someone new or finding out the latest news there was a sense of community.

Whenever I asked if the produce was organic the answer always was ‘Si’…yes, of course it was. After leaving the market what kept coming back to mind for me was that this is how people normally grow their own food. And why not? they live on their farms so they are concerned about what they put in the soil, as well as what their family is exposed to. Why spend the extra money on herbicides and pesticides when it is not necessary. Rotation of crops feed the soil, multiple crops help keep pest problems to a minimum, as well as the knowledge of what else keeps pests away naturally.

We are finally realizing that it is time to return to solutions that work without causing harm to people and to nature. Usually when I visit less sophisticated places I am reminded of what it means to live in closer connection with nature, and community. It is amazing what clean air, work that is rewarding, food that is fresh and natural and also a sense of belonging provide us. Most of these basic elements of life have become sorely lacking in the fast paced, modern culture of the west and we are seeing the price that we have paid.

We do not have to go back in time and give up what modernity has provided, but we do need to be intelligent about what it brings in both a positive as well as negative way and then make choices. It is time to take more personal responsibility for ourselves, our health and our communities. When we step away from our busy lives we see how this works and what benefits it brings us. The real challenge is to gain this knowledge and incorporate it into our daily life wherever we may be…in the city or the country, at our work or on vacation. I love going to farmers markets because they always remind me of where our food comes from, and what a gift it is that real farmers are growing healthy, clean food for us, and that we have a choice of what we buy and who we buy it from.

As Michael Pollan says, we get to vote with our fork three times a day. Take a moment to reflect on what you are voting for.

If you are in Cabo, or will be visiting, you will find information here on the local farmers markets. Try to visit at least one, there are three weekly, I am sure that you won’t be disappointed. There is also a farmers market in San Jose del Cabo,  which is less of a touristy area (for now). They are supposed to have quite a large Saturday farmers market. I guess that I will have to return soon to check it out…

Here are a few more photos to share the bounty that awaits you in Cabo, beyond the blue sky and beautiful beaches.

thanks Lenny for the great photos

Michael Pollan’s newest book Food Rules, An Eaters Manual is out. This book offers 64 simple rules for eating healthier, for our bodies and for the planet.

If this became required reading for everyone in school, at all levels, we would take a huge step forward in reversing America’s health crises, and the problems of agricultural pollution.

Michael Pollan’s most basic rule for eating is, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. But for many who have been eating the typical American diet this is not enough guidance since they have never experienced a healthy diet.

Where to start?

In this very short, very easy to read, and quite charming book the new rules for eating are broken down into three sections:

Part I: What should I eat?

Part II: What kind of food should I eat?

Part III: How should I eat?

Some of the rules are:

“Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”

“Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.”

“Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce.”

“The whiter the bread, the sooner you will be dead.”

“Pay more, eat less.”

“Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.”

“Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot…There are exceptions — honey — but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren’t food.”

“Don’t buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.”

Pretty simple and straightforward.

Whatever “junk” food you eat, cook it yourself. So if you can’t live without french fries, make them yourself-you definitely won’t eat them as often and at least you will be starting with fresh potatoes.

This book is not a diet, but rather guidance for a new way (for most Americans) of eating sustainably. A way to eat that nurtures good health and helps to heal the planet in many ways…less travel miles for food to arrive at the market, less packaging, cleaner and more intelligent agriculture, more bio-diversity in crops,  better health leading to more productivity and less pharmaceuticals taken, which are now finding their way into our water supplies, a reduction in factory farms that are polluting the air and waterways.

The benefits to following these rules are monumental and go very deep and wide. So if you are looking for some guidance for healthier eating this book is just what you have dreamt of,  and if you are a Michael Pollan fan it is a must read.

You can order it here from an independent book store

By checking the side panels  ”Inspiring Books”,  Michael Pollan’s other books are also just a click away.

Here is a nice overview from the NY Times Health Column on Feb 2, 2010

This month in Marin County, California their anual conference will take place from the 16th-18th with full-day pre and post conference intensives as well. ”The Bioneers Conference is a leading-edge forum.  At this premiere environmental conference, social and scientific innovators focus on solutions inspired by nature and human ingenuity”.

I am excited about attending and will be posting about the conference while I am there. Some of the speakers include Michael Pollan, Andrew Weil, Joanna Macy, David Orr, Bob Cannard and Annie Leonard (creator of The Story of Stuff). An amazing group of speakers far too many to list here, addressing a wide range of critical issues and more importantly solutions.

Something that I find extraordinary is that the morning Plenary Presentations, which will feature 15 different speakers, will be beamed, in some cases live, across the country to a number of Beaming Conferences. Depending on the location additional events are also planned. From Los Angeles to Portland, Maine  these beamed conference will take place. You can check here to see if one is near you. Click on your closest city and then there is a link to the actual event. This is also an opportunity to find out what is already happening in your local community and meet other like minded people. So if you can’t make it to California you can still be a part of the Conference.

After attending the conference and gaining a deeper understanding of the organization’s goals I would have to say it is its sincere commitment to make a fundamental change in the relationship between the investor and the recipient of funding, and of course where that money is going. This is not investing merely for profit, nor typical philanthropy but a deep understanding of how essential it is that we make this shift in investing recognizing that we must take action as if  ”farms, food and fertility matters”…because it does!

To learn more about Slow Money you can buy the book here from your nearest Independent book store or you can order online.

We can no longer view organic and sustainable agriculture as a luxury commodity, the stakes are far too high. This is not about creating high-end food for only those who can afford it. What is at stake is the environment, the future of independent farmers and in essence the future security of our food supply, not to mention the health implications.

While Big-Ag claims their work with genetically modified crops is the solution to climate change the facts show something far different. Without bio-diversity in crops we are in truth much more vulnerable to any changes in climate since we are creating a mono-culture of crops. If something goes wrong we are in big trouble since all of the crops are genetically the same. The beauty of bio-diversity is that if something changes in the environment (weather, pests etc) some of the crops may not survive but others will.

It is the same logic as diversifying one’s financial portfolio and perhaps this is one of the best explanations to inspire investors into this new and crucial area since most already understand the importance of diversification. There are many farmers out there wanting to make the change to more sustainable farming methods. There are many who would be thrilled to be able to get out from under Big-Ag’s control but need assistance in this transition.

This new capital is not just about the farmers, but all of the related businesses that are essential to make this work. There needs to be a new infrastructure to get the farmers products to the rest of us plus other businesses from restaurants to new food manufacturers using clean and sustainable ingredients. The beauty of this is that it will sustain itself once it is in place. The capital will continue to circulate within the system rather than move outside to large corporations who are solely concerned with profit. There will be a connection all along the way from where the seeds come from all the way to the consumer; a true partnership will exist where what is beneficial for one is beneficial for all.

One of the issues raised at the conference was what does this investment in the future look like? Is it in the form of grants, or loans or something totally new…a new paradigm of investment where the gain is more than financial.  It is time to consider the external costs or gains to the environment, people’s health and humanity as a whole that these larger choices impact.

We are entering a new era where we are taking back control of so many areas of our lives, from the health care we choose, the food we eat, to how we educate ourselves. This is new and exciting territory and one thing is for sure we need to act now. We do not have time to squander.

The environment needs our immediate attention as does our food supply, and the health issues that many face come at a huge cost to all of us. What we need to realize is how closely related all of these areas are…none exist in a vacuum and by starting with our food supply, and cleaning it up, we will be healing these other areas. With sustainable agriculture the environment is an integral partner to be nurtured and when our food choices are healthier, and we actually have more choices, health issues will clear up. “Four of the top ten causes of death today are chronic diseases with well established links to diet.”*  Not something insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies want, but this is the only direction that is sustainable, and that makes sense. It is obvious the current situation is not working the costs are far too high and I am talking about more than just money.

The answers may not all come quickly but the dialogue has begun and change is happening. See what you can do to be a part of this conversation. Sign on to the principles of Slow Money. What action can you take, or are you already taking, to invest in more sustainable future?

* Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food. New York: The Penguin Press. p.10.

Imagine that Americans who eat a typical, commercially processed American diet are probably eating some form of corn in every meal. The documentary film King Corn   http://www.kingcorn.net/ (available at Netflix) shows two friends who decide to grow an acre of corn in Iowa to learn what is involved to grow it and where it winds up after it is harvested. The real story about corn is pretty shocking. The effects are so wide they spread out like a huge web and we all are somehow caught in it even if we never eat commercially produced food.

Since farmers grow so much corn today, the actual price for corn is so low that without government subsidies most farmers would be losing money. Corn has allowed the cheap, processed food industry to flourish due to the low cost of corn. It can be found in most processed foods in some form or another. Corn is in breakfast cereal, fruit juice, salad dressings, processed meats, soups, even beer and so many other things it is mind boggling. Just walk down the aisle in any commercial market and start reading labels.

DId you know that before the 1970’s high fructose corn syrup did not exist? it was too expensive to produce. But once the price of corn came down, with a lot of help from the government, so did the cost of producing this particular type of sugar. It was an answer to a prayer for the food and beverage industry (or did they create the circumstances  for their prayers to be answered with lobbyists and inside help), since they needed a cheap substitute for sugar. And they sure got it. The problem is Americans now live on a diet of corn, unbeknownst to most of them, but it comes to them in the form of sugar or in meat with a higher saturated fat content. hormones and antibiotics.

The industrialization of the growing of corn has dramatically changed the communities where corn is grown. Small farmers cannot survive so one family after another has packed it up and moved on even where their families had been growing corn for decades. Can you believe that most of the corn that is grown in America is inedible in its natural state?  It is basically a raw material for another product so it must be processed or fed to animals. And the worst part is that the products it is in have little or no nutritional value, or don’t need this except to make it sweet, just like adding sugar. This means that much of America’s farmland is producing a product that serves little value as far as food goes, except to provide cheap meat and cheap sugar laden drinks. The use of large equipment, genetically modified corn, and chemicals have produced increased yields, and a crop that can be planted and harvested almost single handedly, but at a huge cost in many ways. The need for workers on a farm is almost non-existent and this has also contributed to farmers having to sell their farms and a transformation in rural farming areas.

But where is the corn going and what effect does it have on the people eating it? Most livestock in America is fed corn not grass, which is what they naturally eat. The corn that is fed to cows makes them sick so the animals are given antibiotics so that they can survive. This feed also fattens them up much faster, which on the one hand is a good thing because the cows would die prematurely from their corn diets. Grazed cattle need a few years to reach the size that feed lot raised cattle reach in four to five months. The amount of saturated fat is many times higher in feed lot beef compared to grass fed since they basically eat empty calories from starch (corn used to have a higher protein content than what is commonly grown today) and do not move much, so their muscle resembles fat. When you eat feed lot beef you are eating much more saturated fat than you would consume in the same amount of grass fed, free range beef. This is part of the higher cost from eating cheap meat, obesity and a host of health problems.

“If you take a McDonald’s meal, you don’t realize it when you eat it, but you’re eating corn.  Beef has been corn-fed.  Soda is corn.  Even the French fries.  Half the calories in the French fries come from the fat they’re fried in, which is liable to be either corn oil or soy oil.  So when you’re at McDonald’s, you’re eating Iowa food.  Everything on your plate is corn.”  — Michael Pollan, UC Berkeley, in King Corn

So here is this web that has been woven since the 70’s…

The public pays the subsidies that provide the farmers their profits. The food and meat industry have a cheap material that allows them to keep their prices down. The public in turn gets cheap food and lots of cheap soda but then they become obese and have major health issues such as diabetes and heart problems, which the medical system must pay for, but we eventually pay these costs.

This does not sound like a such a good deal to me since we are paying the costs at the beginning and the end, while the food and medical industry are reaping profits at our expense.

Is there a solution?

Imagine there were no corn subsidies, then more profitable crops would be grown like real corn that people can eat as well as other vegetables. The real farmland of America could return, not an industrialized, dehumanized system. The price of corn would rise, which would make all those processed foods and drinks that are loaded with corn syrup less popular, since they would be more expensive. People would then go back to eating real food, that is without all those sweeteners and additional ingredients that are unnecessary. I mean what is corn syrup doing in salad dressing or tomato sauce anyway?

With the rise in the price of corn industrialized, feed lot raised animals would also become more expensive and perhaps cows could go back to grazing and eating grass, and have a more humane existence. The price of meat would also rise, which would be a good thing since eating so much meat, and poor quality meat at that, is also contributing to health problems. Perhaps many people would eliminate meat altogether, and others would limit how much they eat, which is also not a bad idea since the meat industry is by far the largest contributor to green house gasses.

It is amazing to think about it but this one shift could be a dramatic part of the solution to the health care crises that we face in America today, as well as global warming. Hard to believe that corn plays such a huge role in so many issues that are critical but it is the truth. We all have much more power than we realize to create change. The web site for the film King Corn has a Take Action link where you will find things that you can do to make a difference. See what you can do to help in shifting this vicious cycle, and let us know.

The time has come to adopt Smart Lifeways, it will benefit all of us.

What has happened to food in America?

After living in Europe for most of the last eight years my return to the states has naturally brought many adjustments in quite a few areas areas, and one of these includes food–or should I say my expectations about food. I live in Santa Fe, a place with quite a good reputation for food and I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles, another area known for many food choices; I am curious about what I will encounter in other parts of the country as the SmartLifeways journey begins-read more about it in About SmartLifeways.

Often when traveling, or even in Santa Fe, going out to eat or just to have coffee or tea can prove to be a frustrating experience. My expectation is seemingly simple: authentic, unpolluted, non-toxic food or drink. I assume that food in its original state is something natural. A substance that miraculously nourishes us and is essential for the ongoing, proper operation of our bodies, like fuel for a car….Yet typical American fare is now far from this, unnatural, loaded with additives (which our bodies do not need, and as we are learning are often quite harmful) and unfortunately produced in a non sustainable way on many levels.

There is a growing movement in the states for clean, sustainable (environmentally and also on a personal level to those who produce it), good food-what is known as the Slow Food Movement. Alice Waters and Michael Pollan have been talking and writing for many years about this necessary transformation in our food supply. Their voices and others are growing louder and bringing change, but oh so slowly.

That Michelle Obama’s White House organic garden could become a controversial issue speaks much about the prevailing attitude towards food in America today. How is it that fumigating fruits and vegetables with toxic chemicals, which damage both our bodies and our precious land, is accepted as the “normal” way to grow food? That to produce what is meant to nourish our very natural bodies is now supposed to contain toxic and chemically produced elements. Would you ever think to load your gas tank with a smoothie or cooked vegetables (although I once heard a story of a truck in the jungle that in an emergency ran on bananas) so why would it make sense to load our natural vehicles, our bodies, with non-natural fuel?

Many years ago I had an organic coffee house/cafe in a rather small town so I know that it is certainly possible to use non-toxic, natural food in such a setting. Today when we can even find this sort of food, quite often no easy task, it usually comes with a very high price – and for what is, or at least should be, quite normal.

I am once again in Los Angeles and on this early sunny morning I was out and hungry for breakfast. Since I am pretty familiar with places that offer at least a token attempt at what I call real food, organic or at least locally produced, I went to a popular cafe in Santa Monica. After scrutinizing the menu for items that fall within this category–it seems the newest marketing trick by many restaurants is to claim that they are using organic or local products, only to discover that this is only for a very limited group of items on the menu–I ordered tea and eggs.

My order came, the tea was awful and this is a place that claims a deep tea collection, but I blamed myself for taking the $3 tea instead of the $6 morning tea selection. The eggs however were another story. I took one bite of my scrambled eggs…which were $5 for just two simple eggs, but since they were supposed to be organic and locally raised I was accepting of the price…and there was a definite, crunch to them. I was surprised and took another bite and yes they had a certain crisp firmness, sort of eggs al dente.

I wondered, what were these egg like looking substances. I immediately thought that perhaps they really aren’t organic since their consistency was almost rubbery. I took them back and asked if they were really organic and was told yes they definitely were. I asked if they could do them again but lightly scrambled this time figuring that then they would have to be soft. No luck, once again an egg with a definite ‘tooth’ to it. Frustrated and hungry I gave up on the eggs looked at the menu once again and decided to stick with my bad tea and a croissant-I never assumed that this would be organic, an unhealthy indulgence.

Sad to think that I can only find food that I trust as clean, and that I like, at home. I looked around and saw that most of the people around me were starting their day with wheat and/or sugar…muffins, cakes, scones (and while this place claims to be organic, the baked goods are made with commercial ingredients the last time that I asked) and of course coffee. I had done the same and I realized that often this seems to be our safest and least expensive option. But with muffins at 3 or 4 each, and coffee as well, such a breakfast is no longer such a bargain and have we really fueled our body with anything worthwhile?

It is time to be more demanding with what we can obtain in restaurants as well as markets so that we can make choices that support a more sustainable system and really nourish this remarkable machine called our bodies…..

Speak out!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118057842618&ref=share>

If you haven’t read any of Michael Pollan’s books here are a few suggestions:

In Defense of Food

The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Food Rules

If you click on the links you can order them inline through an Independent book store or find one near you.