COA Foodies

coa foodiesIssue No. 2 Fall ‘14

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2 editorial

3 peggy rockefeller farms

4 what’s in season

5 real food challenge

7 world food day

9 the impact of mining on food systems

10 composting at coa 12 the food co-op

13 food for all community dinner 17 poems

19 recipes

table of contents ..

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Original Artwork courtesy of Zachary Taibi Cover Photo courtesy of Marlene Nuart

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editorial

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Welcome to the second issue of the Fall 2014 edition of COA Foodies, brought to you by the Sustainable Food Systems Assistants and our lovely contributors. While winter may be on its way and things may be quieting down in the fields, there are still many exciting things happening in the world of farms and food on the COA campus, farms, and in our community. As the fall term comes to a close, we are excited to share with you updates on what’s happening with Peggy Rockefeller Farms, Community Dinners, a new Food Co-Op, the Composting Program here at COA, and Real Food Challenge, as well as information on the farm and food related impacts of mining, World Food Day and lots of great recipes, poems, and photographs. We hope that you will take the time to relax and enjoy reading this issue as the term comes to an end, and you can look forward to hearing from us again in the winter! Love, the editors:mel steinbergsarah lee manesscornelia brabazonmaria escalante

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peggy rockefeller farms ..An update on Peggy Rockefeller Farms by C.J. Walke

This fall term has been quite busy here at Peggy Rockefeller Farms (PRFs) with a new crew of work-study students (some returning) helping to bring in the harvest and make preparations for winter. We’ve spent a lot of time threshing, winnowing and cleaning dry beans and washing potatoes for use in TAB. We have close to 1,000 pounds of butternut squash that’s been curing in the green-house on campus and soon to be put up for sale, while hundreds of ears of popcorn are drying out at Beech Hill Farm. Thank you to everyone for shar-ing their spaces to help us out since we do not yet have appropriate facilities at PRFs.

The farm animals are all prepared for winter in their own curious ways, such as 1,000 pounds of chicken in the freezer, 15 lambs off to the butcher in De-cember and the breeding ewes have been in with the ram since October 2. The laying hens have slowed down considerably as the daylight shortens and they molt, but egg production usually picks up again in January. The horses and sheep are now free-ranging larger sections of the fields as pastures stop grow-ing and available feed is diminishing.

On November 20, we will welcome the addition of four (really six!) Belted Galloway cattle that are coming to us from Aldermere Farm in Rockport, ME. We are buying two bred heifers and two steers from the Aldermere herd, which will begin our breeding herd and allow us to produce beef for use in TAB. The heifers are first time mothers and should each have a calf in April 2015, while the steers (castrated males) are for beef and will be ready for the butcher next winter. When the calves are born, our plan is to keep females for future breed-ing and males will be raised for beef, but we need to wait to see when they are born in the spring. Feel fee to stop by for a visit if you have time before winter break!

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what’s in season . .w h a t ’ s i n s e a s o n

a p p l e s b e e t s b r o c c o l i

b r u s s e l s s p r o u t s c a b b a g e c a r r o t s c a u l i f l o w e r c e l e r i a c c h a r d c r a n b e r r i e s g a r l i c k a l e k o h l r a b i l a t e s e a s o n g r e e n s

l e e k s o n i o n s p a r s n i p s p e a r s p o t a t o e s r a d i s h e s r u t a b a g a

s p i n a c h s w e e t p o t a t o e s t u r n i p s a n d w i n t e r s q u a s h

source: mofga | artwork: zachary taibi | research & design: mel steinberg

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real food challenge. .An update on Real Food Challenge at COA by The Sustainable Food Systems Assistants

This term our work with the team from the Real Food Challenge (a national initiative to increase the amount of fair, organic, unprocessed food at US col-lege cafeterias) has mainly consisted of transitioning from the internal docu-mentation we used in the past to an online database, the Real Food Calculator. The calculator will gives us, once we enter the information about TAB’s food purchases, more accurate results about whether we live up to the expected 20% portion of Real Food in our cafeteria, a goal that we very likely have already succeeded. This is also a good opportunity to highlight some important product chang-es that have happened and keep on happening, thanks to our great kitchen managers Ken and Lise. We are now serving organic and fair trade Black and Green Tea from Equal Exchange Company, as well as substituting Silk Soy Milk (a commercial product) with West Soy Milk, which is unsweetened and organic. And let’s not forget the incredible amount of local vegetables we have been enjoying this fall—many of those came from our farms. These are just a few examples to keep us reminded of the outstanding food quality we enjoy at COA. Through Real Food Challenge, we are working to make the food pur-chasing process not only more transparent, but above all coherent and acces-sible to everyone who is interested in learning about what we eat every day. Soon we will be able to provide you with more exact numbers and figures!

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Butchering Workshop at Beech Hill Farm October 18th Photo courtesy of Marlene Nuart

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October 16th, World Food Day: the cele-bration of constant struggles by those on the frontlines by Maria Alejandra Escalante

Last month we celebrated World Food Day to highlight the constant fight toward food sovereignty, small-scale farming and sustainable agriculture, and resistance against the poli-cies and practices that put these at risk. Even though World Food Day prioritizes these cross-cutting issues, the urgen-cy to resolve them and the effort of those at the frontline should be admired and supported everyday.

Some of students attending the upcoming UN climate talks in Peru put together this comprehensible brief about major international challenges to reach food sovereignty. We delineated some of the ways in which we can all support the struggle for food sovereignty and divert our paths to a more resilient and sustainable society.

We are more than happy to engage in further conversations about these topics. Please write to us at [email protected] - and let´s work together.

What is food sovereignty and why do we fight for it? The food system promoted by big agricultural transnation-al corporations is harming the environment while failing to adequately feed large numbers of the global popula-tion. The current predominance of high input agricultural production, the globalization of food industry, the unequal distribution of food, and the subsidization of agrofuels are some of the main threats to food sovereignty. These forces undermine the right of communities to access food. Food sovereignty strives to empower communities in the pro-duction and consumption of healthy food through autono-mous sustainable

What are the overall impacts of the food system on cli-mate change?Large agribusinesses are key drivers of climate change. How our food gets produced and how it ends up on our tables

contributes to around half of all human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Chemical fertilizers, heavy machinery and other petroleum-dependant farm technologies all contribute significantly to these emis-sions. practices.

The impact of the food industry as a whole is even greater: destroying forests and savannahs to produce animal feed and generating climate-damaging waste through excess packaging, processing, refrigeration and the transport of food over long distances, despite leaving millions of people hungry.

What’s energy from agrofuels and mega-dams got to do with food? The main driver of deforestation is the expansion of industrial plantations for the production of agrofu-els. According to several studies, agrofuels (the use of agricultural products to produce fuel, mainly for cars) will lead to an increase in prices of key agricultural commodities. According to Action Aid (2011), prices will increase between 27 to 48% for wheat, maize, and oilseeds in the next five years. This will eventu-ally lead to more tracts of land being taken over by biofuel production. Increased food prices and lack of local food production will force people into poverty, increasing their vulnerability to starvation and malnu-trition.

The big dirty energy projects threatening biodi-versity, ecosystems, farmlands, and people, such as mega-dams, have wiped out species and flooded huge areas of wetlands, forests and farmlands. These massive concrete barriers curb the natural river flow, lower crop production and reduce water quality downstream. They displace tens of millions of people due to the threat of floods and tidal waves. According to Amazon Rainforest News (2012) there are 150 new dams being planned in the Amazon; and already 40% of them are in advanced planning stages.

These mega-dams will obstruct Andean headwaters from reaching the lowland Amazon. The Andean mountains are critical sources of nutrients, sediments, and organic matter for the Amazon river.

world food day . .

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The construction of mega-dams in the Amazon will result in mass deforestation for new roads, trans-mission lines, and flooding, which all interfere with indigenous lands. Mega-dams and the production of hydropower are some of the biggest threats to ecosys-tems and agriculture in these regions, and these im-pacts are potentially irreversible.

What is the issue with the Global Alliance for Cli-mate Smart Agriculture (GACSA)? Corporations such as Yara (the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturer), Syngenta (GM seeds), McDonald’s, and Walmart are all part of the Climate

Smart Agriculture Alliance. The Alliance of these com-panies, which are involved in activities such as land grabbing and promotion of GM seeds, has the objec-tive of marketing products and technologies to small-scale farmers under the guise of ‘adapting’ to climate change.. However, this approach gives the corpora-tions permission and access to land, and appears to be working toward creating dependence on the products of these corporations and pushing the farmers into monocultural farming. The Alliance’s mission is to ex-pand carbon markets and serve the business interests of the financial industry. No environmental criteria for partnership with the Alliance means many corpo-rations will use it to greenwash their images without taking meaningful action.

No social safeguards leave the farmer members of the Alliance even more vulnerable to climate change im-pacts. GACSA is a false solution, in contrast to com-munity-based adaptation to climate change.

Is the global food crisis part of a systematic prob-lem?The struggle for food sovereignty is rooted in a system-ic problem. The prioritization of agrofuel production and agribusinesses shows a lack of support for small-scale, sustainable farmers and fisherfolk. Turning to large corporatized responses to climate change, such as monoculture agrofuels or destructive mega-dams, repeats the same logic that is driving the climate crisis. We do not need ‘solutions’ to climate change that only serve to displace people and put our food system at greater risk.

It reflects how the current globalized economic system, led by a small number of rich countries and elites, prioritizes profit over the interests of the people and the planet. Solving the global food crisis must in-volve structural changes both at the international and at the grassroots level.

What are the alternatives to the current dominant food system model? A new food system could be a key driver of solu-tions to climate change. People around the world are involved in struggles to defend or create ways of growing and sharing food that are healthier for their communities and for the planet. If measures are taken to restructure agriculture and the larger food system around food sovereignty, small-scale farming, agroecology and local markets, we could cut global emissions in half within a few decades.

We don’t need carbon markets or techno-fixes. We need the right policies and programs to dump the current industrial food system and create a sustain-able, equitable and truly productive one instead. And we need education for all people about the systemic issues threatening the livelihoods of vulnerable com-munities around the world.

Time to take action, mobilize and demand:• The end of public subsidies and investments in

the production of agrofuels and the expansion of this industry

• The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Eu-ropean Investment Bank, Interamerican Develop-ment Bank, African Development Bank and other multilateral financial institutions to stop financing agrofuels projects, meda-dam constructions, and REDD+ as a carbon offset option

• The immediate stop to the expansion of the Glob-al Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture

• The stop of excessive energy consumption by corporations and elites

• Full protection of the rights and livelihoods of small-scale farmers, landless workers, indigenous peoples, and forest-dependent communities

• Recognition and support of grassroots activism.

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the impacts of mining on food systems .

.Miningby Jasmine Bourgeois

The land provides sustenance to humans, animals and plants, and allows these different communities to flourish and grow. Healthy soil and water systems are pivotal to the land as they allow for biodiverse, sustainable food systems. On the corporate scale, land is exploited and commodified, resulting in dev-astated soil and water systems. Mining, specifically, toxifies lands, soils, and waters. Open-cast or open-pit mining is a popular method that involves excavating and relocating large areas of rock to extract ore, resulting in gigantic, deep, man-made holes and heaps of waste rock.1 Excavation of resources via open-cast mines gouges huge volumes of soils, bedrock, and grasslands and replaces them with pits and waste rock. Farmable lands are ren-dered useless through the process, and are never able to return to their original state.2Mining operations use excessive amounts of water, as well, which contributes to both water scarcity and water pollution. To begin, waste that arises from mining practices pollutes water sources, which easily spread to foods and organisms. Further, the exces-sive amounts of water utilized because of mining practices deplete water sources for the communities that would directly use them. Minerals are often found below the water table, which mines frequently breach. When this happens, water has to be pumped out, which lowers the water table. This depletes wells and river flow, which affects ecosystems and agriculture.3 Other methods of extraction—like fracking—are just as harmful. Fracking is a process that involves fracturing shale rocks to release natural gas. Between one and eight million gallons of water are used each time a well is fracked.4 Whether it be mining, fracking, or some other method of land exploitation, extracting the land’s resources uses imprudent amounts of water.Waste rock (extracted rock that doesn’t hold valuable resources) contains high levels of heavy metals like

These heaps of waste rock are usually just left on the mine site; and when it rains, these heaps are acidi-fied, which in turn enters and toxifies soil and water systems. This occurrence is called acid mine drain-age (AMD).When AMD occurs, these toxic metals percolate into water sources. Further, the disposal of tailings (leftover water and ground rock mixtures) has almost no regulation, meaning that these toxic chemical wastes can dump into lakes and other water supplies.6 The effects of mining and extraction extend beyond the environmental. Communities are displaced for the sake of mineral extraction, devastating liveli-hoods, reducing their ability to both grow and sell food, and essentially stripping them of food sover-eignty. By toxifying arable lands, mining operations strip power and resources from small farm holders and communities. With 70% of the world’s popu-lation being fed by small, agroecological farmers7, stripping these farms of arable land and resources is incredibly devastating to the world’s food security. Mining operations are destructive for a myriad of reasons, and their effect on food and water systems is one of the most apparent. Extractive practices are unsustainable and are disintegrating our land, air, and water. Toxified food and water systems are some of the secondary effects of these destructive opera-tions. _________________________________________1 http://www.mine-engineer.com/mining/open_pit.htm 2 http://www.gaiafoundation.org/sites/default/files/undermining_agriculture_gaia_report_lowres.pdf3 http://www.groundwaterinternational.com/blog/2014/02/managing-environmental-im-pacts-of-dewatering 4 http://www.dangersoffracking.com5 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie50449a0206 http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publica-tions/Troubled-Waters_FINAL.pdf 7 http://www.etcgroup.org/sites/www.etcgroup.org/

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composting at coa. .Composting at COAby Jasmine Bourgeois

Composting is a process that involves using food scraps and other organic materials in a pile or bin in condi-tions that allow for decomposition. Bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms aid the decomposition process by consuming and recycling the organic matter, even-tually producing compost: a rich organic fertilizer that does wonders for soil quality. Virtually all of COA’s food leftovers are composted, mostly on campus in the community garden. Food leftovers from TAB and on-campus houses are collected, and then a group of work-study students maintains the composting bins. It’s great that composting happens at COA, but right now the system lacks the community and institutional support to make the system as efficient as possible. The current composting team says that there’s not enough support to make the system sustainable right now. There’s no compost-specific supervisor, there’s a lack of disconnect between the general student body and the food system, and the proper tools and materials just aren’t available. Though the system needs improvement, there are things being done within the community to tackle these issues. Between October 6th and 12th, Lisa Bjerke (COA ‘13) conducted a campus-wide waste audit. Throughout the week, waste from TAB, the trash bins, and toilets was measured and then reported to COA. Throughout the following week, there was an exhibition of some of the materials collected, giving community members the opportunity to visualize and engage with COA’s waste. Lisa’s work catalyzed interest in creating a Zero Waste Club on campus. Using information gathered from Lisa’s audit, this club focuses on educating the commu-nity about the waste we produce while looking for ways to reduce it. Though not compost-specific, these hap-penings highlight the existing student interest in waste reduction.Last spring, Suzanne Morse offered a class on com-posting. Class discussions and activities ranged from theoretical conversations on the concept of waste, to working on the composting piles on campus, to taking field trips to larger industrial composters. For the final project, students each tackled a different section of the composting system that needs improvement.

Some students focused on how to encourage and allow for more labor from community members; others focused on technology that could improve the composting system; others focused on the more theoretical idea of composting and how the college’s system can have an effect on the larger scale, among other foci. I focused on implementing vermicomposting on campus. In its simplest definition, vermicomposting is composting with worms. The maintenance and science of this method of composting is obviously a bit different than more traditional ways of compost-ing, but vermicomposting is an engaging way to both handle food leftovers, and learn about the com-posting process. On-campus vermicomposting has happened on a larger scale in the past, but I’m hop-ing to work on a smaller scale. The vision is to have vermicomposting bins in a few student houses based on interest. Students will maintain the bins in the dorms; but there will be a small group of overseers to make sure that the worms are taken care of, and that everything is running smoothly. This is meant to be a pilot project, and the future of vermicomposting in the houses will depend on its efficiency over the course of the year.Taking the class gave me a perspective on waste that I hadn’t had before. COA is lucky to have the re-sources to compost virtually all of our food leftovers, but there still isn’t enough community awareness or support to back it up. People still view food leftovers as waste rather than a means of giving back nutrients to the land. Compost helps the soil, which in turn betters our food systems. Composting isn’t just about reducing ‘waste’; it’s about giving back to a system that does so much for us. COA is renowned for its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Composting is a critical facet of sustain-ability that needs more community involvement and support.

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October Pumpkins on SamsøPhoto courtesy of Kate Unkel

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food co-op. .

Food Co-op Madnessby Page Hill, Nest Collective

Members of the COA community have expressed interest in creating a food-buying co-op that would make local and organic goods available to those who want ’em. The purpose of making a service like this available to the island is a response to the consumer-based capitalist society we all find ourselves wrapped up in. This endeavor hopes to highlight the benefits of shifting our reliance upon an industrial economy to a localized one. A food co-op is a step towards decreasing dependency on commercial markets and mass-production to create a more localized, sustainable, and self-sufficient community.The Food Co-op is an effort largely focused on providing this service for the greater public on Mount Desert Island, as well as members of the COA community. For this reason, a pickup location within the town of Bar Harbor is currently being sought. The suppliers we want to continue working with are Crown O’ Maine Organic Cooperative and A&B Naturals. Goods like beans, oats, rice, flour of all types, olive oil and spices are all on the roster. So far, there was a test run a few weeks ago with a bulk food order that some of you may have seen or been a part of. It was a huge success and until the Co-op actually gets off the ground, there will be more food orders. The next one is planned for sometime early next term, so keep your eyes out for further announcements! If you think this is as rad as it sounds, JOIN US. How might one get involved, you ask? There’s a table at the com-munity dinner on Ledgelawn Ave. on Thursdays from 4-7pm—come stop by and chat. Contact Steve Brown, Zoe Fassett-Manuszewski, me or any of those other nesters out there if you’ve got any questions. We’d love to chat!This endeavor is very much still in the making and we’re accepting any support, advice or other contributions you’d be willing to share.

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food for all. .

Food For Allby Cornelia Brabazon

You may have heard rumblings about Community Dinner and asked yourself: what is that? How does it work? How do I get involved? Food For All Community Dinner is an event where one gets to enjoy delicious food and create a deeper connection with the Bar Harbor community—all while reducing food waste! Every Thursday in the basement of the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, a small band of volunteers, including a professional chef, work to prepare a meal from food that has been gleaned or donated by local establishments and farms. In case you are wondering, gleaning is the act of collecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste. Some of the food has minor cosmetic imperfections but all of it is perfectly good to eat. The food served at the community dinner comes from local bakeries and farms, such as Morning Glory and Beech Hill Farm, as well as supermar-kets like Hannaford. It is a sustainable way to reduce the substantial amount of edible food that goes to waste in the community. The menu changes from week to week based on the food that has been donated, but it is always delicious. This dinner is a simple solution to multiple serious problems that are faced all around the world. Over 14% of American households are food insecure, while up to 40% of our food ends up in a landfill or incinerator. In the case of landfills, organic matter decomposes and produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Landfills currently account for 34% of methane emissions. Events such as the community dinner help to alleviate some of that waste, while redirecting perfectly good food that would be wasted otherwise to feed hungry people. Not only does it work to solve the issue of hunger in the U.S. but it is environmentally responsible, less costly for the distributer, and a key player in community building. Food For All is a place where everyone in the community is welcome, including COA students! Come join us every Thursday in the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church on Ledgelawn Avenue--and bring a friend!

If you would like to get involved please email: [email protected]

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Original Artwork courtesy of Zachary Taibi

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Original Artwork courtesy of Zachary Taibi

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Original Artwork courtesy of Zachary Taibi

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in this orchard. .by Arlo Cristofaro-Hark

here in this place

there once stood a blade of tallgrass clinging to the soil there was a new set of wings a discarded cocoon clinging to the grass that was clinging to the soil

here in this placea man bent over and over again and againin a field of grazed tallgrass

planting apple trees

children played here partners made lovefarmers have manicured the supple growth that shoots from the green of the hardwood.

here in this place

the apple seeds are darkening in their wombs

they will not stopturning death into lifeeven after the farmers have gone for good

and…here you are. make a mental note

welcome to the history of this land

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oh hell. .by Anonymous

Oh hell, It’s Cold Again

-Hello Snow! Goodbye Green!

-Boo!

-Oh…hello.

Is that you?

Wintergreen!!

-I’m glad to hear you know my name.

-Look at you! Peeking like a prairie dog.

I missed you—I shall make a pain-relieving lotion of you.

-Yes, be jolly! I am here to love you.

recipes. .

Stuffed Squash

Recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

For four servings of stuffed squash, split 2 decent-sized acorn or butternut squashes lengthwise down the middle. Remove the seeds and bake, face down, on an oiled tray for 30 minutes at 350 degrees—or until tender enough to eat. Make your choice of fillings while the squash is baking.

Filling One: Mushroom-Cheese½ lb. chopped mushrooms / 1 cup chopped onion / 1 clove crushed garlic / 1 cup cottage cheese / ½ tsp. basil / ¼ cup chopped parsley / salt, pepper / ¾ cup bread crumbs or cooked rice / 2 Tbs. dry white wine / butter

Sauté mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter with salt and pepper until onions are soft. Drain well (save liquid) and combine with remaining ingredients. Fill the squash cavities amply and bake, un-covered, 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Baste with liquid from sauté while it bakes.

Filling Two: Apple2 medium cooking apples, chopped / 2 cups cottage cheese / juice from 1 lemon / ½ cup chopped onion / 3 Tbs. butter / dash of cinnamon / ¾ cup grated cheddar

Sauté apples and onions in butter until onion is clear. Combine with remaining ingredients and stuff the squash. Bake, covered, 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts (sautéed), handful of raisins or currants

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What to do With Overripe Bananas

Submitted by Shlomit Auciello

Makes 2 dozen fudge brownies

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9”x13” pan

Cream together:1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or vegetable shortening1 c. fresh chevre (goat cheese) or more shortening

Mash and beat in:4 ripe bananas2 tsp. vanilla extractgrated rind of one orange

In a separate bowl, combine:4 c. flour2/3 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder2 tsp. baking soda1 1/2 tsp. salt

Fold into moist ingredients. The mixture will be very stiff. I do the final mixing with my (clean) bare hands. Only combine enough to mix; do not overwork the flour.

Fold in:2 c. dark (bittersweet) chocolate chips

Press into prepared baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes, until a sharp knife or skewer can be poked into the brownies and come out fairly dry and clean. Cool before cutting.

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Photo courtesy of Marlene Nuart

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Photo courtesy of Marlene Nuart

thank you. .Thank you for reading this term’s second issue of COA Foodies!

To contribute to an upcoming issue in the winter term, please

send your submissions to [email protected]

Photo courtesy of Marlene Nuart