Happy Food Day!

It's FOOD DAY! We love growing it in our garden, we love having a family dairy that produces milk to help feed many and we love raising natural beef on our farm, here in northern California.  My life revolves around food; I prepare three meals a day, every day to feed my family, I enjoy blogging about it, teaching 4H cooking is rewarding, I so enjoy my nights out with the girls that always involve eating fabulous food, and I love attending food based events like the upcoming Foodbuzz Festival and the KACF Farm Fresh Tour I recently went on.

Today marks the first FOOD DAY event, sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest {CSPI}.  The goals of the event focus on health and wellness, agricultural and environmental sustainability and food security.

CSPI’s co-founder, Michael Jacobson is known for his favoritism towards plant-based food. But in the CSPI’s July/August 2011 issue of Nutrition Action newsletter, I read a special feature on "Dairy" by David Schardt and was pleased to read and pleasantly surprised a report coming from CSPI actually showed the health benefits of milk. 

Thank you to CSPI for doing some research on dairy and publishing it in your newsletter.

Pin It

Feeding the World #FoodThanks

Thanksgiving, by far is my favorite holiday of the year.  Why?  Because there are no presents to buy, no pressure {unless your having dinner for 28 people}, just good food, family, friends and a time to really think about what you are thankful for in your life. 

Farmers top my list.  Farmers don't just stop working when there's a holiday.  They're still out there everyday, no matter if it's  raining or snowing in the winter or 100 degrees in the summer. Crops and animals need to be cared for and tended to on Thanksgiving, on Christmas, 365 days a year. 

Food doesn’t just happen. It takes an incredible number of caring, thoughtful, hard-working individuals to provide the three square meals we enjoy every day. From farmer to processor to truck driver to chef to retailer, millions work hard to provide our food.  

Imagine all the hands that go into producing the potatoes we use for our mashed potatoes,

or that pick our green beans and strawberries,

or plow our fields.

I give #FoodThanks to the farmers who help produce the many ingredients that go into all the goodies we bake.

Farmers Markets have really given us the opportunity to connect with the Farmer or farm employee on an individual basis.  How many 'man hours' did it take to produce this bunch of carrots?  I don't know either,  but I'm sure it's many.

I want my kids to know all the hard work that goes into producing the food we eat.  And they're learning.  Having a low-producing home garden this past summer helped them to understand all the care and time that goes into producing carrots and zucchini and that we may only yield a handful....which was the case for us this year.

And of course, we cannot forget these girls.  The girls that give us milk to help create so many of our wonderful dishes.  Without milk, there wouldn't be butter, ice cream, cream, yogurt, cheese, milk shakes......I give #FoodThanks not only to the farmers, and employees but also to the girls that give us milk.

So, I ask of you during thisThanksgiving holiday, to remember the Farmer and give #FoodThanks.

The first four photos, above by Google image


Tweet Pin It

Dairy Farming Families Team Up with the NFL

America's dairy farmers have teamed up with the NFL to bring awareness to the nation's rising childhood obesity problem and declining physical activity with the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.  This is an interactive program is where schools and youth across the nation can enroll in the program and kids can then track their daily healthy behaviors, and earn points to win great prizes all while pledging to eat healthier and become more physically active.

The NFL along with the National Dairy Council is committed to helping children learn the benefits of both healthy eating and 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

Here is a portion of the article as seen in Newsweek:

America’s dairy farmers have always cared about the legacy we leave to our children. That's why we’re joining to fight a serious threat to their future.

America’s dairy farmers know something about legacy and the importance of passing on a better future to the next generation. About 99 percent of all dairy farms are family-owned, and most farmers hope to pass them on to their children.  This is why we are concerned that because of the childhood obesity crisis, today’s children may have shorter life expectancies than their parents.

Through National Dairy Council®, dairy farmers have provided child nutrition research, education and communication to our communities and schools for more than 95 years. Today, America’s dairy farmers support National Dairy Council efforts by investing $250 million to help fight childhood obesity in schools across the country.  A cornerstone program of this initiative is Fuel Up to Play 60, a joint program with the NFL.  Fuel Up to Play 60 empowers students to “fuel up” with nutrient-rich foods, including dairy, and “play 60” minutes or more every day.
We are proud to be part of this commitment because dairy farmers have always valued America’s most important legacy – our children.  America’s 56,000 dairy farm families work hard every day to provide fresh, great-tasting, nutrient rich milk and dairy products for the health of all our children. Helping address childhood obesity is a natural fit with the values we’ve always upheld.

The epidemic facing our children is solvable.  But only if we all work together today. Learn more about getting involved at FuelUptoPlay60.com. 

The Klassen Family of Hillsboro, Kansas

Let’s Fight for Healthier Kids.

Join the Fuel Up to Play 60 Solution.

Happy Monday Night Football!
Pin It