Timothy's Blog

Welcome to my blog.

My intention is to present helpful information around a variety of topics from Green Living, Cooking, Organic Food, Sustainable Agriculture, along with the policy and politics that these categories tend to swim. The blog was launched in October 2007 so content is limited at this time. Feel free to suggest topics or add comments (I take offense to nothing). As always I'm open to ideas. Enjoy.

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Fair Trade or Free Trade? They’re not the same.

19 June 2008

Fair Trade Cooperative president discussing bean quality with farmer member, Chiapas, Mexico.

Ever ponder the difference between "Fair" Trade and "Free" Trade? They both sound appealing in their own way, but actually couldn't be more different. Free Trade, and it's parent, "Globalization," represent the current trend in global trade whereby companies search the world for the cheapest labor and lowest bar with regards to labor and environmental regulation. Fair Trade, on the other hand, is a response to the shortcomings of Free Trade. In short, it's an effort to bring some transparency to global trade by inserting standards of fairness into a system once dependent solely on the forces of the liberal free market. Both terms have entered the daily discourse of pundits, academics and the conversations of ordinary folks like us. Though they have very different meanings, they are often confused. Even seasoned journalists use them interchangeably to the detriment of an informed citizenry.

In this case "free" means free to do good and bad. As individuals our free choices are often kept in check because we are accountable for their ramifications by friends, family, our community and law enforcement. On the other hand, while a corporation is made up of people, it is not human by nature. When such an entity can make unhindered free choices, that freedom to choose can result in some universally negative consequences, from environmental degradation to outright human exploitation on a large scale.

Fair Trade Coffee Farmer, Chiapas, Mexico.

Enter Fair Trade, which seeks to address the injustice of global trade by playing in the same arena of the free market, only by different rules. It's an internationally recognized set of standards with the goal of returning more value to the farmer and his community. A good example is coffee. Like many internationally traded commodities, the majority of coffee beans are not grown on vast plantations, but rather on small family owned plots. In the globalization model those farmers are at the mercy of the commodities market represented by the many middlemen that stand between the farmer and the end user. It's not uncommon for farmers to have little choice but sell their crop below cost. In the Fair Trade model, farmers join a "producer cooperative" of other small farmers that then sell to a Fair Trade "buyers cooperative." The buying cooperative must adhere to four core principles:

Pay a price to producers that covers the cost of sustainable production and living;
Pay a 'premium' that producers can invest in community development;
Make partial advance payments when requested by producers;
Sign contracts that allow for long-term planning and sustainable production practices.

When small farmers are organized in a cooperative they benefit from access to capital and business resources and because the middle-men are removed form the equation a larger percentage of cost of the cup of coffee goes to the producer and his or her community.

Stella checking out beans drying in the sun, Chiapas, Mexico.

Does it work? Yes. Of course it's not perfect, but it is an excellent start. Working in the developing world in the 1980s convinced me that our global trading structure is inherently unfair to those with less power. There are clear winners and losers as the income gap between rich and poor countries continues to widen. Fair Trade was not an option at that time. Fast forward to 2007. While visiting a Fair Trade coffee producer cooperative it became obvious why Fair Trade offers a viable alternative. Chris and Jody Treter of Higher Grounds Trading Company, and members of a Fair Trade buyers cooperative, met with the leaders of their producer cooperative when Chris asked how they did the previous year. Optimism would best characterize their summary, however, their cooperative truck needed an expensive repair, and as a result, there wasn't much of a surplus to invest in the community. Without missing a beat, Chris offered to pay them more and proceeded to discuss the idea that this increase in purchase price could be set aside for future truck and facility repairs as well as an emergency fund to keep members paid in the event of crop failure. This example of the mutually beneficial "relationship" characterizes the essence of the Fair Trade system. Does this matter? Perhaps not to some. But when more consumers know about the condition under which their food and products are created, the more empowered they will be to spend their dollars where their values are. Now instead of the old fashioned method of boycotting a company that offends your values, you can now use your grocery budget to reward those that share yours. The engine of this trading system is an enlightened consumer. While it increases every year, we now know that a rapidly growing percentage of consumers are willing to look beyond price and quality and actually pay a premium for goods and services that will bring some greater social value to their purchase. This trend, in part, accounts for the growth in organic and local food, Fair Trade products, as well as other green products rushing to meet this growing demand.

While Fair Trade brings a welcome level of transparency to this global trade, it is currently limited to imported commodities. As a result, there is a domestic fair trade movement happening in this country that seeks to bring fair trade standards to the production of food products grown and processed in this country. That will be a welcome relief to the many consumers who are trying to eat and purchase goods and services closer to home. I'm serving on the Steering Committee of the new Domestic Fair Trade Association and will update you on the progress in future postings. In the meantime, continue to shop with your values and your dollars and we'll all contribute to a more human world.

Please share your thoughts...

Click here for information on Domestic Fair Trade.

For more information on Food For Thought's move to Fair Trade ingredients, click here.

Cardboard Composting

16 January 2008

Compost piles

Compost happens. That’s the beauty of the wonderful way nature disposes of its dead, be it leaf, animal, the old oak tree in your front yard or you and I. It’s the best model for “zero waste” disposal, period. In nature, nothing goes to waste. It’s a perfect circle of life. The death of a mammal in the woods quickly feeds other scavenger creatures, followed by insects, fungi and bacteria, leaving the byproducts of, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, which in turn feed the soil that feeds the new plant and animal life. And all this is done in a relative nanosecond in comparison to diapers, plastic, nuclear waste and other byproducts of human existence.

As a business we strive to mimic nature. Our circle of life model started out simply enough. It included the basic composting of food scraps from our food processing kitchen and organic waste from the farm. When finished it was then returned to our soil where it nurtured the plants that were put back into our organic food products. However, some years ago, as we were assessing our environmental impact with regards to our waste stream when we had a realization. Even though we were recycling all our cardboard waste (about 5 tons/year at that time) it was not very resource efficient. Since our county does not offer recycling for businesses we hauled our cardboard to a transfer facility. That included a fifty mile round trip and a fee of $50.00 per ton to have it recycled. Considering the fuel consumed, miles driven and wear and tear on our vehicle a more sustainable path was sought.

Turning the steaming piles

Our current cardboard composting system started with my experiments in vermiculture and later hot composting. It has now evolved into a three-year static or passive pile process that is currently decomposing 7 tons of cardboard per year. This process was chosen for its ease of operation as well as to maintain compliance with USDA Organic standards. Because we are on a farm we have both time and space. Cardboard is layered like a giant lasagna casserole. Layers contain our food waste, leaves and other organic matter from our farm and horse manure from a nearby stable. It’s a three year process where by the we layer for an entire year with minimal turning. In the fall I roll that pile about 10 feet away and start a new one in the same spot. What we end up with is a pile of completed material that is three years old, a two year old pile that is nearly completed, the previous year’s pile and the current pile we are always adding to.

Finished piles make good playgrounds....

While passive composting it technically not hot, ours does get very hot as you can see from the steam rising out of the piles. That’s thanks to a discovery we made. Most will advise you to shred your cardboard. We discovered that was very expensive and labor intensive. So the lasangna process works well I suspect because layering assures good mixing of the carbon rich cardboard, the nitrogren rich manure and food scraps. Add the oxygen trapped in the corrugated cardboard you have all the right ingredients for a hot and healthy compost pile. Static pile processing is really simple if you have the time and space. Yes it takes a one to three year investment to get finished product, but once you’re there, you have a fresh batch every year. We also get lots of cool pumpkins and tomato volunteers growing out of our piles when we resist the temptation to turn them in.

Please click on "Comment" below and let me know what you think.

Further Information:

USDA Organic Definition of Compost:

"Compost: Organic matter of plant and/or animal origin managed to promote aerobic decomposition and an increase in temperature to enhance its physical and nutritive properties as a soil amendment while minimizing pathogenic organisms."

Going Organic on a Budget

13 November 2007

Organic Swiss Gourmet Apples from the Garthe Farm (used in our Fruit Juice Sweetened Apple Preserves)

I often hear friends say "I'd like to eat organic, but it's just too expensive." Well, if you are reading this I doubt I have to tell you of the dangers of the pesticides, herbicides and fungicides sprayed on our foods. And you may also know that the jury is now in on the fact that organic fruits and vegetables are higher in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Given the choice between two apples, who wouldn't grab the organic one if price weren't an issue? So the big question is: Can I afford to change? While some would say from a health perspective alone, you can't afford not to change. But for this post, I'll keep it to helping you bring more organic food into your life while minimizing the financial impact. Fortunately, there are some hints and ideas that I've learned over my 20 years of eating organic.

Avoid The Worst Offenders

If you can't afford a complete conversion to organic, you need to identify those categories of food where you'll receive the greatest benefit. For example, consider buying only the fruits and vegetables found to be the least contaminated. A group called The Environmental Working Group reviewed more than 100,000 tests performed by the USDA and found that the following fruits and vegetables consistently showed the highest levels of toxic chemicals on and in them. This doesn't mean not to eat them; it means to buy this produce in organic whenever you can or pass them up for something different.

Listed in order from most to least toxic, the following list contains the produce you want to avoid or substitute if organic is not available:

Organic Pears from the Garthe Farm (used in our Michigan Pear Preserves)

peaches
strawberries
apples
spinach
nectarines
celery
pears
cherries
potatoes
bell peppers

Here are the least toxic according to USDA testing.

avocados
pineapples
cauliflower
mangoes
sweet peas
asparagus
onions
broccoli
bananas
garlic

Click here for a more detailed list.

Shop Locally

While "local" alone says nothing about food integrity or levels of contamination, it can have financial advantages. It can often be cheaper than mass-produced versions. Also, it's not uncommon to find organic produce at a farmer's market that is of similar or better value than conventional produce. Perhaps you can pass up the trendy and expensive non-organic Honey Crisp apple and grab the equally yummy organic Empire apple? Also, isn't it frustrating when you have to toss out perfectly good fruit or vegetables because they've gone bad? Buying locally means that product likely has about a thousand fewer miles on it's odometer. Studies have shown that buying local produce means less goes to waste due to it's longer shelf life. So even if the price is a bit higher, it may cost you less.

Get Involved in Community Supported Agriculture

Join an organic CSA (find one near you here). In my community there are more than a few organic CSAs. By buying shares in a CSA you will likely end up with a very good value, saving you money over conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables at your local grocery store. And it's freshly-picked every week of the growing season. In my view this is truly one of the best ways to have a personal relationship with your grower, save money and be assured of the quality and integrity of your food. It's like having your own private gardener!

Buy in bulk at your local natural food Co-op.

Organic Tomatoes from Earth Turtle Farm of Kari Tomashik (used in our Salsa Virtuosa and Cherry Salsa Atento)

Fresh produce aside, the price gap between some basic staples is narrowing and in some cases , non-existent. At my natural food co-op, organic rice, oats and dried beans are so cheap it hardly registers on my grocery bill. A big pot of organic oatmeal that feeds my family of four costs about .40 cents. That's .10 per serving and is a fraction of the cost of boxed conventional cereals. It's a regular feature at my house, especially in the winter. Check out my recipe here.

Furthermore, if processed and packaged food such as instant rice, frozen entrees, boxed cereals and canned goods make up the bulk of your grocery cart, you are likely paying a lot more than an organic shopper who is buying fresh or in bulk. "Instant" anything may save you some time, but you'll pay dearly for it.

Join a Buying Club

Buying clubs are a great way to eat organic and save lot of money. When you join one, you are basically making a monthly purchase of bulk items and you pay wholesale,
the same price the food stores pay. If you are willing to buy some of your regular commodities, like pasta, canned goods, grains etc, in case quantities you'll end up with organic food that cost much less than you pay for conventional at the grocery store. And once a month you get to hang out with other people from your club as you collect your orders. It can be a fun social gathering. Check out the Organic Consumers Association website where you can read their Buying Club Primer and find a buying club near you.

Organic Wild Leeks from the Food For Thought Farm (used in our Pickled Wild Leeks, Wild Leek Relish, and
Wild Leek Vinegar)

Consider Canning or Gardening at Home

Start a garden. It doesn't take much. From a window box or rooftop pots to a plot tilled in your yard, there's an opportunity, fun and a rewarding experience for you and your kids. Spinach and peppers, both members of the most toxic list, are easily grown in a window box or decorative pot. Any plans to plant some trees in your yard? Consider fruit bearing trees. You can't beat the spring blossoms of most fruit trees and I'll never forget the look on my daughter's face when she picked the first apple from a tree she helped me plant.

Consider canning at home. I do it for fun, educating my children and as a means of spreading my grocery budget further. You can do it when there's abundance or just about any time of year. When I cook a pot of soup or pasta sauce, its not that much more work to make a double or triple batch, leaving enough for canning. Organic dried beans are very inexpensive. For bean canning recipes with no overnight soaking, drop me an email and I'll send you some recipes I've developed, or watch this blog as I intend to post some soon.

Two of my favorite books, which cover freezing, drying and canning, include:

Stocking Up: The Classic Preserving Guide: Hupping, Carol.
Putting Food By: Greene, Hertzberg and Vaughan.

Take It Slowly

Will moving toward organic require some lifestyle changes? Yes. Creatures of habit that we are, change is often a greater barrier than cost or convenience. So take it easy. Any change in life is better viewed as a journey, not a destination. Take it one step at a time, have fun and don't neglect to take the time along the way to smell the organic roses.

Do you have some tips for going organic on budget that you'd like to share? Or if you have any comments or suggestions abou this post, please click on "Comment" below and share your thoughts.

Radio Anyway Segment on Autumn Berries

8 November 2007

WNMC's Radio Anyway talks to Autumn Berry farmer Paul Sears and visits Food For Thought to learn more about this infamous outlaw fruit.

Tank vs. Tankless Water Heaters

1 November 2007

In theory, I'm a big fan of tankless water heater technology. I even brought one back from Hong Kong in a large suitcase many years ago. It’s still cranking out the hot water in my processing facility. When it came time to replace my 20 year-old hand-me-down tank water heater in my home I thought, “Finally I can get a tankless water heater.” However, the technician in me insisted on research that ended up getting more involved than I had imagined. I went way beyond company literature or Consumer Reports and spoke with engineers at three different manufacturers. What I found is that a tankless is not always the best choice and it depends a great deal on your individual usage, climate, installation location, noise concerns, length of venting and energy source. (Please note the discussion below is limited to gas-fired units.)

Some of the first things to look at are cost, efficiency and climate.

Cost. The cost of a tankless is about the same as a high-quality tank heater, ignoring installation. Gas tankless units run much hotter, often three times the BTU output of a tank unit and therefore require Category III stainless vent. It is very expensive. In my application, the vent would have cost as much as the tankless water heater. It can certainly be less in other applications with shorter runs. But it is a considerable cost even with short vent runs. Keep in mind if you are replacing a tank water heater, you will need to replace the entire venting system.
Efficiency. Tank water heaters are getting more efficient. If you buy a 10- or 12-year warranty tank heater, they have more insulation and more efficient combustion chambers (in some cases) and often two diode rods (more on those later). In some cases the energy savings can be as low as 8% with a tankless. So compared to efficient tank units you may only save about $50 or less in energy costs per year. That's a good thing for sure. However, it may cost you more when you calculate the cost of venting and higher maintenance on a tankless unit. In my case, it would have taken close to 30 years to pay for the added cost of the tankless in energy savings, when considering my installation and venting costs.
Climate. One engineer working for a popular brand of both tankless and tank heaters attempted to talk me out of a tankless due to my northern Michigan location. In the end that info played a role in my decision. If you live in a cold climate and power failures are an issue in your area, keep in mind that the heat exchangers can crack in a matter of hours due to frigid air dropping in the vent on short vent installations. That's a very expensive repair. This is not an issue with tank water heaters, but I'll spare you the physics lecture. This was an issue for me because we often travel for four weeks at a time in the winter and we often leave our home available to friends. I love 'em, but I can't entrust them to properly drain the plumbing lines.

In the end, I went with a tank heater in my application. It was the most cost-effective and greenest in my opinion. Had just a few of my factors been different, I could have easily gone with a tankless. Whatever you decide, don’t let anyone tell you that either is better unless they know all the particulars of your application. And remember, in the end the greenest and most cost-effective thing you can often do is take better care of what you have. If you have a tank heater, most people don't know that 90% of failures are from the tank rotting out and leaking. That can easily be prevented by changing your diode rod every 2-5 years. The diode rod hangs down inside the water tank and is coated with a material that dissolves over time and prevents the water from rotting out the tank (Another reason why people say "Don't drink or cook with water from the hot tap). It can be removed and inspected easily by a homeowner with a good wrench. You can get 20 plus years out of tank if you replace them, much less if you don't. I bought a spare diode rod and hung it next to the water heater with tag saying "Install in year 2010."

With a tankless, follow maintenance procedures and keep in mind, depending on the mineral content and quality of your water, you may need to flush your unit’s heat exchanger annually. It is also advised to install a sediment filter on your incoming water line.

I hope this helps. Because I built, wired and plumbed my own home I may have a bit above average understanding of these issues, but I’m no expert by any means. So do the research on your application and consult plumbers with experience in both applications.

Please click on "Coment" below and let me know if this was helpful.

Green Cuisine Interview

19 October 2007

To learn more about Green Cuisine, listen to this interview with Timothy Young on the Mary In The Morning Program. Timothy talks about the philosophy of Green Cuisine, local food and the local food economy as well as sustainability and zero waste events. Green Cuisine attracted close to 1000 people who spent an evening on Food For Thought's organic farm. Guests were treated to samples of local wine, beer, Fair Trade Coffee and preserves as well as signature dishes from a variety of local restaurants, and food artisans.

Cooking With Kids

10 October 2007

My son Connor combining his two favorite pastimes: Cooking and Sleeping.

As a home schooling parent, cooking with my kids and their friends has been of interest to me. Combining some fun with raising their awareness around the issues of sustainable food and social justice has been the goal.

My first foray was to take my daughter Stella to Chiapas Mexico last winter to visit Zapatista communities and Fair Trade farming cooperatives. (Story to come soon). More recently my kids and I have been harvesting wild apples and pears from abandoned orchards in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore next to our farm. It's been a good year. Thus far we've been making pies, applesauce and freezing the surplus for future creations.

Picking apples from the orchard.

Then this past week I hosted a group of 17 kids from our home school group for a class on canning apple sauce. With the permission of Tom Porter, we raided his orchard with buckets and kids on a bright and warm October morning. Back at my place we sorted, cooked, pureed and finally canned our days labor. Going from tree to jar was a bit much for the kids and they were losing steam and interest by the end. I've committed to doing this once month with them so I'll have to adjust either the scale or my ambition next time.

Next on the menu: Canned bean soup, the perfect fall comfort food.

Back in the kitchen.