Dining & Wine

Urban Farmers’ Crops Go From Vacant Lot to Market

By TRACIE McMILLAN

Published: May 7, 2008

For years, city dwellers have raised
fruits and vegetables to feed their families, but now more and more of
them are growing food to sell to a wider market.

Court Orders Tyson to Suspend Ads For Antibiotic-Free Chicken
By Annys Shin

Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 2, 2008; Page D01

Poultry giant Tyson Foods has 14 days to dismantle a national multimillion dollar ad campaign centered on the claim that its chickens are raised without antibiotics, a federal appeals court in Richmond ruled yesterday.

Tyson, based in Springdale, Ark., will have to remove posters and brochures from 8,500 grocery stores nationwide.

"We're disappointed the motion for a stay has been denied and are evaluating our legal options," said Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods. "We continue to believe we have acted responsibly in the way we have labeled and marketed our products and intend to stand our ground."

The ruling is a setback for Tyson in its ongoing battle with two of its competitors Sanderson Farms, based in Laurel, Miss., and Perdue Farms, based in Salisbury, Md. The two companies jointly sought an injunction to stop Tyson's ad campaign, arguing the "raised without antibiotics" claim misleads consumers by making it appear Tyson's chicken is safer or more healthful.

Sanderson and Perdue initially based their legal challenge on Tyson's practice of feeding chickens ionophores, an antibiotic used only in animals raised for food. Sanderson and Perdue also use ionophores.

Then during trial in federal court in Baltimore, Tyson officials acknowledged they also inject eggs several days before they hatch with antibiotics that are approved for use in humans. Dave Hogberg, Tyson's senior vice president for consumer products, said it is a common industry practice.

Hogberg said injecting eggs with antibiotics did not undermine the "raised without antibiotic" label because the term "raised" is understood to cover the period that begins with hatching.

More consumers are becoming concerned about the use of antibiotics in poultry, swine and cattle because they and many public health experts think that it contributes to the rise of antibiotic-resistant viruses in humans.

The dispute between Tyson and its competitors began last year, when Tyson announced it would raise its chickens without antibiotics, as part of a larger effort to relaunch its brand. It sought approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the use of the label "raised without antibiotics." USDA initially approved the language, then last fall reversed itself, saying it had made a mistake.

Tyson came up with a new label that said, "raised without antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans" that the USDA greenlighted.

The resulting advertising campaign proved a huge success. In a February conference call, Tyson chief executive Richard Bond told analysts the company has had double-digit increases in sales of fresh chicken raised without antibiotics, totaling an additional 70 million pounds of chicken a year.

But Tyson's success came at a high cost for its competitors, said Randall K. Miller, a partner at Arnold and Porter and lead counsel for Sanderson and Perdue. The companies sued in January seeking to force Tyson to stop making claims that its products were antibiotic free.

Sanderson blamed Tyson's ad campaign for the loss of a $4 million account, and Perdue blamed it for a $10 million loss in revenue. Greater damage, however, was done to the companies' reputations, Miller said. In seeking an injunction against Tyson's ad campaign, Sanderson and Perdue argued that Tyson's "raised without antibiotics" claim caused irreparable harm by implying its competitors' products contained antibiotics or dangerous additives and were therefore less safe.

Separately, Sanderson and Perdue also petitioned USDA to rescind its approval of Tyson's "raised without the use of antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans" label, citing both the use of antibiotics in unhatched eggs and in chicken feed.

In an April 30 letter to Miller regarding the companies' petition, the USDA said the egg injecting practice was "of serious concern."

"Rather than discuss any specifics to this particular case, [the Food Safety and Inspection Service of USDA] has requested additional information to help us determine what the facts are in this situation," FSIS spokeswoman Amanda Eamich said.

Hogberg said Tyson has been forthright with regulators. He said he hopes Tyson and USDA can resolve the matter quickly.

"As we did in working with them on the qualified claim last fall . . . we would hope the process would be similar so we can preserve this benefit for the mainstream consumer," he said.

For Immediate Release: May 5, 2008

“Land Trusts and Agricultural Land: Protecting Farmland or Farming?”

Land Trust Leaders Across the US Contribute their Insights and Expertise;

the Report Outlines How Land Trusts Can Support Active Farming on Protected Farmland and Shares Innovative Practices from Around the Country

Cold Spring, NY -- Glynwood Center, a not-for-profit organization, just released a comprehensive report on Land Trusts and the protection of agricultural land.

Over the past year, Glynwood has worked with leading land trusts and government agencies to identify key challenges and innovative approaches to protecting farmland and encouraging its productive use. The aim of the report is to share cutting edge approaches from across the country that address the unique conservation issues that relate to the protection of farmland. The central question for land trusts working on farmland protection and the theme of the report is whether and how to go beyond the protection of the farmland to the support of farming – ie, keeping the land actively working and in production.

The bulk of the 29 page report is entitled “Learning from the Innovators.” The Glynwood report outlines innovative, successful approaches to protecting farmland and furthering production that were developed through interviews and a convening with 18 national leaders. Key points include:

* How conservation easements can be adapted to accommodate the needs of farmers
* Methods that encourage continuing agricultural use
* Enhancing the stewardship of protected land
* The importance of working on larger scales and entering the arena of public policy
* How land trusts can work with state and regional partners to offer additional services to farmers and landowners
* Ways to increase the economic viability of regional farming, including providing new sources of income, helping to meet the challenge of processing meats, and marketing support for farmers
* Expanding the constituency for farming and farmland protection through public education

In addition, the Report identifies key challenges, including why agricultural land presents unique challenges to the land trust community, the unintended consequences of conservation and shared concerns that emerged while interviewing land trust leaders from different communities across the country.

The last section of the Report identifies emerging issues that need to be considered now as global environmental and economic issues begin to significantly impact small and midsize farms.

To read “Land Trusts and Agricultural Land: Protecting Farmland or Farming?” in full and download a pdf of the Report, please visit the Glynwood Center website.

Supporting documents such as easements and innovative program descriptions can also be found on Glynwood Center’s website. PRINTED COPIES of the Land Trusts and Agricultural Land report can be ordered from by calling Anita Barber at (845) 265-3338 or emailing her, abarber@glynwood.org. There will be a nominal fee for shipping and handling.

Glynwood Center is the not-for-profit organization in the Hudson Valley whose work around Community Stewardship emphasizes the importance of strengthening regional food systems by helping communities understand the value of regional agriculture and develop strategies to encourage farmers to stay on their land.

Schools Get A Lesson in Lunch Line Economics
Food Costs Unravel Nutrition Initiatives
By Maria Glod
Washington Post

New York students will have to settle for pizza without tasty turkey pepperoni topping. In Montgomery County schools, tomato slices were pulled for a few weeks from cafeteria salads in favor of less-expensive carrots or celery.

And in Davie County, N.C., Yoo-hoo drinks, which had been taken off the shelf in favor of healthier options, are back. Sure, officials would rather the kids chugged milk. But each Yoo-hoo sale brings in 36 cents of profit.

Sharp rises in the cost of milk, grain and fresh fruits and vegetables are hitting cafeterias across the country, forcing cash-strapped schools to raise prices or pinch pennies by serving more economical dishes. Some school officials on a mission to help fight childhood obesity say it's becoming harder to fill students' plates with healthy, low-fat foods.

Read This Story:
Schools Get A Lesson in Lunch Line Economics

April 30, 2008

1,250 Free Trees Available to NYC Homeowners and Families in May!

Through the generous sponsorship of BNP
Paribas presenting sponsor of MillionTreesNYC Month 1,250
FREE trees will be available for adoption throughout
the Citys five boroughs this May. Trees will be distributed by New
York Restoration Project (NYRP) at four Council on the Environment
of New York City (CENYC) Greenmarkets and the Riverdale, Bronx
YM-YWHAs Environmental Fair, with 250 trees being given away to
homeowners and families at each tree-distribution
site.

Note individuals and families are limited to adopting one
tree per household and required to register their new tree at
www.milliontreesnyc.org.

NYRP horticulture specialists will be on hand
to provide instruction on proper tree-planting and maintenance
techniques. For CENYC Greenmarket and Environmental Fair
participants who do not have their own yard to plant a tree,
information on volunteering, educational programming and
contributing to MillionTreesNYC will also be available.

Adopt your FREE tree in May at the following
locations, and be one in a million!

• Saturday, May 10 8 am to 2
  pm St. George CENYC Greenmarket, St. Marks and
  Hyatt Streets, Staten Island

• Saturday, May 10 8 am to 2
  pm Grand Army Plaza CENYC Greenmarket,Prospect Park NW
  Entrance, Brooklyn

• Saturday, May 17 8 am to 2
  pm Inwood CENYC Greenmarket, Isham St between
  Seaman & Cooper, Upper Manhattan

• Saturday, May 17 8 am to 2 pm
  Sunnyside CENYC Greenmarket, Skillman between 42nd
  and 43rd
  Streets,Queens

Limited quantities of the following
species of trees will be available on a first-come, first-serve
basis: Red Bud, Dogwood, Cherry, Crabapple, Service Berry, Linden,
Sweetgum and Oak.

About MillionTreesNYC

Led by the New York City Department of Parks
& Recreation and New York Restoration Project (NYRP),
MillionTreesNYC is a citywide, public-private
initiative with an ambitious goal: to plant and care for one
million new trees across the Citys five boroughs by
2017.

United Way of NYC Senior VP for Community Investment
Jennifer Jones Austin Joins Mayor Bloomberg, United Way of America's
Gallagher and Others to Announce Expansion of 311 to Include Nonprofit
Sector Human Services Referrals

New "Your City. Your Needs. Your Number" Campaign in Seven Languages

April 21, 2008

United Way of New York City Senior Vice President for Community Investment
Jennifer Jones Austin joined Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today to announce the
expansion of the City's 311 Customer Service Center to provide information and
referrals about social services, creating a simple entry-point for New Yorkers
seeking social services and fulfilling a promise he made in his 2005 re-election
campaign. United Way of New York City is the City’s partner in the expanded
311 initiative.

Beginning in May, New Yorkers will have 24-hour, seven-day-a-week access to
a team of 30 specially-trained operators dedicated to helping callers with social
service-related requests in what is now the nation's largest social service
information and referral call center. The Mayor also launched a seven-language
public outreach campaign, which highlights the expanded services New Yorkers
are now able to learn about - now they can "311 it."

UWNYCs Jennifer Jones Austin Joins Mayor Bloomberg in announcing 311 expansion.

In addition to Jones Austin, the Mayor was joined at the 311 Customer Service
Center in Lower Manhattan by Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda
I. Gibbs; United Way of America President and CEO Brian Gallagher; Department
of Information Technology and Telecommunications Commissioner Paul J. Cosgrave;
Human Resources Administration Commissioner Robert Doar; Mayor's Office of Immigrant
Affairs Commissioner Guillermo Linares, and Department for the Aging Commissioner
Edwin Mendez-Santiago.

"New York is lucky to have the largest network of non-profit health and
human services agencies anywhere. But sometimes the very size of this network
can make it difficult to connect to the services you need, and all too often
the information you need is only available during business hours. We're working
to change all that," said Mayor Bloomberg. "One of the great benefits
of 311 is that it's available all the time - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
And if it can be such a useful and powerful tool in repairing potholes and fixing
traffic lights, it could do an equally effective job helping people in need.
We want that to be true for all the social service-related requests we get,
too."

"This complement to 311 continues to target some of the city's most at-risk
populations of children under age 5, disconnected youth and the working poor,
as identified by the Center for Economic Opportunity," said Deputy Mayor
Gibbs. "Thirty call takers are specially trained to handle complex health
and human services issues, and will respond to inquiries, as well as make the
referrals to the appropriate city agency or one of our many community-based
partners."

New York City has created a unique model for social service information and
referral, which in many other jurisdictions across the country is being developed
through the 211 dialing code. Nearly 1,000 unique social services and 1,300
non-profit organizations are accessible every hour of every day by calling 311.
Starting in May, callers seeking social services information and referral will
be able to get this information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The expanded
social services enhancements were developed based upon the areas of priority
as identified by the City's Center for Economic Opportunity, which Mayor Bloomberg
created to develop and implement innovative ways to reduce poverty in New York
City.

Mayor Bloomberg also unveiled a public outreach campaign, which highlights the
new, expanded services New Yorkers are now able to learn about, but can also
access them by calling 311. The campaign will feature the familiar 311 logo,
introduce a new 311 tagline: "Your city. Your needs. Your number,"
and tell New Yorkers they can, for example:

311 senior services
311 your noisy neighbor
311 graffiti cleanup
311 food assistance
311 domestic violence counseling, or
311 a tree request.

The new black and yellow ads, designed by NYC & Company, will appear in
English, Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish, and
will be displayed in bus shelters, on subways, street banners, and in other
locations throughout the city. While most of the examples of what 311 can do
appear in multiple languages, social programs like accessing immigration and
naturalization services that are predominantly used by immigrants appear more
often in the non-English ads. The City's taxi cabs and official vehicles will
receive new bumper stickers reflecting this campaign.

The United Way of America has taken the lead on the national 211 initiative;
United Way of New York City has worked closely with the City to ensure its vast
network of agencies and community-based organizations are accessible through
311. "United Way of New York City is so proud to be the City's partner
in bringing 211 services to New York City via the gateway of 311," said
United Way of New York City’s Jones Austin. "Through expanded 311,
New Yorkers will now be able to easily access nonprofits and nongovernmental
social service agencies in all five boroughs, whether to obtain assistance and
services for themselves, a loved one or a friend.

“This is an example of the modern United Way, innovating, solving community
problems and partnering with government so that New Yorkers can get crucial
information and referrals, wherever they live, 24 hours a day.

“How remarkable it is that New Yorkers can now dial one number, whether
for a child care center in Jamaica, or a senior center on the Lower East Side.
Expanded 311 is a safe, professional resource to access neighborhood-based organizations
and services, from teenage pregnancy counseling to job training; from immigration
to childcare, and of course it is the access route to all City services too,”
she concluded.

"United Way is proud to partner with Mayor Bloomberg to make giving and
getting assistance much easier in New York City," said United Way of America
President and CEO Brian Gallagher. "Public-private efforts like these are
critical if we are to continue to find means of creating opportunities for a
better life for all people."

"Back in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg envisioned a city more accessible than
ever to its customers, and he launched 311 to make it happen," said DoITT
Commissioner Cosgrave. "Five years and 62 million calls later, 311 continues
to make a difference for New Yorkers - from child care to senior services and
everything in between. Just "311" what you're looking for, and we'll
be here to answer the call."

About United Way of New York City

United Way of New York City creates, leads and supports initiatives that bring
measurable improvement to the lives of the city's most vulnerable residents.
They work to address the underlying causes of critical problems in five Action
Areas -- Education, Homelessness Prevention, Access to Health Care, Building
Economic Independence, and Strengthening NYC Nonprofits-with the goal of creating
lasting change. Throughout its work, they collaborate with neighborhood agencies,
business, government, foundations, volunteers and others so that collectively
the can achieve more than any single organization working alone.

About the 311 Customer Service Center

The 311 Customer Service Center was established in 2003 to give the public
quick and easy access to all government services. All calls are answered by
a live operator, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The average time it takes
to speak to a live operator is 5 seconds and 99 percent of the calls are answered
within 30 seconds. An average of 41,000 calls come in to 311 daily, and translation
service is provided in nearly 180 languages.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Steve Kaufman
United Way of New York City
(212) 251-2416
SKaufman@uwnyc.org

FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS NEW YORK CITY HEALTH CODE PROVISION REQUIRING CERTAIN RESTAURANTS TO POST CALORIE INFORMATION ON MENU AND MENU BOARDS.

“Today’s
decision will give New Yorkers the information they need to make
informed, healthier choices,” said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City
Health Commissioner. “We hope these restaurants will accept the
judgment and become part of the solution. Over the next 5 years, this
regulation could prevent 150,000 New Yorkers from becoming obese and
keep 30,000 from developing diabetes.”

Read the full press release.

City Limits WEEKLY
Week of: April 21, 2008
Number: 636

AFTER LOSS OF MARKETS,
NY MAY BOOST GROCERIES
New York City has lost supermarkets as rents have risen, but the
demand for fresh food is high as ever. State officials are looking at
how to help. 

By Tracie McMillan

While the city's trying to increase the number of produce carts and
encourage bodegas to carry healthier food, state officials are angling
for bigger game: Supermarkets.

Agriculture officials said they're hoping to establish a program to
boost supermarket development in underserved communities, basing the
effort on a Pennsylvania program – the $120 million Fresh Food
Financing Initiative – that's been on the books since 2004. Widely
considered a national model, Pennsylvania's program has already helped
to renovate or build 50 food stores statewide, all in underserved
areas, since its inception.

The Penn program encourages supermarket development by coordinating an
array of funding sources, including the New Markets Tax Credit,
private foundation grants, and municipal and state development
funding. To receive funding assistance, stores must be located in low-
or moderate-income census tracts; provide a full selection of fresh
foods; and be located in areas where fresh food is lacking.

"I think we're on a track that will lead to better food access in
lower-income communities," said New York State Agriculture
Commissioner Patrick Hooker at an April 3 "listening session" of the
New York State Council on Food Policy. Founded last year to help
coordinate and set priorities for the state's food system, the council
will be holding similar sessions around the state, including one
slated for late May in Harlem (details below).

"We're familiar with [the effort in] Pennsylvania," said Hooker,
adding that he'd held agency-level meetings with Pennsylvania
officials, as well as supermarket industry leaders in New York. "I'm
looking forward to moving ahead with that." New York wouldn't be the
first to mimic the Keystone State's efforts: cities such as Baltimore,
Washington D.C. and Chicago have all put energy into fostering
supermarket development, and other cities like Detroit are exploring
their options.

In New York, the project is still in early discussion stages.
Nonetheless, the effort could find a welcoming home here. City
residents have lost one-third of their supermarkets in recent years,
dropping from 1,312 in 2002 to 877 in 2008, according to a market
analysis done by F&D Reports, a research group focused on food retail
and distribution. That loss, said F&D's Larry Sarf, is due to one
thing: Skyrocketing rents. Twenty years ago, the industry average here
was to pay 2 percent of gross sales in rent; today, the average is 12
percent. "Everything is driven by real estate values," Sarf said of
the trend. "That's what's hurting the supermarket operator ... they
can't make it work."

Losing markets can be more than just an inconvenience—it might well
worsen residents' health. For every additional supermarket in a census
tract, fruit and vegetable consumption increases by as much as 32
percent, according to an American Journal of Public Health study from
2002.

Bringing supermarkets into low-income neighborhoods certainly sounds
like a good idea to Cynthia Butts, a longtime Fort Greene resident and
a community organizer with Families United for Racial and Economic
Equality. When developer John Catsimatidis closed a low-rise shopping
center on Myrtle Avenue—and the Associated supermarket within it—in
2006, and later razed it to make way for a condominium development,
Butts and her neighbors were left without a convenient, high-quality
supermarket. (Catsimatidis, who owns the Gristede's supermarket chain,
has said he will include a new market in the commercial space of the
new building.)

With that in mind, said Butts, anything that makes it easier to get
markets into a neighborhood sounded good to her. "I think the proposal
is great if you want to fairly put a supermarket that's going to give
us straight-from-the-farm, fresh-picked food like you would do in any
other neighborhood," said Butts upon hearing of the Pennsylvania
program. "Just because we're low-income, that doesn't mean we don't
have the same needs. We do like vegetables around here."

It's a sentiment that F&D's Sarf agrees with. "The best area for a
supermarket operator would be in … the poor areas," said Sarf, citing
a demand for economical shopping and supermarkets' proficiency in
administering public benefits programs like food stamps and the Women,
Infants and Children program. "But they don't have the ability to pay
the rents."

- Tracie McMillan

News from New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets <http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/>  

For more information contact: Jessica Chittenden, 518-457-3136
Commissioner Hooker Encourages Consumers To Join A CSA

Community Supported Agriculture Farms Provide Fresh Produce, Local Returns

ALBANY, NY (04/04/2008; 1429)(readMedia)-- New York State Agriculture
Commissioner Patrick Hooker today encouraged consumers to support New
York farmers by becoming members of a local Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) farm. CSAs or “subscription farms” market their farm
products by asking consumers to become farm members and pay in advance
for a season’s worth of farm products.

“Joining a CSA and eating farm fresh products is a terrific way to
stretch your food dollars and support your local farmer,” the
Commissioner said. “New York has nearly 150 CSAs across the State that
provide their members with direct access to a variety of healthy foods
picked off the vine and out of the field. They are also a great way for
people to learn more about how food is grown, and some provide a
first-hand experience with work-share memberships.”

CSAs share the risks of production by selling farm shares or
memberships in advance of the harvest. This advance sale helps farmers
cover up-front expenses for seeds and equipment, while also assuring a
market for their products. In return, consumers not only receive farm
fresh products, they also become more directly connected to their food
source. As members, consumers also share in the risks and rewards of
production agriculture, including reduced harvests due to unfavorable
weather or pests, and bounties during a good growing season.

The typical CSA membership in New York will provide enough fruits and
vegetables to feed a family for six months, but may not be limited to
solely fresh produce. New York State CSAs reflect the diversity of
agricultural production in the State and some CSAs provide a full array
of farm products including eggs, meat, milk, baked goods, honey and
maple syrup. CSAs are also known for their heirloom varieties and
organic or sustainable production techniques.

Purchasing a share or membership in a CSA varies by farm. While paying
in advance for all the fresh produce a family will eat in six months
may not seem thrifty, studies show that CSAs are a bargain when
compared to conventional produce sold at most retail stores. Some CSAs
offer a work-share program, where members can work on the farm for a
portion of their membership. Members start receiving product as it
comes into season, around June, and can pick up a week’s share of farm
products at the farm or at a pre-determined distribution site until the
end of the season, usually through November.

CSAs have become extremely popular in recent years due to the numerous
benefits to farmers and members. Besides offering fresh and affordable
food directly from the farm, they also encourage consumers to eat
healthier and to try different varieties of produce. For farmers, CSAs
eliminate some of the financial risk associated with production
agriculture by requiring advance sales and serving a defined customer
base.

The Pride of New York program supports CSAs and promotes New York State
food and agricultural products. The program assists farmers and food
processors in branding their products by using the Pride of New York
emblem, helping consumers identify high-quality, local agricultural
products.

Currently, there are 133 CSAs listed on the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York’s website, www.nofany.org/dbapplet/csadirectory.html. There are also 50 CSAs located in the metropolitan New York area that are listed on the Just Food website at www.justfood.org/csa/.

NODPA Press Release: March 08, 2008

Stonyfield Farm and HP Hood ignore their organic family farmers request
to be paid a fair price for their milk; some of their farmers head into
bankruptcy