Link to full article: http://bit.ly/NR0Cl3
Gary Clary, CNN
Bad cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure; these are all
conditions that often prompt a trip to the pharmacy. But now, physicians
are administering a different treatment entirely: produce. Doctors at
select clinics across the country are writing some obese patients
"prescriptions" for fruits and vegetables.
The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program provides daily $1 subsidies to buy produce at local farmers markets. FVRx, as it is also known, is funded through Wholesome Wave,
a non-profit organization which operates from private donations. Each
member of a family gets the $1 prescription so, for example, a family of
five would end up getting $35 per week to spend on fresh fruits and
vegetables.
To read the entire article go here.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Consumer spending on fruits, vegetables stagnates, study says
Tom Karst
The Packer
07/30/2012
While buying more sweets and processed foods, Americans are spending virtually the same percentage of their budget on fruits and vegetables in 2012 as they did 30 years ago.
A study by Planet Money/National Public Radio released this summer shows consumers spend an average of 14.6% of their grocery budget on fruits and vegetables, compared with 14.5% in 1982.
Processed foods and sweets showed the most dramatic gains over the past 30 years, rising from 11.6% of the grocery budget in 1982 to 22.9% in 2012. Reflecting the efficiencies gained in larger scale animal facilities, the percent of the grocery budget spent on meats dropped from 31.3% in 1982 to just 21.5% in 2012.
The data, compiled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that the percent of groceries spent on dairy products dropped from 13.3% to 11.1%, while the amount spent on grains and baked goods rose from 13.2% to 14.4%.
Comparing 1982 and 2012, the study found inflation-adjusted prices of selected fruits and vegetables (measured in 2012 dollars) showed mixed trends.
The 2012 prices of apples, bananas, lettuce and tomatoes were cheaper than 1982, while grapefruit and pepper prices were higher compared with 30 years ago.
U.S. Grocery expenditures
2012 1982
Meats 21.5% 31.3%
Fruits and vegetables 14.6% 14.5%
Grains and baked goods 14.4% 13.2%
Beverages 11.1% 11%
Dairy products 10.6% 13.2%
Other foods 5.1% 5.3%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Planet Money/NPR
Original link: http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Consumer-spending-on-fruits-vegetables-stagnates-study-says-164270706.html
The Packer
07/30/2012
While buying more sweets and processed foods, Americans are spending virtually the same percentage of their budget on fruits and vegetables in 2012 as they did 30 years ago.
A study by Planet Money/National Public Radio released this summer shows consumers spend an average of 14.6% of their grocery budget on fruits and vegetables, compared with 14.5% in 1982.
Processed foods and sweets showed the most dramatic gains over the past 30 years, rising from 11.6% of the grocery budget in 1982 to 22.9% in 2012. Reflecting the efficiencies gained in larger scale animal facilities, the percent of the grocery budget spent on meats dropped from 31.3% in 1982 to just 21.5% in 2012.
The data, compiled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that the percent of groceries spent on dairy products dropped from 13.3% to 11.1%, while the amount spent on grains and baked goods rose from 13.2% to 14.4%.
Comparing 1982 and 2012, the study found inflation-adjusted prices of selected fruits and vegetables (measured in 2012 dollars) showed mixed trends.
The 2012 prices of apples, bananas, lettuce and tomatoes were cheaper than 1982, while grapefruit and pepper prices were higher compared with 30 years ago.
U.S. Grocery expenditures
2012 1982
Meats 21.5% 31.3%
Fruits and vegetables 14.6% 14.5%
Grains and baked goods 14.4% 13.2%
Beverages 11.1% 11%
Dairy products 10.6% 13.2%
Other foods 5.1% 5.3%
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Planet Money/NPR
Original link: http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Consumer-spending-on-fruits-vegetables-stagnates-study-says-164270706.html
Friday, July 27, 2012
BEGINNING FARMER & RANCHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Scholarship program is designed to give new and beginning farmers and ranchers a low-cost opportunity to participate in the Carolina Farm StewardshipAssociation's (CFSA) Sustainable Agriculture Conference Oct 26-28, 2012 in
Greenville, SC.
The Sustainable Agriculture Conference is an unparalleled
opportunity for beginning farmers to learn how to be successful in their
sustainable farming enterprises. The
conference has special programming for beginning farmers on basic farm
planning, marketing, how to avoid common startup pitfalls, and applying for
grants and loans for farmers. Other
conference workshops cover cutting edge issues in sustainable agriculture,
including organic weed and pest control, plant diseases, soil fertility,
heritage livestock, food safety and processing, and direct marketing. All of it is essential information for new farms
to thrive.
Scholarship
recipients will be eligible to attend all regular conference activities,
beginning with the dinner and evening program on Friday, Oct. 26, and including
all workshops, plenary sessions, meals and networking sessions taking place on
Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27. The scholarship does not cover the
pre-conference workshops and tours held on Friday, Oct. 26, or travel &
lodging costs. The value of this scholarship totals $300.
Scholarship
Eligibility:
Up to 40 scholarships are available. For
purposes of this scholarship program, a new or beginning farmer or rancher is
defined as an individual who:
* Has not operated a farm or ranch, or who has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 consecutive years, and
* Will provide substantial day-to-day labor and management of the farm or ranch.
* CFSA encourages minority farmers to take advantage of this scholarship. A portion of the 40 scholarships are reserved for minority farmers.
* Has not operated a farm or ranch, or who has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 consecutive years, and
* Will provide substantial day-to-day labor and management of the farm or ranch.
* CFSA encourages minority farmers to take advantage of this scholarship. A portion of the 40 scholarships are reserved for minority farmers.
Scholarship
Requirements:
Recipients will be required to attend one of the two
Basic Farm Planning workshops and cover the cost of their own lodging and travel expenses.
Scholarship Application Deadline:
The deadline to apply for this scholarship is Aug. 15, 2012. Scholarship recipients will be notified of award decisions by Sept. 5, 2012. Those applicants who do not receive the scholarship will be eligible to register for the Conference at the low early bird rate for students and apprentices.
The deadline to apply for this scholarship is Aug. 15, 2012. Scholarship recipients will be notified of award decisions by Sept. 5, 2012. Those applicants who do not receive the scholarship will be eligible to register for the Conference at the low early bird rate for students and apprentices.
Download Scholarship Application - http://www.
This scholarship program is made possible by a grant from National Institute for Food and Agriculture and the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and we are grateful for this support.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Pesticide Disposal Day August 1
Henderson County Cooperative Extension and the NC Department of Agriculture are hosting a Pesticide Disposal Day!
Who: Farmers, Gardeners and Homeowners
What: Any pesticide (insecticide, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) NO PAINT
When: Wednesday August 1, 2012
Where: Jackson Park Field 8-9 Parking Lot. Hendersonville, NC
Contact: Henderson County Cooperative Extension, 828-697-4891
Provisions: Register with Cooperative Extension. No unlabeled products will be accepted.
Who: Farmers, Gardeners and Homeowners
What: Any pesticide (insecticide, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) NO PAINT
When: Wednesday August 1, 2012
Where: Jackson Park Field 8-9 Parking Lot. Hendersonville, NC
Contact: Henderson County Cooperative Extension, 828-697-4891
Provisions: Register with Cooperative Extension. No unlabeled products will be accepted.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Latest Edition of Small Fruits News Now Available
The Southern Region Small Fruits Consortium's latest newsletter is now available.
Small Fruits News July 2012 (pdf)
Small Fruits News July 2012 (pdf)
- 'Osage' a new blackberry for shipping and local markets
- Blackberry and raspberry season checklist
- Strawberry seasonal checklist
Friday, July 6, 2012
Cucurbit Downy Mildew in Western NC
Cucurbit downy mildew has been identified on cucumbers in Buncombe and Haywood Counties. Growers are urged to scout their fields and begin preventive management.
Review control measures and previous posts on this major disease issue - Cucurbit downy mildew
Also, please visit the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting site to see more pictures of the disease, review control measures, report disease outbreaks in your area and more.
Review control measures and previous posts on this major disease issue - Cucurbit downy mildew
 |
| Water soaked lesions, caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis (causal agent of cucurbit downy mildew), visible on the underside of cucumber leaf. |
Late Blight Identified in Western NC
Late blight has been positively identified in Henderson County. Please review the NC Alternative Crops and Organics for a synopsis from Dr. Jeanine Davis and control recommendations and descriptions of the disease from Dr. Kelly Ivors - Late Blight Confirmed in Western NC.
Growers are urged to start scouting fields and taking proper preventive measures- it is very hard to play catch up with late blight, prevention is key.
To review previous posts on late blight, click here.
To review previous posts on late blight, click here.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
This Thursday: Research Hop Yard “Open House”
Event: Research Hop Yard “Open House”
Date of Event: July 5, 2012
Time of Event: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location of Event: Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station, 74 Research Drive, Mills River, NC 28759.
Description:
Last
year we established a high-trellis research hop yard to help the new
hop industry developing in western North Carolina. There are ten
popular varieties planted in a replicated trial. The trellis system
demonstrates two methods for lowering the top wire so the use of ladders
or cherry pickers for stringing, maintenance, and harvest is not
necessary. There is a drip-irrigation system and a landscape fabric
mulch weed control system. This is not a full-fledged field day this
year with speakers and a set agenda. This is a casual “drop-in” event
and an opportunity for hop growers and potential hop growers to view the
ten varieties before we start harvesting and talk with the researchers,
Jeanine Davis and Kelly Gaskill. The differences between the varieties
are pretty dramatic this year. We have experienced Downy Mildew, spider
mites, and now Japanese beetles and we will tell you what steps we have
taken to control them. We’d love for you to share your experiences,
too.
Directions:
From
Interstate 26, take Exit #40 (the Asheville Regional Airport exit). At
the top of the exit ramp take NC Hwy 280 South (go towards the airport).
Drive past the airport and take the first road on the right, Old
Fanning Bridge Road (just after the big curve to the right and marked by
a green and white sign for the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research
and Extension Center. After about one mile you will cross the French
Broad river. The research station is on the right but directly across
the street from the entrance to the research station there will be signs
directing you left onto Butler Farm Road. Follow the signs out to the
hop yard.
This
project is funded by a USDA Specialty Crops Block Grant administered
through the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The
project is in the NC Alternative Crops and Organics Program of Dr.
Jeanine Davis, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department
of Horticultural Science, NC State University, Mountain Horticultural
Crops Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC
28759. More information on her program and the companion Hops Field
Day being held in Raleigh can be found at http://Monday, July 2, 2012
Flavor Is Price Of Scarlet Hue Of Tomatoes, Study Finds
By GINA KOLATA
The New York Times
Published: June 28, 2012
Original link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/science/flavor-is-the-price-of-tomatoes-scarlet-hue-geneticists-say.html
A gene mutation that makes a tomato uniformly red also stifles genes that contribute to its taste, researchers say.
Plant geneticists say they have discovered an answer to a near-universal question: Why are tomatoes usually so tasteless?
Yes, they are often picked green and shipped long distances. Often they are refrigerated, which destroys their flavor and texture. But now researchers have discovered a genetic reason that diminishes a tomato’s flavor even if the fruit is picked ripe and coddled.
The unexpected culprit is a gene mutation that occurred by chance and that was discovered by tomato breeders. It was deliberately bred into almost all tomatoes because it conferred an advantage: It made them a uniform luscious scarlet when ripe.
Now, in a paper published in the journal Science, researchers report that the very gene that was inactivated by that mutation plays an important role in producing the sugar and aromas that are the essence of a fragrant, flavorful tomato. And these findings provide a road map for plant breeders to make better-tasting, evenly red tomatoes.
The discovery “is one piece of the puzzle about why the modern tomato stinks,” said Harry Klee, a tomato researcher at the University of Florida in Gainesville who was not involved in the research. “That mutation has been introduced into almost all modern tomatoes. Now we can say that in trying to make the fruit prettier, they reduced some of the important compounds that are linked to flavor.”
The mutation’s effect was a real surprise, said James J. Giovannoni of the United States Department of Agriculture Research Service, an author of the paper. He called the wide adoption of tomatoes that ripen uniformly “a story of unintended consequences.”
Breeders stumbled upon the variety about 70 years ago and saw commercial potential. Consumers like tomatoes that are red all over, but ripe tomatoes normally had a ring of green, yellow or white at the stem end. Producers of tomatoes used in tomato sauce or ketchup also benefited. Growers harvest this crop all at once, Dr. Giovannoni said, and “with the uniform ripening gene, it is easier to determine when the tomatoes are ripe.”
Then, about 10 years ago, Ann Powell, a plant biochemist at the University of California, Davis, happened on a puzzle that led to the new discovery.
Dr. Powell, a lead author of the Science paper, was studying weed genes. Her colleagues had put those genes into tomato plants, which are, she said, the lab rats of the plant world. To Dr. Powell’s surprise, tomatoes with the genes turned the dark green of a sweet pepper before they ripened, rather than the insipid pale green of most tomatoes today.
“That got me thinking,” Dr. Powell said. “Why do fruits bother being green in the first place?” The green is from chloroplasts, self-contained energy factories in plant cells, where photosynthesis takes place. The end result is sugar, which plants use for food. And, Dr. Powell said, the prevailing wisdom said sugar travels from a plant’s leaves to its fruit. So chloroplasts in tomato fruit seemed inconsequential.
Still, she said, the thought of dark green tomatoes “kind of bugged me.” Why weren’t the leaves dark green, too?
About a year ago, she and her colleagues, including Dr. Giovannoni, decided to investigate. The weed genes, they found, replaced a disabled gene in a tomato’s fruit but not in its leaves. With the weed genes, the tomatoes turned dark green.
The reason the tomatoes had been light green was that they had the uniform ripening mutation, which set up a sort of chain reaction. The mutation not only made tomatoes turn uniformly green and then red, but also disabled genes involved in ripening. Among them are genes that allow the fruit to make some of its own sugar instead of getting it only from leaves. Others increase the amount of carotenoids, which give tomatoes a full red color and, it is thought, are involved in flavor.
To test their discovery, the researchers used genetic engineering to turn on the disabled genes while leaving the uniform ripening trait alone. The fruit was evenly dark green and then red and had 20 percent more sugar and 20 to 30 percent more carotenoids when ripe.
But were the genetically engineered tomatoes more flavorful? Because Department of Agriculture regulations forbid the consumption of experimental produce, no one tasted them.
And, Dr. Giovannoni says, do not look for those genetically engineered tomatoes at the grocery store. Producers would not dare to make such a tomato for fear that consumers would reject it.
But, Dr. Powell said, there is a way around the issue. Heirloom tomatoes and many wild species do not have the uniform ripening mutation. “The idea is to get the vegetable seed industry interested,” Dr. Powell said.
A version of this article appeared in print on June 29, 2012, on page A12 of the New York
edition with the headline: Flavor Is Price Of Scarlet Hue Of Tomatoes, Study Finds.
The New York Times
Published: June 28, 2012
Original link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/science/flavor-is-the-price-of-tomatoes-scarlet-hue-geneticists-say.html
A gene mutation that makes a tomato uniformly red also stifles genes that contribute to its taste, researchers say.
Plant geneticists say they have discovered an answer to a near-universal question: Why are tomatoes usually so tasteless?
Yes, they are often picked green and shipped long distances. Often they are refrigerated, which destroys their flavor and texture. But now researchers have discovered a genetic reason that diminishes a tomato’s flavor even if the fruit is picked ripe and coddled.
The unexpected culprit is a gene mutation that occurred by chance and that was discovered by tomato breeders. It was deliberately bred into almost all tomatoes because it conferred an advantage: It made them a uniform luscious scarlet when ripe.
Now, in a paper published in the journal Science, researchers report that the very gene that was inactivated by that mutation plays an important role in producing the sugar and aromas that are the essence of a fragrant, flavorful tomato. And these findings provide a road map for plant breeders to make better-tasting, evenly red tomatoes.
The discovery “is one piece of the puzzle about why the modern tomato stinks,” said Harry Klee, a tomato researcher at the University of Florida in Gainesville who was not involved in the research. “That mutation has been introduced into almost all modern tomatoes. Now we can say that in trying to make the fruit prettier, they reduced some of the important compounds that are linked to flavor.”
The mutation’s effect was a real surprise, said James J. Giovannoni of the United States Department of Agriculture Research Service, an author of the paper. He called the wide adoption of tomatoes that ripen uniformly “a story of unintended consequences.”
Breeders stumbled upon the variety about 70 years ago and saw commercial potential. Consumers like tomatoes that are red all over, but ripe tomatoes normally had a ring of green, yellow or white at the stem end. Producers of tomatoes used in tomato sauce or ketchup also benefited. Growers harvest this crop all at once, Dr. Giovannoni said, and “with the uniform ripening gene, it is easier to determine when the tomatoes are ripe.”
Then, about 10 years ago, Ann Powell, a plant biochemist at the University of California, Davis, happened on a puzzle that led to the new discovery.
Dr. Powell, a lead author of the Science paper, was studying weed genes. Her colleagues had put those genes into tomato plants, which are, she said, the lab rats of the plant world. To Dr. Powell’s surprise, tomatoes with the genes turned the dark green of a sweet pepper before they ripened, rather than the insipid pale green of most tomatoes today.
“That got me thinking,” Dr. Powell said. “Why do fruits bother being green in the first place?” The green is from chloroplasts, self-contained energy factories in plant cells, where photosynthesis takes place. The end result is sugar, which plants use for food. And, Dr. Powell said, the prevailing wisdom said sugar travels from a plant’s leaves to its fruit. So chloroplasts in tomato fruit seemed inconsequential.
Still, she said, the thought of dark green tomatoes “kind of bugged me.” Why weren’t the leaves dark green, too?
About a year ago, she and her colleagues, including Dr. Giovannoni, decided to investigate. The weed genes, they found, replaced a disabled gene in a tomato’s fruit but not in its leaves. With the weed genes, the tomatoes turned dark green.
The reason the tomatoes had been light green was that they had the uniform ripening mutation, which set up a sort of chain reaction. The mutation not only made tomatoes turn uniformly green and then red, but also disabled genes involved in ripening. Among them are genes that allow the fruit to make some of its own sugar instead of getting it only from leaves. Others increase the amount of carotenoids, which give tomatoes a full red color and, it is thought, are involved in flavor.
To test their discovery, the researchers used genetic engineering to turn on the disabled genes while leaving the uniform ripening trait alone. The fruit was evenly dark green and then red and had 20 percent more sugar and 20 to 30 percent more carotenoids when ripe.
But were the genetically engineered tomatoes more flavorful? Because Department of Agriculture regulations forbid the consumption of experimental produce, no one tasted them.
And, Dr. Giovannoni says, do not look for those genetically engineered tomatoes at the grocery store. Producers would not dare to make such a tomato for fear that consumers would reject it.
But, Dr. Powell said, there is a way around the issue. Heirloom tomatoes and many wild species do not have the uniform ripening mutation. “The idea is to get the vegetable seed industry interested,” Dr. Powell said.
A version of this article appeared in print on June 29, 2012, on page A12 of the New York
edition with the headline: Flavor Is Price Of Scarlet Hue Of Tomatoes, Study Finds.
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