Headlines Hit Home

I will be the first to admit that the main newspaper I pick up is my local paper. There are often great stories about upcoming events and things that have taken place in our community. Of course, one of the most entertaining sections of the paper is the Sheriff's Report. I also catch "news" headlines in a variety of place: Facebook, Twitter, Fox News, CNN, newsletters and such. I am always surprised how there can be so many different stories about the same situation, event or trend. What makes one person see something in a completely different way than another. I have decided that it come down to a few basic principles:
* marketing
* personal experiences
* personal beliefs
* motives
* effort into unfolding the truth

While doing some reading over the past week the light bulb came on.... I, and I will dangerously venture to assume, and many others don't distinguish between correlation and causation. Ok, I know deep stuff, but it is true! If we look at illness or even food/ eating trends there are 1000's of headlines that scream at us to believe things like "Sugar is Killing us!" "Gluten is Making us Fat" and "Hormones in Food Advance Puberty". All of these headlines trick our brains into jumping on a bandwagon without taking time to ask.... is sugar really causing death (causation) or do some people who consume heightened amounts of sugar and some people die from health issues (correlation) or does gluten in wheat products truly cause obesity (causation) or do many people eat excess amounts of highly processed foods, which are often products containing wheat, and are some people carrying excess/ unhealthy weight (correlation). And to be quite honest, there are and have always been hormones in everything we consume- yes, even the lettuce we grow in our own gardens! I am pretty much an open book. So, I will admit that a few years ago I was shocked to find that all food and plants carried hormones and that I consumed them every day for over 30 years! I was a critic of hormone use simply because I didn't know any better.

Headlines drive me crazy... but there are some fabulous writers and marketers out there! They do their job well. As a mom, farmer, wife of a farmer and a life long learner I am always seeking out new information. I want to make sure that I am making the right choices for my family and for ensuring quality process and product on our farm. All decisions are generally well thought out, some just come a little easier than others. Somethings are complicated and others are not.

I too fall victim to the big bold letters and catchy three to six line phrases that often send our brains spinning and into defense mode. My only resolution to the talented media and marketing experts is to simply ASK QUESTIONS. Have questions about food or things we do in farming and ranching? Ask those who work in those areas each day. If we don't have the knowledge in the area you ask about we will help you connect with people who do!

As for me, I am an open book. I hope to share why I do what I do on my farm and with my family. So the invitation is open.... GATHER YOUR QUESTIONS AND ASK AWAY!

Helping Hands and Warm Hearts!

A quote was recently shared with me that touched a special place in my heart.
"VOLUNTEERING WHEN IT IS CONVENIENT IS APPRECIATED, HOWEVER MAKING SOME SACRIFICE TO VOLUNTEER IS TRUE COMMITMENT AND CONVICTION!"

This past fall My family spent time volunteering. We made meal packs for a group called Feed My Starving Children. My husband and three oldest, along with my dad, my sister and niece all spent a few hours doing something that helps lots of other people! This organization relies on donations and volunteers. The food packs are distributed to 70 countries around the world.

The food in each Manna pack in considered a complete meal. It contains a "meal" that is made of a chicken flavor and spices, soy protein with 20 vitamins, dehydrated potatoes and vegetables, and rice.

The meals do not contain a meat source because the packs are distributed world wide and many different cultures and belief systems have different rules about meat consumption.


Through this experience I am reminded how much I have that I take for granted. I am amazed by how far just a small amount can really go. I am also very grateful for all that I have and am able to share! I am also aware that no matter how big or small, young or old there is a way that all can volunteer!


Some interesting facts....
1 Manna Pack feed about 5.5 people
Each pack contains 2800 calories
1 box, 36 Manna packs costs $50 to make.
Just over 1.5 boxes ($80) will feed a child for 1 year.

Approximately 1 in 7 people world-wide go hungry each day
18000 kids die each day from starvation

Eat This....

The new Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act

that has brought forth several school breakfast and lunch meal plan changes nationwide and has also started a lot of dialogue. It appears that one hand is promoting "calories in and calories out" and the other hand on the same body is dictating a national diet. There has to be a balance between exercise, nutritional meal that fit the needs of the individual and academics. Both nutrition and activity are needed to learn!

With all the changes in the meal patterns for schools who participate in the federal school lunch program there is a lot of misinformation floating around. This newsletter will help calrify the differences.

Full comparison of the old and new nutritional standards.

I live in a strong agricultural state. We believe in our products and want to see them utilized in our school food programs. We have kids that are active and some that are not. We still have physical education in our state, but we also have high academic expectations that if we aren't careful could minimize the amount of activity our kids get throughout the day. The new standards place limits on calories and proteins, dictate how much of the breads can be non- whole grain and require students to take a specific amount of fruits and veggies. It sounds ok from the outside to many, but there are some HUGE challenges with the new plan. The biggest of MY concerns is that many kids are hungry shortly after finishing lunch. The calorie limits are ok for a few, but not enough to sustain most throughout the remainder of the day. If students are active and involved in before or afterschool extra- curricular activities they need more than what is currently being provided. Students may not get an opportunity to eat until after 6pm and then gorge themselves or come home from school and grab whatever they can. When possible students are also leaving school at lunch and heading to the local stores to purchase foods to fill themselves up. Almost all of it being junkfood!

I will be the first to say that I think schools have had to pick up a large portion of things that used to be done at home and that the school really is not to blame for these new stadards. They are working the best they can to make the most of the guidelines in quantity and quality. To some extent their hands are tied, but their voices do not have to be muffled. I will also say that a nutrition program will NEVER meet the needs of all our kids, but it has to be better than what it has been turned into. For some of the students in our schools, lunch (and sometimes breakfast) is the only "meal" they receive. I will also share that I HATE the limits on calories and protein. I LOVE the increase in fruits and veggie option (whole grain as well), but hate that they have to take a specified amount and that a large amount is being thrown away.

Interestingly enough, many kids didn't eat healthy under the old plan and still aren't with the new. Kids used to be able to get by with milk, croutons, and shredded cheese. Now they can pass with milk, a serving of veggie or fruit (which can be thrown away), whole-grain croutons, and shredded cheese. The only difference is their lack of ability to go back for seconds of cheese and croutons in this situation, or milk, breads and proteins in the general sense. We just have more being thrown away and kids that are still not eating balanced meals and/ or leaving with full bellies and are not able to perform to the best of their ability.

Here is a parady video that helps exemplify some of the results of the new meal plan implementation.
"We Are Hungry" Youtube video created by a school or group in Kansas to express the need to amend the new standards and share some of the impact of the ones recently inacted.

I have been fortunate enough to spend time in several different capacities in numerous schools partaking in school lunch on a regular basis, as well as be a "hot lunch kid" growning up. I didn't have the option to pack a lunch when I was in school and as an adult in the schools and as mom, I love the convienence of school lunch.

Sensible School Lunches on Facebook is a resource with lunch ideas, up to date information and dialogue. It is worth checking out and "liking"! It helps me keep up to speed with ideas for snack, packing lunches when needed and what is happening with the new nutrition standards that are part of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act.

A lot of the hussle and bussle regarding this Act comes from kids, parents and those working in the schools. But even state leaders in agriculture care about good nutrition and a student's ability to perform in school. They know that kids need certain nutritional components and quantities that are different than what is allowable currently. Ag Commissioner, Doug Goehring, urged leaders from all 50 states to oppose the guidelines. Click here to read the press release regarding this action.

Change is never easy and I work to not jump on a bandwagon for or against anything, but when I am not happy after waiting for a while I look for a way to make things better. Below is a link to Wag'n Tales where one mom ran out of answers about the change in the lunch program for her son so they asked someone who should know, the US Secretary of Agriculture.

A 10-year old's letter to Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, about school lunch.

If you want to share your insight, questions, comments and concerns regarding the new meal patterns please do so. No voice is too big or too small to make a difference!

To make your voice heard contact:
Undersecretary of Food & Nutrition Services
Kevin Concannon
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
or
Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

Here are a few pictures of notes and drawings students have done to share their thoughts about the new meal patterns for school lunch.

** Frame 1: students go through lunch line. Frame 2: go to their cars. Frame 3: drive to gas station and go in. Frame 4: Come out of station with snacks and soda. Frame 5: People tell the lunch ladies that they hate the school food and the lunch ladies are sad.

"This lunch is Bulls*** I don't get enough food and I don't have enough time to go home and have a good meal."

"I do not believe the school lunch program is a good thing. Students with their own money can walk up town and get their own meal. The school's lunch doesn't taste very good, and there isn't very large amounts. For people with a larger appetite such as myself, I believe people who need to eat more, deserve more to eat. Some people go through the day hungry because of the small portions of food. And why limit what we can eat, when there are large amounts of leftovers being thrown into the trash and going to waste, If I didn't live the distance from school as I do now, I would go home and eat so I could feel full and not hungry and miserable. There is no point in limiting our hot lunch when after school we can stuff our faces at home. The program should be tossed out and the school board should listen to what the students want and what will fill them up and not be hungry."


We all have an opinion and want what is best. Share your thoughts and let others know that hungry kids are not happy kids. Therefore their parents, siblings,teachers and all others are not either! We want kids to know and practice good eating and exercise habits for lifelong well-being! Please let those who can make a difference know that you care! THANKS!