Once Upon a Time~Far, Far, Away~

Or was it yesterday? I seem to remember a time when "organic" was something one had to "look" for, maybe drive into the next town or even order from another state.

A waving of the wand and behold, even Wal-Mart has their shelves lined with "organics."

I for one am not buying into the mass movement of instant organic.

Be very aware of the marketing efforts that are coming out of this movement.
There are big and powerful companies who do not intend to give up any profit they are so accustom to making.

A few things you might be interested in reading.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/mergers.cfm

Article below taken in part from Mike Adams-Health Ranger-Natural News.

(NaturalNews) With food prices rising, the dollar falling, and the economy reeling, it is becoming increasing important that we learn to grow a portion of our own food. The first steps are obtaining and sprouting seeds, so we'll explore those topics here.

Enzymes Are Your Friends

It may seem hard to believe, but life forms on Earth are constantly submerged in two of the most corrosive substances in the Universe: Oxygen and H2O. Seen at the microscopic level, we are dissolving like an antacid tablet in water. What keeps us alive in this highly solvent medium? It turns out that the enzymes in raw food offset the damage we sustain, reversing the aging process. A rare disease called Progeria, Hutchinson Gilford causes extreme premature aging due to lack of enzyme activity. New studies at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences link autism to similar metabolic processes.

Though we all eventually succumb to the ravages of time and oxidation, we can slow the process by consuming living foods that are rich in enzymes. Fresh, raw foods like sprouts are among those foods containing the most enzymes, but for the healthiest and freshest sprouts it is best to grow them yourself.

Sprouting Sunflower Seeds

Most of us have tried sunflower seeds at some point, but chances are the seeds were no longer alive. In other words, they were already shelled, irradiated, salted, preserved, bagged, shipped, and stored for long periods of time. By the time they were ingested every last enzyme had perished. Wouldn't it make sense to consume seeds that were still alive? Sprouting seeds are alive, and they can last for years if kept dry. Once moist they will sprout within days.

After sprouting, most seeds such as Alfalfa, Broccoli and Radish are left in the sun for a couple days to produce Chlorophyll (a process called Greening or Photosynthesis). However sunflower seeds are ready to eat once they sprout so they are a great choice for your first sprouts. Instructions for sunflower sprouts are provided at end of this article.

Seed Saving

After learning to grow sprouts you may try growing sunflower greens, whole sunflowers or other vegetables. The main difference is that these will require soil. It is important to understand the main types of seeds.

* Heirloom seeds (also called Heritage seeds) will reproduce the same every generation. Most of us assume all seeds are like this.

* Hybrid seeds are the product of two unique plants and the seeds will gradually revert to the dominant parent over subsequent generations. While providing more variety, these must be purchased again each season to obtain the same crop.

* Genetically Modified (GMO) seeds are patented, requiring a license fee and certain pesticides. Some GMO crops are designed to produce sterile (terminator gene technology) seeds. GMO seeds mix both plant and animal matter in ways that nature never intended.

GMO companies like Monsanto are part of the pesticide industry and they have been aggressively buying up seed companies for the past 20 years. Corporations prefer fruits and vegetables that are picked before ripening and have tougher skin in order to survive shipping. However if given a choice, consumers lean in the opposite direction, towards those with more delicate skin and flavor.

Farmers of generations past dedicated their entire lives to producing seeds for plants that would grow well in their local area, only to have them go extinct due to commercial interests. "Fair Trade" alliances such as CAFTA and Codex Alimentarius seek to irradiate, patent and/or genetically modify all seeds. The new Iraqi Constitution only permits farmers to plant Monsanto GMO seeds. However, seed diversification is essential if we are to withstand food viruses such as the one that caused the Great Potato Famine in Ireland in the 1840s.

Stock up on Heirloom seeds while you still can.

____________________________________________________________________________

Recipe for Sunflower Sprouts

Ingredients:

* Sprouting Jar.

* Screen Lid (or mesh cloth and rubber band).

* Sprouting Sunflower seeds.

* Filtered Water (I prefer distilled).

Instructions:

* Fill jar about half-way with sunflower seeds.

* Add enough water to cover seeds.

* Soak seeds 1-2 hours and drain.

* Turn jar upside down and rest at an angle inside a soup pot to allow excess water to drain.

* Keep seeds in moist, dark area at room temperature 2-3 days.

* Rinse and drain seeds once each day.

* Sunflower sprouts do not grow large and are ready to eat nearly right away.

* The sprout will be about 2-3 times the size of the seed.

* To remove hull, hold the seed with one hand and tug the sprout with the other.

To your good health!

Bea Kunz
EatWell-BeWell~

The Rose~Lovely to See~Delectable to Taste~

The rose has been a favorite for centuries, from queens to servants it has a place of special standing.

There really is a rose for every liking, Grandiflora, Floribunda, Miniature, Hybrid Tea, Antique, Shrub, the Climbers, and the Old Fashioned English Rose to name a few.

The rose originated in China and spread via trade routes through India to Persia, then into the Middle East and Europe. They are one of the most celebrated species of flower across many cultures and are grown in countless varieties.

We are all familiar with the delight a bouquet of roses can bring to our day.

But are you aware of the many culinary and medicinal ways the rose can bring pleasure.

There are three very "old" roses that are used for perfumery and medicinal.
They are: Rosa damascena, ( grown in Bulgaria and Morocco) Rosa centifolia, ( grown in France and North Africa) and Rosa gallica, ( grown in France) They are all highly scented and not as shapely as the modern rose.

Rose water in the culinary vein can be enticing to say the least. Use it in sweet delights such as frosting's and candied petals for cake decorations.
It's lovely added to ice cold lemonade in the heat of the summer.

Rose Water is wonderful to soothe sore and inflamed skin.

The Essential oil of Rose is known for it's ability to ease stress, anxiety and emotional trauma through massage.

May is a month of blooms-I hope your garden has a rose~

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Searching For Organic~

A share from Organic Consumers...great read!

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11714.cfm


_________________________________

CONSUMER TIPS OF THE WEEK:

HOW TO SHOP AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET

The merger of Whole Foods Market with Wild Oats highlights the benefits and drawbacks of this organic retail giant. Although Whole Foods Market certainly provides a "feel good" shopping experience for millions of consumers, it's important to keep in mind that WFM isn't nearly as green as it pretends to be. But of course, for many consumers, Whole Foods Market offers the only access for green and organic products. If Whole Foods Market is the only option available in your area, here are some important tips for the organic-minded shopper:

Look for locally grown produce: Whole Foods offers only a limited supply of local produce, although it is well labeled. Reduce the burden of long-distance food transportant on the planet by asking your WFM produce manager to stock more local produce.
Not everything is as "natural" or "organic" as you might think: Although Whole Foods doesn't carry products with trans fats or artificial coloring, everything else is fair game, including MSG and rBGH, so being a vigilant label reader is still a necessity. Look for the USDA organic label.
Whole Foods has taken the position that unions aren't valid. It is the second largest union-free food retailer, right behind Wal-Mart. Don't assume the employees are all adequately trained in understanding how to distinguish between products that are and are not truly organic and natural.
The OCA always recommends supporting your locally owned food co-op, farmer's market, CSA or independently-owned natural food store, first and foremost, (search for resources near you in OCA's "Local Buying Guide" here:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc/BuyingGuide.cfm
~
As with most things...buyer beware~

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Scents and Our Diet~

Have an appetite for fun and many chances to win great prizes, then join us for the "WIN-Spring Fling." Feel free to contact me for more information.

http://ryze.com/go/farmgirl2001


~Do you have picky eaters at your dinner table?

Try adding foods that have scents known to stimulate our tastebuds.

Ginger, oregano, fennel, lemon, nutmeg, orange and garlic are all great scents to promote better interest.

Ginger, lemon or orange sprinkled on any green vegetable will entice your younger ones to dive in.

You may have elderly members in your home who have less interest in mealtime due to a loss of appetite.

A little nutmeg, fennel, or garlic will do wonders to increase their intake.

Essential oils are a great way to add scent to your foods. They are healthy, have wonderful medicinal qualities, and safe.

Remember that oils are very strong, so a little goes a long way.

Licorice is a great tea additive...really perks the cup!

Have a delicious spring!

Bea Kunz

Spring Tune-Up~

~
Just as spring brings heavy raims to clean and refresh the fields and streams, we should make a practice of cleansing and refreshing our system...inside and out.

Plant a garden, in the ground or in a container.

Lettuces, all manner of veggies and greens can be grown in small spaces.

These are the things that will aid in flushing toxins from our system that have built up over the winter from heavy foods, toxins from heating fuel, and medications that many people take in an attemp to stay healthy.

Get outside, thirty minutes of early morning sun will give you a good dose of vitamin D.
Committ to a daily walk, morning is best, this is when your energy level is the highest.
Sing, meditate, and pray. These things nourish the spirit and the soul.

Do something for someone else every day.
There are always those in our community, church, neighborhood, and family who could use a helping hand.

Don't forget the critters that mother nature loans to us, that is her helping hand to us. Make sure they have safe food, water, and a place to call home for the time they are with us.

Happy Spring from Sage Hill Farms!
Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Toads, Frogs And Springtime~

Spring has arrived, and amphibians are on the move. Some overwinter where they are,
and some migrate, just like birds. (well, no they don't fly)

A warm, rainy, muggy night will get them on the move by the thousands.
They will travel hundreds/thousands of miles across snow and other harsh conditions to reach their destinations. Most of them will return to the same pond or other water source year after year.

Thousands are killed every year trying to cross highways and roads.
Now you may be thinking what's the big deal with a few squished frogs.

Consider that frogs, toads, lizards, and other amphibians eat all manner of bugs and insects that we do not consider a plus to our surroundings.
They are a very important part of the ecosystem.

Some stats say the global amphibian population has declined as much as 50% since 1950. Frogs and toads make up the largest of this group and totaling more than 5,000 species worldwide. Whatever killed the dinosaurs did not kill the amphibians, but the uv radition is taking a major toll. ( I think there is a lesson for us human species in that statement)

Frogs and toads have some major differences.
Frogs are more aquatic than toads, unless you have a good water source nearby, the little guy in your yard or garden is no doubt a toad.
Frogs also have a smoother skin and somewhat sticky to the touch.
Toads are thicker and warty looking. The warty look is actually granular glands filled with a substance that helps defend them from predators by making them unpalatable.

Frogs are also more agile than toads, this comes from having longer legs and more webbed toes, better for leaping and swimming.

Toads are ...well, stubby.

Frogs and toads are very easy to live with, require nothing more than a well placed water source ( a drain saucer from a plant pot works very well, a little hut of some kind for safe resting, a flower pot turned on it's side, a few rocks and plants or grass and they are as happy as you and I at the Hilton.)

They respond well to human kindness, so get to know a toad this spring

I would like to thank Yvonne Osinga-Bisk, my friend and one heck of a networker for inspiring this article. You can visit Yvonne at her blog, and tell her I sent you.

http://bringhomethespa.blogspot.com/

Happy gardening~

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

Dandelions-More Than Just A Weed.

Spring has arrived, so have the Dandelions. To many this little yellow/orange flower represents nothing but trouble in the lawn. A weed that has to be plucked and destroyed before it takes over and changes the entire landscape look.

I first enjoyed this little weed ( actually it is an herb ) as a young child. I was lucky to have a grandmother that knew all about wild plants and spent time teaching and introducing us to the many benefits of same.

All parts of the dandelion are edible and have medicinal and culinary uses.

I'll focus on the culinary here.

Dandelion roots can be harvested during any frost free period and enjoyed steamed, roasted, or eaten raw.


They can also be roasted and ground into a coffee substitute. ( my mother did this during WWII, when coffee was on the list of rationed goods.)

The flowers are best known for making wine. They can also be tossed into a salad along with the leaves. The leaves are rich in potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C.

If you wish to grow your own selection and not have them cropping up all over your lawn, this is easy to do.

" Clio " is an Indian variety that produces high yields of upright greens that are easy to harvest.
You can order the seed from: http://www.johnnyseeds.com

Dandelions are self seeding and will always come back , year after year.

Wilted dandelion greens , red onion , thinly sliced avocado , and sweet purple grapes make a marvelous salad.

Enjoy and go wild for a day!

Bea Kunz
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com