From RALPH VOSS
ACRES USA

Newspapers, magazines and electronic media outlets all over the world recently announced a break-through vaccine that will hopefully protect women against breast cancer.

The following report — from CBS — is typical of what was said by numerous sources: “In the current study, genetically cancer-prone mice were vaccinated — half with a vaccine containing the antigen and half with a vaccine that did not contain the antigen. None of the mice vaccinated with the antigen developed breast cancer, while all the other mice did.”

Dr. Vincent Tuohy, Ph.D., the principal investigator on the project to create the vaccine, sums up the impact: “We believe this vaccine will some day be used to prevent breast cancer in adult women in the same way that vaccines prevent polio and measles in children. If it works in humans the way it works in mice, this will be monumental.”

We agree with Dr. Tuohy, who performed his research at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. If this vaccine works in humans, it will truly by monumental.

Let’s turn the clock back more than 60 years and look at remarkably similar research conducted by another man with ties to the Buckeye State. Dr. Maynard Murray completed medical school at the University of Cincinnati in the early 1930s and from 1938 through the 1950s conducted tests showing that vegetables, fruits and grains fertilized with sea minerals grew stronger and were more resistant to disease. Murray’s research also showed that mammals that consumed these vegetables, fruits and grains were healthier.

In his book Sea Energy Agriculture, Murray discussed experiments conducted by the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago. Murray had an Illinois farmer, Ray Heine, grow oats, corn and soybeans on land that had been fertilized with 2,200 pounds of sea solids (sea salt) per acre. Researchers at Stritch fed the grain to numerous kinds of animals. Let’s look at one of those tests. more

From GENE LOGSDON

I never thought I would see this happen: throughout the local foods movement, there are complaints now from the farmers saying that there are too many markets and marketers. That means less money for each farmer, the ancient problem that never goes away. Lynn Byczynski had the courage to bring the issue up in the September, 2010 issue of her excellent publication, “Growing For Market.”  Lynn points out that in the case of local farm markets, the problem is more one of distribution than numbers. Some areas have lots of them and some areas don’t have any. To remedy that, that is to increase the number of customers everywhere, “we need to educate people about the entire spectrum of food issues (health, nutrition, food security, farmland preservation),” she writes.

All well and good, but my mind keeps wandering off from the practicality of the problem to more philosophical thoughts about the whole business of business. If farm marketers think they have it tough, try making a living from writing. Everyone is a writer these days. It takes very little overhead to get started, and requires, at least in the minds of those who want to try it, very little preparation. Anyone with the gift of gab who can scrape up $3000, can get their book published if they can’t find a publisher. The result is that there are so many books out there that it is impossible to keep track of them, let alone read even a fraction of them. Most books never make a penny and the writers don’t care. They are in it simply for the pleasure of seeing their work and name in print or have a cause they are pushing. I feel guilty every time I encourage a young person to become a writer for money just as I feel guilty encouraging them to become farmers for money. more

From CULINATE

[...] My father detested store-bought ketchup, eschewing it for his lumpy, chunky, vinegary, altogether icky homemade version. I remember tasting it once and never going back…

My goal: to cook up the exact taste I remember detesting as a child, the same one that my father and brother loved so much.

I begin with 14 ripe tomatoes from my garden. The recipe asks for large tomatoes, and mine are but plum-sized. I plan to cut back on the other ingredients to adjust. This is my first mistake…

If my dad’s ketchup was a pungent, pucker-inducing, sweet-yet-sour glob of dark red disgustingness, what I have before me now is, by all accounts, worse…

Full article here
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From JESSE COOL

These stuffed organic squash are a wonderful side dish for so many main courses, including fish and poultry. If you can’t find fresh morels, substitute chaterelles or shiitakes.

6 medium organic pattypan squash
1½ cups organic broth
1 bay leaf
5 whole peppercorns
2 tablespoons organic olive oil
½ organic red onion, finely chopped
4 ounces morel mushroms, sliced
1 organic garlic clove, minced
½ cup chopped fresh organic basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 slices organic bread, torn into small pieces
1 organic egg, beaten
4 ounces organic cream cheese, cut into small cubes
¼ cup (1 ounce) grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the squash in a large skillet and pour the broth over the squash. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the squash are tender. Remove to a plate. Place a sieve over a medium bowl and strain the cooking liquid; reserve the cooking liquid.

When the squash are cool enough to handle, cut off the top quarter of each one. Using a spoon, remove and discard the seeds.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the mushrooms, garlic, basil, and oregano. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the bread, egg, cream cheese, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. Moisten with ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid.

Place the squash in a baking pan. Fill the cavities of the squash with the mushroom mixture, mounding it on top of the squash, if necessary.

Pour the remaining cooking liquid into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Makes 6 servings.
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From LISA BARNES

Here’s a variation of rice pudding using couscous instead of rice. The smaller grain makes this pudding very creamy and smooth. For those who want their pudding sweeter, sprinkle with additional brown sugar or make with vanilla yogurt instead of plain.

Makes 5 servings

½ cup organic couscous
1 cup organic whole milk
2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
¼ cup organic golden raisins
1 cup plain organic whole milk yogurt
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, heat milk over medium heat just to boiling point. Be careful not to burn. Remove pan from heat and stir in remaining ingredients to combine. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes, or until the couscous absorbs milk and the texture is cream.

Serve warm or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. You may need to add more yogurt when reeating if pudding becomes dry.

Note Comfort food. My dad fondly remembers his mother’s rice pudding that she made when he was a child. Luckily this recipe passed Dad’s taste test and reminded him of hers.
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Image credit: © Graça Victoria | Dreamstime.com
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