Month: April 2012

Green Scene Blog: GMO free groceries

Hi folks. Local author and dietician Wendy Vigdor-Hess has been writing in this space about the dilemma of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This post gets to the nitty-gritty: what you can do to keep GMOs off your plate. Take it away, Wendy…

Having no guarantee that foods are free of GMOs without federally mandated labeling, we can still make educated choices based on what we know now. Here are some other labels I look for when choosing for our family:

• Organic. USDA organic standards prohibit the use of GMOs (though some loopholes may be present. Some researchers have found additives and other ingredients that are synthetic and out of integrity with the standards).
• Made with organic ingredients
• Non-GMO
• No rBGH or rBST
• Artificial hormone-free
• Non-GMO project certified

What else can we do? Here are some steps you can take:

• Focus on eating fresh, organic, no spray fruits and vegetables (Remember, processed foods contain GMOs in higher quantities).
• Sign petitions to label GMOs in our food. Start here.
• Spend your money on less processed foods; perhaps spend a little extra on those items labeled non-GMO project certified. This will limit the amount of processed foods you purchase, which is ultimately a win-win for your budget and your health.
• Choose “wild” fish versus “farm raised” fish.
• Call companies that make your favorite products and ask them if they participate in the non-GMO project. If not, why not? Are they willing to?
• Begin by eating only organic of the most GMO foods such as soy, corn, canola (rapeseed), sugar beets, alfalfa, Hawaiian papaya, some zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. Transition with one of these and then add more.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners. In addition to other non-green attributes, these sweeteners often contain genetically modified E. coli.
• Support your local CSAs that are GMO-free.
• Grow a garden of your own. Connect with friends who do the same and plant different foods and share your crops with each other. If you have less time, offer to plant some herbs while other more avid gardener friends plant the vegetables and help them tend their gardens, or purchase supplies or seeds.
• Choose eggs that are 100 percent organic (rather than saying only “cage free” or “free-range,” etc.) Perhaps your friends may have chickens laying “happy and healthy eggs.”
• Choose animal products (meat, poultry, dairy, etc.) that are fed organic feed.
• Check out the non-GMO Shopping Guide by responsibletechnology.org.

As an integrative dietitian, consumer and parent, I have experienced a range of emotions regarding this topic–from anger and rage to disbelief, sadness, overwhelm and hopelessness. My faith is restored through my passion for healing our amazing earth and finding the truth in our surroundings and ourselves. These practices are happening for us to look at rather than turn away. Amidst our busy lives, addressing these concerns in our own homes can ultimately simplify our lives and leave more time for what is really important to us.

With each of us choosing differently, we CAN make an impact.
 

Charlottesville to compete in water conservation competition

 In celebration of Earth Month, Charlottesville Mayor Satyendra Huja asked residents to join the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. The competition is currently active and will end on April 30.

By registering at mywaterpledge.com, residents can pledge to make small changes over the next year in order to become more "water-wise." Pledges include using a refillable water bottle, sweeping walkways instead of hosing them down, or washing only full loads of laundry.

Cities are competing to get the highest percentage of their residents involved in the pledge.

The free pledge also registers pledgers to win free prizes, such as water efficient shower heads, home watering kits, or even a new Toyota Prius Hybrid.

Click here for more information on getting involved.

Categories
Living

The CLAWs come out in Charlottesville's all-female competition

Bridge volunteers paint car tires, reminiscent of artist Allan Kaprow’s “Happenings,” to promote the annual Revel fundraiser.(Photo by James Ford)

Charlottesville gained national attention in recent years as the home of the Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers (CLAW), the women’s arm-wrestling league that spawned a wave of similar movements around the country, in which legitimate competition comes packaged in wild, punk-influenced DIY style, and charity organizations are the beneficiaries. The next CLAW match, set for June 16 at The Jefferson Theater, will be a SuperCLAW event in which Charlottesville’s arm-wrasslin’ ladies will compete against representatives from similar organizations around the country.

But arm wrestling isn’t the only tough-girl craze that’s gone viral in recent years; competitive roller derby, once considered a passé fad of the 1970s, has seen a revival with the growing popularity of all-women’s roller derby matches and like all worthy underground crazes, has even been crowned with its own exploitation film (the Drew Barrymore-directed Whip It).

The Charlottesville Derby Dames began rolling in 2007, but were unable to make their hometown debut until November of 2009, due to the lack of a proper rink in Charlottesville. They now alternate away-meets with home games at the Main Street Arena, and the May 5 “Cinco de Mayhem,” event will see the Dames compete against two Baltimore teams, the Charm City Rollergirls and the Junkyard Dolls.

Although competition is often fierce, there’s a strong undercurrent of solidarity between the teams; not only do the rollers need competitors, but events tend to be fundraisers for local charity organizations. The local bond of sisterhood between the Derby Dames and CLAW is strong; the Dames have traditionally served as Security at CLAW’s potentially rowdy events, while the colorful CLAW competitors will serve as “fear-leaders” for the Derby Dames’ upcoming matches. The May 5 event is the first of a season of competitive bouts for the Derby Dames and more info can be found at charlottesvillederbydames.com.

Get your motor running
Cinco de Mayo is traditionally a day of revelry all around town. Appropriately enough, The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative will be holding its fourth Revel on Saturday, an annual fundraising event for the local arts non-profit.

The one-story brick structure, located prominently at the foot of the Avon Street Bridge, first held art on its walls in 2004, shortly after Zack Worrell purchased the building. Recognizing both a need to support local artists and a desire for philanthropy, Worrell and Greg Kelly soon founded the The Bridge PAI.

Early events were charmingly casual and chaotic (full disclosure: This reporter was once an employee of The Bridge). But over the past eight years, the Bridge has grown into a legitimate and successful non-profit organization with 30-some volunteers, and a staff of three, with program assistant Ross McDermott and managing director Maggie Guggenheimer joining Kelly at the helm.

The Revel is not only an annual fundraiser, but typically a wild private party, in which patrons and millionaires mix with bohemians and working artists. In addition to auctions of work by local artists Bill Wylie, Pam Pecchio, Clay Witt, Edward Thomas, John Sheridan, Carolyn Capps, and Sam Abel, tickets include an open bar, and music by Grits ‘n’ Gravy. Tickets start at $50, but “starving artists” will be admitted to the after-party for $20.
This marks the first Revel held at a separate location—Black Market Moto Saloon. Kelly anticipates a crowd of over 200, and there was a need to host a larger number of attendees in a smaller space. “We’ve streamlined a lot of things [from past years]; the space, the food, the music and the booze is now all under one umbrella,” Kelly notes. “It’s a great opportunity to support a business we love, as well.”

When I saw tires, bearing painted advertisements for the Revel, I assumed the Moto Saloon was the inspiration for the automotive theme (the Saloon bills itself as “Charlottesville’s only biker bar”—although owner Matteus Frankovich is probably one of the more eccentric motorcyclists you’re likely to encounter). The tires made sense as soon as Kelly mentioned Allan Kaprow, the 1960s artist who staged “Happenings,” in which he would invite visitors to the gallery for ongoing, open-ended, interactive performance art. A famous early Kaprow happening involved filling the gallery with car tires. “We’ll have a recording of him explaining his work at the entrance,” Kelly explained. “Maybe some people will just say ‘what the hell is that?,’ but for others I think it’ll click.” With his work breaking down barriers in the gallery and inviting the community to participate in the art-making process, Kaprow seems like a natural choice as a patron saint for The Bridge.