Column by Hal Walter
Food – February 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
IN MY OTHER PROFESSIONAL LIFE, the one in which I actually make a living off my writing, I’ve spent half a decade researching and writing about food and nutrition. Most of this has been as editor of a newsletter called The Maffetone Report which reports on health and nutrition as it relates to the philosophies of Dr. Phil Maffetone, health/nutrition expert and author of In Fitness and In Health.
As the stories unfold about things like Mad Cow Disease, toxins in farm-raised salmon, rocket fuel in winter lettuce, and food-borne pathogens in produce, they come as no surprise to me. These problems have been brewing for quite some time and are hardly breaking news. What’s surprising to me is that the mainstream media are actually reporting these stories at all. The food supply seems to be the only thing questioned these days.
Ironically, when I look at all of these food-supply problems I see a huge opportunity here in our region. In Central Colorado cattle graze our abundant mountain grass, pure waters flow from the high lakes where pink-fleshed cutthroat trout swim freely, and our cool sunny days are perfect for growing many types of produce, whether outside in the warmer months or in greenhouses during the winter.
We have everything necessary right here to oppose factory farms, and doing so would be good for our collective physical health as well as economic health. Still, most people, even our region’s farmers and ranchers, continue to take their chances at the company store, and the bulk of our food is brought in by truck.
The Mad Cow problem is the most highly publicized of all recent food hysterias. Officials both public and private clamored to assign blame after the recent discovery of a case of “Mad Cow” disease in Washington state. Criticism focused mainly on the need for expensive testing, screening and tracking of cattle.
But the cheapest and easiest way to keep cattle from acquiring this disease is to feed cattle only grass, which is what bovines are intended to eat. Grass-fed cows are not only virtually immune from BSE, but also have a better nutritional profile for human consumption, including higher levels of omega-3 fats and some vitamins, and are less likely to carry dangerous levels of E. coli bacteria.
Favor fish over beef? Farm-raised salmon accounts for nearly one-fourth of all fish-counter sales and is also popular in restaurants. Salmon is touted by nutrition experts for its heart-healthy omega-3 fat content. However, in 2003 a report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicated farmed-raised salmon may contain more than 16 times the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as wild salmon, and that frequently eating this type of fish could increase risk of cancer as well as hormonal problems. The EWG called farm-raised salmon “the most PCB-contaminated protein source in the U.S. food supply.” Earlier in 2003, three major grocery chains were sued for failing to disclose to customers that coloring agents are added to fish feed to tint salmon flesh pink.
MOST RECENTLY, researchers from three major U.S. universities published findings in the journal Science (Jan. 9, 2004) indicating farm-raised salmon contains much higher levels of toxic chemicals than wild salmon. Up to 13 different toxic chemicals, including known cancer-causing agents such as PCBs and the pesticide DDT, were detected in salmon obtained from North American and European markets.
Despite PCB levels averaging five times those allowed under Environmental Protection Agency Guidelines for fish eaten twice a week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said these findings did not represent a health concern. This view was echoed throughout the fish-farming industry.
Think you can avoid all this by being a vegetarian? Consider that last year the EWG reported that lettuce and some other vegetables grown with irrigation water from the lower Colorado River in California and Arizona may contain dangerous amounts of perchlorate, a rocket-fuel chemical which can have adverse effects on the thyroid gland. Much of the nation’s winter lettuce crop, grown between November and March, comes from this region. According to the EWG reports, lettuce and other leafy vegetables may have the ability to absorb and concentrate high levels of perchlorate from irrigation water; however, some agriculturists dispute these claims and call for more study.
MORE RECENTLY, food-borne illnesses made the news when an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to green onions from Mexico was identified as the cause of three deaths and hundreds of illnesses. This was surprising to some people, but experts point to recent statistics which indicate that cases of food poisoning involving fresh fruits and vegetables now number nearly as many as those from beef, poultry, fish and eggs combined.
The food-borne pathogen problem stems mainly from lack of proper sanitation and public-health concern in foreign countries where more than 20 percent of our produce originates. Foreign produce is also more apt to contain higher amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Some countries, in fact, still use chemicals banned in the United States decades ago.
Here in Central Colorado we have vast acreages of grassy rangeland that have been historically used for raising cattle, a well as bison and even domesticated elk. Unfortunately most of the beef raised on this range is shipped to feedlots run by the corporate factory farms. Some fish that grow naturally wild in the waters of our region have pink flesh without being fed carotenoid supplements, and are certainly much lower in toxic chemicals.
The Wet Mountain Valley historically was farmed for beautiful fresh produce, including lettuce and cabbage. The neighboring San Luis Valley still produces much fresh produce in the summer. And in the Upper Arkansas Valley, an enterprising Nathrop farmer is now commercially raising organic greens. Hopefully this is a trend in the right direction.
It’s been said you must “Eat or Die.” Lately, acquaintances who live in cities back east are calling me to ask: Where’s the beef?” I invariably give them the phone number of a farmer friend and he ships frozen boxes of his naturally raised beef and pork on dry ice. Recently, an entire naturally raised grass-fed angus began its migration to Florida in this manner.
THIS GOES TO SHOW that in Central Colorado we have the resources to make a difference. If you are a consumer, ask around and find a local rancher who will raise a grass-fed cow for you. If necessary, split the animal with friends, even those who live far away. You may be surprised to find this beef is less expensive and tastes better than that at the grocery store. Find someone with a ranch stock pond and make a deal to raise some trout in it. Support local agriculture by buying as much produce as possible from local farmers and greenhouse growers. Ask for regionally produced food in the stores where you shop.
If you are a rancher or farmer, now’s the time to make a difference and make a break from the factory farm machine. Raise your animals as naturally as possible and seek out new ways to market this meat. Many area ranchers are already doing so. The potential is out there, and with all the recent publicity the marketplace is primed for this higher-quality product. If you raise cattle or hay, consider diversifying with an organic produce crop. Stock your ponds with trout and sell the fish through local health-food stores. Get involved with Tres Ríos Agricultural Co-op.
Together consumers and progressive agricultural leaders can make a difference. It’s literally a “grassroots” movement that begins with something as simple as feeding cattle what they are supposed to eat — grass.
Hal Walter eats, lives and writes in the Wet Mountains.
