Kiko's Food News, 10.3.14

Hope you’re hungry for food news, because today brings a double serving....

On-trend caffeine lovers are adding butter to their coffee--not only to enjoy an incredibly creamy cup, but because the high fat content slows the time it takes to metabolize the caffeine, decreasing the risk of slump later:  (Huffington Post)

Donut with that coffee? Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' have made new commitments to source palm oil for frying from suppliers who are not clear-cutting forests; their going deforestation-free signals a shift in the fast food industry: (NPR)

Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper said they’ll work to reduce the calories Americans get from beverages by 20% over the next decade by more aggressively marketing smaller sizes, bottled water, diet drinks, and vending machines printed with calorie counts: (Washington Post)

The Paleo diet has ballooned into a cave-man-inspired lifestyle offering Paleo action figures, beauty products, liquors, sleep masks and clothing: (New York Times)

Poultry companies--even the big guys like Perdue--are turning to probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics: (NPR)

But how should bacteria be kept in check after slaughter? American chicken processors use a cap of chlorine per gallon of water in a tank that chills the carcasses, whereas Europeans banned chlorine treatment in the 1990s: (NPR)

Unable to cope with falling prices for their products due to a Russian embargo, French vegetable farmers set fire to tax and insurance offices in Brittany: (BBC)

Mark Bittman postulates that any cooking project can be plotted along a continuum of time and work, and recommends cooking toward the extremes of that continuum: (New York Times)

Unprecedented demand for supply chain transparency is driving a new wave of tools that aim to boost traceability of ingredients: (Specialty Food) 

After this big serving of food news, go take a walk! It's apparently the “superfood of fitness”: (Reuters)

Kiko's Food News, 9.18.14

As I pen this, we’re waiting for the results of Scotland’s independence referendum to come in...will Scottish people pay more for food if they go it alone? (Vice)

A top Texas official had a cow this week over Meatless Mondays, accusing school districts that have scaled back on serving meat of succumbing to a “carefully orchestrated campaign” to force Americans to become vegetarians: (Grist)

We Americans, along with the Japanese, Australians and Scandinavians, may bathe and refrigerate our chicken eggs, but here’s why many other cultures don’t: (NPR)

Any of you penny-pinching beer lovers wonder why craft brews are more expensive than mass produced? (Huffington Post)

Suppose you could upload a photo of your fast-food receipts from the past year, and get the corresponding amount of free, healthy, ready-to-prepare food in exchange? (USA Today)

Kiko's Food News, 9.11.14

It’s exciting to see healthier food marketing to kids pursued not only by removing junk food ads and toys, but by creating fun, nutritious snack food aisles in the grocery store: (Professional Search for Knowledge)

Big Food skeptics like myself should consider this argument that mega food service providers could be ideally poised to healthify eating habits and offerings in the lunch room with their food scientists, testing panels, and clever marketing: (Forbes)

This report identifies the six "Best Places to Farm" in the US, based on an analysis of the profitability, financial efficiency and growth of farming in nearly 3,000 counties:  (Farm Futures)

The Chinese search-engine giant Baidu has rolled out a set of “smart chopsticks” that can detect oils containing unsanitary levels of contamination--useful in a country that has been rocked with scandals from toxic milk to glow-in-the-dark pork: (Wall Street Journal)

Starbucks is testing coconut milk in stores as alternatives to traditional dairy grow more popular; the chain isn't testing almond milk due to nut allergy concerns: (Reuters)

Sometimes Food News can be as simple as one really satisfying, creamy-crunchy dish: if you’re a fan of avocado toast, check out all of the variations people are whipping up these days! (Brooklyn Based)

Kiko's Food News, 9.5.14

San Francisco will be the first American city to offer a financial incentive for urban farming; starting this week, owners of empty lots could save thousands of dollars a year in property taxes in exchange for allowing their land to be farmed! (San Francisco Chronicle)

A Harvard study revealed that even though the overall quality of American diets has increased in the past decade, nutritional disparities between the rich and poor are growing; the study’s authors see sugar-sweetened bevvies as a key area where policy can play an even greater role: (The Atlantic)

Perdue, one of the country’s largest poultry producers, announced it will no longer use antibiotics in its hatcheries; the company has overhauled its cleaning procedures and made other tweaks to prevent infection, including experimenting with adding oregano, yucca and herbs to its feeds: (New York Times)

Almost one-third of food workers experience food insecurity at some time during the year; how ironic that one-sixth of our nation's workforce work in the food-production chain, and so many can’t make enough to put healthy food on the table: (Huffington Post)

The food industry and agribusiness allies that oppose labeling of GMO foods spent $27.5 million in the first half of this year on lobbying that involved labeling--triple the amount they spent last year: (Environmental Working Group)

Kiko's Food News, 8.29.14

Grandma, if you're reading this, don't give up your cottage cheese just yet: doctors know that people who eat too much salt should eat less of it, but may be guilty of running too far and too fast in the other direction given that Americans' average consumption of 3.4 grams of sodium per day is on the low end of the "safe zone": (New York Times)

It's worth thinking about why people of lesser means may struggle to maintain a healthy weight, whether it's due to the challenge of exercising in an unsafe neighborhood or emotional eating that can stem from the stress of making ends meet: (The Atlantic)

In Russian Food News, Putin's government closed four McDonalds' in Moscow last week, including one that is in some years the busiest McDonald's in the world; the reason given by the country's consumer protection agency was "numerous violations of the sanitary code", but "Beeg Mak" lovers there know better: (New York Times)

Mexican authorities are restricting food marketing to children on television and in movie theaters, part of an attack plan against staggering obesity rates there; the restrictions follow recent taxes on sugary beverages and calorie-dense snacks: (Wall Street Journal)

Uber is trying its hand in the fast-food delivery industry with its new service "UberFRESH", which it claims will deliver meals from local restaurants in under 10 minutes: (Forbes)

Kiko's Food News, 8.22.14

Given the over $1 billion of food the US exported to Russia last year, Putin’s ban on American food imports is going to hit our poultry, pork and nut industries hard; food makers, however, claim they’ll be able to redistribute production to other global markets: (Washington Post)

In other geo-political food news, as the Israel-Gaza conflict has intensified, an app called Buycott is allowing shoppers to avoid products deemed to support Israel: (Forbes)

The next international exposition, 2015 Expo Milan, will gather 140 countries to tackle the question of how to feed a future of 9 billion people without destroying the planet; America’s presence will focus on topics like GMOs and our obesity epidemic, fueled by national faves like lobster rolls and po’ boys: (Washington Post)

French scientists seem to have figured out how to make raw milk cheese safe, so cheesemakers at England’s legendary Neal’s Yard Dairy want to translate a French government cheese manual to unlock the secrets of how to use good bacteria to battle the bad: (NPR)

Whether it’s San Francisco’s Valencia or D.C.’s 14th NW, many urban streets beloved for independent business are losing ground to chain stores that all feel the same; somehow though, the “sleek epicurean village” one entrepreneur is hatching in Paris feels especially dramatic: (New York Times)

Kiko's Food News, 8.8.14

A study showed that type 2 diabetes is more common in people who work shifts, likely because of the altered sleeping and eating patterns that shift work requires; eating late at night also makes one more likely to store calories as fat, leading to an increase risk of obesity: (Forbes)

The American Society of Nutrition’s Position Paper on Processed Foods has elicited discussion over the high percentage of nutrients in the average diet that come from processed foods, as well as what even qualifies a food as “processed”: (Huffington Post)

If you’ve ordered “eight olives in a ramekin”, or “an unconventional riff on brussels sprouts”, at a restaurant lately, you might be frequenting the typical trendy restaurants of our day: (Eater)

This author wants an end to the artisanal food that’s creeping into the ballpark, seeing no reason that a stadium experience should try to mimic a fine dining one: (USA Today)

Does anyone actually choose to eat honeydew? People rarely buy it for themselves, but often serve it to others (who most likely pick around it for the canteloupe and watermelon): (New York Times)

So, if you’re as enamored by melons’ summer sweetness as I am, how do you pick the best ones? Tips from one of my favorite bloggers include choosing watermelons with scars, and honeydews with rough tracks: (Chinese Grandma)
 

Kiko's Food News, 7.25.14

“I don’t waste food, but everyone else does”--be honest, does this sound like you? A poll found that 63% of respondents are concerned about the amount of food wasted in the US, but only 1 in 3 thinks the amount of food wasted in their own household is a problem: (Sustainable America)

That's worrisome, but I was impressed by the messaging and merchandising of French grocery chain Intermarché's Inglorious fruits and veggies campaign, which shines a light on consumer waste: (Daily Mail)

Speaking of the French, even their restaurants are reheating pre-prepared food rather than cooking it from scratch these days; the government is trying to preserve what traditions it can by inventing a new logo for menus to flag food that’s been home made: (BBC)

Some innovative US farmers are selling gift cards; they're easily swiped at farmer’s markets, and are another way (à la CSA) for farmers to get paid up front: (Conde Nast)

San Francisco’s “toy ordinance,” meant to improve the nutritional value of fast-food kids meals, instead has just led fast-food companies to charge for toys rather than move towards healthier meals: (Wall Street Journal)

Nestlé is bottling water straight from the heart of California’s drought, exporting a seriously limited resource--with no oversight: (Salon)

Kiko's Food News, 7.18.14

Through National Geo’s beautiful photography and Traci McMillan’s justice-oriented storytelling, this article reveals how the suburbs are one of many places where poverty is on the rise and a new face of hunger is being revealed: (National Geographic)

The CDC encourages workers to stay home if they’re sick, but that’s not an option for food industry workers, 70% of whom are low wage employees with no paid sick days; ironically, the worst food-borne illnesses, including a virus that sickens 20 million Americans each year, originate from contaminated food handled by sick workers: (CNN)

A comprehensive review of earlier studies found substantially higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides in organic fruits, veggies and grains compared with conventionally grown produce; the findings don’t claim, however, that eating organic produce will lead to better health: (New York Times)

In areas where fresh produce is hard to come by and fast or packaged food is perceived as easier and cheaper than cooking ingredients, “groceryships” are a new attempt to provide families with an allowance to spend on plant-based groceries: (Civil Eats)

Now that we know sugar-laden juice isn’t the healthiest thirst quencher for kids to drink day in and day out, is it possible kids tea could become the new go-to? (Food Navigator)

And for the adults, rosé is pretty–but if you’re a little pinked-out, you might consider orange wine; it’s stocked with tannins from the time spent with grape skins, seeds and stems: (Modern Farmer)

Kiko's Food News, 7.11.14

With an aging population of farmers, it’s clear that agriculture needs to attract more young people; luckily, ag jobs these days include permaculture design, communication technologies, forecasting, logistics, quality assurance, food prep, environmental science….lots of sexy fields for the youths! (Food Tank)

And here’s a step towards training them for the work: an emphasis on food issues will become an intensifying focus among all 10 University of California campuses, centered by the UC Global Food Initiative: (Sacramento Bee)

Testing is in progress on two treatments that desensitize patients who suffer from some of the most common allergens, including peanuts, milk, eggs, shellfish and wheat: (NBC)

Did you know the USDA has a “Let’s Glean!” toolkit, developed to assist groups with food recovery? More food-saving habits fall under the “gleaning” umbrella than you may realize: (Grist)

San Francisco’s food “swamps” (ever heard of those? They’re low-income neighborhoods with a lot of food but not much that is nutritious) are being made over by healthy corner store initiatives; the Southeast Food Access Working Group is one to which Bi-Rite has lent merchandising training: (Civil Eats)

Kiko's Food News, 7.4.14

On this day celebrating our nation's independence, I'd like to raise a glass to food freedoms for all:

Freedom from counterproductive legislation: California lawmakers voted to repeal a law requiring restaurant workers to wear gloves; this is a coup for workers who argue that hand washing is as effective, without the added cost or environmental harm from millions of discarded gloves: (Los Angeles Times)

Freedom from food waste: New York City's school composting program has spread to 230 school buildings, with an ultimate goal of encompassing all 1,300-plus schools; eventually, the city will use "digesters" to turn garbage into usable gas: (New York Times)

Freedom to eat cereal any time we want! Around 20% of cereal eating happens outside of breakfast, but cereal companies are just beginning to market directly to adults who eat it at night or children who snack on it throughout the day: (Wall Street Journal)

Can't say I feel like fireworks when I read these last two, though:

Danny Meyer, who set the gold standard for restaurant service at his Union Square Cafe, laments how his and other pioneering neighborhood restaurants are closing due to untenable rent escalations; only the condos and chain stores that likely replace them can absorb the high costs: (New York Times)

Toshiba (yes, the electronics conglomerate) says it will produce long-life vegetables in aseptic conditions at their Japanese factory, which was constructed to allow for much lower germs levels than typical for vegetables grown in soil; so much for benefitting from the nutrients and minerals of the land! (Bangkok Post)

Kiko's Food News, 6.20.14

Amidst skyrocketing college fees, Starbucks is leading the way with education just like they did with health insurance decades ago; the company will provide a free online college education to thousands of its workers: (New York Times)

Uruguay might have beaten England in yesterday’s World Cup match, but we know their mojo didn't come from their favorite snack: Brazilian officials confiscated 86 pounds of dulce de leche caramel spread from the team as it arrived to the Cup, since it was made with milk and therefore needed sanitary documentation: (BBC)

Looking for info on global meat consumption, GMO labeling policy, or obesity by state? There’s a map for that: (Vox)

Soul searches looking for a dramatic catalyst for inner growth are sipping ayahuasca tea, but experiences while under its influence “work” because, in addition to causing vomiting and diarrhea, it can be frightening and challenging to the psyche: (New York Times)

Diet fads come and go, but observers of nutrition and eating trends say the gluten free food regimen is likely to last longer and have more impact than others...or do “people just seem to like making eating difficult for themselves?”: (New York Times)

Kiko's Food News, 6.13.14

The FDA and the EPA for the first time advised that pregnant women, nursing mothers and children should eat two to three servings a week of low-mercury fish; regulators have for years warned that eating certain fish can interfere with neurological development: (Wall Street Journal)

In a partisan battle over what to feed America's school students, the School Nutrition Association (which organizes lunch ladies/men nationally) is allying with a number of conservatives that oppose school nutrition standards: (NPR)

Who knew that José Andrés, perhaps the best known celeb chef in our nation’s capital, has cooked up several food-based programs in Haiti after the 2009 earthquake? He’s sent pastry chefs to train orphanage staffers to bake bread, is supporting a culinary school, opened a community kitchen, and is helping convert urban schools from charcoal cooking to gas: (Washington Post)

Increasingly wealthy consumers in emerging economies are eating and feeding their children more meat and milk; combine that with health-conscious Americans who are replacing carbs with protein, and we can understand the rise of food industry giants like the maker of Jimmy Dean sausages and Chobani Greek yogurt: (Wall Street Journal)

But those Chobani marketers better pay attention to food science supporters, as they had to apologize for a slogan on some of their yogurt lids which read "Nature got us to 100 calories, not scientists": (ABC News)

Kiko's Food News, 6.6.14

Wondering why some of us like the taste of artichokes, coffee, blue cheese, ice cream or mushrooms more than others? Studies are showing how it's in our genes, and this may unlock the key to diet as health prescription: (Medical Daily)

Cuba opened its first wholesale market for farmers in decades; even though the farming sector has been the most liberalized, Cuba continues to import more than 60% of its food: (Reuters)

The word “clean” has become a trendy umbrella phrase to describe food that’s fresh, whole, good for you, local, hormone-free, grass-fed or really anything that makes us feel virtuous: (Forbes)

Speaking of “clean", Revolution Foods received a $30 million investment in its school-lunch business, a vote of confidence for school meals made with real food and without unhealthy additives: (Time)

The cutting edge of urban cuisine today is the diet of 19th-century Jews in Eastern Europe, as a new generation of entrepreneurs is learning to ferment pickles and bake pumpernickel bread in the ways their ancestors did: (New York Times)

Kiko's Food News, 5.30.14

Michelle Obama wrote about what she sees as “attempts in Congress to undo so much of what we’ve accomplished on behalf of our children”: (New York Times)

For example, the House of Representatives passed a budget bill that would allow schools to opt out of the White House’s Healthy, Hunger Free Kids nutritional guidelines from 2012; apparently this many healthy meals for children is “too much, too quick” for some: (New York Times)

Half of 900 men recently surveyed said they do most of their family’s grocery shopping, and over half of those said they do all of it; am I the only one that finds this encouraging, yet hard to believe? (Boston Globe)

McDonald’s introduced a new animated character to serve as its Happy Meal brand ambassador; “Happy,” is supposed to represent wholesome eating, going hand in hand with kids’ recent menu option of apples and yogurt in lieu of fries. (The Motley Fool)

A UC Davis report showed that food quality will suffer as CO2 levels continue to rise; nitrate assimilation is slower under these conditions, and elevated CO2 lowers protein concentrations in grains and potatoes: (Food, Nutrition & Science)

A countercultural movement in the European Union is aiming to break the dictatorship of government over fruit and veggie aesthetics, and thereby combat food waste: (New York Times)

Kiko's Food News, 5.23.14

I’m happy to see that it’s becoming the norm for cities, colleges and food service companies to pioneer programs tackling the more than 36 million tons of food wasted by Americans every year; from trayless initiatives in dining halls to food waste weigh stations, public awareness is leading to institutional action! (New York Times)

The produce prescription model is spreading around the country: participating doctors issue prescriptions to children ages 5 to 12 who could use healthier diets, then area supermarkets accept them and track the varieties of produce purchased: (Minnesota Star Tribune)

We’ve heard that a Mediterranean diet delivers health benefits, but now scientists are offering reasons why: the combination of olive oil with leafy salad or vegetables gives the diet its healthy edge, as these two food groups come together to form nitro fatty acids which lower blood pressure: (BBC)

Dan Barber suggests that by focusing on all-star crops like asparagus and tomatoes, foodies and chefs have sold the sustainable food movement short; we must eat more unsung staples and cover crops such as cowpeas, mustard, millet and rye: (New York Times)

Even though female journalists, writers and advocates form the backbone of food and agriculture reporting, gender bias runs rampant in the news media; to remedy this, here’s a list of 24 bad-ass women educating the American public about our food system: (Civil Eats)

Kiko's Food News, 5.16.14

Since protests waged by fast food workers over the past 18 months have not yet swayed McDonald’s or other major restaurant chains to significantly raise their employees’ pay, the movement went global this week: (New York Times)

Does your grocery cart contain yogurt-infused guac and cookie butter on the reg? If so, you might be the typical Trader Joe’s customer: (Huffington Post)

100% of California is now in one of the three worst stages of drought; combine this with the current heat wave and you have wildfires and a farmer’s worst nightmare: (Climate Central)

This year, 3,300 lbs of venison from 106 white-tailed deer found in Washington DC’s Rock Creek Park have been donated to charities; the National Park Service has the meat inspected and processed and then turns it into meals for the hungry--bold and I like it! (New York Times)

Now that we’re all planting herbs in our pots or yards, it’s time for a briefing on how to dry them so they stay with us beyond the summer (leave it to Heidi Swanson to make dead plants look this beautiful): (101 Cookbooks)

Kiko's Food News, 5.9.14

A new federal report called the National Climate Assessment presented the challenges to agriculture introduced by climate change; from topsoil runoff to decreased snow water availability, this article shows the threats in pictures: (Mother Jones)

Eating bitter foods is one of the best things we can do to boost our nutrition, as they moderate both hunger and blood sugar, yet America may be the most sugar-philic and bitter-phobic culture in human history: (Huffington Post)

By adding cocoa powder to simulated stomachs and intestines, scientists have deduced that chocolate’s indigestibility is the reason for its health benefits; undigested cocoa matter absorbed into the bloodstream can reduce cardiac inflammation, and fermented cocoa remains improve cholesterol levels: (New York Times)

The calorie counting that defined dieting for so long is giving way to other considerations, like the promise of more fiber or natural ingredients; this is chipping away at the popularity of products like Diet Coke or Lean Cuisine, which became weight-watching staples by removing calories from people’s favorite foods: (Chicago Sun Times)

Make sure you’re keeping the right foods in the fridge by checking out this list of foods that should be kept out! (Huffington Post)

Naylor Court Yoga Season Opener, Sunday 5/25

Hi yogis! We really put in our time this winter, and I think that's earned us a good Naylor Court stretch sesh. It's time for me to roll out the canvas "floor," turn on Nick's Burning Man music, and get you breathing in the fresh air! 

Imagine doing this hamstring stretch on a historic alley in sunny DC!

If you were considering leaving town for Memorial Weekend, stop that and instead join me for the Naylor Court Yoga season opener, Sunday 5/25 at 10 am. And mark your calendars for one of the following dates; my Naylor Court classes are all levels, and free! Bring your own mat, I've got you covered on blocks and straps.

Where: Naylor Court, in Shaw

When:

Sunday 5/25, 10 am

Sunday 6/15, 10 am

Sunday 7/27, 10 am

Please reply with a comment to this blog post to let me know if you're coming to the 5/25 class, feel free to email me with any questions, and spread the word--there's room for everyone on the alley!

Book Review: Farmacology

As if my reading a book about the connection between farm health and our personal health doesn't already reek of preaching to the choir, I'll preface this first Kiko's Food News book review by admitting that in this case, I'm biased. Farmacology was written last year by a physician named Daphne Miller (bias #1: Daphne is my and my mom's middle name, and my grandmother's first name, so I have a soft spot). Miller was schooled at Brown undergrad and Harvard grad (bias #2: so was my boyfriend Nick, and we think it's a pretty good combo). She visits a handful of farms while researching for this book, one of which is Scribe Winery in Sonoma (bias #3: Andrew Mariani, the owner/vintner, is a friend from my Hayes Valley days). And Miller has a medical practice in San Francisco (bias #4: I was a client back in college, and it helped to know while reading that she puts this "whole person" mentality to work in her San Francisco practice. At an appointment with one of the other physicians there, I was recommended a treatment of lavender oil as an alternative to medicine for a particular health issue, and was impressed with the sliding scale payment options which allow people of broader economic means to see them).

I've been known to say that the American medical community seems too often to not know shit about shit, so I had a feeling I would resonate with this book offering an alternative lens through which to assess and improve health. As a departure from our status quo of black holes between popular medical disciplines, Dr. Miller asserts that just as a whole-system approach is transformative for farms, a shift in focus from 'plant' to 'soil' proves equally valuable for human health. I'll offer here a few facts and vignettes that I found compelling, in hopes that you pick up this quick read to find more of your own. 

Remember Rudolf Steiner, the father of biodynamic farming? Turns out we can send our children to Steiner schools around the world, each located on or near a biodynamic farm and offering lunches sourced from the farm. Researchers have found that suburban children who attend Steiner schools have fewer colds, and suffer less from asthma or allergies, than the control (p. 48). Speaking of biodynamic farming, I find it compelling that whereas organic food, despite its benefits for environmental, livestock and farmworker health, has been found to lack much nutritional advantage over conventionally grown, the same cannot be said of biodynamically grown food: "When researchers have looked at the impact of organic systems on both soil quality and food nutrient levels, they have found that they often fare no better than conventional farms. Sustainable or biodynamic farming, on the other hand, seems to consistently score better on both measures" (p. 49). Of course we need to look beyond the simple organic label when selecting our favorite farms to buy meat and produce from; Miller offers Wendell Berry's (if you eat food and you don't know Wendell, you should--look him up!) favorite question to ask the farmer: "Do you live on your farm?" The answer speaks volumes about the health of a farm, and will weed out the big industrial guys.

That Dr. Miller is a picture of health doesn't hurt her credibility!

I don't think we urban consumers realize that the same farmers who are pumping their animals with antibiotic and hormone inputs often keep a few animals out, to be injection-free, for their families. Miller spends time with one farmer who did just that with his cattle before quitting cold turkey on purchasing soil amendments, animal feed, and injections (which had been costing him so much as to render his farm unprofitable until he did so). When he decided to go au naturel, he cut his herd of Angus beef cows from 1,200 to 700, but with this "lower production, higher profits" model he was able to earn more per pound of beef because he relied on free worm labor and no longer purchased inputs.

Miller draws other parallels that are simple but important. With insights from experts on human and animal stress, she compares one of her patient's overstressed lives, lack of control over his professional day-to-day, and lack of time for exercise with the livelihood of chickens she encountered in very overcrowded henhouses. Just like an office worker who mindlessly snacks his way through an uninspiring work day, the chickens she visited "had nothing better to do than eat all day."

And lessons from soil management are transferrable to cancer prevention and care. Miller proposes we consider cancer not as "a frightening invader that must be eradicated before it kills its host", but "more like a pest in an integratively managed field--it will always be there to some degree, but not so much that it overwhelms the beneficials and destroys the crops. In this view...as we have seen with adaptive therapy, striving for containment rather than eradication is more likely to control the disease in the long run" (157).

In one of the book's last chapters, Miller idolizes older women who have been her role models for natural aging, and says, "I realized that the one thing these idealized older women have in common is that they spend a lot of time outdoors and communicate with weather, animals, plants and soil on a regular basis" (220). Seems I've found my own model in Miller, and I can't wait until I have occasion to buy the seed packets I ogle over at the hardware store and build a small garden lab in my own home to teach me and my family more about our relatedness to its dirt and what grows there.