My research across the country indicates that the definition of "value-added agriculture" can mean many things. Jams and jellies. Dried herbs. Some growers are cutting up vegetables and fruits and selling them in containers as ready to eat. Others are stringing beans and breaking them up so customers can drop them in a pot of water when they get home - or eat them raw. I've heard some farmers are shucking their corn so customers don't have to bother with it.
Judy, I thank you for your detailed explanation. I hope it clears the air that sellers at farmers markets, roadside stands and u-pick-its - where often you can pay a little more for produce that someone else picked that day - need to be conscious of food-borne illnesses and cleanliness. Take a good walk-through at any Wal-mart and you'll see where people have had a meal in the produce department. Not everyone washes produce before eating it - either raw or cooked. Greta _____ From: Judith Gardner [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 10:48 AM To: [email protected]; [email protected]; ACGA listserve Subject: RE: [Community_garden] must haves for an organic garden? Di, Greta's email made me think of the food handling classes that we were required to take--from the health department--in order to work in our restaurant. This included how to avoid cross contamination of one food stuff by another or by contact with unclean surfaces or hands, etc. It doesn't matter how organically the food is grown, if it is harvested with a dirty knife, rinsed in contaminated water, or sneezed on by someone harboring an infectious disease, it is not a healthful product. I have often been guilty of thinking of "good old dirt" as being pretty harmless. You know, "You have to eat a bushel of it before you die." Those days are gone forever. These new superbugs mean that we have to be as careful about how we, and others, handle the food we take to market (and to our tables) as we are with how we raise it. Judy in Detroit > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:34:41 -0400 > Subject: Re: [Community_garden] must haves for an organic garden? > > Mind telling us the specifics? Otherwise this just comes across as 'What?" > Thanks, Di > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Greta Lint" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:35 PM > Subject: Re: [Community_garden] must haves for an organic garden? > > >> >> >> There's a lot of concern about food safety - where it's from and how it's >> handled. We hear a lot about cross-contamination and bad processing, but >> take lettuce, for example. In North Carolina, health department officials >> have told me they have debated for years about whether or not to >> categorize >> lettuce as a "dangerous" food. It can kill you. It almost put my own >> mother >> six feet under. >> >> >> >> I strongly encourage you, whether you've been sick or not, to visit >> www.safetables.org. The Chicago-based organization, Safe Tables Our >> Priority, is the premier resource for helping food-borne illness victims. >> >> >> >> In North Carolina, some farmers market vendors have asked for a >> certification process whereby they would receive training on food safety. >> As >> long as you're considering rules and regs regarding organically grown >> food, >> please consider instituting food safety classes. >> >> >> >> Thank you. >> >> >> >> Greta Lint - [email protected] - Asheboro, NC >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of >> Elizabeth Leipold >> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:01 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: [Community_garden] must haves for an organic garden? >> >> >> >> i forgot to metion that we are going to be selling at the local farmer's >> >> market. preference is given to organic growers. >> >> >> >> thanks >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Elizabeth Leipold >> >> Mindful Practices >> >> mindfulpracticesyoga.com >> >> [email protected] >> >> -------------- next part -------------- >> >> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >> >> URL: >> <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communityga >> rden.org/attachments/20090226/5b314279/attachment.html> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of >> ACGA's >> services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find >> out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org >> >> >> >> To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] >> >> >> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: >> http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.commu >> nitygarden.org >> >> -------------- next part -------------- >> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >> URL: >> <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communityga rden.org/attachments/20090226/eb874fc7/attachment.html> >> _______________________________________________ >> The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of >> ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and >> to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org >> >> To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] >> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: >> http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.commu nitygarden.org >> > > > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.commu nitygarden.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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