Food-Wise: pesticide alerts for shoppers

Food can be expensive. For many of us, budgets are stretched. When you want to eat a healthier diet, but can't afford to buy only organic foods, what can you do? Environmental Working Group has developed a list of conventionally grown foods highest in pesticides.

To help with your decisions, here is a list of foods most affected by pesticides, followed by a list of those least affected.

The Dirty Dozen (most contaminated with pesticides):

1. Grapes (Imported)
2. Potatoes
3. Kale/Collard Greens
4. Cherries
5. Spinach
6. Sweet Bell Peppers
7. Nectarines
8. Blueberries (Domestic)
9. Apples
10. Strawberries
11. Peaches
12. Celery

The Clean Fifteen (least contaminated by pesticides):

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn (Frozen)
4. Pineapples
5. Mango (Subtropical and Tropical)
6. Sweet Peas (Frozen)
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi Fruit (Subtropical and Tropical)
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe (Domestic)
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potatoes
15. Honeydew Melon

Here's the full list from the Environmental Working Group.

Minnesota Mothers for Milk fair access bill

Would you be willing to help with a critical step of contacting GOVERNOR DAYTON this week to voice support for the Minnesota raw milk bill?

You could take the crucial step of making our voices heard to our new governor. Governor Dayton has the power to sign or veto the bill if it makes it to his desk, so we need to let him know how important this is to us and ask for his support. Please help us put it on his radar! Take action today.

The corporate food industry has many lobbyists working hard to stop the passage of this bill, consequently each of our voices is very important. Some easy-to-follow steps are outlined below.

TAKE ACTION:

•CALL HIS OFFICE at 651-201-3400 or 800-657-3717. Tell them where you live and why his support of this bill is important to you (see talking points below).

•WRITE A BRIEF LETTER. Single page, hand-written letters get more notice, but typed letters or e-mails are fine as well. Send to:
Governor Mark Dayton
130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
E-mail to: http://MNHLRP.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ba758759647fb4bd348f2dc85&id=efcb670188&e=cb8032bb57

In all cases, make it personal and positive for the greatest impact.

TALKING POINTS:

•State where you live, why you drink raw milk and any benefits you have noticed. Share your passionate story about how it has helped you and your loved ones.
•Ask him to support the bill and refer to the bill numbers: SF147 and HF255.
•This bill simply improves ACCESS to a food that is already legal in Minnesota by allowing farmers and consumers more freedom on delivery options. It removes the current restrictions saying you must obtain it “at the farm”, and only “occasionally”. The new bill as currently written includes milk from cows, goats and sheep, and encompasses raw dairy products including milk, cream, butter, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and ice cream.
•This bill makes it SAFER to obtain farm-fresh dairy foods, eliminating the need for individuals, parents and families to drive long distances to obtain the food they choose for their families. This is essentially a transportation safety issue.
•This bill makes it EASIER and MORE EFFICIENT to get raw milk by allowing farmers to deliver to various sites and homes, thereby using less gas, and saving wear and tear on roads and vehicles.
•It supports rural Minnesota economies and the urban areas they support, putting more money in the farmers’ pockets and encouraging mutually beneficial farmer-consumer relationships as promoted in the national “Know Your Farmer” campaign.
•It is less disruptive to hardworking farmers who now have to handle numerous customers’ visits.
•It reinforces sustainable farming, and since raw milk for human consumption is produced on pasture, it supports the animals, land, water and surrounding environment.
•It promotes food freedom, food choice and food security in our state.
•Also, in this time of a budget crisis, this bill does not cost anything to implement.
•Things to keep in mind: AVOID bashing Big Ag (say only positive things about raw dairy); AVOID partisan remarks; DO NOT discuss the Hartmann case which is a separate issue; DO NOT discuss federal food safety legislation S510 – this is about Minnesota only.

Please let us know if you contacted Governor Dayton in writing or by phone. If you have questions or would like additional pointers, please contact:
Gregory Schmidt, Pres. MNHLRP gregoryvschmidt@gmail.com 612-386-4908 (c)


This initiative, Food Freedom Project, is a project of the Minnesota Natural Health Legal Reform Project (MNHLRP). This effort is supported by others including volunteers and other local and national organizations. To learn more about the efforts of MNHLRP, or to donate, please go to www.mnhlrp.org.

To add yourself to our mailing list for important updates, please paste this link into your internet browser (NOTE: must be pasted with the hyphen at the end to work properly):
http://MNHLRP.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ba758759647fb4bd348f2dc85&id=6b61b2643a&e=cb8032bb57-

Thank you for your efforts to support access to farm-fresh milk and local, sustainable, wholesome foods of our choice.

Sincerely,
Food Freedom Project
A project of the Minnesota Natural Health Legal Reform Project, www.mnhlrp.org