"Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
-Acts 14:17
Did you know?
MORRIS--John Stuart Ingle, professor of studio art, painted the new image of Betty Crocker that is a composite of 75 women from across the country. Portrait was unveiled March 19.Solo exhibition of work by studio art professor Alan Fierro will be at Humanities Fine Arts Gallery through April 14. Title is "Constructions--Works on Paper."-from from Brief 3/27/96 of UofM
I went to the �Pride of the Prairie�: Food Expo at UMM�s Student Center just last week-Tuesday, February 17th @2-4pm 2004. It has been an annual event for several or more years now. I decided to do a website dedicating to this topic to increase the awareness of healthy foods-particularly from our neighboring farming community. I�ve been increasingly conscious in what foods I eat as I see an increasing focus on this issue (e.g. recent mad cow disease, and other various diseases in our foods). Also, with the increase of cancer (environmental factors), I want others besides myself to be aware of what �consumers� our putting in their bodies!
Growing-up in the cities, I wasn�t educated much about our agricultural system. I remember going with my mom to St. Paul�s Farmers Market at times on Saturdays in downtown. I loved checking out the different vegatables and produces that were sold by area farmers. After living in Morris for 8+ years and interacting with many of the rural community, I�ve grew an interest on how the agriculture life is done. For example, I�ve told others this before-I never knew there was different types of cows. There is dairy and beef cows, and that is just the beginning! I hope the readers of this would also be intrigue as I am and really consider the popular saying, �you are what you eat!�.
Genetically Modified Foods Issue
This afternoon (Wednesday, November 10th 2004), I attended the monthly "Limited Learning" at the Morris Senior Center. The topic for this month was "Genetic Modified Food" (bitech foods, transgenic foods, or modified organism food). I came in with the big health issue on what we eat from the grocery store as I've been getting more into organic foods. Well, after our talked, I decided to do some research on some of these topics discussed/questioned:
1. What opportunities are created by development of biotech foods and agricultural practices?
-mass production for global population
-more corn for renewable energy (biomass)
2. What potential problems are created by development of biotech foods and agricultural practices?
-abnormal cows
-health affects: cancer? allergies?
3. How can our responses shape incentives and choices for consumers, farmers, food companies, policy makers, and the global food system?
-more labels (this contains Bacillus Thurigiensis-toxin or citric acid for WARNING or allergic reactions
"Many Zambians believe that GMOs cause resistance to antibiotics, thereby cutting immunity to diseases, and that they may lead to the emergence of new food toxins or to allergies in people with poor health"
"With some 2.9 million Zambians facing famine conditions, the WFP implored President Mwanawasa to reconsider his position, explaining that the rejection of GM food would narrow the pool of available relief resources and possibly lead to breaks in the food pipeline."
Above is part of an article on an issue that I wasn't able to raise-feeding the poor. However, I feel there are other ways to feed them. The "rich" should stop consuming and learn how to eat moderately (e.g. obesity problem in the U.S.), which they should "share" with poorer countries. This would've not been a global debate if we dealth with helping one another out!
Droughts?
"I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit."-Leviticus 26:4
Today (Saturday, August 11th of 2007) we finally had some good rain after a long summer drought! We've had a sprinke or there at times, but we finally had a good drench pouring rain last night and it continued till this morning-halleluah! A sign to keep persevering in prayer!
"Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."-James 5:18
I went bowling last weekend and a guy who helps with the local farms just spontaneously shared with me about the making of sugar. He told me if the public knew how they make sugar (using chemicals), they would never want to eat it...
*rumor has it-Sauk Centre has the best Dairy Queen in the state; probably because of this only locally-owned dairy processor of fluid milk remaining in central Minnesota!
Helios Nutrition Organic Kefir w/FOS, also produced in Sauk Centre, is America�s leading organic kefir brand (boosts calcium, fiber and vitamins)
"1. Rev. Lenard Griffis - his father's potato crop
"In the late 1920's my dad had a large crop of potatoes. Frost hit that section of Oklahoma and killed all the potato plants. But my dad did not give up. He decided to pray and trust in God for his potato crop instead of plowing them under like his neighbors had done. My dad knelt down at the side of his field and prayed over his crop.
His neighbors soon replanted new crops and their new crops were killed again by frost (that fall). My dad's original crop came out and made a beautiful crop.
God blessed marvelously that year. So much so, that my dad provided the neighbors with seed potatoes for the following year."
Farms Int'l, a Christian ministry that serves the church by equipping families in poverty with the means for self-support. Working through the local church, FARMS provides loans, technical support for income generating projects and spiritual training for families. The result? Families find a biblical path out of poverty!
*referred by Wayne Maanum (local church brother in Morris) on Dec. 31s of 2006 after my trip to Duluth.
"Widespread rain that has fallen over much of Australia's driest regions in the past couple of months has not yet broken the drought but is bringing widespread hope that prayers are being answered with farmers beginning to make future plans for the first time in years."
"She speaks about the recent lack of rain. �It appears that the weather gods are unhappy with us.� This has deeply affected agriculture; �there is no water even for drinking�, let alone for crops and cattle."
