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Spring 1999 Newsletters

Benefits of Supporting a Local Food System	Think Globally Eat Locally	How to Protect Nutrients in Food
Massachusetts Agricultural Facts	Be A Seasonal Eater	Fruits & Vegetables Give Us
Massachusetts Grown Activity	Fruits & Vegetable Grown in Massachusetts	Parts of the Plant

Benefits of Supporting A Locally Grown Food System

• Food is one of life’s most basic necessities. Local agriculture assures a food system that is safe, affordable and accessible to all by providing a wide variety of fresh, high quality food and agricultural products sold at their peak of flavor and nutritional value. The best and freshest food comes from a local farmer.
• Buying locally grown food supports local jobs. Agriculture is a vital part of Massachusetts’ economy, employing thousands of people in a variety of careers on and off the farm.
• Support for local agriculture keeps our Massachusetts farms viable. By selling directly to consumers at the farm, farmers earn a greater share of the consumer dollar and sustain their farm operations despite urban land encroachment pressure and rising costs.
• Fields, pastures and waterways contribute quietly and gently to our way of life by providing scenic vistas, open space and wildlife habitat that are critical for quality of life. Farmers are the stewards who protect and nurture more than 600,000 acres of our open space in Massachusetts.
• Locally grown foods require less energy input thus resulting in reduced environmental impact and financial cost for transportation.
• The performance of agriculture directly affects the price that people pay for food, both in the grocery store and in restaurants.
• Local agriculture is good for the community. Taxes from agricultural development yield a community net earnings of 70 cents on the dollar, while residential development costs a community an average of $1.25 per dollar earned.
• The global marketplace has changed the way producers must grow, raise and sell their goods to remain viable. As the number of local farms decrease, there is a great concern regarding the ability of future generations to feed themselves in a healthy sustainable way. Stronger regional food systems create greater food security and sustainability.
• Agriculture is part of our New England heritage. A visit to a local farm reacquaints people (especially children) with their food supply and "where food comes from" and spotlights our rich agricultural culture and the history of the community.

Think Globally - Eat Locally

by Barbara Ruhs, MS, RD

Nutrition & Education Training Coordinator, Mass. Dept. of Education

It's hard to resist the temptation of sneaking a taste of some fresh strawberries when you're in the field picking them yourself! The taste of fresh produce is hard to beat. In addition to flavor, fresh produce, grown locally, is better for you and the environment. Elaborate and efficient transportation systems eliminate our dependence on local agriculture, but choosing to eat locally grown produce has many healthy advantages. These include less handling and processing, exposure to fewer pesticides and optimal nutritional quality. In order to preserve the quality of fresh produce that is grown and transported all over the world, produce is subjected to a series of processing and handling methods to preserve quality. Various preservation methods include the use of waxes, irradiation and refrigeration. Fruits and vegetables are living organisms that change physiologically from the moment they are picked for harvest. They lose quality rapidly, if not given proper handling. Unfavorable conditions may cause sugars to change rapidly to starch and enzymatic reactions to cause speedy loss of flavor, appearance and texture¹. It has been estimated that food in this country travels an average of 1,300 miles before it is consumed². By choosing local produce at farm stands, farmers’ markets, and Pick-your-own farms, you can avoid eating produce that has been overly processed and mishandled. Produce, such as apples and cucumbers, doesn’t have to be treated with waxes if it is not being prepared for a journey across the country. Similarly, eating foods grown locally eliminates the need for sophisticated processing, like irradiation, and decreases or eliminates refrigeration time. Finally, eating local foods decreases the time from harvest to consumption, thereby reducing potential negative physiological effects on produce.The exposure of produce to pesticides is an efficient method for farmers to protect their crops from insects and other pests. Unfortunately, like insects, pesticides are not healthy for humans to consume. The safety of most pesticides is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA sets "safety buffers" and residue tolerances for pesticides that are used on produce. In order to protect yourself and your family, routine washing of produce is recommended to decrease pesticide residue(s). By choosing local produce (grown in the United States), you can be assured that the safety and level of the pesticides used is within normal limits. In addition, many local organic growers and IPM (Integrated Pest Management) growers are choosing to use alternative pest control methods that decrease the use of chemical pesticides. If you are picking your own produce, choose a certified organic or an IPM certified farm. The secret to optimal nutritional quality of local produce is freshness. Not only does fresh produce look and taste better, it's probably better for you. Local pro- duce doesn't have to be processed for shipping and it doesn't sit on a truck or plane for several hours. By decreasing the time from harvest to consumption, physical and nutritional properties of the food can be preserved. In the table on page 3, you’ll find helpful information on how to preserve the nutritional quality of food during preparation. The Northeast Regional Food Guide is a tool that New Englanders can use to choose locally grown produce (and other food items abundantly found in the Northeast), to obtain a nutritionally balanced diet that supports local agriculture. Daily meals created using the Guide have been shown to provide at least 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for an average adult female aged 25-50³.

To obtain the healthiest and the most ecologically sound produce, choose to eat foods that are grown and produced locally.

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How to Protect Nutrients in Food ⁴

Water - Soaking food in water dissolves water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Avoid soaking unless absolutely necessary. If foods, such as vegetables, must be soaked or remain in water during cooking, use the smallest amount of water possible and use the leftover cooking liquid in soup or in another product. Heat - Heating food causes nutrient loss, especially vitamin C. For example, the vitamin C content of canned peas will differ significantly from that of cooked frozen peas. Frozen peas are higher in vitamin C because heat from the canning process has already destroyed some of the vitamin C in canned peas. Light - Milk is an excellent source of riboflavin; but if it is allowed to stand open or is exposed to light, considerable destruction of riboflavin can occur. A light-blocking container, such as a cardboard carton, can help prevent this. If you are using another type of container, be sure to store it away from light. pH Balance - Do not add baking soda to green vegetables to retain color during cooking. It makes the cooking water alkaline, destroying thiamin and vitamin C. Air - Vitamins A, C, E, K, and the B vitamins, thiamin, pyridoxine, biotin, and folate (also called folic acid), are destroyed by exposure to air. To reduce nutrient loss: cut and cook vegetables using the largest size pieces as possible, store foods with tight covers, cook vegetables as soon after cutting as possible, cook vegetables until they are "just tender" and prepare food as close to serving time as possible. Cook Small Amounts - When cooking vegetables, prepare small amounts. Avoid long exposure to heat. Fresh or frozen vegetables can be cooked by several different methods. You can steam, bake, microwave or sauté them. Regardless of the cooking method you choose, it's better to prepare small amounts than to cook single large batches. Nutritive value is lost and quality is lowered with long exposure to heat.

• 1.   Lendal H. Kotchevar. 1993. Quantity Food Purchasing. MacMillian Publishing Co, Chicago, IL.

2.   Rodale Institute. 1981. Empty Breadbasket: The Coming Challenge to America's Food Supply and What We Can do About It. The Cornucopia Project, Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

3.   J.L. Wilkins and J.D. Gussow, 1997. "Regional Dietary Guidance: Is the Northeast Nutritionally Complete? " Conference Proceedings for the International Conference on Agricultural Production and Nutrition, Boston, Massachusetts, March 19-21, 1997.

• 4.   United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Team Nutrition and Training Program, 1998. A Menu Planner for Healthy School Meals (FNS-303): 159 - 161.

Massachusetts Agriculture Facts

• There are approximately 6,200 farms in Massachusetts today. Eleven years ago there were 6,800 farms.
• Today the average size of a Massachusetts farm is 92 acres, and there are 570,000 acres of farmland in Massachusetts. In 1988, the average size of a farm was 100 acres and there were 680,000 acres of farmland in the state
•  Over 40,000 acres of Massachusetts farmland in 123 towns has been preserved through the Farmland Preservation Program.
•  Massachusetts is the third most densely populated state in the country. In recent years there has been tremendous development pressure on agricultural land. Between 1988 and 1997, the average value per acre of farmland increased from $3,988 to $6,450.
• In the past fifty years, there has been a 71.5% decline in the amount of farmers throughout the country. During the same time, technology has yielded a 700% increase in the number of people fed by farmers. In 1940, one farmer fed 19 people, today one farmer feeds 128 people.
•  Massachusetts is ranked 1^st in New England for agricultural cash receipts. Cash receipts totaled $530 million in 1997 for Massachusetts and $2.3 billion for New England.
•  Massachusetts is ranked 5^th in the U.S. for net agricultural income per acre, and 7^th in the U.S. for value of agriculture products sold directly for human consumption.
•  For information on local farm stands, farmers’ markets and Pick-your-own farms visit the Mass. Dept. of Food and Agriculture website at  www.mass.gov/agr.

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Be a Seasonal Eater

The Northeast Regional Food Guide promotes the idea of buying products that are "in season" and available from local sources. Buying locally produced and processed foods means strengthening the market for the local food system. Because of the varied climate of the Northeast, different foods are available from local sources are different times of the year.

To learn more about agriculture in the region, and foods that are available locally, study the Northeast Regional Food Guide Pyramid.

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Fruits & Vegetables Give Us

Vitamin A keeps eyes healthy and able to adjust to dim light. It helps keep skin healthy. It helps keep the lining of the mouth, nose and throat and digestive tract healthy and resistant to infection. It promotes growth.

Vitamin B - Folic Acid helps prevent birth defects and lowers levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to heart disease.

Vitamin C helps strengthen blood vessels and hastens healing of wounds and bones. It increases resistance to infections, and it helps absorb iron in the diet.

Vitamin E promotes healthy skin, eyes and healing.

Calcium is needed for healthy bones and teeth. It also helps blood clotting and aids in muscle contraction and normal nerve functions.

Iron combines with protein in the blood to form hemoglobin.

Resource Information for the sidebar articles and activities was provided by Kathy Ruhf of New England Small Farms Institute, Irene Winkler of the Pilgrim RC&D, Hilare Downey of the Heritage Farm Coast Trust and Barbara Ruhs from the Mass. Dept. Of Education.

Massachusetts Grown Activity

Fill a basket or bowl with Massachusetts grown fruits and vegetables from the list on the left. Make sure that you include at least one fruit or vegetable to represent each of the six main parts of a flowering plant (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds). Tell the students that all the fruits and vegetables are grown on farms right here in Massachusetts by local farmers.

Let each student select one item from the basket (or hold each fruit and vegetable up for them to see). Ask the students to identify the item they picked. If they do not know, encourage the class to help them out. Talk about each fruit and vegetable. Who has eaten it? How does it taste?

Discuss the different parts of a flowering plant and what each part of the plant does for the whole plant.Ask students what part of the plant each of their selected fruits and vegetables is?

Have a tasting party. Wash fruits and vegetables and cut them into bite-size pieces. While students are tasting, they should think of the name for each food, as well as the part of plant that it is. Ask students is the fruit or vegetable sweet, soft or crunchy? Is this a fruit or vegetable they have eaten at home? Ask students to identify the colors of each food? Tell them what nutrients each fruit and vegetable provides. Do foods of similar color provide similar nutrients? Do foods from similar parts of the plant provide similar nutrients?

Nutritionists recommend eating 3 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day. A variety of produce will provide you with Vitamins A and C, fiber, iron and other nutrients. While most fruits and vegetables provide fiber, the amount of other nutrients varies widely among fruits and vegetables listed, so eat a diverse variety of these foods for a well balanced diet.

Fruits and Vegetables Grown in Massachusetts

Flowers That We Eat:

• broccoli (A, C & iron)
• cauliflower (C & fiber)

Leaves That We Eat:

• arugula (C)beet greens (A, cal. & iron)Brussels sprout (C, iron, fiber)cabbage (C & fiber) chicory greens (A) collard greens (A, C, cal., iron)dandelion greens (A & C) endive (A) escarole (A)kale (A, C, cal. & iron)kohlrabi (C) lettuce (folic acid)mache (C)mustard greens (A, cal. & iron)parsley (A) spinach (A, C, cal. & iron)Swiss chard (A, C, cal. & iron)turnip green (A, C, cal. & iron)
• watercress (C)

Stems That We Eat:

• asparagus (A, C & iron)bok choy (cal.)broccoli (A, cal. & iron)celery (fiber) leeks (fiber)
• rhubarb (fiber)

Fruits That We Eat:

• apple (fiber) apricot (A & iron) artichoke (fiber) bell pepper (A & C) blackberry (fiber blueberry (fiber) cherries (A & iron) chili peppers (A & C)cranberry (C) cucumber (fiber) eggplant (fiber) grapes (iron) melon (A & C) okra (C) peach (A) pear (fiber) plum (A) pumpkin (A) raspberry (C) strawberry (C) summer squash (fiber) tomato (A, C & iron)
• winter squash (A & iron)

Symbols Used for Vitamins: (A) Vitamin A, (C) Vitamin C, (E) Vitamin E, (Cal) Calcium

Roots anchor the plant to the ground. They absorb water and dissolved nutrients through root hairs by a process called osmosis. Tap roots are adapted to store food.

Stems connect the leaves and roots. They transport the water and dissolved minerals absorbed by the root hairs up to the leaves in tube like structures called xylem by a process of capillary action. They also transport the food made by the leaf down to the roots in the phloem cells. Stems support the leaves, holding them out in the sun.

Green leaves make food for the plant through a process called photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, chlorophyll combines with water from the roots and carbon dioxide from the air, in the presence of light to make a sugar called glucose. The chemical equation is6 CO2 + 6 H20 chlorophyll sunlight C6H12O6 + 6 O2 . Excess sugar not needed immediately by the leaf will be stored as starch. The oxygen produced is released into the air. Leaves also regulate the amount of water in the plant by transpiration.

The flower is the part of the plant that is responsible for reproduction. Pollination occurs when pollen grains from the stamen are transferred to the pistil. Flowers are pollinated in many different ways, including by bees, birds, insects, wind and water. Fertilization is the joining of the male and female gametes.

The fruit is the ripened ovary. Fruits protect the seeds both while they are one the plant and after they leave the plant. Fruits also help to scatter or to disperse the seeds.

Seeds are the most common way that plants reproduce themselves. They are contained inside fruits and have three main parts: the embryo, cotyledon and seed coat. Germination is the sprouting of the embryo. To germinate, seeds require adequate moisture, the correct temperature and oxygen. After leaves have developed they require light. 

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