In recent years, the clean living trend that has its roots in the organic food movement has made clean a potent buzzword for an ever-increasing number of things we put in or near our bodies. First, there were clean beauty products, then clean cleaning products, and now clean weed. Its about to be everywhere in the Golden State and its a lot more than a Goop-ification-of-ganja marketing ploy.

So what, exactly, is clean weed? Why should you care about what chemicals may be in your pot products as long as they test below state-mandated levels? And finally, if you decide to board the chemical-free cannabis train, how do you find it on your local dispensary shelf? (Hint: Its not going to be labeled clean weed.)

If the whole notion of clean weed has you scratching your head and muttering, Dude, it comes from a plant, so how much cleaner can it be, think of it like fruit and vegetables grown with the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides versus those grown organically. And, just as organically grown and nonorganically grown produce can sit side by side in your local grocery store, cannabis grown with or without the help of chemicals is legally sold across California as long as it tests below state-mandated levels for a range of heavy metals, pesticides, mycotoxins and the like that might find their way into a living plant. Products with too high a level to be safe never make it to legal dispensary shelves.

Things get a little (OK, a lot) more complicated when you move into the world of cannabis concentrates (most popularly the viscous honey-like oils used in vaporizer cartridges) because the most common and efficient methods of separating the high-producing THC from the plant material use a chemical solvent often butane, sometimes carbon dioxide or ethanol that is later removed. When pressure is applied to the result, the gooey end product is called resin. As with cannabis flower, there are state-mandated limits to how much of these residual solvents can be in a product. (The limit for butane is 5,000 parts per million, for example.)

This process also can be accomplished without using any chemicals at all; solventless extraction uses a combination of mechanical agitation and changes in temperature to separate the plant from the party-starter. When pressure is applied, it becomes a gooey concentrate called rosin (as contrasted with resin above see what I mean by complicated?). Although solventless extraction has been around for a very long time (hash, a precursor to todays concentrates, has a history that stretches back thousands of years), it has enjoyed a surge of popularity much more recently.

Well get to why that is in a minute, but first lets address the elephant in the room (well, on the page, anyway): Is this so-called clean weed better than my run-of-the-mill (and apparently dirty) weed?

If these cannabis products in whole flower or concentrate form pass state-mandated testing regardless of what chemicals have been used along the way, then whats the big deal? The answer here is best understood by, once again, harking back to the roots of the clean-everything movement organic food, said Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a Boston-based physician, 25-year medical cannabis specialist and board member of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation.

He used the analogy of choosing organic fruit over nonorganic at the supermarket. The regular piece of fruit has a little bit of pesticide on it but at a level where if it gets through, the government says, This is not going to harm you, Grinspoon said. I havent seen any studies that show youre less likely to get cancer if you eat organic vegetables, but everybody thinks intuitively theyre healthier. And everybody will pay more for [them], and I think its sort of the same situation with weed.

In his opinion, clean weed cannabis products made without the use of such chemicals is hypothetically safer. But is it really safer? he added. Its never been proven that [youll] have less cancer, live longer, have fewer lung problems.

The seeds of todays clean-weed boom were sown back in 2019, when, just as Californias recreational cannabis market was entering its second year, a lung-injuring vaporizer crisis made just about anyone who vaped or manufactured anything that could be vaped take a good, hard look at what went into vaporizer cartridges.

Jetty Extracts introduced its solventless vape cartridge to market in December 2020, and it has since become the companys fastest-growing category, says co-founder and Chief Executive Ron Gershoni.

(Jetty Extracts)

That included the folks at Oakland-based Jetty Extracts, which had been in the (solvent-based) cannabis extraction business for nine years.

Wed been experimenting with solventless since 2016, said Jettys co-founder and Chief Executive Ron Gershoni. Mostly very small-scale stuff. But, around 2019, we made a very concerted effort that this was where the market was going and we wanted to be a big player in solventless.

Gershoni cited growing consumer preference for cleaner products generally and the vape crisis specifically as some of the driving factors, invoking a comparison to opting for organic produce in the supermarket. Everyone especially in California wants things that are cleaner, he said. Not just the finished product but the process itself. And there is no question that using solventless extraction is a cleaner process because you are not touching any solvent.

Nathan Cozzolino, co-founder of Rose Los Angeles, which exclusively uses flower rosin in its THC-infused, Turkish delight-style edibles, noticed a similar shift in consumer awareness in the years following his brands 2018 launch.

Edibles brand Rose Los Angeles, which launched in 2018, uses flower rosin, a cannabis concentrate made without the use of chemical solvents.

(Rose Los Angeles )

When we started, there was nobody except one other brand making solventless edibles, he said. And at the time people were like, Flower rosin is a ridiculous extract to use. Its not scalable. Youre wasting smokable flower. Its really expensive. ... And Id say pretty much 18 to 24 months later, almost every company in the space had transitioned at least some of their product line to [include] a solventless offering.

Before 2020, Cozzolino said, the term rosin was mostly a niche cannabis-industry buzzword. And the consumer definitely didnt know what it meant, he said.

A California company that stepped into the space more recently is San Francisco-based Pax. In February, after half a dozen years of putting other brands concentrated (and solvent-based) cannabis oil in its plug-and-puff Pax Era vape pods, Pax launched a line of fresh-pressed live rosin pods with natural diamonds that builds on its clean-weed pedigree. (Live means that the rosin was extracted from a freshly frozen plant, while diamonds are a crystalline form of concentrated THC.) The back of each package reads 100% cannabis, nothing added.

That move, said Pax Chief Operating Officer Steven Jung, was born out of consumer awareness. What we found through our research ... [is that consumers] may not have the exact concepts down, but when its presented to them, they very clearly will state: I want the cleanest, safest, highest-quality product I can get my hands on.

Pax, a company that made its name in the dry-herb vaporizer space, went big on clean weed with the launch of its fresh-pressed live rosin vaporizer cartridges, which hit the market in February 2022.

(Pax)

Collin Palmer, Paxs head of formulations (the guy who helped figure out how to get the live rosin into vapable form), added that the clean-weed movement is evolving much the way the clean-food movement did before it.

Think about how organic happened, Palmer said. First it was natural products, then organic became a buzzword. ... People have this need, psychologically, to understand what goes into their bodies and know that its good for them. I think rosin and live rosin speaks to and checks all the boxes for those individuals. It brings transparency to the process. We now know that theres nothing added here, and I think that brings a sense of security that wasnt really truly there with cannabis before.

The biggest reason clean weed is about to be everywhere, though, is that consumer demand has turned out to match if not exceed expectations. Jettys Gershoni said the company launched its first solventless vaporizer cartridge into the market in December 2020. A year and a half later, he considers the move a lifesaver.

Right now the market is down in California about 25% year-over-year, he said in a May interview. And were up about 25% year-over-year and that product solventless is by far our fastest-growing product. Its our No. 1 product, and were struggling to keep it in stock.

As you embark on your exploration of the soon-to-be-everywhere weed trend, here are five ways to get a better understanding of what youre buying.

1. Buy from a licensed dispensaryThis is the single most important step in ensuring you know whats in your weed. Thats because, to make it to the shelves of a licensed California dispensary, a batch of each product is required to have a certificate of analysis to back it up. Available via a brands website or, more frequently, via a QR code on the package itself, the COA will verify that the product has tested below the acceptable level of residual solvents, heavy metals and mycotoxins (usually indicated by the word pass). That assurance doesnt exist when buying from an unlicensed shop.

Alex LeVine, co-founder and chief executive of the 2-year-old, L.A.-based vape brand PodTones and a certifiable weed nerd, said there are clues that can be gleaned by digging into a COAs list of additional cannabinoids and terpenes.

Rosin almost always has CBG in it, he said, referring to the minor cannabinoid cannabigerol. LeVine explained that vape pens containing a chemically extracted distillate will contain THC but not the trace cannabinoid. Another clue its real rosin is that youll see a very large number of different terpenes detected in live rosin that you wont with [solvent-based] concentrates. (Terpenes are the naturally occurring volatile compounds that give different cannabis plants their distinct smell and taste.)

2. Read the label (carefully)Just as in the clean-beauty and clean-food space, finding clean weed means doing a lot of research and reading a lot of labels carefully. In an ideal world, finding chemical-free cannabis flower would be as easy as looking for the word organic somewhere on the package. Although that is not an option (because that term falls under the purview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and marijuana remains illegal at the federal level), thanks to a new state program, California cannabis products certified to be comparable to organic can bear the designation OCal on their label. (As of last month, just 11 California cultivators have been OCal-certified.)

When it comes to concentrates and vaporizer cartridges, the words solventless or rosin are used industrywide to denote no chemicals were used (remember, if its called resin, that means a solvent was used). However, because noncannabis materials can (and often are) added to give rosin a vaporizable viscosity, youll need to dig deeper than that. Read the fine print carefully to find out what else might be in the mix. And look for additional language such as 100% cannabis, nothing added, which appears on Paxs new pods, or 100% cannabis rosin, which appears on PodTones packaging.

3. Engage your budtenderNo, budtenders are not doctors or chemists, but chances are theyve already summited the solventless-vape learning curve youre just starting to scale. Tell them specifically what youre looking for and what you want and dont want out of a vaporizable cannabis product. Use the word solventless. Ask them to parse confusing labels. Ask them hard questions. Part of their job is to help you make sense of it all.

4. Search out these productsBecause Jetty Extracts and Pax are bigger brands, youre likely to find their clean-weed offerings on a lot of dispensary shelves. While theyre both good starting points, there are two smaller locals that have been in the solventless space for a long time and are worth the effort to search for. One is Rose Los Angeles, which makes gourmet-level edibles using flower rosin. If you prefer to consume instead of combust your cannabis, the brand is a worthy option.

L.A.-based PodTones, which launched its single-use vaporizer pen in 2020, extracts its flower rosin without the use of solvents.

(PodTones)

The other is PodTones, whose founders early on cracked the code on how to put 100% live rosin concentrate in a single-use pen without using additional chemicals, to the delight of plant-loving weed heads everywhere. With no pods (despite its name) or plugs or other components to worry about, its an elegant, entry-level experience for the novice tiptoeing into the world of clean weed.

5. Wait a whileIf all that sounds daunting, the other option is to just wait and let the clean-weed movement reveal itself to you by gobbling up market share, which, by all accounts, its doing quickly. Right now, it represents just about 1% to 2% of the market. As technology grows and demand grows for these products, well see more and more shelf space allocated to this type of product, said Paxs Palmer.

And I truly believe as a hash maker that this will be 50% or around that of our products that we see on the shelf, he said. I think everyone eventually will have a solventless line. Its just inevitable.

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Chemical-free weed is hot in L.A. Here's why. - Los Angeles Times

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) Lincoln organic farmers are seeing fewer businesses purchasing their products but more interest in sustainable farm-to-table produce.

One farmer said that during COVID-19, he lost contact with all of the businesses he used to work with, as many of them closed for good or temporarily. He is hoping to make more connections in the community and show the variety of organic produce cultivated right here in Nebraska.

We will need support, Eugene Ekinde said. City government, businesses why not the governors office? to support the small-scale, organic farmers in Lincoln. Any help will be appreciated.

The Hub Cafe in Lincoln sources around 60% of its products locally. It has always cost more, but the executive chef says its worth it.

It hinders us from a cost aspect, but being able to promote what youre doing as far as the quality that you are increasing by using the local product, that is a novelty aspect that the consumer is really into, Jacob Thiessen said. If you are able to promote that and show how good that can be, than the cost is mitigated.

The interest in farm-to-table food has skyrocketed as more people want fresh, local ingredients.

People are wanting to support their local economies and are really interested in buying produce and local products just because its so much fresher than when it gets shipped in nationally from somewhere else, or even from a different country, said Amy Gerdes, director of operations at Community Crops.

Community Crops is a nonprofit in Lincoln with two locations where local farmers can grow food, as well as 12 community gardens and one urban ag site. The number of applicants interested in having a plot to grow their own produce continues to explode.

We did see a lot more demand in 2020, Gerdes said. We had a 90-person waiting list, which is at least three to four times more than we normally have. This year, we have just over 200 gardeners.

Community Crops has one of its annual events on Saturday. Twelve to 15 local chefs will use fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and meat from Community Crops and its partners to highlight the masterpieces you can make with the farm-to-table concept.

We just want to tell everybody how great this produce is, and we want more people to be involved in consuming local products, Thiessen said.

Feast on the Farm starts at 5 p.m. at Prairie Pines.

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Lincoln organic farmers took pandemic hit, but interest in farm-to-table is bright spot - KLKN

Credit: Kate Sequera / Edsource

Students at Liechty Middle School in the Westlake neighborhood of Central Los Angeles line up for lunch on the first day of school, navigating an assortment of new items on the menu.

Students at Liechty Middle School in the Westlake neighborhood of Central Los Angeles line up for lunch on the first day of school, navigating an assortment of new items on the menu.

Egg white breakfast wraps, vegetarian ramen, gumbo, glazed carrots and organic cheeseburgers arent just trendy restaurant offerings theyre on some of the breakfast and lunch menus at California schools.

With an influx of state and federal funding aimed at expanding access to school meals, California districts are ramping up food production, upgrading menus and using more fresh, healthy ingredients than before. School meals will continue to be free for all California students, as they have been since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Education leaders such as Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto Carvalho hope that by ensuring all students get fed for free while at school, and improving the quality of meals, districts can combat food insecurity experienced by families in their area.

Its a human right to have your child fed every single day, no questions asked, Carvalho said at a recent news conference. So bring your children to school early enough for them to benefit from breakfast, tell them to walk the line and benefit from the free lunch and lets enjoy it.

Carvalho said his favorite new item on LAUSDs menu was the kung pao chicken, which has a honey glaze and comes with brown rice and broccoli. He also tasted the districts new cinnamon rolls, ramen bowls, smoothies, and yogurt and fruit breakfast bowls and said he enjoyed them all.

The 2022-23 school year will be the first that California, along with Maine, Vermont and a few other states are promising to provide every child with free breakfast and lunch. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reimbursed districts for providing free meals to all students. Before then, districts were only reimbursed for feeding low-income students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program.

The USDAs universal meal program sunsets at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, though it will still reimburse districts for meals for low-income students. Starting this school year, California and the other states have taken it upon themselves to pick up the remainder of the bill to provide free school meals to all students. Democrats in Congress have proposed legislation that would expand students access to free school meals, and the USDA is increasing its reimbursement rates for free meals. The USDA has also invested millions in programs to promote partnerships between schools and farms, as well as to support districts to improve the quality of school meals.

In 2021-22, California lawmakers committed to allocating $650 million each year to the universal free meal program, as well as $54 million in the 2021-22 budget to supplement state meal reimbursements to districts. The 2022-23 budget provided an extra $600 million toward a grant program to upgrade schools kitchen infrastructure and $100 million for a grant program to promote the best food-procurement practices, such as buying California grown-produce and providing options for students with dietary restrictions.

Credit: Ali Tadayon / Edsource

Families line up in Richmond to receive free summer meals provided by West Contra Costa Unified from a food truck the district purchased with grant funds aimed at upgrading school kitchen infrastructure

West Contra Costa Unified, in the East Bay Area, used the extra funds to purchase a mobile food truck, and through a partnership with nonprofit Conscious Kitchen, the district receives fresh produce for scratch-cooked school meals. Conscious Kitchen works with schools to provide organic meals to students.

Some of West Contra Costas new menu offerings this year include spicy maple-glazed chicken, ham musubi and strawberry muffins.

Dominic Engels, CEO of Oakland-based healthy meal distributor Revolution Foods, which contracts with school districts throughout the country, said the publics attention to nutrition has been growing over the past 20 years and that parents concern over how healthy school meals are is at an all-time high. Engels chalked that up to food-driven ads through social media.

The world is tuned into what food does, and that has trickled down to schools, Engels said. That trend is going to continue.

New to Fresno Unified this year is an app and interactive website that provides parents and guardians information on school meals for breakfast and lunch each day. The app shows an image and description of the meals, as well as nutrition and allergen information, according to a Fresno Unified news release. Some of Fresno Unifieds new meal items include cheeseburgers with USDA certified organic beef, tacos with bean or beef queso, and whole grain muffins.

Providing healthy, appealing meals goes a long way to helping our students focus on their learning, Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson said in a statement.

Barbara Jellison, the districts food services director, said West Contra Costa Unified began sourcing more ingredients from Bay Area farmers for ingredients such as cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables as well as local bakers during the pandemic as supply chain issues caused delivery delays and surcharges from some large food distributors throughout the country. Some of those farmers had never sold to schools before, Jellison said.

Weve been really creative these last three years, and its improved our meal program, Jellison said.

This year, the districts goal is to have fewer prepackaged meals in an effort to reduce waste, Jellison said. The district calls meals they either cook at schools or serve on site plate-it-up meals. The district has also been working over the past few years to cook more meals in-house as opposed to purchasing prepared foods. Last year, the district went from having around 30% of meals cooked by kitchen staff to around 70%, Jellison said.

Kids like to see the freshly prepared meals and the variety, Jellison said. It takes time to get them on board because its different to them some of the meals they havent had before. It does take time and education.

Jellison said the key to getting kids to actually eat the healthier food options instead of things like pizza and hot dogs is offering a wider variety of meals to students and educating them on nutrition. The district also does taste testing for new menu items to get feedback from students and keeps track of what food items students gravitate toward or avoid in order to improve the menu.

USDA Undersecretary Stacy Dean said the farm-to-school connection is crucial to strengthening local food systems, and withstanding global supply chain and inflation impacts. Dean, who visited a summer meal drop off at West Contra Costa Unified, said the district is leading the way with its partnerships with local farmers, and that districts throughout the country should pay attention.

Food is both a fundamental component of education and a fundamental component of local agriculture, Dean said. When you put those pieces together and make the connection between the local farmer and the school district, wonderful things can happen.

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Healthier options on the menu as California begins providing free meals for all students - EdSource

NEWARK, Del, Aug. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global natural pet food market is set to witness growth at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2022 to 2032 and is anticipated to reach a valuation of around US$ 21.5 Bn by 2032.

Natural pet food iscomposed of organic ingredients that are free of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, artificial coloring, and chemical by-products to lower allergies, skin problems, and digestive issues in pets. It also enhances immunity, life expectancy, and weight stability of pets.

Increasing awareness among consumers regarding negative effects of synthetic pet food on the health of pets and rising pet anthropomorphism are anticipated to drive the global market. In North America and Europe, many pet owners consider their pets to be family members and thus human-grade proteins are often fed to pets.

Pet owners are becoming more conscious of their pets' health and placing a greater emphasis on the food's safety and nutritional efficacy. Owing to the expanding pet population around the world, the market is expected to grow during the forecast period.

Request a sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-15451

However, high cost of natural pet food and lack of knowledge about organic food among pet owners residing in developing countries are hindering growth in the global natural pet food industry.

Key Takeaways: Natural Pet Food Market

Rising adoption of unique advertising techniques by key players and increasing launch of pet health awareness campaigns by government bodies are likely to drive sales of natural pet food in the next decade, says a Future Market Insights analyst.

Competitive Landscape: Natural Pet Food Market

Natural pet food has become a significant part of the global pet food industry. To gain control of the pet food market, major firms have started entering the natural and organic pet food business. These companies have robust financial stability and distribution networks that allow them to diversify their portfolios through acquisitions and new product releases, ensuring that pet owners' feed choices remain consistent over time.

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Explore More Valuable Insights on Natural Pet Food Market

Future Market Insights, in its new report, offers an impartial analysis of the global Natural Pet Food market, presenting historical data (2017-2021) and estimation statistics for the forecast period of 2022-2032.

The study offers compelling insights based on pet type (cat [kitten and senior], dog [puppy, adult and senior], and others), product type (frozen pet food, wet pet food, dehydrated pet food, and others), source (animal derived, plant derived, and insect derived), and distribution channel (supermarkets & hypermarkets, specialty stores, online stores, and others) across seven major regions of the world.

Natural Pet Food Market Outlook by Category

By Pet Type:

By Product Type:

By Source:

By Distribution Channel:

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About Food & Beverage Division at Future Market Insights

The food and beverage team at Future Market Insights provides all the necessary insights and consulting analysis to fulfill the unique business intelligence needs of clients worldwide. With a catalog of more than 500 reports pertaining to the latest statistics and analysis from the food & beverage industry, the team is happy to help with every business intelligence research and consulting requirement.

Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Cover Pet Type / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.1.1. Drivers

3.1.2. Restraints

3.1.3. Opportunity

3.1.4. Trends

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Have a Look at Related Research Reports of Food and Beverage

GCC Functional Food Market Forecast: The revenue generated from the sales of functional foods in GCC countries is estimated to be around US$ 4,895 Mn in 2014, and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10.9% during the forecast period 2015-2020

Natural Food Colours Market Growth: The natural food colours market is anticipated to grow at an impressive CAGR during the forecast period. A significant rise in demand for natural food colours has been coming from industries to enhance the appeal of products

Convenience Food Market Outlook: Over the years, the convenience food market has made life easier for man, owing to its ability to provide a complete meal that has been pre-prepared, and requires little or no further preparation by consumers before it can be consumed

Pet Food Microalgae Market Trends: The demand for microalgae in the pet food sector market value is expected to total US$ 22.2 Mn in 2021, exhibiting year on year growth of nearly 7%, according to Future Market Insights (FMI). The overall market value is expected to reach US$ 35.5 Mn by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% for 2021-31

Pet Food Ingredients Market Size: The pet food ingredient market size was valued at US$ 11.49 Bn in 2021 and is projected to grow at a steady CAGR of 5.4% between 2022 and 2032, totaling a valuation of US$ 20.5 Bn by 2032. Growth in the pet food ingredients market is driven by rapid adoption of pets worldwide and increasing production and consumption of pet foods

Pet Food Processing Market Share: The global pet food processing market size is estimated to be valued at USD 5.0 Billion in 2022 and projected to reach USD 8.4 Billion by 2032, which record a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period from 20222032

Grape Seed Extract in Pet Food Application Market Value: The U.S. grape seed extract market is anticipated to account for over 53% of sales in North America as the largest producer of grapes in the region. Grape seeds are consequently easily available for use in pet products and even in international trade

Pet Treat Market Analysis: The pet treat market is expected to be valued at US$ 70.1 Bn in 2022. Sales are projected to increase at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period, to reach a value of US$ 122.1 Bn by 2032

Pet Milk Replacers Market Type: The global pet milk replacers market reached US$ 192.7 Mn in 2021. Growing prevalence of pet humanization trends across the globe is a key factor bolstering consumers' expenditure on high-quality pet milk replacers

Natural Flavours Market Sale: Natural flavors are organic-based raw materials often used in the processing of food. They act as ingredients to enhance the taste of food products. For a substance to be listed as a natural flavor, it must be obtained from either plant or animal source; therefore, it must be organic

Download complimentary copy of Future Market Insights White Paper in collaboration with PBFIA, on thePlant Based Marketthat throws light on potential opportunities andinvestments made in the Global plant based market

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Natural Pet Food Market to Surpass US$ 21.5 Bn by 2032 Amid Urgent Need to Enhance Immunity and Life Expectancy of Pets | Future Market Insights, Inc....

Best known for its 1880s-style faades and view of the trio of towering mountains its named after, Sisters is downright adorable but has probably always been a pit stop on your journeysnever the destination.

After all, you can gaze at the Three Sisters from Bend, a much larger city 30 minutes east thats packed with breweries, bike trails and boutiques. Over the past few decades, its grown into Oregons ultimate destination for outdoor adventure. Sisters, meanwhile, developed a sleepier reputation as a hub for quilt-loving grandmas (the town hosts the worlds largest outdoor quilt show) who would also be delighted by the sight of a Bi-Mart that looks like a Wild West mercantile, and public trash cans made of wooden barrels.

But thats all changing.

Thanks to the opening of a variety of new businesses, this town of approximately 3,000 has started to attract a livelier crowd. Last year alone saw the launch of a ski chalet-themed taphouse-hotel in the heart of downtown, an off-the-main-drag brewery specializing in wild-fermented ales, and an indoor-outdoor food cart pod anchored by a bar that looks like a rustic sanctuary. Thats not to mention the areas abundance of trails, shimmering lakes and rivers stocked with kokanee, whitefish and trout, as well as ranches where you can play cowboy by hopping on a horse and riding through ponderosa forests.

Better yet: Youre not in Bend, so youll rarely end up lingering in a line, and theres always an open picnic table or barstool. So when Central Oregon calls to you this summer, break tradition and embrace Sisters Old West charm.

Friday Night

Sleep Above a Ski Lodge-Themed Taphouse

Unless you once called Sisters home, youve probably never heard of the Ski Inn (310 E Cascade Ave., sisterstaphousehotel.com). The breakfast-and-burger cafe had been adored by locals since 1971, but it never achieved the status of tourist destination. However, with the Ski Inns relaunch, the out-of-towners are calling. There is no direct tie between the boutique hotel and taproom, which opened in June 2021, and the original diner, which was wiped out by a massive pine that toppled over in a windstorm. But Ski Inn owner and Bend-based builder Jim Yozamp did keep the name as a tribute.

Though only a year old, the reclaimed brick, rustic wood and distressed steel details authentically age the first-floor baran ambience Yozamp was aiming for. When people ask me if this was an old mechanic shop, he explains, I couldnt be more proud. Of course, your ultra-modern room upstairs gives away the ruse. Its still somewhat rare to find a bar-and-bed combo, but Yozamp says adding a second floor for overnight accommodations was the plan from the outset. Were just happy it all penciled out, giving Sisters its only lodging option in the center of the community and beer-loving visitors an easy route to stagger back to their rooms.

Oregon Summer Guide (ross chandler)

Eat All the Smoked Meats

After your lobbyless check-in (door codes are emailed), theres no need to travel far for dinner, particularly after a three-hour drive. Head downstairs to the Taphouse, where the menu centers on an industrial-sized smoker out back. When available, order the smoke shack sampler and be prepared to share. The massive platter of brisket, ribs, dry-rubbed wings, sweet potato wedges, and chips with queso is a substantial roundup of the pubs meats and snacks. Though that would mean missing out on the campfire-tinged, beer-braised pulled pork, which does wonders to a burrito smothered in cheese and verde gravy as well as a nacho plate. Vow to return and order more, then take a beer from one of the 16 taps up to your balcony, accessible to overnight guests only. Sink into one of the Adirondack chairs assembled out of actual skis and enjoy the impressive view of the mountains in the distance and Highway 20 traffic below you.

Oregon Summer Guide

Saturday Morning

Journey Into the Wild Blue Yonder

Distance: 5.4 miles Difficulty Level: Moderate Start Point: West Metolius Trailhead in the Lower Canyon Creek Campground Elevation Gain: 100 ft

Travelers drawn to water are always searching for the perfect blue, whether thats the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, Icelands sapphire lagoons, or the cobalt-colored lakes of the U.S. mountain ranges. Somehow, the Metolius River dazzles in each of those shades and more, making it perhaps the most stunning of all the states waterways.

Emerging near the base of Black Butte, the Metolius is one of the largest spring-fed rivers in the country, and the best route to follow a portion of its 29-mile path begins at a small campground 30 minutes northwest of Sisters. The trail never veers from the water, which is, at times, placid and teal, then moments later youll be strolling by a section of indigo-hued thundering rapids. The Metolius fickle nature attracts both fly fishers hoping to snag a kokanee or trout as well as turbulence-seeking kayakers.

About 2 miles in, the whitewater is split by a chain of small islands covered in wildflowers like lupine and Pecks penstemon, which grows only in the Sisters area. Soon, the trail climbs higher, placing you above the river instead of right next to it. Youll then reach the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery (7500 Forest Service Road 14, Camp Sherman, 541-595-6611), which raises spring Chinook and summer steelhead that end up in tributaries across the Deschutes River Basin. Since the 35-acre state-run site is open to the public, youre free to wander the grounds. Dont forget to bring quarters25 cents gets you a handful of pellets from a candy dispensing-style machine. Watch in glee as the fish whip themselves into a whirlpool as they race to get to the food.

Oregon Summer Guide

Saturday Afternoon

Have Lunch at a Butcher Block

This artisanal butchery is known for its top-quality cold case cuts, wide variety of brats, as well as an impressive lineup of smoked sausages and cheeses, all made in house. Some of those cured products can be placed between two slices of bread and eaten right then and there at Sisters Meat and Smokehouse (110 S Spruce St., 541-719-1186, sistersmeat.com), and since everybody knows sandwiches always taste better when somebody else makes them, refuel at the big red barn across from Ski Inn. Turkey shavings are piled high and barely held together by airy white bread slathered in mayo. Those craving red meat should order the tri-tip, which is covered in barbecue sauce and tucked into a toasted French roll. Each sandwich comes with a bag of chips and a warm cookie that is best enjoyed with draft beer on the covered patio or open lawn.

Look Rodeo Ready

If you want to go all in on the Western theme, youll need the right duds. Dixies (100 E Cascade Ave., 541-549-6451, dixies.com), downtowns apparel destination named after the owners mother, can have you looking like an authentic ranch hand or a gussied-up rodeo queen in a matter of minutes. The shelves are piled high with denim, there are rows and rows of boots (both practical and flamboyant), and Stetsons are stocked in colors other than traditional black and white. Even if youre not in the market for a dude ranch makeover, the store is still a handy place to pick up the hiking socks you forgot to pack.

Oregon Summer Guide

Take an Ice Cream Break

While licking your ice cream scoop outside Sno Cap Drive In (380 W Cascade Ave., 541-549-6151), you half expect Guy Fieri to roll up in his bright red convertible, film crew in tow. The simple yet charming 1952 cinder-block building advertising old-fashioned hamburgers looks exactly like the kind of greasy spoon that would attract the mayor of Flavortown during his unending American road trip. The griddles and fryers are always hard at work, but the goodies you came here for are of the frozen variety. While most ice cream parlors commit to either hard pack or soft serve, Sno Cap has both. On top of that, theres a menu of 30 milkshake flavors. As of spring, the compact dining room remained closed, but theres something pleasantly nostalgic about ordering from a walk-up window and then racing against the sun to finish your cone on the patio.

Oregon Summer Guide

Saturday Night

Sample Experimental IPAs

Any beer nerd who takes Highway 20 to Bend has made Three Creeks Brewing (721 S Desperado Court, 541-549-1963, threecreeksbrewing.com) a mandatory stop. Now that youre staying in town, theres time to linger, so sip your way through the Brewers Choice IPA Seriesthree experimental beers whose recipes will be continually tweaked until a winner is selected. Dankness on the Edge of Town lives up to its name thanks to a resinous West Coast-style, pine-sap flavor. Theres also the fruitier Gold Digger IPA that gushes with lemons and lychee. If youre eating dinner without kids, take a seat in the bar behind the Old West-style swinging doors. The room offers a peek into the brewhouse through windows on one wall and a view of Three Creeks trophy cases, which by now should be displaying the brewerys most recent plaque from the 2022 World Beer Cup.

Oregon Summer Guide

Watch Blockbusters in a Barn

Right across the parking lot from Three Creeks is a theater like no other in Oregon. Modeled after the high deserts many brick-red barns, Sisters Movie House (720 S Desperado Court, 541-549-8800, sistersmoviehouse.com) is one of the more conspicuous buildings lining the towns main arterial. Inside, the old-fashioned farm theme continues with decorative touches in the form of pitchforks, shovels and cast-iron tractor seats. However, the four screens with stadium-style auditoriums are quite modern. Like many Portland theaters, this one has an on-site cafe with a menu of burgers, pizza and wraps as well as $5 pints. And if you need help deciding what to see, the sandwich board out front includes not only movie titles and showtimes, but also their Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

Sunday Morning

Dig Into a Farm-Fresh Brunch

Since we live in one of the most agriculturally diverse and bountiful areas of the country, Oregonians are blessed with an abundance of restaurants and markets that source ingredients within a few miles radius of their location. Rainshadow Organics (72190 Holmes Road, 541-977-6746, rainshadoworganics.com) may just hold the record for shortest kitchen commuteits food travels only a quarter mile from farm to plate. Take a quick trip yourself 15 minutes northeast of Sisters for a three-course brunch highlighting the Certified Organic produce thats pulled from the dirt you can see from your seat on the farm stores sheltered porch.

Rainshadow originally added a commercial kitchen in 2016 to preserve its harvests by preparing sauces and fermented foods. However, it has been slowly ramping up the events side of the business by hosting weddings, leisurely midmorning weekend meals, and long-table dinners in the field. Should you happen to visit on a day without a meal on the calendar, stock up at the market, which sells homey, hand-labeled jars of jams, relishes and pickled vegetables all the colors of the rainbow.

Oregon Summer Guide

Take the Reins

The first thing youll notice as you approach the corral at Black Butte Ranch (13899 Bishops Cap, 541-595-2061, blackbutteranch.com) are, of course, the dozens of majestic horses. The second thing youll notice are the signs warning about injury and death. No horse, mule or pony is a completely safe animal, one reads. Horses, mules and ponies are 20 to 40 times more powerful than a human. The view of the gentle-looking giants doesnt really square with the notices urging caution, at least not until youre on the back of one, 6 feet off the ground. At that point, you realize youre behind the wheel of a car you (in my case) havent driven for years, the route is all off road, and the car has a mind of its own.

Fortunately, my horsea brown-and-white pinto named Lenniewas like an oversized dog. He was well trained, starting and stopping every time our guide didno prompting requiredand affectionate; every time our dude string paused, Lennie would nuzzle my boot.

Black Butte Ranch offers a variety of guided horseback toursfrom easy Lil Buckaroo Corral Rides to advanced daylong treks through Central Oregons backcountry. Since I last sat in a saddle a few years ago, I signed up for the Big Loop Ride, a 3.3-mile jaunt through a forest of red-trunk ponderosas and spindly, white alders. The route gives you the opportunity to take your horse down a shallow incline and up a hill. There are also several long, flat stretches, where youll shift into a higher gear and give trotting a try. Since Id forgotten how to post, or rhythmically rise in and out my seat for a smoother ride, I felt like a paddle ball, at one point convinced I was going to bounce out of my saddle. Somehow, I clung on, and neither Lennie nor I seemed worse for the wear by the end.

Oregon Summer Guide

Sunday Afternoon

Tackle a Mountain Bike Trail

If youre looking for a little more trail time, switch up your saddle and rent a bike from Eurosports (223 E Hood Ave., 541-549-2471, eurosports.us). A fleet of cycles beckons outside, which can be borrowed for a day or an entire week. From there, youre just blocks from the Peterson Ridge Trail, an extensive network of paths more than 20 miles long. Designed as a ladder system, riders can choose multiple rungs along the way when theyre ready to head back. Once youve returned to Eurosports, hydrate with one of the six beers or ciders on tap, then park your weary buns at a picnic table. Three food carts serving tacos, Thai noodles and Nashville-style hot chicken have turned the shops courtyard into a bustling pod that attracts cyclists and stationary customers alike.

Oregon Summer Guide

Bring in da Funk

When Funky Fauna Artisan Ales (211 Sun Ranch Drive, #101, 720-341-7480, funkyfaunabeer.com) opened in December 2021, it doubled the brewery population in Sisters. Three Creeks has long been the only game in town, and in general, its welcome news for all beer producers when new ones launch nearbydrinkers like to pub hop, and in many cities, that trend has spun off entirely new tourism pitches (see the neighboring Bend Ale Trail). It also helps that Funky Fauna sets itself apart by focusing on wild ales, which are fermented with foraged yeast, and then served in a sleek, modern taproom with black matte tile, vibrant green foliage, and oak barrels that double as a decorative barrier. The brewery leaves room on its tap list for Pilsners and IPAs, but the heart, soul and flavor of this business lies in the saisons, like An Ocean Warmed by the Sun, hopped with Oregon-grown Strata that tastes more like a peach than the actual fruit.

Sunday Night

Eat Like a Barnyard Piggy

By now, youve noticed that barns abound in Sisters, but this one may just be the most handsome. Opened in late 2021, The Barn (171 E Main Ave., 541-904-4343, thebarninsisters.com) is a 10,000-square-foot lot with four food trucks and a centerpiece bar that, given its soaring steeple and stained glass, looks more like a church than a shelter for farming equipment. Outside, the scenery is dominated by a giant dirt clod that attracts children despite the rope and keep off signs. Until whatever has been planted there grows in, turn your attention to the fire pit zones, whoevers playing on stage, and the food.

Time Travel in an Century-Old Bar

Most of the buildings in downtown Sisters are modern-day replicas of old-fashioned exteriors, but not Sisters Saloon (190 E Cascade Ave., 541-549-7427, sisterssaloon.net). The former hotel was built in 1912 and is said to be one of the most photographed properties in Central Oregon. That makes sense. You could easily imagine a quick-draw shootout taking place in the street out front. The restored bar is where youll want to hunker down if you like your ceilings covered in stamped copper and walls adorned with taxidermy.

Monday Morning

Boat Across a Glacier-Fed Lake

A Central Oregon trip wouldnt be complete without a visit to one of the sparkling, glacier-fed pools that are scattered across the Cascade Range. Suttle Lake (fs.usda.gov) is a crystal-clear, 253-acre beauty thats only about 18 minutes west of Sisters and on your way home along Highway 20. Stretch your legs before the long drive with an easy 3.6-mile shoreline loop hike, or get out on the water if youve brought a kayak. Suttle Lake Lodge (13300 Highway 20, 541-638-7001, thesuttlelodge.com) offers seasonal paddle board and canoe rentals, or for those who prefer to end a weekend getaway on a mellow note, the Boathouse bar and restaurant has gourmet coffee, cocktails and craft beerany of which are the perfect accompaniment to the magnificent views of the blue basin.

Oregon Summer Guide

More here:

Long Weekend Trip: Riding Through the Old West in Sisters - Willamette Week

Smoothie lovers, rejoice! Daily Harvest offers up an abundance of absolutely delectable smoothie recipes that are packed with fresh fruits and veggies, so you can check off your micronutrient intake for the day. Of course, smoothies aren't the only items on the lineup. The brand also offer delicious harvest bowls, harvest bakes, flatbreads, soups, and even ice creams.

Each box can contain 9, 14, or 24 items with tiered discounts based on the size of your box. (The more items you purchase, the bigger the discount.) We love that the vegetarian servings are substantial, filling, and convenient to prepcheck out our full review.

Example meals:

-Lentil and tomato bolognese harvest bowl

-Chickpea and coconut curry harvest bake

Sustainability & Quality: Not only is the food meticulously sourced, but the brand prioritizes farmers and aims to build a regenerative food system. All of the food is also grown from crops that don't use synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Plus, the brand also works with farmers to help them transition their land to organic so they can increase the biodiversity of crops.

Originally posted here:

The 9 Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services Of 2022 | mindbodygreen - mindbodygreen.com

by Tiffany Goldstein 11h ago

Country music fans are destined to have a barbecue stain on their white tee shirt, as Tim McGraw recently released his secret ribs recipe. Just days before the patriotic holiday, the Something Like That singer took to Instagram to share how he grills his mouthwatering meat.

My girls asked for ribs, the icon said while whipping up their go-to meal. I spend a lot of time over the grill with ribs, because they love them.

The multi-platinum artist continued to walk his followers through how to make the perfect rack and the ingredients they need to perfect the dish. McGraws dry rub ribs include dark brown sugar, espresso beans [finely ground], chipotle powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and ButcherBox pork or beef.

McGraw said the key to success is having the meat marinate overnight.

Get them good and brown to start with, he explained. Then sit them on the top rack [of the barbeque] to get the heat up. Then keep basting them they are just as tender, as if I was cooking them for four or five hours, he added.

The country crooner shares three daughters with hitmaker Faith Hill Audrey Caroline McGraw, Maggie Elizabeth McGraw, and Gracie Katherine McGraw. Although the happy couple is now empty nesters, they tend to have a full house during the holidays. While McGraw places his grill master hat on for the Fourth of July, he leaves the Thanksgiving menu to his wife and 1883 co-star.

For Thanksgiving, I dont cook, McGraw said to Big Machine Label Group. Faith does all the cooking for Thanksgiving. We have to have turkey, we have to have our stuffing, and we have to have cornbread and peas, of course, he pointed out.

When it is not a holiday, McGraw makes it a priority to eat clean and keep his washboard abs in tip-top shape. After his big-screen debut in The Four Christmases, McGraw altered his diet and cut out fast food.

I utilize my entire body to sing: my legs and my back. Being more in control of these things enhances my voice, he told Mens Health Magazine.

McGraw revealed to the publication that his everyday rgime includes meat, vegetables, oatmeal, and fruits. Before consuming a wide variety of organic foods, he starts his day with Cayenne pepper, lemon juice, Manuka honey, and hot water a detox blend that benefits gut health.

As he keeps his refrigerator full of nourishing snacks and meals, McGraw also puts in the work at the gym. Martial arts trainer, Roger Yuan has created a rigorous and personalized training program for McGraw.

The fitness routine includes Hindu pushups [three sets of 25 reps], Hindu squats [three sets of 25 reps], bicycle crunches [3 sets with 25 reps], and sprinter split squats [10-15 reps per leg], and more. When the chart-topping artist is out on the road, he maintains his bootcamp-like routine with his gym on wheels. The heavy gear is all stored away in a trailer sponsored by ButcherBox.

The 55-year-old legend relatively recently released his parking lot workouts with breakout stars Russell Dickerson and Brandon Davis out on his 2022 nationwide trek.

The sing-songwriter just wrapped his successful run and will be hitting notable festivals until mid-October. For upcoming appearances, visit timmcgraw.com.

More here:

Tim McGraw Reveals His Secret Ribs Recipe For The Summer: "Here's A Little Pro Tip" - CMT.com

Nuts and dried fruit items at a grocery store. Martha Bebinger/WBUR hide caption

Nuts and dried fruit items at a grocery store.

Updated July 5, 11:05 a.m. ET

I didn't see the thin plastic thread running between one leaf on my pineapple and its tag when I put the pineapple in my shopping cart, when I checked out or when I unpacked groceries at home. It wasn't until I chopped off the top and tug on the tag that it hit me.

I'd broken the rules again.

That damn plastic tag tie joins the long list of mistakes I made in just one week of trying to eat plastic-free.

I had challenged myself to purchase a week's worth of food without bringing home any plastic in my grocery bag. That meant no jugs of juice, yogurt containers, plastic chip bags, plastic packages or even stickers on some produce.

Why did I do this? Because very few of the plastic packages and containers we use once get recycled. Because there's growing concern about the harmful health effects. Some research suggests that ingesting microplastics could disrupt hormone production or be associated with problems like asthma and learning disorders.

Though scientists have not confirmed the link, I just don't love the idea that I may consume a credit card's worth of plastic in a week.

I chose a budget of $115.00 (roughly half-way between the average weekly grocery bill for a family of two in Massachusetts and the food stamp allotment for that same household). On a Saturday afternoon, I pulled into the parking lot of my local chain grocery store feeling reasonably plastic-aware, not ready for the butt-kicking I was about to get.

I started in the produce section, where I typically grab a plastic bag of organic baby carrots. They're off limits, as is pretty much every vegetable in the organic section. I found some beautifully bunched carrots among the non-organic produce. Then I saw the plastic tags hanging off their rubber bands. I spotted a dozen loose ones down by the produce shelf drain and scooped them up, sans bag.

I rolled my cart past the cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, lettuces and grapes, all glinting inside their plastic. I weighed loose beets, apples, onions and sweet potatoes. My anxiety kicked in that feeling that I wouldn't have enough. So, I bought a head of cabbage.

Miami, Florida, Winn-Dixie grocery store, fresh cut fruit for sale in refrigerated case. Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images hide caption

Miami, Florida, Winn-Dixie grocery store, fresh cut fruit for sale in refrigerated case.

I tapped prices into the calculator on my phone. Leaving the produce section, I was in good shape, at $31.30. It was time to search for protein.

I don't eat meat. But I headed to the meat counter to shop for one of my sons. Everything prepackaged was in plastic, but the man behind the glass kindly agreed to wrap two hamburger patties and some chicken, separately, in butcher paper. Together they were $21.62.

Tofu, cheese, yogurt and pretty much everything in the dairy section was out. Even the bottled milk had a plastic cap. There were lots of eggs in those paper pulp cartons. Whew.

To avoid eating eggs every meal, I got some cans of beans and rice in a box. I wanted pasta, but the box had a cellophane window. (While cellophane is not technically plastic, as it's not derived from petroleum, I was still trying to avoid it because it's non-recyclable.) I chose a brand of spaghetti with the smallest window (1"x1"), telling myself that eating a lot of cabbage would earn me the right to this violation.

If I was going to consume a lot of cabbage, I'd need some oil or salad dressing. The search for plastic-free oil and vinegar took me into the "house of mirrors" stage of my plastic-free odyssey.

There were lots of options in glass bottles. After careful tapping, I found some with metal lids. But the bottles with metal lids all had a plastic seal, except for one brand of sesame oil and another of red wine vinegar. The vinegar label was peeling away at one corner. And that made me wonder: what are jar labels made of? You probably guessed: many are plastic. The sesame oil and rice wine vinegar went back on the shelf, as did jars of marinara, salsa and juice.

I can live without salsa and juice for a week. But I certainly did not volunteer to go a week without chocolate. I spent a lot of time in the candy aisle before finding some bars wrapped in foil, packaged in a box.

At checkout, I added the labels on paper-wrapped beef and chicken to my list of shame (I realized they are plastic). Then when the cashier scanned the barcode on bell peppers, I chalked up another defeat. They each had little plastic stickers with barcodes. I bought them anyway. I was hungry, discouraged and ready to move on.

I still had $21.96. Maybe I could find a bulk store with bins of nuts or vats of oil that I can pour into non-plastic containers to replace some of the items I had to put back.

Refilling bottles with goods like olive oil is one way to cut down on packaging. Martha Bebinger/WBUR hide caption

Refilling bottles with goods like olive oil is one way to cut down on packaging.

At home, I scanned some zero-waste sites and made a few calls. Several stores had bulk oil and vinegar, but I'd have to buy their bottle with a plastic lid and label, use up the contents and bring it back in for a refill. Pemberton Farms, in Cambridge, said I could bring in my own mason jars. They had bread wrapped in paper and bulk items like cereal and nuts in bins, the latter of which put me $1.23 over budget but was worth every almond.

While I'm out of money, I might want to do this again, so I had some questions for general manager Greg Saidnawey. Pemberton Farms is known as a zero-waste shopping destination, but there are still many things I couldn't buy here plastic-free. There was no dairy, juice, peanut butter or tahini options without plastic.

Saidnawey says he used to have more than 300 foods and spices in bulk. That shrank to about 100 items during the pandemic. And Saidnawey says he doesn't expect to add more bulk shopping options anytime soon.

"There was so much forward momentum in zero waste, especially in the Boston area, before COVID," Saidnawey says. But during the pandemic, "customers just wanted peace of mind. They didn't want a broken seal; they didn't want anything that had already been touched by anybody else, and I think we've just gone in reverse in a lot of ways."

The CDC says the risk of getting COVID-19 after touching a contaminated surface is low, but Saidnawey says his plastic suppliers report they've never been busier. There's another factor that may be ramping up use of plastic in food packaging. Plastics are made with fossil fuels. That industry is looking for new outlets in the shift to electric vehicles.

Saidnawey says he's interested in using more compostable containers, but they are 30-40% more expensive. It's hard to add that cost to the rising price of food. And compostable boxes for nuts, beans or snacks (a lot of what Pemberton Farms offers in bulk) aren't as attractive on shelves as plastic.

"I want to find a package that isn't going to wind up in the oceans or a landfill forever," Saidnawey says, but "customers shop with their eyes."

My week of plastic-free eating produced some pretty boring meals. I wasn't prepared. I didn't realize how many things would be off limits. There are some zero-waste cookbooks, but I didn't look at them before I went shopping. And I didn't budget for herbs or spices, things that might have made life a little more exciting.

To reduce my plastic use moving forward, I'm going to have to make more things from scratch, like hummus, marinara, salsa, maybe even yogurt. I'm switching brands of juice so I can buy OJ and lemonade in reusable glass bottles. I'll have to drive around a bit to explore more bulk food options, and I may need to spend a little more on things like cheese wrapped in paper. I've got to beef up my supply of refillable jars and maybe invest in some of those reusable food container bags and that beeswax cling wrap alternative.

I asked Star Market, where I shopped this week, what they're doing to reduce plastic food packaging. Star is owned by Albertsons, one of the largest food retailers in the U.S. They pointed me to a web page about the company's plans to reduce plastic waste, which might mean using less plastic packaging. And Costco, where I shop a few times a year, says it's currently reviewing packaging of all products to reduce plastic use.

Maybe we can slow some of the projected growth in plastic we use once and throw away, and major oil, gas and petrochemical corporations that make most of our plastic will shift to more renewable products. In the meantime, I aim to up my game. I avoided using 27 plastic containers and packages in one week; I can do better.

Need some tips on where to start? NPR's Life Kit pulled together some helpful tips for starting to audit the plastic in your life, even beyond your grocery list.

This story was produced by WBUR as part of their newsletter, "Cooked: the search for sustainable eats."

Originally posted here:

Zero-waste groceries: Can you buy enough to eat without plastic packaging? : Shots - Health News - NPR

Food certification labels do not indicate or guarantee better human nutrition, health, or product safety; they are marketing devices using a set of standards based on social, moral or environmental issues. You can read more about faith-based labels such as kosher and halal and the major food safety, organic, and non-GMO certification labels here.

Gluten and Free-From Labels

Many consumers want to eat healthier and avoid certain foods or ingredients. The food industry supplies this information as free-from labeling. The most popular by far is gluten-free.

Certain individuals are genetically predisposed to an autoimmune inflammation of the gut, celiac disease. [1] Gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and their hybrids is actually two proteins, glutenin and gliadin, providing functional properties such as texture and elasticity to bread and baked goods. The FDA considers wheat, not gluten, an allergen. To assist celiac sufferers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established a standard in 2014. Gluten-free is defined as less than 20 parts per million (ppm), the lowest level that can be accurately detected in foods. The gluten-free label regulations give consumers a tool for avoiding or managing their dietary intake of gluten.

While manufacturers of bread, baked goods, and pasta must use alternative grains or ingredients to produce gluten-free products, many foods are inherently gluten-free (fruits, vegetables, and eggs). But whether devoid of gluten by nature or manufacture, food can have a gluten-free label if it meets FDA requirements. This claim is not required and may not appear as a label even if the food is gluten-free. One can double-check by searching the FDA-mandated ingredients label on the back of the package to see if gluten-containing grains are used.

Most manufacturers will cite gluten-free loud and proud, separate from ingredient labels. There are gluten-free certification programs available for food manufacturers and producers, but the FDA does not endorse these third-party accreditations. FDA oversight for gluten-free is reliant on customer complaints of adverse events and reports of label misuse.

In the US, other free-from claims are voluntary; however a food producer may wish to include these claims to help consumers avoid an ingredient due to allergies or intolerance, religious or dietary practices such as veganism, or other non-nutritional reasons. According to the Code of Federal Regulations, these free from claims must be truthful and not misleading to the shopper.

[When you] label something as free from some substance, you create a presumption that the product without is superior to the product with. [2]

There is a not-so-subtle bias that free-from labels plant in the minds of the consumer. Free from labels are lightly regulated by the US government and many producers and manufacturers self-certify. Why pay a certifier when you can proclaim it for yourself on the front of the package? Common self-certifications which limit ingredients include vegan, paleo, meat-free or meat-less, dairy-free, lactose-free anything other than gluten-free. These labels serve as quick references for shoppers who want to avoid these ingredients for medical or other reasons.

Environmental, Animal Welfare, and Fair Trade Labels

Since the 1960s, the environmental movement has championed better practices, not just in agriculture, but in all walks of life. Food manufacturers have felt this pressure and have responded by updating their operating procedures and labeling foods to indicate their environmental stewardship. For example, Salmon Safe, certifies that its products are made with methods to protect native salmon, minimizing pollution in rivers and wetlands, limiting the use of pesticides, employing better irrigation practices, and planting trees by rivers. Other certified environmental labels include Sustainably Grown Certified, Demeter Certified Biodynamic, and Rainforest Alliance Certified/UTZ. (Here is an expansive listing of these certifications)

Many environmental certifications overlap with social and economic ones, like animal welfare labels; possibly the largest category of non-nutritive food labels, both certified and non-certified. I found at least 17 food labels promoting animal welfare. Some are certified by consumer advocacy or trade associations like Certified Humane Raised and Handled, American Grassfed Approved, and Global Animal Partnership. Some have governmental oversight like Raised Without Antibiotics, where the USDA grants these labels.

Antibiotic Free label has a similar name to Raised Without Antibiotics but is not certified by the USDA; and is just one example of clip art labels which are readily available and used by unscrupulous sellers. Other popular animal welfare labels that have no outside verification include free-range, hormone-free, local farm fresh, and superfood. Cage-free labels for poultry do not require third-party certification and are self-certified. Let the buyer beware - Animal welfare labels are a minefield of greenwashing and false hopes of alternative husbandry practices.

Fair Trade labels promote social justice in the form of decent working conditions, fair wages and prices for their products. Notable, fair trade labels, inspected and certified by third-parties include:

Premiums for these products are funneled back into the community to help sustain and develop new markets.

Do We Define Natural and Clean?

Since 2016, the FDA has been trying to decide what is meant by the term natural. It has been taking comments on the use of the term in food labeling since that time. While there is no formal governmental definition that can protect food manufacturers from opportunistic attorneys and litigation, the FDAs longstanding policy for natural in shortened form is this: nothing artificial or synthetic.

Like natural, the term clean is consumer driven with no official definition, regulations, or guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are left to our own devices and opinions as to what constitutes clean food. Foods with natural or clean labels have been the subject of many lawsuits since their meaning is unclear. When asked, most consumers would respond that clean means a short ingredient list with no artificial colors or preservatives. Chemical names, however innocuous, are a no-no. Clean also means minimal processing to most shoppers. The food industry has responded by finding alternative ingredients with common names. Vinegar now is listed instead of acetic acid. If a functional ingredient is listed, explanations for their use helps consumers understand their inclusion: guar gum for texture.

Learn More About Food Labels

Some food labels accurately describe their purpose with claim verifications by disinterested third parties. But deceptive marketing practices and self-certifications abound. Every day, new labels with righteous names proliferate on your grocers shelves. Are these labels solid proof or merely greenwashing? Its hard to tell at a glance; non-certified labels with no third-party oversight are only ink. If you see a label, be curious, go to the website to determine if they are certified and by whom, and what standards are they uphold.

[1] Wheat as a causative agent for celiac disease was not discovered until the Dutch Famine of 1944. During the final years of World War II, children did not have access to bread. Dr. Willem Dicke, a pediatrician, noted that his young celiac patients conditions improved with the rationing of wheat flour but relapsed when bread was added back to their diets.

[2] Labeling Food Processes: The Good, the Bad and the UglyApplied Economic Policy and Perspective DOI: 10.1093/aepp/ppx028

Sources:

Gluten and Food Labeling FDA

The Changing Face of Clean Label Institute of Food Technologists

Food Labels Explained Farm Aid

When, and Why, Did Everyone Stop Eating Gluten? Scientific American

Retaining Ingredient Functionality in Clean Label ProductInstitute of Food Technologists

See the original post:

More On Interpreting Food Certification Labels | American Council on Science and Health - American Council on Science and Health

Art

Eliza Levinson

documenta fifteen, ruangrupa, back row f.l.t.r.: Iswanto Hartono, Reza Afisina, farid rakun, Ade Darmawan, Mirwan Andan; front row f.l.t.r.: Ajeng Nurul Aini, Indra Ameng, Daniella Fitria Praptono, Julia Sarisetiati at the installation Vietnamese Immigrating Garden by Tuan Mami (Nha San Collective), 2022, Photo: Nicolas Wefers.

For Documenta 15, organizers wanted something different. Breaking the prestigious quinquennials 67-year-long legacy of featuring major international artistssuch as Hans Haacke, On Kawara, Adrian Piper, and Alfredo Jaar, to name a fewthis years event is shoving the art world out of its comfort zone, with mixed results.

Spread across 32 venues in the city of Kassel in western Germany for 100 days, Documenta 15 is curated not by an individual art-world luminary as is tradition, but rather the dynamic Indonesian arts organization ruangrupa. In a radical departure from a festival that once featured the likes of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, this years exhibition replaces blue-chip, or even well-known, international artists with several relatively obscure, invited collectives, who were then allowed to invite any collaborating collectives they wanted to work withculminating in a staggering total of 1,500 featured artists.

documenta fifteen: Baan Noorg Collaborative Arts and Culture, The Rituals of Things, 2022, installation view, Fridericianum, Kassel, June 13, 2022, Photo: Nicolas Wefers.

From the jump, ruangrupa approached a quintessentially elite European art festival from a decentralized, anti-capitalist, communitarian stance: what they term lumbunga reference to an Indonesian word for a shared supply of rice, which the community divides with a spirit of mutual trust. In a repeated gesture of institutional critique, numerous rooms across this years Documenta are active artists workshops, positioned directly in the middle of otherwise-used gallery space and challenging the (arguably, fair) expectation to see any art at all.

This is far from ruangrupas only move away from curatorial norms. Across Documenta, traditional explanatory wall texts are nowhere to be found: at most, installed works are paired with sheets of A4 paper stuck to the wall with a magnet. Throughout official festival materials, participating artists are enthusiastic about the disintegration of traditional art world rigidity in favor of a flourishing community: included collaborators Cinema Caravan and Takashi Kuribayashi, for example, self-describe as being driven by the motto make friends not arta phrase rarely heard in the art world.

documenta fifiteen: Cinema Caravan + Takashi Kuribayashi, screening in Outside of Mosquito Net (Out of the Loop), 2022, Karlswiese, Kassel, June 19, 2022, photo: Nils Klinger.

Ruangrupas governing artistic statement is simultaneously simple and complicated: simple in that what they really wanted, it appears, is to financially uplift arts and community collectives from countries largely in the Global South; complicated in that the politics of doing so mandated elaborate, even convoluted, internal politics and terminologies that are difficult for an outside viewer to understandto the extent that some festival materials come equipped with a multi-page glossary of relevant terms.

In keeping with the curators approach, event organizers have made such traditionally bureaucratic concerns as the allocation of institutional funding central. The redistribution of European wealth to art groups and communities in poorer countries is a fascinating cornerstone of ruangrupas philosophy, but it is rendered surprisingly, and unfortunately, often confusing to understand.

documenta fifteen: Taring Padi, 2022, Bara Solidaritas: Sekarang Mereka, Besok Kita / The Flame of Solidarity: First they came for them, then they came for us, installation view, Hallenbad Ost, Kassel, June 14, 2022, photo: Frank Sperling.

Of course, as you may have heard, these philosophical provocations about the art world and funding are hardly the most controversial story at this years Documenta. Shortly after the opening, visitors criticized a 60-foot mural by the art collective Taring Padi for including what was considered anti-Semitic imagery; the mural, which was featured in the center of the festival, has since been removed.

The long-standing repercussions of that decision remain to be seen: Citing the fracas, Germanys culture minister announced last week that the government plans to be more involved in future editions of Documenta. Additionally, the allocation of the art events 40 million budget will be conditional on approval from organizations including the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

Disputes aside, Documenta 15 offers a bold challenge to the viewer schooled in the expectations of the traditional art world. This years event is a fascinating, three-dimensional exploration of putting ones money where their mouth is as Western Europe continues to grapple with the legacy of colonialism. At its best, Documenta 15 is rich, vibrant, exciting, and educational, opening up an unpretentious world to its viewership that is vast, international, and poignantly ephemeral. Whether or not you make the trip, here are some of the artists and collectives whose works are particularly noteworthy.

Britto Arts TrustVenue: Documenta Halle

documenta fifteen: PAKGHOR - the social kitchen, Britto Arts Trust, 2022, documenta Halle, Kassel, June 18, 2022, photo: Nils Klinger.

The artist-run nonprofit Britto Arts Trust grew out of Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2002. At Documenta, theyre presenting work exploring the relationship between food, community, postcolonialism, and the global supply chain. Outside of the Documenta Halle, the artists of Britto Arts Trust have constructed a living organic garden and communal kitchen space out of a cluster of woven bamboo structures, where they plan to serve the local cuisines of 100 nationalities in 100 days.

Inside the Documenta Halle, take a tour through Britto Arts Trusts rasad (2022), an elaborate twist on an epicurean bazaar. A playful series of fake food objectseggs, milk, vegetables, potatoesis installed across a number of different shelves and inside a constructed pantry. These faux foods, made from surprising materialsincluding ceramic, plaster, plastic, cotton, and corrugated metalinclude painted ceramic papaya juice cartons and squishy, embroidered cushions shaped like Campbells soup cans. Some, like painted cartons that remind viewers that organic food is a lie, are overtly political, drawing a thought-provoking connection between the international food trade, the legacy of colonialism, the slave trade, and ongoing economics of extraction and exploitation.

Fondation Festival Sur le NigerVenue: Hbner areal

documenta fifteen: Fondation Festival sur le Niger, Yaya Coulibaly, The Wall of Puppets, 2022, installation view, Hubner areal, Kassel, June 13, 2022, photo: Maja Wirkus.

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The artists comprising Fondation Festival Sur le Niger (FFSN) came together in the summer of 2009 as an outgrowth of Malis annual Festival Sur le Niger. FFSN works across an array of disciplines, from colorful multimedia puppets to whimsical portraits and tapestries woven from recycled materials. Throughout the Fondation Festival Sur le Nigers featured works is a lively sense of play. Looking at their series of staged portraits of grinning people playing oversized prop instruments, its no surprise that the groups core principlesinformed by Maaya traditional spiritual practicesinclude sinakunya (humorous cousinhood) and humor.

Among FFSNs strongest featured works at Documenta is a series of woven recycled cardboarddozens of beige and brown squares that have been wrapped tightly with string or twine and are then stitched together. In one instance, these tightly wound parcels are sewn into a flat tapestry, and hang on the wall with a few gaps of open space, evoking chipped paint or webs of rusted corrugated metal. The effect here is to merge the old and the new: an act of alchemy that renders discarded objects delicate.

A similar transfiguration occurs with two larger, but similar, quilts that are installed in hanging half-circles, expanding the seriess language of intentional negative space. Viewers can walk through the work and gaze up at the careful craft of embroidery that brought these blocks together, imagining the hands that threaded twine through square-shaped cardboard, stitch by stitch.

The RandomroutinesVenue: Bootsverleih Ahoi

The Randomroutinesthe collaborative project of artists Tams Kaszs and Krisztin Kristfare two invited participants by collective OFF-Biennale Budapest, a group of artist-activists based in Hungary who have made it their mission not to accept funding from the Hungarian government. OFF-Biennale Budapest has taken over Kassels Bootsverleih Ahoi, turning it into a lively, colorful set of installations that engage in themes of play, imagination, and daydreaming.

Tucked into a repurposed room at the Bootsverleih Ahoi, The Randomroutiness A Dream on Lucids (2016/2022) is a poetically choreographed multi-channel video art and sound piece exploring lucid dreaming. This hour-long film plays on a loop and urges viewers not to enter in medias res. Press your hand to the white palmprint on a closed door between screenings and youll find your way to one of about eight armchairs staggered throughout the room. When the performance begins, a surround-sound audio recording about lucid dreaming narrates while five screens positioned around the room play animations, archival footage, and stills at different times, synchronized with the ambient narration. These are not random images: one has the sense that they have been meticulously arranged to align with the audio. The effect is mesmerizing, hypnotic, and entirely engaging.

Its worth going to the Bootsverleih Ahoi for the location alone, especially with kids. The repurposed shed is surrounded by a usable playground made for Documenta by OFF-Biennale Budapest, and several other artworks. There is also a caf where you can partake in numerous options of refreshments and admire a view of Kassel from the Fulda River.

Nguyn Trinh ThiVenue: Rondell

documenta fifteen: Nguyn Trinh Thi, And They Die a Natural Death, installation view, 2022, Rondell, Kassel, June 14, 2022, Photo: Frank Sperling.

One of the more meditative site-specific experiments at this years Documenta is Nguyn Trinh This new installation. Located in the historic Rondell buildinga medieval tower from the 16th century located near the Fulda Riverthe work is reached by entering through a narrow, dimly lit hallway, then parting two dark curtains and ducking under a low-hanging door frame. There, after crossing a small bridge, youll find your way to a circular seating area. There, you can sit and soak in an immersive sound and light installation inspired by Bi Ngc Tns 2000 autofiction novel Tale Told in the Year 2000a book so controversial that, upon its publication in Vietnam, the text was, according to the Documenta fifteen handbook, immediately banned and destroyed.

Despite the works dark reference point, the installation is a quiet, peaceful, and even relaxing experience: If you are visiting Kassel on a hot summer day, a few contemplative moments within the cool walls of the Rondell will come as a balm. The installation pairs a slowly rotating lighting system to several real chili plants in order to cast large, leaf-shaped silhouettes around the walls of the building. Your experience is accompanied by the thoughtful sounds of an Indigenous so i flute.

Saodat IsmailovaVenue: Fridericianum

documenta fifiteen: Saodat Ismailova, Chillpiq, 2018, installation view, Fridericianum Kassel, June 11, 2022, Photo: Nicolas Wefers.

While the Fridericianum is one of the first buildings youre likely to visit on your trip to Kassel, you may not catch the signs for Saodat Ismailovas dreamlike Chilltan (2022), a multi-room immersive work in the buildings basement. After pushing open a heavy wooden door, find your way to a seat on any of the soft, comfortable Uzbek cushions in lime green, navy, bottle green, and mustard that have been arranged on the floor to watch one of two experimental film works exploring Central Asian folk tales on theater-sized film screens nestled into the regal, curved stone archways of the building.

Between the screening spaces is a liminal, low-ceilinged room, where a cluster of soft, velveteen cushions surround a dimly lit circular table. Based on the works just upstairs, which encourage viewers to come together in unconventional ways, this portion of the exhibition is presumably for quiet conversation and communion. After passing through a gauzy curtain, in the final room, a series of texts are projected in an endless, magenta-colored loop onto the same soft cushions in multiple languages.

Subversive Film Venues: Gloria-Kino, Hbner areal

documenta fifiteen: Subversive Film, Tokyo Reels Film Festival / TRFF, Opening Night, screening and Q&A, on stage: Mohanad Yaqubi and Fadi AbuNemeh, in the audience: Kassem Hawal, Gloria Kino, Kassel, June 16, 2022, Foto: Nils Klinger.

Among the more aesthetically satisfying works from Documenta 15 is Subversive Films Tokyo Reels (2018present). Mohaad Yaqubi and Reem Shilleh are the artists behind the collective Subversive Film; their practice moves between Brussels, Belgium, and Ramallah, Palestine. In a projection of numerous reels playing on loop in a large room, take a seat on pillows piled on wooden bleachers to watch a documentary of archival footage, some smuggled out of Palestine, which depict international solidarity between Japan and Palestine in the 1970s and 80s.

In addition to the obscure political history explored in these films, the project is beautiful to watch: The rich saturation of the fading archival film is presented complete with pinkish sprocket holes, purple-tinted audio tracks, and the imperfect frames of the original archival films. These material reminders of the original objects physical materialitystores of secretly compiled historic and political artifacts, and the act of risky concealment necessary to preserve them.

Taring Padi Venues: C&A Faade, Friedrichsplatz, Hallenbad Ost, Rondell

documenta fifteen: Taring Padi, Sekarang Mereka, Besok Kita (Today theyve come for them, tomorrow they come for us) , 2021, installation view, Hallenbad Ost, Kassel, June 12, 2022, photo: Frank Sperling.

Get some context on the conflict: While Taring Padis controversial mural no longer hangs in Kassel, you can get a sense of the collectives style and artwork elsewhere in the city through numerous smaller-scale paintings, including banners and their signature wayang kardus (cardboard figures). These figures, which number close to a thousand, are staggered throughout Kassel and are artifacts of politically oriented community workshops held by Taring Padi both in and outside of Indonesia. When not at Kassel, the wayang kardus are deployed in protests, live performances, and carnivals. Keep an eye out for Taring Padis signatureand envelope-pushing tendency towards what the Documenta fifteen handbook calls satirical iconography.

In a recent statement about the controversial mural published on Documentas website, Taring Padi explained that their caricatures are never intended as hatred directed at a particular ethnic or religious group, but as a critique of militarism and state violence.

Taring Padi (which translates to fangs of rice) has been working in Indonesia since 1998, and was originally created by students and activists in Yogyakarta. In an interesting element of the backlash against their now-removed mural Peoples Justice (2002), their stated mission in Documenta 15 is to communicate, as they write, Flame of Solidarity: First they came for them, then they came for usa quote that, clanging against a brouhaha about anti-Semitism, evokes Martin Niemllers oft-referenced poem about the Holocaust: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak outBecause I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak outBecause I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak outBecause I was not a Jew. Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.

Taring Padis murals and painted works are colorful, using an array of vibrantsometimes intentionally garish or, evidently, unintentionally offensivesymbols and figures. When text is interwoven in the murals, it takes a number of forms, incorporating numerous languages. Within their works at Documenta 15, Taring Padi deploys the motif of a large gathered crowd, though in some works (like Today theyve come for them, tomorrow they will come for us), the masses generally appear to be peaceful, even utopian, while Peoples Justice depicted an ominous war scene.

Wajukuu Art ProjectVenue: Documenta Halle

documenta fifteen: Wajukuu Art Project, Ngugi Waweru, Kahiu kogi gatemaga mwene, 2022, Installationsansicht, documenta Halle, Kassel, June 13, 2022, photo: Nicolas Wefers.

At the entrance of the Documenta Halle are beautiful sculptural works by Wajukuu Art Project, an art collective that grew out of the Lunga-Lunga neighborhood in Nairobi. Here, the traditional white walls of the art institution have been swapped out for partially rusted, corrugated metal, dotted with colorful paintings.

The standouts here are Wajukuus four sculptures, which repurpose found materials in kinetic, complex works that pair artifacts of violence with a surprising elegance. These works bring together materials like bricks, knives, bicycle gears, nails, and metal with smooth wood, sand, elegantly dangling string, and multiple objects made in the shape of humans. The collectives works create a compelling interplay between soft and sharp, fragility and the body.

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8 Standout Artists and Collectives at Documenta 15 - Artsy