Monday, July 27, 2009

Call Hershey to ask for more Fair Trade Certified Chocolate In the Us

Action: Call Hershey to ask for more Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate in the US

Earlier this spring, Green Business Network told its members how Cadbury is taking steps to bring more Fair Trade chocolate to Europe via its popular Dairy Milk bar. But there's still no conventional US chocolate company that is stepping up to make Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate widely available on US supermarket shelves.


Green America Business Network members have led the way (companies like Divine, Equal Exchange, Ithaca Fine Chocolates, Sweet Earth Organics, and Theo Chocolates), and it's time for the conventional companies to follow. Hershey needs to take a stand against abusive child labor in the cocoa supply chain, and the best way to do that is to go Fair Trade.

Why Hershey?

* For years, major chocolate companies have known that the worst forms of child labor and trafficked labor are used in the production of the cocoa beans they purchase from West Africa, particularly Cote d’Ivoire. Many companies use third-party certification programs in order to ensure that certain labor and environmental standards are met in the production of the cocoa they use in their chocolate. There are a number of certification programs related to cocoa production and many of them involve labels that communicate to consumers what standards were used in the production of the cocoa they are about to enjoy.

* This past March, Cadbury announced that it would achieve Fair Trade certification for its Dairy Milk bar (the top selling chocolate bar in the UK) in England and Ireland by the end of this summer, with plans to expand Fair Trade cocoa further in their product line.

* Major chocolate companies like Mars, Cargill, Heinz, Kraft and Starbucks have all agreed to various certification programs for their cocoa. While some of these programs do include labor rights standards, they are not as strong and comprehensive as they need to be to ensure workers’ rights are protected. They also do not address the problem of the low prices paid to cocoa farmers for their beans – a critical component of why child labor persists in this sector.
* Fair Trade certification ensures that farmers are both able to meet the basic needs of their families and to continue to grow cocoa in the future by offering a fair price for cocoa. Fair Trade provides a path for farmers to increase their livelihoods and improve labor and environmental conditions in cocoa production. Fair Trade also has additional benefits like encouraging the development of democratic cooperatives where farmers have a greater voice in the market.

* On the other hand, Hershey has not agreed to any third-party certification programs for their cocoa supply. Additionally, Hershey owns the license to produce Cadbury products in the US. Hershey is well placed to be a leader in Fair Trade cocoa sourcing for US consumers, but they need to know that we want our chocolate to be Fair Trade Certified™! More on website.


When you call Hershey today, you'll be joining with Fair Trade supporters across the country who want to see US chocolate companies upholding a higher standard for their supply chains. (If you place a call, please e-mail us later and let us know how it went.)

Find phone numbers and a sample calling script "
Find Fair Trade chocolate companies (and other retailers) in our business network to support "
Download or order our Fair Trade Guide "

Friday, July 17, 2009

"Jamfest" Saturday

Playful “Jammin’”for a Serious Cause
Saturday, July 18th, 6-10pm at the John Waldron Arts Center in Bloomington, IN

4 HOURS
of PEACE
& MUSIC
& FUN

Phone: 812-336-8677 - Admission: $10 for students and low income; $15 for adults; $25 for a couple; $50 for a family.

JamFest for Community Justice and Mediation Center Offers Family Friendly Evening of Local Talent

Read more about JamFest and Community Justice and Mediation Center in Bloomington, Indiana

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

BLOOMINGTONRAW Recipes and Pics from June Rawluck

Recipes and Pics from June Rawluck:
___________________________________________________________
Raw Pasta Alfredo with Vegan Sausage Bits

Sausage (recipe from the Boutenkos):
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 head lettuce
1/2 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup onion powder
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp dired sage
1/2 bunch fresh basil
Blend all ingredients in food processor, shape into bits or
patties. (This recipe made about twice as much as I put into the dish
I brought. Also, recipe is very sticky - it helps to put the shaped
bits into the dehydrator for an hour or so at 105 degrees to make them
easier to handle.)

Pasta:
2 small zucchini, spiralized or sliced or shredded into
spaghetti-like pieces.
(In hindsight I would have put this in a strainer for twenty
minutes or so, since the liquid from the zucchini watered down my
sauce more than I would have liked!)

Alfredo Sauce (recipe from Jackie Ayala & David Steinberg):
1/2 cup organic stone-crushed olive oil
1 drop each therapeutic grade basil, thyme, and oregano essential oils
water and meat of 1 young Thai coconut
1/3 cup citrus juice blend (I used orange and lime)
1 tbsp Celtic sea salt
2 large cloves garlic w/ skins
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
In glass bowl combine olive oil and essential oils.
In vita-mix blender, combine coconut water and meat, citrus juice
blend, salt and garlic. Blend on "5" until mixture is smooth. Slowly
add macadamia nuts while machine is running and increase speed to "9."
Scrape sides to be sure everything is well blended. Turn speed down
to "7," add olive oil, and continue to blend for another 5 seconds.
(Sauce will be warm from all the blending - be careful with the
vita-mix not to blend too long or sauce will get too hot to be raw!)

Arrange pasta in serving dish, pour alfredo sauce over top, then drop
sausage bits on top of sauce. Enjoy!
_________________________________________________________________
Maggie's Raw Berry Pie
Crust:
Almonds Dates Coconut Lemon Juice
Filling:Cinnamon, black rapberries, red rasspberries, blueberries,
peaches, and a pinch of salt
___________________________________________________________________
Cabbage w/Ginger
Cabbage
Carrot
Bockchoy
avacado
lemon juice
celtic sea salt
grated ginger
ground cumin
cayenne
grapeseed oil
filtered water
_______________________________________________________________________
Simple is Beautiful Desert!
I Quart Blueberries
1 Pint Strawberries
Squeezed Lemon Wedges
Drizzled with honey
and dressed with fresh mint

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Layered cabbage and sprouts

Layer these (as you would a truffle) in a loaf pan:
french lentils sprouted
shredded red cabbage
shredded celery
shredded napa cabbage
more sprouted french lentils

Make cashew sauce--two fists of raw cashews buzzed until it balls
around the blade. Add a generous splash of lime juice, two minced
garlic cloves, some dried chives and mild green chilies. Then add
enough water to make it pourable. Pour over layered loaf pan. Voila!

___________________________________________________________________
Watermelon Gazpacho
6 cups watermelon, seeded and cubed
1 1/4 cups orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large english cucumbers, peeled, seeded, & diced
1/2 large red peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 3/4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon jalapeno chile peppers, diced fine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Process 4 cups of watermelon with orange juice and oil in blender,
food processor, or with hand blender and puree. 2. Transfer to bowl
and mix with remaining ingredients. Blend with hand blender to desired
consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste.3. Refrigerate until
ready to use.

Jan Bulla-Baker
Bloomington Cooking School
115 N College Ave., Suite 014
Bloomington, IN 47404

___________________________________________________________________
Kale Avocado Salad
2 bunches Kale
2 avocados
2 celery sticks chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
cup of cherry tomatoes sliced
Dulse
2 tsp sea salt
juice of one lemon

De-stem kale, sprinkle on salt and massage until the kale is tender.
blend avocado and lemon * add water as needed to blend. Mix all
ingredients and enjoy!
___________________________________________________________________
Summer Cucumber Salad

1/4 cup organic olive oil
1/4 cup organic brown rice vinegar
2-3 Tbsp Indiana clover honey (adjust amount to taste)
1/2 organic white onion minced
2 organic cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced
10-12 fresh basil leaves cut into thin stripes
leaves from 2-3 sprigs of fresh oregano removed from stems
1 tsp of thinly sliced shoots of fresh garlic

The herbs were organically grown in a friend's garden, and the cucs
and garlic came from farmer's market.

Begin by mixing the liquid ingredients, add onion, then cucumber, add
herbs and sliced garlic shoots at the end.

May additionally season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.


For additional information or to contact BloomingtonRaw - Andy Reed, L. Ac., Dipl. Ac. NCCAOM, windriveracupuncture(at)gmail.com, 812-320-3557

BloomingtonRaw! Raw and Living Foods Group
BloomingtonRaw! is a local eco-nutrition group that meets to have raw
potlucks (rawlucks) at least once a month. BloomingtonRaw! mission is
to promote consciousness, compassion, and respect for humanity and the
Earth. We promote the connection between diet and personal
consciousness, including environmental impacts of dietary choices. We
promote the health benefits of simple vegan raw and living foods,
inspiration for healthy dietary transition, and respect diversity of
all personal dietary choices and paths. BloomingtonRaw! is open to all
who are curious about or enthusiasts of living foods and the raw vegan
lifestyle, promoting inclusion of local, organic, and wild foods
whenever possible.
BloomingtonRaw is sponsored by Center for Sustainable Living,
www.simplycsl.org

RAWLUCK POTLUCK - July

Saturday, JULY 25th, from 5 - 8 PM !! RAWLUCK POTLUCK, The Gullick residence, 505 South Meadowbrook Drive., Meadowbrook is a few streets east of Bloomingfoods east. Look for white house on a hill with a white picket fence. Parking best on street, probably good idea to bring chairs. :-) BRING OWN PLATE/BOWL AND CHOPSTIX/FORK/SPOON :-) (recipes from June on Local Food Bloomington) - This is a zero trash event, no paper plates please!!!!

New to Raw Foods? Just bring yourself or a simple bowl of fruit,
there will be plenty of food. For recipes see www.living-foods.com .

Come meet our July host Kathie Gullick and family. Kathie is a raw
foods mom with extensive experience and training in raw and living
foods, including living and studying with Gabriel Cousens at the Tree of Life
Rejuvenation Center in AZ. Kathie will share some of her life
experience and wisdom about success and challenge raising children raw
in the modern world. Kathie is currently finishing her book on
motherhood and raw foods. Enjoy more of our local talent at the July
rawluck!!

The Bhakti Yoga Devotional Kirtan Sound Healing Group "Baraka" !!!! will be performing before and after the food and free seminars. On Namo Shivaya!! Jai Hanuman!!

There will also be a FREE DEMO to learn how to make your own RAW
PROBIOTIC MISO!! Wild Foods Expert and Herbalist Eric Edgin and myself will make a
Quinoa and a Chickpea miso. More probiotic vibrations emanating
health into our bodies!

Master Raw Foods Chef and Yogi Christopher Cook is coming again as
well if anyone needs to contact him for some E3 Live. Congrats to Dr.
George Cromack on getting hired at Tree of Life!

Thanks to Maggie, Nathan, and LauraLynn for hosting the last rawluck!!!
It was SO much fun, and beautiful gardens and new orchards. Wonderful
garden tour and permaculture class by Nathan!! See pictures below.

BloomingtonRaw! Raw and Living Foods Group
BloomingtonRaw! is a local eco-nutrition group that meets to have raw
potlucks (rawlucks) at least once a month. BloomingtonRaw! mission is
to promote consciousness, compassion, and respect for humanity and the
Earth. We promote the connection between diet and personal
consciousness, including environmental impacts of dietary choices. We
promote the health benefits of simple vegan raw and living foods,
inspiration for healthy dietary transition, and respect diversity of
all personal dietary choices and paths. BloomingtonRaw! is open to all
who are curious about or enthusiasts of living foods and the raw vegan
lifestyle, promoting inclusion of local, organic, and wild foods
whenever possible.
BloomingtonRaw is sponsored by Center for Sustainable Living,
www.simplycsl.org

Also - Don't Miss Raw Andy on Earth Eats WFIU - Aug 8 @ 1130 AM!! Andy interviewed about Living Foods lifestyle and ethics by Chef Dan Orr of The Farm Restaurant!!!Also a show on August 12 with an extended interview only available on the website: eartheats.org.

Recipes from BLOOMINGTONRAW POTLUCK - JUNE



--
Andy Reed, L. Ac., Dipl. Ac. NCCAOM
Living Foods and Ancient Folk Healing
Wind-River Acupuncture
The Center for Wholism
windriveracupuncture@gmail.com
812-320-3557

JamFest - Jamin' for Justice


July 18th JamFest: Jammin' for Justice from 6:00pm - 10 pm in the John Waldrom Arts Center Auditorium, Phone: 812-336-8677 - Admission: $10 for students and low income; $15 for adults; $25 for a couple; $50 for a family. Community Justice & Mediation Center (CJAM) is excited to announce JamFest: Jammin’ for Justice, a concert benefit for CJAM. WHO: Community Justice & Mediation (CJAM), a nonprofit organization committed to promoting a civil and just community through mediation, education and restorative justice. WHAT: JamFest: Jammin’ for Justice; Four hours of Peace & Music & Fun. Featuring Blues/Rock band Bated Breath, soloist Eric Radoux, performer Sophia Travis, and other local luminaries--4+ musical acts, powerfully witty MC Brad Wilhelm, games of "pin the heart on Indiana," a cash bar and homemade Justice Jams--Preserves canned specially for us by FoodWorks! Family Friendly, serious fun for a serious cause! http://www.cjam.org