Cheery Observations

Since moving to Brooklyn, I’ve been eating more chocolate than ever.  I’m surrounded by local small-batch chocolatiers such as Mast Brothers, Nunu, and Fine and Raw.  It’s easy to feel spoiled! Each chocolate maker’s product is rich, unique, and something to be savored.  Beyond supporting local artisans, I believe it’s equally important to support the global economy, specifically countries in which a particular crop is their livelihood, like  coffee beans in Guatamala or cocoa beans in Ecuador.

If you shop around for chocolate, you’ll stumble across a variety of products and labels.   90% of all cocoa beans originate from about 3 million small farming families.  Fair Trade initiatives guarantee that small farmers and cooperatives receive a minimum price for their product.   The Rainforest Alliance Certified label guarantees that the product was made according to criteria that balance economic, ecological, and social considerations.  Goods must be produced without depleting the natural resources or the surrounding community.  USDA Organic, although an expensive and often controversial label, means that products have been grown and processed according to the USDA’s organic standards.

The current chocolate bar we’ve been snacking on is Kallari.  We sampled a number of different pieces in Whole Foods a few weeks ago and we were excited to learn about what makes Kallari unique.

1)    The Kallari Association is a cooperative of 850 families, both artists and cocoa producers, in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

2)    100% of sales profits on all Association items go back to the cooperative.

3)    The Kallari cacao beans (Cacao Nacional) spend only three months between harvest and destination; these beans come from a single source (unlike some dark chocolates that blend multiple beans).

These days, more and more products are becoming certified as ‘Fair Trade’ or ‘Rainforest Alliance’.  As a consumer, it’s important to learn where your purchases come from and what impact your purchase might have on a community.

Our gum had the label ‘House the Homeless’.  A quick trip to their website reveals Project 7’s platform.  They aim to donate 50% of their profits (a minimum of $105,000) to seven areas of need in the world (founder Tyler Merrick wanted to turn the  7 Deadly Sins upside down):

Build the Future, Feed the Hungry, Heal the Sick, Help Those in Need, Hope for Peace, House the Homeless, and Save the Earth.

Each year, seven non-profit organizations (one from each area of need) are supported by product proceeds.  So, as an example, 50% of my ‘House the Homeless’ gum purchase will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages International.  Project 7 is a two year old organization with a great deal of potential.  They have a creative website, a blog, and a twitter account, if you’re interested in learning more.

Currently, Project 7 manufactures bio-bottled water, gum, mints and T-shirts.

On one of our quick trips up to New York in October, we checked out McNally Jackson Books and I picked up Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man.  I had heard about the Beavan family’s experiment a few months ago (admittedly, I was a little late to the game!) and had already heard a few interviews, as well as scanned his blog and the preview for the documentary also based on his experiment.  His year-long journey of living as ‘carbon neutral/no impact’ as possible fascinated me, especially because his wife and young daughter were along for the ride as well.  I was curious to hear his rationale behind the experiment, including the steps the family took to become no impact (and steps that they tried that proved to be impossible).  And since I’ve just moved to the Big Apple, I thought I’d share a few of my observations about the book and experiment.

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I’ve been on an ‘local’ kick for awhile now and anticipate even more exciting options as we move away from the Washington, DC area (again, more on that later!).  One local food trend that I find both exciting, delicious, and a welcome throwback to years ago is the increasing support for local dairy products, specifically local milk in glass bottles.

There are a multitude of reasons that I support local dairy, including milk:  the cows’ well-being (and subsequently OUR well-being), the local farmer’s commitment to quality products, the re-usable glass bottles, and as always, the connection to one’s community.

According to Weston Price, an average commercial dairy cow is kept in confinement, hooked up to milking machines for 10 months out of the year.  This dairy cow is fed mostly grain and other unnatural feeds (livestock wastes and fats, etc).  Due to the tight living quarters and vast amounts of waste present, these cows must be pumped full of antibiotics and hormones, including bovine growth hormones.  These drugs can end up in our milk (as can trans fats from undigested animal foods!)  Much has already been written (and written quite eloquently) about the plight of the factory farm animal.  I know for a fact that ten times out of ten, I need to know that the dairy I am consuming is from a cow that spends its life pastured, grazing on grass and having a stress free existence.

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