Farmers Speak. Is Anyone Listening?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Clif Bar & Company for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you visited an organic farm? Do you buy organic foods?

I feel like I might engage myself a little more than the average person with regards to food. I’m all about the food. You probably are too. I mean, who else reads food blogs and nutrition journals for fun? I’m comforted knowing that I take an active role in understanding what I’m eating.

Yet, it wasn’t until I watched this video from Clif Bar & Company titled Farmers Speak – Giving Voice to Organic Oats, that it really made me think about organic farming.

I buy essentially all my produce organic, but I’ve also read skeptical books with regards to how much better it really is versus conventional farming. Check out New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter’s book Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives.

I am a very skeptical person by nature and I’d much rather play myself against my inner devil’s advocate than blindly follow the masses. Good grief, I mean I’m vegan for heaven’s sake! Swimming against the current pretty strongly on that one.

The information is out there. Sometimes it’s hard to find, but usually the hardest part is just looking. Take the monestrous and cruel conditions perpetrated against farm animals for example. Not to mention the heart-wrenching destruction of our planet due to said farming practices. I know many truly good people who tell me that they know about all this…but they choose not to open their eyes because they don’t want to face the truth. 

“People wrap themselves in their beliefs. And they do it in such a way that you can’t set them free. Not even the truth will set them free. ”
— Michael Specter

When I watched this video about a Canadian oat farmer, Brian Krumm, discussing how when he was a kid on the family farm, his dad used conventional chemicals like grasshopper poison and all the songbirds left. They lost their songbirds for over 10 years. When the farm turned organic, they slowly started coming back. Now they have “lots of bugs and all the good things in life.” And his beautiful song birds are back.

“There seems to be a huge push for people to eat healthier, and I’ve noticed oats are starting to take the spotlight. That makes me quite proud. ”
— Brian Krumm, CLIF Bar®, Oat Farmer

His old barn that used to house cattle under previous generations is now home to an old barn owl. I’m down with that. Cattle farm turned organic oat farm is a win in my book and it made me literally smile. Hey, those Subaru commercials make me tear-up too…have you seen those? My god, talk about a bleeding heart over here.

Anyways, this is a great video that really puts a face on organic farming. It seems like such an abstract thing. Sometimes it can be difficult to really see the positives, in an everyday sense. Like Brian says, “I’m not saying it’s for everybody, but it’s sure worked well for us. Yeah, I’d never go back to the conventional way of farming, ever.”

It really made me think about buying more organic products, outside of my organic produce CSA box. Packaged products, like bread, vegan butter, etc. Or better yet, make your own bread. I’m working on a new, everyday bread recipe so stay tuned for that! I’m very excited. Using organic flour, nonetheless!

Clif Bar & Company uses all organic oats in their bars. And the best part is that the vast majority of all their products are 100% vegan. Everything is on the table, excluding:

  • CLIF® Builders’ MAX Bars (the regular Builder's Bars are all okay)

  • CLIF SHOT® Protein Recovery Drink Mixes
  • Luna Protein Bars (all others are okay, just not the protein ones)
  • MOJO Sweet & Salty Honey Roasted Peanut and Chocolate Peanut flavor does contain honey, but no other animal derived ingredients.

That is awesome! For a complete allergen table, check it out here. Who knows, maybe we can persuade them to use more soy protein instead of whey in their MAX line?

Todd and I buy CLIF® & Luna® Bars for traveling and our outdoor, Alaskan adventures. It can be hard to find quality, vegan food items that are perfect for backpacking (or traveling out of Alaska, where we literally have to fly across another country the size of the U.S....to get to the U.S…it’s Canada.) It’s super easy to remember the short list of exceptions to their wondrous vegan array.  

So, let’s hear it. Do you buy all organic, some, or none? I fall into the some (most) category, but I might try to increase that a bit now.

For more information regarding Clif Bar & Company, take a look at these links below:

Thank you for supporting the companies that help support Produce On Parade!

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I WAS PAID TO WRITE THIS POST, HOWEVER, I AM A BIG FAN OF THESE PRODUCTS AND USE THEM IN MY EVERYDAY LIFE. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza with a Pizzolato Pinot Grigio Review

When Whole Foods contacted me to try this Pizzolato Pinot Grigio I was like, "Umm a thousand times yes. Send me all the alcohol, please." Then I thought to myself, a pinot grigio is white wine? I had to look this up. I don't drink white wine. To my credit, I did notify my contact that my preference leans heavily to the red variety. I have bought one, count it one, bottle of white wine in my lifetime. It was a riesling and I almost had to cut my tongue out. White wine apparently isn't my jam.

Needless to say I was feeling a bit of hesitation in sampling this pinot grigio. I knew I wanted the perfect dish to go with it and I knew white wine goes well with seafood but, obviously, seafood was not going to be on my menu. So, I turned to Google. "Google, what pairs well with a pinot grigio?" I asked. Google wasn't extra helpful. Some sites said to pair it with with a tomato sauce based dish, others said to stay away from acidic foods...like tomato dishes. Some said it pairs nicely with a heavy, buttery dish, while others advised to keep it paired with light dishes. Yet, they all could agree on the seafood. Boo that. I found a few that noted pizza and cooked vegetables were a good match. And so it was.

Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.

With a throng of vegetables from my CSA box waiting to be drafted (see the fruit in the background, they're next), I knew a roasted veggie pizza was meant to be. I found a crust that I adapted from Garnish and Glaze. It only needed 10 minutes to rise and with no kneading necessary, we had dinner done in about an hour and a half!

Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.
“Caramelized pistachios green pear aromas follow though on a soft entry to a dryish light-to-medium body with tangy baked apple and kiwi notes. Finishes in a quick, slightly pithy, nutshell accented fade with chalky fruit tannins.”
— Tastings.com
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.

The Pizzolato Pinot Grigio is certified vegan by The Vegan Society of the United Kingdom and is the #1 selling organic pinot grigio in Italy. The wines are made with organically grown grapes or certified organic with no sulfites added and are also Non-GMO Project Verified. All great news! I hate finding a wine that I enjoy only to discover it's filtered with fish bladders, or eggs, and has sulfites added. Some people find they are sensitive to sulfites which  can give them headaches. 

Because I am not exceptionally familiar with white wine, I asked some friends for their thoughts. They told me it would be a great "afternoon" drinking wine...I think this means that it's light and refreshing.

I will definitely reach for Pizzolato wines when I can find them. Knowing they are organic, GMO-free and sulfite-free, and vegan will make wine shopping easy! I pretty much try to buy only organic wine because I know it's filtered in a vegan-friendly way, so I found a few good organic wines and I tend to stick to them. Find this Italian Pinot Grigio for $9.99 at Whole Foods. 

Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.
“Think like a proton. Always positive. ”
— Unknown
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.

Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella. A perfect compliment to a crisp and refreshing pinot grigio. 

Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.

Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza

Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella. Serve with a crisp and refreshing pinot grigio for a fun and comforting winter meal. NOTES: Any assorted vegetables good for roasting can be substituted. Use a pre-made pizza crust if you wish. The crust is sweet and bready, so if you like a thin cracker crust maybe swap out for your favorite. Swap the 1 cup wheat flour for an additional cup of all-purpose flour if like. This recipe makes two large pizzas, so feel free to cut in half or just save the other half for another day like we did.

Ingredients

  • -- Veggies --
  • 2 small sweet dumpling squash (or about 2 lbs. of other winter squash), peeled, seeded, and diced small
  • 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and diced small
  • 1 lb. sweet potatoes, scrubbed and diced small
  • 3 large carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch slices
  • 2 medium red onions, thickly sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch slices
  • sprinkling of olive oil
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • dash of ground black pepper
  • -- Dough --
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. quick-rise yeast
  • 2 Tbsp. vegan sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup warm water (110 F)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat white flour
  • 2 Tbsp. cornmeal
  • -- Toppings --
  • 1 lb. package of vegan shredded mozzarella cheese (I like Daiya)
  • sprinkling of dried basil
  • pat of vegan butter

Cooking Directions

  1. Start by preparing the vegetables. Once they are all chopped, preheat the oven to 425 F with your pizza stone in the oven. Spread the chopped vegetables evenly among two large, rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Bake at 425 F for about 60 minutes. Toss the veggies have way through, and move the top pan to the bottom rack and the bottom one to the top. Remove from the oven when done, but keep the oven on.
  3. Meanwhile, make the dough. Begin by combining the yeast, sugar, and water in a large bowl. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes in a warm place, until the yeast is foamy.
  4. Whisk in the salt, olive oil, and agave nectar. Then, stir in the flours ½ cup at a time. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes or so, until the dough begins to form a loose ball.
  5. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot to rise (at least 10 minutes) until there’s only about 20 minutes left for the veggies.
  6. Next, transfer the dough to a heavily floured surface (don’t be afraid to use a lot of flour as the dough is very sticky) and cleave in half. Roll out one of the dough balls into the size of your pizza stone.
  7. Remove the pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer the rolled out dough to the stone and top with the mozzarella. Scatter with roasted veggies and bake at 425 F for about 15 minutes, until the crust just begins to brown.
  8. Remove from oven and run butter along the crust edge. Sprinkle pizza with dried basil. Repeat with remaining dough ball.
  9. Serve hot with a glass of Pizzolato Pinot Grigio!
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.
Produce On Parade - Roasted Squash and Vegetable Pizza - Roasted squash, sweet potato, carrots, and other assorted vegetables adorn a sweet and doughy homemade pizza crust with creamy, vegan mozzarella.

Dutch Word of The Day

The word for a thing or person you can't find the name for --> dinges (ding-es)

Good Deed of The Day

This is my good deed of the day. Did you see that Field Roast has a new line of vegan sliced cheeses?!?! Sweet baby Jesus, Todd almost cried...I almost died!! We have yet to find them way up here in the boondocks of Alaska, so if anyone has made contact with this food of the gods, please let me know how it was! See the three varieties and learn more here. 

A Book Review of "Veganish"

Veganish by Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose, is admittedly a bit of a quandary to me.

Still though, you know? I want to like this book. Truely. Any resource that helps shine the light on the cruelty and adverse health and environmental effects of animal-based products and meats is fantastic. However, with obsolete excuses for consuming animal products when there are clearly better alternatives frustrates me.

First, I'd like to state that anyone who is actively and thoughtfully reducing their animal-based products and meat consumption should be commended for possessing such conviction and enlightenment. 

I'm not an advocate for an all or nothing approach to veganism or a plant-based diet. It's about progress, not perfection, and vilifying someone who still has honey in their cupboard but claims to be vegan doesn't do anybody any lick of good. Yet, it seems that Mielle has given people an excuse to include animal products in their diet with no real merit at all and that's what troubles me. Especially someone who is assiduously trying to go vegan or exploring veganism (why else would they buy the book).

“Be judicious, but go ahead and a little grass-fed ground beef to my chili recipes, replace oils with organic butter, or serve my recipes alongside wild fish or pastured chicken, if need be.”
— Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose

She writes that one should feel free to supplement naturally vegan and healthful recipes with beef or butter. Why? Is all I could think. Just because that slab of bloody, slaughtered cow was "grass-fed" or "organic" certainly shouldn't alleviate your conscious or persuade you that it might be more healthful. 

People who say they would stop eating meat but it's just not realistic or "it's not for everyone" confound me. If you have reasonable access to a decent supermarket or farmers market, there are much more healthful and humane alternatives to meat. Beans, tempeh, lentils, tofu, the list goes on and on. And guess what? These foods are much less costly than meat. With regards to health, money, compassion, and impact to the environment. So why? 

I can imagine it would be hard to really be persuaded to seriously adopt a plant-based lifestyle when the author of the book, within the first couple pages, goes on to describe how she has been vegetarian and then vegan for many, many years but has now reverted back and become a "reluctant" omnivore. An ex-vegan writing a pro-vegan book, that's really not pro-vegan just pro-plants? It's really hard to get on board. 

I wish it was called "Eat Less Meat!" instead of "Veganish."

While I suspect I wouldn't buy this book for myself. I could see gifting it to someone who never, in their entire existence would ever entertain becoming vegan. Someone like that sincerely unpleasant person in your life who offers you a slab of beef while snickering about how that cow died just for him/her to have this meal or telling you there's some grass outside if you're feeling hungry. You know the one. 

As a vegan, you might find yourself a bit infuriated (as she perceives you might) while reading the first several chapters. If you can look beyond the patronizing lines, however, you'll find a treasure trove of recipes and cooking tips.

The book does offer some good information on plant-based nutrition. Mielle touches on why "organic" and "grass-fed" labels don't mean much (which she contradicts earlier on in the book) and has a small chapter about organic fruits and vegetables, and GMO foods. She discusses salt, oil, and the different materials cooking utensils and pans are made out of. I found the latter to be very informative.

There's several chapters on cooking tips, like how to dice an onion and peel ginger. Pretty basic stuff, but if you're new to cooking it could be helpful. However, the vast majority of the book is recipes, from soups to desserts to breakfasts. 

I feel dreadful for writing a post that might anger the author, who seems to be genuinely trying to do a good thing. For posting a review that's probably not what the publisher had in mind. For stirring up personal feelings in readers that want to feel nothing for consuming the Standard American Diet or who only eat meat a few times of the week. And for friends and family who make full use of and derive benefit from the death of animals. However, I was asked to write a review and so I have.

Find the book at Amazon.com

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.