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This was meant to be showing you how I use confectioner glaze but I had the sound turned off on the original video and so the job was done when I realised! However, I show you the cake I was working on at the time anyway just for fun! :o)...... please rate and comment my videos!!! Ranked 2.57 / 5 | 71 views | 0 comments Click here to watch the video Submitted By: brentin777 Tags: Cake Wedding Fondant Icing Sugarpaste Create Extraicing Blog Extra Categories: Entertainment People & Stories

Fondant adds a special zest to cakes, pastries, and candies. See for yourself as a cake decorator creates fun with fondant. Director’s Journal I’m one of those people who like to make things from scratch—when I can, which usually translates into when I have the time. But when it comes to birthdays I make a scratch cake whether time allows or not. I just make the time, even if I have to stay up extra late. For me it is a way of celebrating in a special way someone’s birthday. If you want to get sticky about it, it’s a way of showing your love. Which led me to Cake Decorating: Fun with Fondant. I was scouring around on the internet, looking for something different to do. My son’s birthday was doming up, and he has such a sweet tooth. And I discovered fondant. It looked like so much fun. Great colors, endless possible shapes to make, and oh-so-sweet too. In another life I could see me becoming a fondant wizard. I loved how the colors became more intense as the gel was added to the fondant and then blended as Robin kneaded it. As she rolled out each color I was reminded of my years making clay sculptures. She even had the same type of tool box and cutters as I did. Maybe I should have majored in fondant instead of clay. I wanted to put down the camera and get in there and decorate a cake! I went home armed with new possibilities. But wouldn’t you know it, my son requested good ole carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, which I was happy to oblige. Next time!

Belinda Gregor, specialty cakes designer at Ettore's European Bakery and Restaurant shows Gwen Schoen how to add and decorate a fondant cake.Video by Scott R. Craig To see a higher resolution video, visit http://videos.sacbee.com

What goes on at a small winery during the winter months? If you think it’s a slow time of year, you may be in for a surprise. Director’s Journal I wanted to do something on wine. But here it was, January. I missed those plump juicy grapes by months. But hold on, isn’t that what I usually see when it comes to wineries: the harvest and the crush? Then wonder set in. What exactly does a winery do in the winter months? I had images of roaring fires, cold toes getting warmed, and mugs of hot cocoa being passed around. Sounded cozy to me. Lynn Penner-Ash was game for me to make a visit and document what actually did transpire during a ‘typical’ winter day. It turned out the biggest challenge for the shoot was to accept the fact that the sun was not going to burn off the dense fog. As luck would have it, the day before was partly sunny, with a nice view of the snowy mountains. As I drove down into the valley that January morning, I entered near zero visibility. But, I was hopeful that in a few hours the fog would lift, and the crisp blue skies would appear, like magic. But, alas, it was winter, and the valley was socked in for the duration of the day. As Lynn led us into the vineyard, calling du jac, I began seeing the vines winter beauty in a new way.

This is a story about a community egg cooperative formed by a group of volunteers, bringing chickens to a working urban farm, and managing the production of eggs for themselves and a local CSA. View the video here. Download Show: MP4 | WMV | iPhone Post a comment Recipes from the episode: Garden Greens Quiche; Barley Eggs Director s Journal I’ve been wanting to do a story on eggs for quite awhile, so when Deborah Kane, of Ecotrust Food Farms, told me about the Eastside Egg project, I almost became giddy. Yay! Chickens and eggs! It’s very cool how serendipity played into this coming together. Patrick and Holly, previous chicken owners themselves, belong to a local CSA which had recently lost its egg supplier. Patrick suggested the idea of a cooperative to Laura Masterson who knew of a local urban farm which had a Heifer International grant for small livestock. And voilá, the Eastside Egg Cooperative of Zenger Farm was hatched, er, born. There are so many benefits to raising chickens. They are a great addition to any garden, they clear out whatever area of land defines their boundary, and they also leave their nitrogen rich manure for the next round of plantings. The eggs from these naturally raised chickens are higher in the good omega-3 fatty acids than eggs produced from factory farms, not to mention being fresher. Typically, eggs from the supermarket are at least 2 weeks old before they even reach the shelf. Craig Clark, another co-op member and one who also raises his own chickens at home, said taking care of chickens run somewhere between a cat and a dog. If you have the right set up, and as long as they have access to quality food and fresh water, he says they can be left for up to 3 days. Please note: this is only on occasion, if you have to leave home for a few days. I recently discovered a website put together by another filmmaker, Patti Moreno, whose passion is living in a sustainable way. She shares her knowledge of gardening, cooking, crafting, and more, on her website GardenGirlTV. The one that tied in beautifully with “Community Egg Co-op” is her upcoming 6 part series “How to Build a Chicken Tractor”. If you’re interested in building a coop for a raised bed, check out Patti’s video here, and check out her website too! If this is something you think you’d like to try, find out if chickens are allowed where you live, and if yes, like Patrick says, make it happen! —Rebecca Additional Resources Henwaller (Patrick and Holly’s blog) Chicken Feed: The World of Chickens Greener Eggs and Ham (PDF) ATTRA – Pastured Poultry, an Introduction

http://www.canalplus.frAuthor: _006-serie-TS_ Tags: manger peut tous nous tuer l'effet papillon 24 02 08 poulet vostfr guerre nouriture glacier fondant frigate mort bateau war canal EMISSION video fun cool lol Posted: 27 February 2008 Rating: 5.0 Votes: 1

I show you how to make a bear topper with fondant or sugarpaste to add a smile to any cupcake.

Author: preparedpantry Added: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:46:18 -0800 Duration: 5026How to decorate sugar cookies with rolled fondant for Valentine s Day or any holiday. Very easy and very cute!

How to decorate sugar cookies with rolled fondant for Valentine's Day or any holiday. Very easy and very cute!

Sheep cheese tastes distinctive, characteristically strong, and very different from cow or goat cheese. On this family sheep farm, the making of cheese reflects a slower pace of life along with a direct connection to the land. Consuming this cheese requires a careful eating pace. View the video here. Download Show: MP4 | WMV | iPhone Post a comment Recipes from the episode: Ancient Heritage Dairy Pasta Surprise! Director s Journal One of the great pleasures doing these stories is getting to go where the story is actually located. In this case it was the foothills of the Cascade Range of Oregon: Pines, firs, windy roads, and hills growing into mountains. As Lynn and I pulled into the dairy, I was first greeted by yaps from Bonnie, their herding dog. From around the corner appeared a smiling Kathy Obringer. She hopped into the car and we drove straight away over to the cheese room where she showed us the results of her family’s hard work. As always, it was educational. Every cheese has its timeline, and it’s all marked down on the calendar. Kathy and Elle, her daughter, checked it a couple of times during the short time we spent in there. The small rounds aging in the standing fridge. The larger rounds hibernating in the walk-in. My favorite part of the process that I got to witness (and film) was Elle adding dry cocoa to the outside rind of the all sheep’s milk ‘Scio Heritage’ cheese. It was rubbed, brushed, and oiled. An antique bronze color emerged. I asked if it changed the taste of it, and Kathy didn’t think so, but it did make it so beautiful. It was time to bring in the sheep for their second milking of the day. Hank rode his bike out to the part of the pasture where they were grazing, as Bonnie charged ahead. Next thing I knew the sheep were filing in through the gate, with Hank and Bonnie on their heels. Well, really, it was Bonnie. Hank was making sure the slowpokes didn’t stay behind nibbling their way back. Inside the milking parlour, Elle herded them into the milking stall where they happily ate the grain mixture (made especially for them!) as they were milked. Afterwards that group would be led outside, waiting for a new pasture area, as another round of sheep were milked. It was a cycle that seemed so natural. One growing into another: the cheese cycle, the farming cycle, the cycle of work in harmony with nature. As I packed up to leave, I took a moment to soak it all in. One more time to smell the trees, feel the wind on my face, and to hear the chirps, yaps, and baaaas. —Rebecca Additional Resources Ancient Heritage Dairy Dairy Sheep Association of North America Facts about Sheep’s Milk Learn more about Sheep

merci Emeline pour ton fondat au chocolatAuthor: colow Tags: colow gateau miam fondant art Posted: 05 January 2008 Rating: 0.0 Votes: 0

From a very old family recipe, that remains a closely guarded secret, this mustard is hand-made by the Benedictine Sisters at Queen of Angels Monastery. The proceeds help feed a small community of local homeless people, and migrant families. Recipes from the episode: Sister Terry s Favorite Deviled Eggs; Hallelujah Jalapeno Pork with Salsa Download Show: MP4 | WMV| iPhone Post a comment Special Announcement: We would like to welcome the audiences of Edible Portland magazine, Edible Communities network of national sites, Edible Nation, and Ecotrust to our Cooking Up A Story site. We look forward to your active participation as we continue to grow a sustainable community. Thanks for your support! Director s Journal I remember it was back in August. It was a typical hot, dry day (nice to think of hot days while writing this in December!). I wanted to get a short trip to the Farmer’s Market before the day was gone. So many beautiful fruits and vegetables to pick from. I was in heaven. Almost. I passed a booth with 2 ladies with bright aprons selling…hmmm, let me see, what’s in those bottles? Mustard? And it’s called Monastery Mustard? Why? I looked around to get a hint. Up on their big banner, behind where they stood, was printed “Benedictine Sisters”. Oh, okay. Of Mt. Angel. Okay, too coincidental. There’s something more here, there’s bound to be a good story. I walked over and introduced myself to one of the ladies, who turned out to be Sister Terry. I began to ask her about the mustard and how it came about, and I was intrigued. We exchanged information and I contacted her in a few days to come down to Mt Angel to visit, talk, and film the making of their mustard. Community life is important to these Sisters. The community in their Monastery, the town community of Mt. Angel, and the larger community they reach through their participation at local farmer’s markets. And I think, in part, that’s what Sustainability speaks to. Acting locally, participating in your community, has an effect, eventually, on a much larger, global level. Like water rings from a single drop of water, it spreads outward. After filming the making the mustard, and seeing how it’s made (and about it’s intent) Lynn and I bought a couple of jars. I had not yet tasted any of their mustard. It was mid-afternoon and we stopped to pick up a sandwich at a local shop. Once in the car, sandwich in hand, I opened a jar of Glorious Garlic, and took a small taste. And then another, and yet another. It was hard to stop. I had never tasted a mustard quite as good. Now I was in heaven. At least my taste buds were! Curt Ellis has a definition of Sustainability that I agree with: “It’s food you want to eat when you know it’s backstory”. This fits in to what I learn about foods more and more. What’s your definition of Sustainability? —Rebecca Additional Resources Monastery Mustard The Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel Napa Valley Mustard Festival Community Sustainability Find your local Farmer’s Market Some Mustard Seed Basics

Making the fondant cake.My Affiliate Journey

Portland Fruit Tree Project provides a valuable service that helps communities benefit directly from local resources. Fresh fruit that grows on neighborhood trees is collected by volunteers, and dropped off at local Food Banks for distribution to those in need. The great thing about this program is that in large part, the fruit would not be harvested or eaten by anyone—if not for fruit gleaning. Everyone involved benefits, including the trees, as harvesting is beneficial to their health!

5 million family farms have been lost since the 1930 s, and most of the surviving farms are not small family operations. As the population of family farmers continues to age, there is a critical shortage of young farmers to take their place. Michael Paine is a rare breed, not only does he come into farming without a prior farming background, he s also relatively young. Recipes from the episode: Fall Carrot Soup; Farm Pizza Download Show: MP4 | WMV| iPhone Post a comment Director s Journal I read this in my local paper awhile back: “Oregon is one of the only bright spots in the country where we’ve got young farmers coming into the business ”. Hmmm, I knew most farmlands were industrialized, but I thought, with the growing interest in locally produced food, I would think the family farm would also be growing. I contacted Dianne Stefani-Ruff from Portland Farmers Market, who made the quote, to see who might just be one of those new young farmers. She gave me the names of 4 or 5, and I never got past the first one I called, Mike Paine of Gaining Ground Farm. I knew right away he was someone who was very passionate about farming. He wasn’t born to farming, like many are, but raised in the suburbs. He had a garden as a young adult, but that was about it. His drive to become a farmer really sprouted from his experience in Africa in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, and, finally from working on his Masters degree at UC-Davis in Agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is a growing field. Many farming methods that may have been lost to time are now returning. One that Michael puts to practice is using chickens to ready his fields. He puts them in portable coops that are moved along the field after the group of chickens scratch, peck the ground, and leave behind a rich manure. Recently he created a pond to catch the natural drainage of water from the hills. This water will be used to irrigate his crops. Using organic methods, some of the vegetables he grew this year were tomatoes, melons, squash, mixed green lettuces, eggplant, and beans. They were all beautiful. I really enjoyed his sharing all the different varieties he grew, many I never heard of. I think the people who come across his vegetables at the farmer’s market and who are shareholders in his CSA are very lucky indeed. If you’re not familiar with what a CSA is, check out the story I did on Laura Masterson’s farm, in Food Network: Community Supported Agriculture There is a lot of hard work involved in farming. I knew that. But what really surprised me is how hard it apparently is to get your first farm. It even surprised Mike. Does it surprise you? Here’s some alarming information about the state of family farms in America today, and the respective ages of these existing farmers. From Farm Aid: In the 1930s, there were close to seven million farms in the United States. Today, just over two million farms remain, and only about 25% of these are family farms.In 2004, the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) predicts that 98 percent of total farm operator income will come from off farm sources and at last count only 7 percent of all farm families reported 100 percent on-farm income.More than half of today s farmers are between the ages of 45 and 64 and a quarter of the farmers in this age group plan to retire by 2005.Only six percent of our farmers are younger than 35. The complete Farm Aid article is titled, “Why Family Farmers Need Help” —Rebecca Additional Resources Food Routes Home Family Finance® Resource Center Edible Nation New Generation Takes Over Old Family Farm

Cooking garden fresh foods made with love, from mother to daughter, generations of family knowledge passed down through oral tradition trace a living legacy of Lebanese food. View the video here. Download Show: MP4 | WMV | iPhone Post a comment Recipes from the episode: My Father’s Tomato Salad; Summer Squash Stuffed with Rice. Director s Journal This was a story which found me. Linda is a neighbor of Ed, the story, and introduced herself. A cookbook author, gardener, and artist? Hmmm, I wanted to know more. We began to talk on the phone and I liked the idea of doing a story on someone with such a rich family history in which food played such a major role. Not just the making of a dish, but also in the growing of the ingredients (when possible), and the presentation of it; based on her Lebanese cooking traditions. It was so much fun to hang out with Linda! I was treated to my first cup of Arabic coffee (which definitely gave me an extra boost of energy!), got a tour of the biggest kitchen garden I’ve ever seen (which included tasting freshly plucked figs!), and I got to watch a new way to prepare squash. See for yourself in the video above, How to Make Summer Squash Stuffed with Rice. While the food was cooking, Linda took us into her Studio. She showed us the original cookbook draft, which had led to an article in the Saudi Aramco World magazine. Her illustrations were wonderful and oh-so-colorful. I came away feeling richer, fuller. Not only did I get to meet Linda, but through her, her mom, Alice. I am so glad Linda endeavored over the years to write down recipes that were typically handed down through only oral traditions. And to also share family stories with these recipes. In a sense, by reading the cookbook, her family becomes a part of your family. That’s a nice gift. —Rebecca Additional Resources Linda Dalal Sawaya, cookbook author, artist, and writer Ethnic Cuisine: Lebanon Kitchen Gardeners International Lebanese Cuisine

This short excerpt shows members of the clean plate club at home, and also provides an unusual interpretation of the essential 7 food groups. Perhaps a little dry by present standards, this was a serious film in its day. Now I know why, I always had difficulty with the food group chart! Foundation Foods (1951); Producer: Avis Films

An inside look at a plant that freezes fresh, and locally produced fruits for use year round. Recipes from the episode: Blueberry Delight Pie; Blueberry Muffins Download Show: MP4 | WMV| iPhone Post a comment Director s Journal As many of you might already know, I’m a berry big fan of berries—all berries!! On top of that I love to see how things are done. So, going to visit where they freeze berries was a match for me. If you’re ever planning a trip to the Northwest (Oregon especially), I highly recommend the summer months. For that is the season for fresh berries. Berry picking time is so short compared to the enjoyment of them. I recently went out to pick one of my favorites: Marion berries. I found some that were just reaching their peak. Yum. I was picking at a good size berry farm, not too far from home, I walked around to see what else was ripening. I found a berry I had never heard of before: the Anne raspberry. It doesn’t look like your typical raspberry, y’know, that raspberry red color. This one was cream-colored, pale yellow. And the taste! Oooh! Melt in your mouth, almost like butter. I took them home and they were a hit with my boys, too. Fortunately I put some aside, washed them gently, spread them out on a cookie tray, and put them into the freezer for a few hours. When the Anne and Marion berries were frozen nuggets, I swooped them into a sealable bag to be put away for future use. A day down the road when the leaves have turned, and the chill has set in, I’ll reach into the berry bag and pull out a memory of hot days, dusty hillsides, and an orchestra of flavor. —Rebecca Additional Resources Willamette Valley Fruit Company US Highbush Blueberry Council Berry Growing All Year

Carlo Petrini, in this final installment, argues for economic respect, and fairness to the small farmers of the world. Economy and ecology, he reminds us, share the same roots, and that it is local economies that will save our society, and it s the global economy that threatens to destroy it. For those who may think of Slow Food in terms of being an organization striving to promote better conditions for farmers, and better awareness for people about the food they eat—while true—the ideas laid out by this founding visionary are a trumpet call for an entirely new world order.

Food prices in Europe, and The United States, have gone down markedly since 1970; when the average family spent 32% of their earnings on food, now that figure is 13%. What s wrong with cheap prices for food? It promotes mass food production, increases the risk of Mad Cow Disease, and creates more pollution directly related to food production.

According to Carlo Petrini, one of the great challenges we will face in the next few years is to create a sustainable community. Technology and economy should work together in harmony with nature, not interfere with it.

Somewhere on the evolutionary path of life, man came to think of himself as detached from nature. And even more, that nature must be controlled for the benefit of man. Our continued journey down this dark road brings us an inevitable step closer to oblivion. Our dilemma, is how to change our values, and beliefs about nature in order to avert our own demise.

Agriculture has by its very nature a system of built-in limitations. But, we have figured out how to bypass many of those limits, and as a result, we pay a terrible cost. In this segment, Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food International, outlines the serious problems we face from food production throughout the world. We have increased the quantity of the food we produce, but not the quality. Though there are 6 billion people living on this planet, we produce enough food to feed a population of 12 billion people. So why then, are there 800 million people suffering from hunger? Why are our farms more polluted than our cities? This is a wake-up call for the need for radical change.

Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food International shares his views about food, politics, and American culture on the road to a sustainable food nation. Part one explores the meaning of gastronomy, the current impact of food production upon the environment, and the pressing need for fundamental change. From Fast Food Nation to Slow Food Nation sponsored by Kaiser Permanente s Center For Health Research.

This odd, and very obscure film was made to look like a feature film depicting the early history of the Coca-Cola company. Filmed in 1941, this is a humorous short clip taken from the hour-long feature. Note the quirky reference to the 1920 s, and how Coke will do its part to promote prosperity throughout the decade. The ending here is perfect! Always Tomorrow (1941); Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization

It was once a common way to extend food beyond the immediate season. Two friends become involved in the ancient practice of preserving food, and in the process form a closer bond with nature and each other. Recipe from the episode: Small Batch Fresh Strawberry Jam Download Show: MP4 | WMV| iPhone Post a comment Director s Journal When’s the last time you canned something? Or, bought a lot of berries, peaches or beans, got the pots out, prepped the food, rolled up your sleeves, and got to it? Awhile, I bet. I live in an area that has an abundance of fresh food growing, and when I have a chance I take one of my boys and we go U-Picking. Berries are our favorite, I come home with pounds of them. I make a pie, maybe a crumble, and then freeze the rest. But I’d like to put them up, can them. Share the goodness with family and friends. But it’s been years, I needed a refresher. Enter Harriet and Marge from Preserve, two long time friends who got together to start teaching the lost art of preserving. It fits in with today’s path toward sustainable living: Buying local, growing your own, and preserving the abundance season by season. Watch the ‘how2 make Small Batch Jam’ and give it a shot (the recipe is posted through the link above). It’s actually fun. I brought home some fresh picked strawberries, made my own small batch, kept one jar for us and gave the other to a neighbor. You can even invite some friends over and make it a happening! Let me know how yours turned out! On another note, there is a Farm Bill Update posted on the Slow Food Seacoast website stating “On July 17,the House Agriculture Committee will meet to debate two Farm Bill drafts. If they make it out of committee on time, the week of July 26 is reserved for floor debate in the House on Farm Bill content. The Senate schedule has not yet been released. Now is the right time to make our voices heard. “ They go on to add a link to an e-letter for your representative, courtesy of the Farm and Food Policy Project. It’s time to put healthy, affordable food on our tables. —Rebecca Additional Resources Preserve Canning Supplies Pick Your Own

From the Prelinger Archives, this film gives a fascinating look back at the state of the art for the science of that day focusing on the remarkable soybean. Surprisingly, despite the somnolence of the narrator, and bits of campy dialogue, there is quite a bit of detailed, and interesting information about soybeans, their benefits for soil preservation, and the myriad ways soybeans were converted into other uses. Not to mention, some vintage 1950 s cars, and vintage lab equipment. This black and white (circa: 1952) film harkens back to an era that seems hundreds of years old compared with life today.

Ever since Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” first appeared, warning us against the dangers of chemicals in our natural world—we seem to be entering a new, more dangerous period, where the accumulated human effects upon the environment are producing an obvious toll. In this story, another human soul speaks out, this time, about the plight of the honeybees. Recipe from the episode: Honey Sweetened Apple Pie with Lemon Juice Download Show: MP4 | WMV Post a comment Director s Journal The impetus for this story originated over the past several months. A number of alarming stories were coming from news outlets that honeybees were facing a mysterious syndrome— Colony Collapse Disorder— that was leading to substantial population declines of honeybee colonies throughout areas of the world. I asked a friend of mine, who happens to be an entomologist, if he could refer me to a honeybee expert. He said, funny I should ask, he had just gotten out of a conference, and it’s being considered a big deal. He referred me to a couple of experts that included Dr. Lynn Royce. After talking to Lynn, it was clear that our story would not be just about this disorder. It would also be about Lynn and her passion for these bees, and an impassioned voice speaking on their behalf, and that of the environment. As Lynn warns in the piece, Colony Collapse Disorder, is a serious problem we must face with scientific honesty, or risk tremendous consequences not only for the honeybees, but for our species, as well. Honeybees are vital to human agriculture. Through care and management of her own hives, she is attempting to breed bee colonies that are resistant to a devastating parasite, the varrora mite. If her breeding efforts succeed, it may point the way toward developing commercial strains of honeybees that will be resistant to this mite, reducing the impact of at least one important stressor likely contributing to the Colony Collapse Disorder. Of course, we also were able to sample some of the honeybee’s honey. That was the sweetest part of this story. —Fred Additional Resources Honeybees Vanish, Leaving Keepers in Peril: New York Times, February 2007 The Biology of the Honeybee, Apis Mellifera: Journal Nature—Streaming video: The Honeybee Genome

Jon Bansen believes that since he converted his farm over to being organic and sustainable, he s becomes a much better farmer, and built a better business. In this story, there may be important lessons for both farmers and the American Public. Recipe from the episode: Egg Enchiladas Download Show: MP4 | iPod | WMV Post a comment Director s Journal I’m one of those folks from the 70’s who made everything from scratch, pickled and canned when I could, grew as many vegetables as my small city garden would hold, and was religious about recycling paper and plastics. As time went on, and life got busier with job and family, those pre-packaged foods became tempting, I stopped canning altogether, the garden (and then some) went to the wayside, and not every piece of paper made it to the recycling pile. But that is changing for me again. I feel like I’m coming full circle. Partly due to knowing what I do (big or small) has an effect on the planet, and partly due to meeting people like Jon Bansen who walk the talk. Here is someone who has essentially gone back to his roots, giving up the ‘lotions and potions’ in order to return to a way of farming that was familiar to the ways of his grandfather, before the term organic farming existed. More than just organic, it’s a holistic approach to the whole well-being of the animal down to care of the soil that provides the foundation for the nutritious grass that the cows need to eat in order to remain healthy. A simmering battle rages between two different world views: those who understand and respect the biology of living things, and the need to protect the environment for future generations; and those who seek to maximize yields and efficiencies at all costs; treating the farm as an industrial process that can (and must) be largely controlled by human intervention. Jon Bansen has returned to the traditional roots of farming, and is living proof (along with other sustainable farmers), that it is possible to be successful and also work in harmony with nature. In many ways, this is a return to the wisdom of earlier generations of farmers, an approach that is in sharp contrast to the methods and goals of “Modern Day Agriculture”. —Rebecca Additional Resources Organic Valley Family of Farms The New Farm (from The Rodale Institute) Graze, a monthly publication ‘by graziers, for graziers’ Soil Science Society of America

There is an unique rhythm to life in being a dairy farmer. Jon Bansen, a third generation farmer, owes his way of life to his grandfather who began the family tradition. Recipes from the episode: Danish Soup; Gourmet Mac Cheese Download Show: MP4 | iPod | WMV Post a comment Director s Journal This one was so much fun to do. I mean, who doesn’t love cows? Okay, maybe somebody out there. But I think you’ll like Jon Bansen’s cows. They’re jerseys. The brown ones. No black and white ones here. You see, he’s a 3rd generation dairyman and his dad and grandfather always had jerseys. I found them to be very sweet and curious. I found out a lot about cows and raising them on an organic farm. Jon feeds them primarily grass. Cows are ruminants. They are one of only a handful of animals whose digestive system is built around eating grass. And the time of year also affects the type of milk they produce. In the Spring the grass has a higher natural sugar content, resulting in a sweeter tasting milk. Did you know if you crouched down low as a cow approached you, it will make them stop and begin fidgeting in a nervous way? That’s what happened when I was getting a low shot of them coming up the path to the milking parlor. Shortly after I stood up, they would begin their ritual again. But as soon as I dropped low, they stopped. Jon said it’s because they thought I might be a wolf. Wow, cow psychology. There was so much to learn about Jon Bansen and his Double J Jerseys, that I decided to break it down into 2 parts (a first!). Part 1 is about The Family Tradition, and Part 2 goes into his philosophy and practice as an Organic Farmer. Being around all those cows and milk, I thought it would be fun to share a favorite comfy food: mac ‘n cheese. Ever make it from scratch? Ever think about adding other yummy stuff to it? Well, Chef Jacques does both in How2 make Gourmet Mac ‘n Cheese. And, be sure and try the Bansen tried and true recipe: Danish Soup. It’s one of their favorites. —Rebecca Additional Resources Organic Valley Family of Farms History of the Jersey Cow More About Ruminant Animals