Meatless Monday: What Goes in Must Come Out

… And that is the big problem with the dairy boom. The dairy business is having a growth spurt in the Northeast, particularly across the border in New York state which has become the mecca for Greek yogurt makers. Since Greek yogurt is manufactured by straining out the whey and water, it requires three times the amount of milk to make the finished project, which means three times the cows. Three times the cows also equates to three times the waste.

Let’s start with just one cow. The EPA tells us that a single dairy cow produces approximately 120 pounds of wet manure per day, and that the waste produced per day by one dairy cow is equal to that of 20-40 people. That’s the scoop on the solid waste. Cows also manufacture a lot of gas. According to MIT, one cow passes 480 liters of methane gas a day. To put this into context, a large bottle of soda is 2 liters.  

So far we have been talking one cow. California is the nation’s number one dairy state with 1.4 million cows. Ready for some math? 1.4 million x 120 pounds = 168 million pounds of solid waste a day. Each day the same cows also produce 672 million liters of methane, a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. And that’s just in California!

Back in 1999, the EPA and the state of California, in recognition of this problem, worked together to forge the Dairy Quality Assurance Partnership, a collaborative effort to address the issues the California dairies face.

In 1997, on the other side of the country, Matt and Ben Freund, two forward thinking brothers managing a family farm in northwestern Connecticut, decided to tackle the problem of their dairy waste. Their dad Eugene had been one of the first in the state to store manure to be later used as fertilizer. The brothers decided to invest in a methane digester, and their farm became one of the first in the country to separate their cows’ raw manure into methane gas which is collected and burned as fuel, liquid which is used to fertilize the fields, and solid matter which continues to compost. 

Not content merely to see the solid cow manure as compost, the innovative brothers began exploring ways to turn the solid waste into a biodegradable plant starting pot. They acquired some grants from the USDA and began a series of home kitchen toaster oven experiments (according to the their website). 

The end result was the CowPot, a durable container for starting seedlings which can withstand months of growing in the greenhouse, but will totally dissolve within four weeks of being planted in the ground, while continuing to feed the plant. 

I heard about these at Master Gardening class. Unlike peat pots, CowPots can be placed directly into the ground, leaving the plant roots undisturbed and eliminating “transplant shock.” Since they disintegrate totally, they do not wick moisture. Read the testimonials here. 

This product is great for both the farmer and the grower. Kudos to these ingenious brothers!

And now to why I am talking about this on Meatless Monday. Two things:

• CowPots are perfect for starting your vegetable seedlings, your future food. And the time to think about that is now! 
• The dairy industry has a big footprint. Be aware when making your food choices, and above all, don’t waste your food! Some yogurt producers manage their waste stream better than others. But that will have to be a future post…

Happy Monday! Have a great week and come back to visit soon.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Occupying My Thoughts

The New Haven Green occupies the center square of New Haven’s original nine squares. An oasis in the midst of downtown, it serves as a common gathering place for the enjoyment of all. Declared a National Historic District in 1970, the Green is lined with elms and other shade trees. Specimen trees, some very old, others planted in recent decades as part of a plan to restore the Green, dot the interior of the portion known as the Upper Green, west of the three historic churches, east of Yale’s Old Campus. 

This is the site Occupy New Haven has chosen to occupy. The sole surviving Occupy encampment in New England, Occupy New Haven has been asked by City officials to vacate in recent weeks.

The Occupiers refuse to leave. They obtained a lawyer, Norm Pattis. They received an extension to the deadline set by the City for their eviction. They had their day in court. They received another extension until April 9, when a judge will issue an official decision on the matter. 

I sympathized with the Occupiers when they first arrived. How could I not? They were angry about bailouts for the same banks who had foreclosed on so many. They were angry at the wealthy 1% when they themselves could not find work. I agreed they had a right to assemble on the Green as countless other protestors (including me) had over the years. But setting up a permanent tent city? I draw the line there. The right to free speech is not the same as the right to camp on public land indefinitely.

Where the Occupy camp stands, the site is an eyesore. The Green is no longer green; the bare ground is packed down hard. The cost to the City for police and sanitation mounts each day the Occupiers remain.  

I love plants and trees. I am on my way to becoming a Master Gardener. One of the first things we learned in class is that tree roots need oxygen to thrive. One of the biggest killers of urban trees is soil compaction. Soil compaction restricts water and oxygen uptake by roots, and is associated with … foot traffic … and a host of other factors. With the weight of the Occupation over their roots all these months, the trees must be stressed. A stressed tree is prone to illness and disease, just as people are. It is estimated that just one healthy 10 year old tree absorbs 48 pounds of CO2 a year, releasing enough oxygen into the air to support two human beings. This benefit is in addition to the shade a healthy tree supplies, the wildlife it supports, and the beauty it contributes to the urban landscape.

The Occupiers' tent city is depriving City residents and visitors of their  right to enjoy the Green, “one of the most beautiful public greens in the country.” It is costing the City money it does not have to spend. Most importantly, it is jeopardizing the health of the Green's trees.

It is time for Occupy to go. Yes, I feel a twinge of remorse in saying this. But as a City resident who is striving to be “green,” it is impossible for me to think any other way.

Meatless Monday: Acorn Squash Casserole

Recipe du Jour

Yes, it’s a short post today. Here’s the story…

Some weeks ago I had some native acorn squash I needed to use before it went to waste. I searched online for recipes, but didn’t find anything that fit my mood or the ingredients on hand. With what I’d found as inspiration, I came up with my own recipe for Acorn Squash Casserole. It was good, very good.

I sent it to Joey, my contact at Meatless Monday. She liked it, and asked for a photo. Can you believe I had neglected to photograph my dish? So, I went to the market, bought some more squash (from Mexico, alas) and made it again. The verdict was still 4 thumbs up!

Here’s the photo. [Thanks, Don.]

The extra effort paid off. Today my Acorn Squash Casserole is one of Meatless Monday’s featured recipes. Go to the Meatless Monday site for today, March 26, to find the recipe. All the ingredients and cooking instructions are there, as well as the nutritional information.  

I hope you will give my recipe a try. It’s a good source of protein and fiber and pretty low in carbs. It’s easy to make, the active cooking time is really short, and you can use it as a main course or as a side. 

While you’re there, take some time to check out the rest of the site. See who else has joined the movement. You will find I’m in good company. 

Happy Monday. Have a great week. And stop by again soon.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”