The Dark Side of the Organic Food Movement

Culprits of a Marketing Scam

Culprits of a Marketing "Scam"

To the average shopper, these harmless plastic bags of dried mushrooms are nothing but that. But to the discerning eye of a mushroom forager, there is a marketing scam upon us. Although not pictured above, this company also sells a USDA certified, organic morel mushroom. But, as you may or may not know, the morel mushroom – aka morchella – is incapable of being farmed. That is to say, you can only find fresh morels in the forest. How then, can there be a USDA certified, organic morel mushroom for sale at the New Seasons Market?
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Thanksgiving Menu

This Thursday my wife and I will host our first Thanksgiving. Though smaller than previous years, our intimate meal will be all family, all love and plenty of delicious food (that’s the hope.)
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Children of the Asphalt

It’s mushroom season in Russia, do you know where your babushka is?
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Success!

In total, today's three hour hunt produced about 5 pounds.

Finally, we found ourselves some chanterelle mushrooms!

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Immersed in the Northwest (weekly menu 8)

The local food movement is about place and the desire to reconnect oneself to foods that are either grown, raised or native to where we live. Learning the locality of our foods is not only a challenge to engage but an education to gain. For all of our technological gadgets and modern amenities, there is something romantic and pragmatic about knowing where you live and what foods are grown there. Some might say this is about redefining ‘home.’ Our sense of place effects our identity, whether urban or rural, rich or poor. The local food movement deepens this shift in self, now we can literally taste and smell and touch those earthly things that make our environment, home.
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