Did you know that every minute, two acres of farmland gets paved over? If you’re a fan of farmers markets, like I am, that’s a really sad statistic. To raise awareness and give a little credit where credit is way overdue, the nonprofit American Farmland Trust is sponsoring the America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market Contest. Find your market online and cast your vote! Results will be announced during Farmers Market Week, August 2-9. (Farmers, if you want your spot included in the database, you can enroll your market at the AFT site, too.) The AFT works to “protect the nation’s best farm and ranch land and improve the economic viability of agriculture, including working with federal, state and local leaders and communities to develop legislation, implement policies and execute programs that keep farmers on their land and protect our environment.” Check out their 7 Ways to Save Farmland for ideas on making a difference in keeping real, healthy, and local food alive and economically viable for those who grow it.

I’m working late and have plans to attend a play later, so it’s this quick recipe to the rescue for dinner tonight: Serrano-Lime Chicken Fajitas. I don’t have a serrano pepper, so I’ll use jalapeno; crushed red pepper flakes would also work. Regular onion would sub for red onion, and I prefer red bell peppers to green, so those will go in too. And I’m a huge fan of Santa Cruz Organic Lime Juice (and their Lemon Juice, too); in my experience, it’s the nearest thing to fresh-squeezed lime juice out there, and way more convenient.

Right when I thought I had this sunscreen business down (I often find myself more pasty after spending time in the sun) and that the debate was settled (everyone knows you need to wear sunscreen, right?) I read about a report from European consumer watchdog organization, Which? saying that sunscreen manufacturers are labeling products with false SPF values. Sadly, that’s not the part the troubled me. Misguided consumers are deciding the best way to respond the results is to STOP wearing sunscreen. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite (or burn) your face. If the results are in fact accurate (there’s still much debate on the processes behind the study), it’s discouraging that my SPF 30 may actually be more like an SPF 27. I may even have less confidence in the labels on my products. But how should this type of information, these scares, impact our actions? We run into similar dilemmas often, whether it be with recent food recalls or this Which? product investigation. I’m certainly not going to stop wearing sunscreen–or eating peanut butter. When it comes to our health, our diets and bodies, is there such a thing as a healthy dose of skepticism?

What would July 4th be without lots and lots of summer food—burgers, watermelon, ice cream, and so many other delicious seasonal eats? Here’s a cool idea from Kitchen Garden International that I saw on Slow Food USA’s blog: Next week, why not celebrate the awesome food choices we enjoy and source all of your festive fare from local, sustainable, organic farmers and producers? Goodness knows, this is easier said than done. But even if you opt for local organic cherries over imported watermelon, you are still “voting with your fork.” I’ll be in New Jersey visiting relatives and there’s a little independent store I’ve got in mind. It’s within walking distance of my in-laws’ home, and it used to be a farm back when my husband was growing up there. They still stock local produce, even though it’s not grown right on the premises. Crossing my fingers that their to-die-for raspberries are ready!

Have you ever stopped to wonder who owns and distributes the seeds that become the plants you eat (or that feed the animals that become your burger)? I’ve trained myself to look at produce and ask, “Was it grown locally? Is it organic?” But beyond that I don’t normally wonder where the seed comes from. Looking at a loaf of bread is even more problematic. And yet consolidation of ownership of seed stocks is happening rapidly in the U.S. and globally according to data from Montana State. more

A Nevada company (Chemnutra, Inc) and its owners pled guilty in federal court on June 16, 2009 to distributing a tainted ingredient used to make pet food, which resulted in a nationwide recall of pet food and the death and serious illness of countless pets across the United States in 2007.More than 800 metric tons of wheat gluten tainted with melamine was imported by Chemnutra into the United States from China in at least 13 separate shipments, between Nov. 6, 2006, and Feb. 21, 2007. Chemnutra received the melamine-tainted product and then sold and shipped the product to their customers across the United States, who used it to manufacture various brands of pet food.

There’s no getting around it: School lunches are a travesty. Under current legislation, high-fructose corn syrup juices, french fries, and even candy bars are not considered junk food; seltzer water IS (go figure). Finally, finally, a movement to upgrade school lunches and revise these appalling standards is gaining momentum. A new bill, the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act, was introduced just this spring; to support it, write your congressperson and/or sign a petition that will be delivered to Congress on June 24. And watch for the Sept issue of DL, which includes an interview with Ann Cooper, The Renegade Lunch Lady, who is on a mission to improve what we feed our kids in school, one lunch at a time. She started in East Hampton, NY, then took on Berkeley, Calif, and is now getting ready to feed 30,000 school kids right here in Boulder, CO. more

The U.S. and Canada signed an agreement yesterday recognizing each country’s organic standards as “equivalent.” Although differences do exist (notably the allowed use of sodium nitrate in greater amounts in Canada) many feel this is a step in the right direction—toward shared global organic standards. It’s likely both countries will benefit from expanded market opportunities. According to the Organic Consumers Association more

I’d never tried this Asian green before, but I sauteed a bunch that I received from my CSA yesterday. I served it next to a simple organic spinach spaghetti with olive oil and fresh parmesan. It was totally delicious. Over medium-high heat I heated a tablespoon of quality extra virgin olive oil; once heated I added minced garlic (2 small cloves) and cooked for about 15 seconds, just long enough to release the flavor. Then I added the greens and cooked until wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Sauteed, the mizuna looked a lot like the chicory I love so much in Italy. But it was greener, had an almost creamy texture, and became sweeter, losing the pungency of the raw green. Try it instead of chard or spinach; I’ll definitely look for it again!

Increasing vitamin D intake may help you shed some extra lbs, according to findings presented at the Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Past studies have linked vitamin D deficiency and obesity (thought it’s not clear if inadequate vitamin D causes obesity or the other way around), but this new research followed 38 overweight men and women on a calorie-restricted diet for 11 weeks, and showed that increasing vitamin D intakes during a calorie-restricted diet may improve weight loss. Higher baseline vitamin D levels were also linked to increased loss of abdominal fat. Another recent study that appeared in April’s issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that supplementing with vitamin D may also improve cardiovascular health during weight loss.