The Capital Press today reported that a Federal District judge in California has ordered an impact study on Roundup Ready alfalfa, a genetically modified organism (GMO).

As producers of organic alfalfa pasture for our organic grass fed beef, we are relieved here at Alderspring Ranch.

This alfalfa, genetically modified to resist glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, has potential to contaminate our organic alfalfa, and jeopardize our organic certification.  In fact, Monsanto has. in an Orwellian twist of legal logic, successfully sued producers whose crops were contaminated with Monsanto’s patented plant genes for patent infringement.  (See keepmainefree.org/suesuesue)

The Center for Food Safety, the Western Organization of Resource Councils, the National Family Farm Coalition, The Sierra Club, Beyond Pesticides, Cornucopia Institute, The Dakota Resource Council, Trask Family Seeds, and Geertson Seed Farms initiated the legal action against the USDA in February 2006.  The lawsuit argued that the USDA’s approval of deregulating of "Roundup Ready Alfalfa" was illegal because a thorough environmental impact study wasn’t completed.  They successfully convinced Judge Breyer that the USDA had failed to completely assess the potential that GM alfalfa could harm the environment and contaminate organic and non-GMO alfalfa crops.

Anyone interested in pure food should be concerned about genetically modified crops.

Learn more:

NewScientist.com instant expert on Genetically Modified Organisms
Network of Concerned Farmers (in Australia) list of 10 reasons for concern about GMO crops.
U.S. Center for Food Safety’s 2005 report Monsanto vs. U.S. Farmers.  Some highlights:

• "To date, Monsanto has filed 90 lawsuits against American farmers. The lawsuits involve 147 farmers and 39 small businesses or farm companies, and have been directed at farmers residing in half of the states in the U.S.
• The odds are clearly stacked against the farmer: Monsanto has an annual budget of $10 million dollars and a staff of 75 devoted solely to investigating and prosecuting farmers."
• Farmers have paid a mean of $412,259.54 for cases with recorded judgments.
• Farmers have been sued after their field was contaminated by pollen or seed from someone else’s genetically engineered crop; when genetically engineered seed from a previous year’s crop has sprouted, or “volunteered,” in fields planted with non-genetically engineered varieties the following year…"

Today’s announcement of another mad cow in Canada was apparently met with a total yawn by the American press. While the press release, Canadian Food Inspection Agency – News Release – BSE Case Confirmed in British Columbia was picked up by several Canadian outlets (as well as an Australian one), U.S. media appears to have ignored it except in the agricultural press.

It is of interest to American agribusiness because of the current effort to remove the existing restrictions on movement of Canadian cattle and beef into the United States.  All Canadian beef was restricted in 2003 after the discovery of a BSE infected cow in Canada.  In 2005, that ban was partially lifted, and last year, the USDA proposed a rule that would allow importation into the U.S. of any Canadian cattle born after Canada’s 1999 ban of using rendered cattle and high risk material in cattle feed.  Comments for that rule closed in March.  The animal in the current case would have been allowed into the U.S. system under that proposed rule.

Currently, any live cattle imported from Canada must be under 30 months of age and must be going directly to a feedlot or processing facility.

Of course, beef that are 100% grass fed have never eaten any "feed," just grass and hay.  Although no one else seems to care, I’m glad we eat our own beef.

This site doesn’t distinguish grass fed beef recipes, like we do on Alderspring, but All Recipes hosts over 40,000 recipes submitted by home cooks, reviewed by home cooks.  You can search by main ingredient or class of dish.  While many of the recipes are typical church cookbook type (e.g., using canned cream-of-something soup), there is a whole section of healthy recipes, and even a section called "Farmer’s Market" that highlights the most popular vegetable recipes.

All recipes – complete resource for recipes and cooking tips

The spring weather has us thinking of camping and about cooking outdoors. This is a fun steak to make while camping or picnicking because the steak is placed directly on hot coals to cook. You can premix the marinade at home. Use hardwood for the fire to make clean coals.

Large corn or flour tortillas
2 large red peppers
2 large green peppers
2 large mild red onion
Sour cream, salsa and sliced avocados
2 pounds skirt steak cut into a few large pieces

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 green onions, coarsely chopped
3 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice (can substitute lemon)
1/2 teaspoon mild red pepper flakes (can substitute hot)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or honey

To make marinade, puree all ingredients but the meat in a blender. Marinate meat in a large, heavy-duty, zip top bag for at least an hour, or up to 3 hours. Burn wood or charcoal until gray ash appears. Remove steak from marinade, drain well and then pat dry with paper towels. Blow coals clean of ash. Lay steaks directly onto hot coals for 1 minute per side, turning with a tongs. When finished cooking, quickly place meat in double thickness of aluminum foil, wrap, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

While the meat is resting, heat tortillas on the same coals, and grill red and green peppers and onion quarters on sticks. Remove meat from foil, reserving foil and juices. Slice thinly across the grain of the meat. Return to foil pouch and toss with juice. Wrap the meat and grilled veggies in a hot tortilla with a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and avocado slices.