The recent recall of half a billion eggs from 2 large farms in Iowa is shining a spotlight on our food chain. Are factory farming practices of increasing profits by squeezing hens in close quarters causing these problems?  Having just a handful of food producers due to industry consolidation add to the problem.  California has new regulations taking in effect in 2015 requiring cage-free treatment of hens.  It also bans all eggs coming from outside the state that fail to comply with this battery-cage rule.

Confusing Egg Terminology

Cage-free - Most cage-free hens live in very large flocks that can consist of many thousands of hens who never go outside. However, unlike battery hens, cage-free hens are able to walk, spread their wings and lay their eggs in nests.

Organic - As certified by the USDA, this label requires some outdoor exposure.

Pasture-raised - This and other classifications indicate outside forage on vegetation and insects.

Certified humane - Endorsed by the Humane Society, this does not require access to the outdoors but has standards for air quality and lighting.

Organic Eggs

Organic Eggs have better flavor and the chickens laying them have been feed organic feed. Eating them is a good way to  help minimize risk of exposure to antibiotics, or synthetic hormones and pesticides while obtaining a healthy dose of nutrients.  We could not find studies that validate these suggestions though.

Egg Cooking Tips

Eggs need to be fully cooked properly to prevent food poisoning and salmonella contamination. Bacteria can exist inside an uncracked, uncooked whole egg. Avoid eating raw cookie dough with egg or making ice cream with egg or Caesar salad dressing with raw eggs. Cook eggs until the egg yolk and the egg white are firm. Cook egg custard used in eggnog, homemade ice cream, and quiches to at least 160 degrees. Bake egg meringues at 350 degrees for at least 15 minutes on the lower rack of your oven.

Be sure to read our Healthy Food Options to avoid Chemicals

Here are some non obvious recycling tips from our local garbage carrier, Allied Waste.  Check with your local company to verify how they handle recycling.

1) Rinsed coated milk and juice cartons. Plastic caps and plastic pour spouts must be removed before recycling.

2) No Pizza boxes

3) No black plastic (any type)

4) No nursery plant containers – See Recycle Plastic Nursery pots

5) No Toys

6) No Plastic Clam shells. Tetra Pak can be recycled.

7) Cardboard boxes like detergent ones cannot be recycled unless they are thoroughly cleaned.

Allied Waste recycles single use batteries if you place them in a plastic bag on top of recyclables.  Best Buy has recycling bins for rechargeable batteries. Earth911 can help you find local battery recycling.

Harder to Recycle Items

Most supermarkets have bins that recycle plastic bags. Recycle Wine Corks.

Recycle CFL – compact fluorescent light bulbs at Home Depot.

TerraCycle makes affordable, eco-friendly products from a wide range of different non-recyclable waste materials. Capri Sun – Honest Kids juice pouches can be recycled at Terracycle as Candy Wrappers, Starbucks Coffee bags, Zip Loc Bags, Cookie Wrappers, Colgate toothpaste, and more.

Recycling styrofoam is a challenge. Recycle Tyvek Envelopes. Recycle Shrink Wrap. Recycle Gift Wrap and Holiday Cards. Recycle Gift Cards.

Recycle Bike Tires.

Recycle Clothes. Recycle Eyeglasses

Recycle Carpet.

Cell phones and Electronics can be readily recycled or donated. Recycle Appliances.

Earth911 has recycling options for other products. Get paid to recycle.

Be sure to donate unwanted items.

We’ve covered the economics of a vegetable garden in the past.  While they are quite favorable, so people do not have the space or green thumb to start a full blown garden. Granted these items do cost money.

Earth Solutions sells a Farm in a Box that lets people easily “grow organic fish and vegetables in natural harmony, with no dirt and weeds!”

Earthbox is a “maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden- with less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort.” Amazon even sells this.

A recent article titled: Why Are So Few Chemicals Tested? reminded us about how scary the chemical world is.

“Many of the chemicals we use for everyday activities like washing our clothes and cleaning our dishes have never been tested for safety. Since the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) became law in 1976, the number of chemicals in commercial products has risen from 60,000 to 80,000, yet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required testing on only 200 and restricted just five.”

Under this act, chemicals are given the benefit of doubt. They are presumed safe unless proven unsafe. New laws are being proposed that would allow the EPA to regulate of new and existing chemicals and to take faster action. You sure do express your support for these measures with your local representatives.

A recent CNN program – Toxic America by Dr. Sanjay Gupta reiterates elements of a safe and clean home.

NatureMill makes the new NatureMill Automatic composter that takes the pain out of composting. Composting takes kitchen scrapes and yard waste and turns them into super fertilizer, helping to divert waste from the trash pile. This product is ideal for apartments and non-gardeners.

Traditionally, you take your scraps to a compost box outside and mix them with grass, leaves, and other yard waste.  You need to balance green items and brown items and wait several months for results.

This new appliance does it all for you.  Just add food waste and it does the rest.  No need to collect waste, hike out to the backyard, rotate stuff. In two weeks you have compost.  It only uses 5 kwh of power a month, approximately $0.50 per month. This device is made recycled and recyclable materials and starts at $299.99 from amazon.  Review