VIDEO: Reactions To The Driscoll Strawberries Report - The 12 Pesticides Found On Them - 8 "Forever Chemicals"

I mean. We knew this. But with all the things going on - with all of the revelations of which Epstein-class billionaires (Bill Gates via his potato farms that make the McDonald's french fries - this is the same “philanthropist” trying to aid in curing or managing cancer) and which Zionists own which land in California, Washington state, and other parts of the country, and who is poisoning us and who is developing poisonous weapons to spray into us by demonstrating their vaporization on Palestinians and now Lebanese, it is time to face the "fresh" strawberry reality.

If they aren't bombing us or shooting us or tasering us, they are pesticiding us, and we do not want to give them the satisfaction of giving us cancer, to then cycle us in the harder to access medical care system as Medicaid and Medicare continue to get cut.

A video made by FlowersInSpanish (FLOR), a Protectora and Revolutionist, that encourages everyone to abandon Driscoll’s and store-bought produce all-together, has gone viral. A Little Beacon Blog has republished it below. FLOR says: “California grows 90% of ALL the strawberries in the United States. Driscoll’s sells nearly 40% of those strawberries. Driscoll’s headquarters is in Santa Cruz County, where childhood cancer rates are 38% higher than the rest of California. Driscoll’s continues to defend their use of pesticides PFAS ‘forever chemicals’.”

FLOR’s video and other articles and videos was sparked by Mamavation, a group who commissions independent laboratory investigations into everyday products to reveal truths about those products to help us claim a more non-toxic lifestyle. Mamavation produced a report on Driscoll strawberries, both organic and the regular version. Washing the poison off can be difficult and time consuming.

The report found that regular version of the Driscoll strawberry - which often looks perfect, beautiful and juicy - tested positive for 12 different pesticides, 8 of which are linked to the "forever chemical" that can remain in the body and the environment for long periods of time. These are known as PFAS-linked pesticides.

In a later video, FlowersInSpanish said this: “It's not just about strawberries. It's pesticides banned in other countries. It's poisoned land, air and water. It's severely hurting farmworkers. It's standing against an industrial food system that puts project over everyone's health, including yours.”

Hudson Valley based Amber Katz wrote an article at Yahoo Creators in the Lifestyle section that highlights this report. Amber is a lifestyles and beauty writer and copywriting business owner who writes for Westchester & Hudson Valley Magazines, The Seattle Times, and her own Things I Buy As A Civilian.

After explaining the Mamavation report and what regular Driscoll strawberries contain, which includes pointing out: “The report alleged that several of the detected levels exceeded stricter standards used in other countries, including the European Union, Taiwan, Chile, Korea, and Russia — but those international standards vary significantly from US regulations and from each other,” Amber says that the organic Driscoll line is OK.

ALBB is skipping Driscoll for now. Amber makes several organic strawberry recommendations in her next article.

ORGANIC RECOMMENDATIONS FROM AMBER KATZ

FRESH ORGANIC
Naturipe Farms
Well Pict

FROZEN ORGANIC
Earthbound Farm
Cascadian Farm
Wyman's
Whole Foods 365 Organic frozen berries
Trader Joe's brand organic frozen berry

Amber reports that Cosco's Kirkland Signature organic frozen berries are acceptable to her standards, but ALBB doesn't trust the Kirkland brand because the label on their beef patties says that they "may" contain pork, and that's weird. Also, the blood from Kirkland's beef patties forms into a gelatin that we don't need. Therefore, Kirkland brand is out for ALBB.

HUDSON VALLEY FARMER'S MARKETS

Not everyone at local Farmer's Markets will be certified organic (Beacon, Cold Spring, Newburgh, Cornwall, and a new one emerging in Wappingers). But you can ask the farmers how they grow their produce, and make your decision on their answers. Being certified organic is an expensive and bureaucratic process that not every farmer can afford to pay. However, our local farmers' growing practices may be just as good or better. They perhaps did not pursue paying for the right to say "certified organic."

SNAP and EBT benefits (food stamps) are accepted at the Beacon, Cold Spring Farmer's and Newburgh Farmers' Markets and offer the New York State's Fresh Connect $2 Coupon (free $2 bills that buy fresh food). The Beacon Farmer's Market fundraising program Soup4Greens raises funds for their Greens4Greens program that provides for this.

For every $2 of SNAP processed, customers will receive a $2 NY Fresh Connect coupon (up to $50) to add to the money they can spend at the market.

YOUR BACKYARD

You could always try growing your own strawberries. ALBB recommends the Ruth Stout hay mulch method to lock in moisture and block out weeds.

3 Farmer's Markets Close For Cold Weather And Forecasted Snowfall - Farmer Businesses Struggle

Winters are always hard for brick and mortar businesses, as people stay inside during bad weather and daylight is shorter. This winter has been especially hard for businesses selling at Farmers Markets, as cold temperatures and snowfall have impeded the ability to stay open.

This year marks the first winter the Cornwall Farmer’s Market has attempted to stay open through the winter. While fewer vendors signed on to show up during the winter, businesses including Eggbert’s Free Range Farm and The Shake and Grind. Due to cold weather or snow, Cornwall has closed their market 5 times so far this season.

Cold Spring Farmer’s Market has closed 3 times this winter and closed early once, leaving the choice to vendors on if they want to come in or not. Last Saturday marked an especially difficult day for market vendors who did decide to come in. The Cold Spring Farmer’s Market ends at 1pm, which was in the middle of snowfall and bad roads, resulting in some vendors being stuck in traffic for hours.

Beacon Farmer’s Market has also closed 3 times, due in part to the City of Beacon requiring the use of the public parking lot at the DMV. During the first two snowfalls, the City of Beacon allowed the market to stay open, but last Sunday claimed it for parking, and is doing so again this Sunday.

This has been economically hard on farmers who harvested crop or sell fresh meat or fish, as well as on makers who have inventory stockpiled. Also impacted is the ability for SNAP recipients to cash their dollars in for Fresh Connect currency from New York State, and the Beacon Farmer’s Market’s Greens4Greens currency, which enable SNAP recipients to shop the market for fresh food.

After this weekend’s upcoming closure, the Beacon Farmer’s Market has created a page on their website that links to vendors’ websites as a way to order online. The market has been known to act as a conduit between vendors and customers during times of crisis, and did build a website during the COVID shutdown before the vendors moved outside for the winter to stay accessible to customers.

Vendors like Eggbert’s Free Range Farm built their own websites during that time, with the help of local website designers like Katie James Inc. who specialize in ecommerce websites. “I am so glad we built our web shop,” Carrie Sabins, owner of Eggbert’s told A Little Beacon Blog. “I restock the online web shop from my phone, and text my customers to place orders when they can’t get to market. We offer free delivery, so we always encourage customers to order this way. This winter has been hard for us. Our inventory is in our freezers and our butcher’s freezers as we deal with these closures.”

The community is encouraged to order online from all market vendors, which includes staples like Edgwick Farm (goats), Chaseholm Farm (cheese), The Challah Pixie (bread), Upstate Granola, Eggbert’s Free Range Farm (meat, eggs, chicken), and others.


The Mobile Farmers Market From Common Greens Opens Wednesdays At 2 Community Locations

The Common Green Mobile Farmers Market, open Wednesdays from July - September, 2019. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The Common Green Mobile Farmers Market, open Wednesdays from July - September, 2019.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

COMMON GREENS MOBILE MARKET TIMES

Beacon’s Community Health Center on Henry Street
Wednesdays, 11 am to 12:30 pm

Forrestal Heights, in Parking Lot #2
Next to the Senior Friendship Center
Wednesdays, 1 to 2 pm

July - September 2019

The green bus of Common Greens’ Mobile Farmers Market has been seen powering up and down Beacon’s streets, making its way to its two parking lot destinations every Wednesday from July to September! The program’s mission is to reach low-income families in the City of Beacon with farm-fresh produce directly from Common Ground’s farm located on Route 9D.

The two locations are Beacon’s Community Health Center parking lot on Henry Street (Wednesdays, 11 am to 12:30 pm), and Forrestal Heights, in Parking Lot #2, next to the Senior Friendship Center (Wednesdays, 1 to 2 pm). The Common Greens Mobile Farmers Market accepts WIC, FMNP, EBT/SNAP, and Greens 4 Greens. The currency known as Greens 4 Greens is also accepted at the Beacon Farmers Market on Sundays from 10 am to 3 pm at Veterans Place.

According to Common Ground’s website, their produce is reaching the low-income families it is targeting: “In 2017, a combined total of over 2,000 pounds of produce from Common Ground and the Green Teen gardens was sold at the Common Greens market, and 61% of mobile market sales were made using some form of food benefit, which is an indication that the market is reaching our target population.”

Common Greens Mobile Farmers Market was created in partnership with Green Teen Community Gardening Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County. The County of Dutchess partially funds Cooperative Extension in Dutchess County.