- Almost everywhere food is sold, you are likely to find products claiming to contain no genetically modified substances, but unless you are buying wild mushrooms, game, berries or fish, that statement is untrue. Nearly every food we eat has been genetically modified, through centuries of crosses, both within and between species. The claims of no genetic modification really refer to foods that contain no ingredients that are produced through the highly refined technique of gene splicing, in which one or a few genes are transferred to an organism.
- Americans have consumed more than a trillion servings of foods that contain gene-spliced ingredients, and there hasn't been a single untoward event documented, not a single ecosystem disrupted or person made ill. That is not something that can be said about conventional foods, where imprecise methods of genetic modification have caused illnesses. (Dr. Henry I. Miller, Hoover Institution fellow and author of The Frankenfood Myth.)
- In a telephone survey of 1,200 Americans released in October, 2004, by the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers University, 43 percent thought, incorrectly, that ordinary tomatoes did not contain genes, while genetically modified tomatoes did. One-third thought, again incorrectly, that eating genetically modified fruit would change their own genes.
- In 2001, US farmers grew 88 million acres of genetically engineered crops, mostly soybean, corn and cotton. Farmers liked the genetically engineered soybean and cotton varieties so much that they planted them on 70 percent of each crop's acreage.
- Other genetically engineered crops approved for commercial use include papaya, canola, tomato, potato, flax, squash, sugar beet and radicchio. Most of these crops are not grown today, despite approval for release.
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People live in warm houses and wear heavy coats outside in winter. We find plenty of food at the grocery store. But what happens to the animals? Farm Animals In colder parts of the country, farm animals may go into a barn or some other shelter, but in Oklahoma most farm animals stay outdoors. The farmer/rancher may build or plant a wind break to provide shelter from the harshest conditions. Farm animals adapt to the cold weather by gaining weight and growing winter coats. The farmer or rancher checks daily to make sure livestock has enough food and water. When temperatures drop, ponds may freeze, so the farmer/rancher chops through the ice with an ax to make a hole big enough for the animals to drink from. Animals need large amounts of food in winter to stay warm, so round bales of hay are delivered to the field by tractor for the animals to eat. Video of Nebraska hog farmer showing how she cares for her animals in winter. The wild ancestors of farm animals survived winter in several ways, just as wild animals do today. Migration The wild ancestors of cattle were probably migratory, like bison, deer and elk. These animals move around in search of food and shelter. Many birds migrate in the fall. Because the trip can be dangerous, some travel in large flocks. Many fish migrate, too. They may swim south, or move into deeper, warmer water. Insects also migrate. Some butterflies and moths fly very long distances. For example, Monarch butterflies spend the summer in Canada and the Northern U.S. They migrate as far south as Mexico for the winter. Most migrating insects go much shorter distances. Many, like termites and Japanese beetles, move downward into the soil. Earthworms also move down, some as far as six feet below the surface. Adaptation Some wild animals adapt, like farm animals that stay outdoors in winter. To keep warm, they may grow new, thicker fur. On weasels and snowshoe rabbits, the new fur is white to help them hide in the snow. Food is hard to find in the winter. Some animals, like squirrels, mice and beavers, gather extra food in the fall and store it to eat later. Some, like rabbits and deer, spend winter looking for moss, twigs, bark and leaves to eat. Other animals eat different kinds of food as the seasons change. The red fox eats fruit and insects in the spring, summer and fall. In the winter, it cannot find these things, so instead it eats small rodents. Wild boar, the wild cousins of domestic swine, adapt by growing heavier coats and changing their diet. Animals may find winter shelter in holes in trees or logs, under rocks or leaves, or underground. Some mice even build tunnels through the snow. Animals like squirrels and mice may huddle close together. Hibernation Some animals "hibernate" for part or all of the winter. This is a special, very deep sleep. The animal's body temperature drops, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy. In the fall, these animals get ready for winter by eating extra food and storing it as body fat. They use this fat for energy while hibernating. Some also store food like nuts or acorns to eat later in the winter. Bears, skunks, chipmunks, and some bats hibernate. In ancient times, people living in cold climates may have survived the winter with their own form of hibernation. One historian reports that in the mountains of France, when the weather turned cold, people would settle in for warmth with their cows and pigs and do nothing for months on end. This practice also helped conserve limited food supplies. Days listed have correlating activities that can be found in Acres of Agventures, available for loan from Rock Island AITC.
January is National Soup Month. In early times soup was called "pottage" (from pot and the Latin potare, to drink), but by the Middle Ages, the word "soup" had replaced "pottage" in most European languages. The word soup is thought to have come from the sound made by slurping hot liquid from a spoon. Some variations of the word are soop, sopa, sope, soepe, suppa, soppe, soep, suppe, soppa, sopera, soupe, chupe, zuppa, and zup. To sup was to eat the evening meal at which soup was traditionally served. Eventually the meal itself became supper. Most soups have stock as a base. Stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water, including meat, bones, vegetables, herbs and spices. The flavor of bone stock comes from the cartilege and connective tissue in the bones. The gelatin in bone broth has many health benefits. Connective tissue has collagen in it, which gets converted to gelatin that thickens the stock. The less desirable parts of vegetables (such as carrot skins and celery ends) are often used in stock. Lessons & Activities Wheat originated in southwest Asia in what is now known as a the Fertile Crescent. While wheat was grown in the United States during the early colonial years, it was not until the late 19th century that wheat cultivation flourished, owing to the importation of an especially hardy strain of wheat known as Turkey red wheat. Russian immigrants who settled in Kansas brought Turkey red wheat with them. Unlike most other crops, hard red winter wheat is planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. Wheat is the major ingredient in most breads, rolls, crackers, cookies, biscuits, cakes, doughnuts, muffins, pancakes, waffles, noodles, pie crusts, ice cream cones, macaroni, spaghetti, puddings, pizza, and many prepared hot and cold breakfast foods. One family of four can live 10 years off the bread produced by one acre of wheat. Lessons & Activities
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