Berkeley Student Food Collective

Membership!

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:54:22 -0400

Are you ready to start volunteering at the Berkeley Student Food Collective?!? Fill out the Fall Membership Survey asap to get your shift!

Fresh tomatoes at the Berkeley Student Food Collective!!!! Get...

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:01:50 -0400

Fresh tomatoes at the Berkeley Student Food Collective!!!! Get out of the summer rain and stop on by!

Food For Thought- "Little Green Book"

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:32:00 -0400

(From the Little Green Book)

Several campus organizations- Residential Student Services Program, Green Campus, Residential Sustainability Program and ASUC have put together an awesome website, the “Little Green BooK,” a wikipedia site for cal students on sustainable resources available near campus!! http://littlegb.berkeley.edu/

They provide tools and information like a carbon foot print calculator, tips for becoming vegetarian or eating less meat, a map of all of the water bottle refill stations on campus, and ways to make your dorm room more environmentally friendly. So take a look!

-Education Committee

A job opportunity for those who are interested - Education committee ReUSE is Hiring - PAID...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:49:20 -0400

A job opportunity for those who are interested

- Education committee

ReUSE is Hiring - PAID Assistant Manager Position

Deadline to apply is Mon 4/16, one week from today!

Current freshmen or sophomores only
5 - 15 hours/week, $11/hour, work study is available
Contribute to our campus Zero Waste goal by helping oversee and expand the ReUSE program
Manage ReUSE stations and relations with campus stakeholders, train and maintain a volunteer base, facilitate ReUSE events such as the Reader Giveaway, Clothing Sale, building “reuse before demolition” projects, the Exchange website,
Design and implement education outreach and material reuse projects and events to show the campus community why reuse is such an important component of waste reduction and sustainability.
Work closely with ReUSE Manager and Campus Recycling & Refuse Services office
See attached job description for details and how to apply. http://reuse.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ReUSE-Assistant-Manager-Job-Description-2012.pdf
Questions? Visit reuse.berkeley.edu or email UCBerkeleyReUSE@gmail.com

Food For Thought- LOW CARBON DIET

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:43:47 -0400

Coming up next week….EARTH WEEK!

Excited? What if we told you we were going to have a LOW CARBON DIET CHALLENGE?!

The details will be up in the store by Monday morning, but to give you a heads up:

Monday- Meat-less or vegan

Tuesday- Eat local and minimize food travel distance

Wednesday- Raw foods…don’t use your oven, microwave, stove, toaster or even your COFFEE MAKER all day (nooooooo!) But you can make sun tea or use a solar oven. Or a magnifying glass

Thursday- eliminate packaging day. How do you pack your food? How much packaging do you purchase?

Friday- all organic day

Saturday- minimize water usage (an excuse not to do your dishes!)

Sunday-eliminate food waste! where does your old food go? trash, compost, recoiling, back of your fridge until it smells really bad?

We will use scratch paper to make checklists for you to mark off what days you participate! ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

Food For Thought

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:28:51 -0400

Hola! Education Committee is back again!

Last thursday, Micheal Pollan, Karen Ross, Ken Cook and other speakers discussed the U.S. Farm Bill at UC Berkeley.

They talked about SNAP, the food stamps program, which benefits a large portion of society- but some legislatures want to cut its funding. The program is meant to be a supplement, and is really only about $3 a day per family member. When the aid runs out (usually before the end of the month) some families don’t have any income to replace it. Kids do poorly in school without proper nutrition, and in the long run this may prevent them succeeding in their education.

Pollan talked about government subsidies that go towards big-ag crops such as corn, wheat and soy. Any products with corn, wheat and soy from these agribusiness tend to be cheaper, but because the prices do not show the true cost of production. This is why high fructose corn syrup is used in so many products- it’s so cheap!

Pollan suggested that we change the subsidy system, so that the funds go towards more diverse products, including fruits and veggies (yummy!). This would make produce more affordable, though the price of hamburgers (the cows eat a mixture of subsidized corn and soy) may rise to their true cost.

After the Great Depression, the Farm Bill originated to stabilize market prices from season to season. The government payed farmers to produce less corn- they wanted the prices of corn high enough to provide farmers with a viable income.

In the 80s, however, the subsidy system changed so that farmers would produce lots of corn at low prices.

A new farm bill comes up every four years, and its composition is largely determined by big-ag lobbyists. If representatives start hearing from actual voters, the farm bill will reflect the interest of the voters, not the agribusinesses. That means that if this topic interests you, its time to get involved! Contact your representative, or senator:

California Senators

Barbara Boxer- http://boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/

Dianne Feinstein- http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/

Representatives

Find out- http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Food Democracy Now Phone Call Script

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/killsecret_farmbillnow/

Food For Thought

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:17:00 -0400

Hey hey hey from the education committee!

Here’s a message from Annies at College:

“Like free food? Of course you do! Hop on over to GBC this Friday, 4/6, from 11-2 to try Annie’s Honey Bunny Grahams! Like their Facebook for more info, and enter to win a month of microwavable mac & cheese! Facebook.com/AnniesAtCollege”

From the Annie’s Homegrown website

“For more than 20 years, Annie’s has been nourishing families with simple, down-to-earth foods that taste great and are easy to love. Annie’s is driven by a team of folks who are passionate about food, people, and the planet we all share. That’s why we’ve sought out the best ingredients Mother Earth has to offer, harvesting pure, natural flavors to make delicious foods every family can feel good about. “

Definitely gonna get myself some of those free samples…

Food For Thought

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:54:39 -0400

From the education committee:

You have probably eaten quinoa before, the chenopod (not actually a grain, but a cousin to beets) has recently become popular in the American market. But did you know it comes from Bolivia, and is a staple for Andeans (its one of the few things that grows in the high plains)? As richer countries have demanded quinoa, the price and income that Andean farmers earn has soared…Great right? Yet there is another side- as quinoa farming has become more profitable, problems have arisen: feuds over land, loss of traditional llama herding for soil fertilization, and dietary deficiencies in children who no longer consume the staple, as it is now shipped abroad or families have enough money to purchase “city foods” like Coca-Cola. Take a look at this article to read more http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2110890-2,00.html

Food Related Books

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:54:29 -0400

Have a free moment? Check out this great list of food-related books to read in your spare time!

-Education committee

Food For Thought

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:52:04 -0400

Education committee here! In support of Cesar Chavez’s Day, March 31^st, here is some information about farmworkers awareness.

Cesar Chavez led boycotts, marches and strikes to gain civil rights for California farm workers. In the famous grape boycotts, Chavez called on millions of American to stop purchasing grapes, forcing grape growers to accept union contracts. The farmworkers movement gained enough support to push through legislation allowing agricultural employees full freedom to unionize in California.

However, across America today “farmworkers are excluded from the basic labor and safety standards firmly established in other employment sectors,” (from Inventory of Farmworker Issues and Protections compiled by the United Farm Workers and Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation http://www.bamco.com/uploads/documents/fwi_execs

um_0428_2011.pdf ).

Interesting facts from the report:

“A mere 1 percent of farmworkers interviewed reported that they worked under a union contract….”

“In 2009 the occupational fatality rate for farmworkers was five times the rate of the average worker”

“Agricultural workers are explicitly excluded from the protections of the National Labor Relations Act (NRLA), which gives most employees the right to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of mutual aid and protection. Consequently, under federal law, a farmworker may be fired for joining a labor union, and farm labor unions have no legal recourse to compel a company or agricultural employer to negotiate employment terms. The majority of state laws do not include any collective bargaining provisions for farmworkers. A mere 1 percent of farmworkers interviewed reported that they worked under a union contract.”

“Workers’ compensation insurance provides medical care when employees become ill or injured on the job as well as remuneration for lost wages and rehabilitation services. Coverage and benefits are determined at the state level, and sadly, many states do not require agricultural employers to provide coverage for migrant and seasonal farmworkers, despite the high incidence of occupational injury and illness for farmworkers. In 2009 the occupational fatality rate for farmworkers was five times the rate of the average worker. Between 2005 and 2009, less than one-half of U.S. farmworkers were covered by workers’ compensation insurance by their current employers.”

Yummy Veggie Burger Recipe! We borrowed this recipe from a cooking blog, “Oh She Glows,” and made it...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:41:46 -0400

Yummy Veggie Burger Recipe!

We borrowed this recipe from a cooking blog, “Oh She Glows,” and made it for a dinner with the Berkeley Women’s Transitional Shelter. It was delicious! Here is the site it came from: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/07/13/our-perfect-veggie-burger/

Yield: 8 burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl

1 cup oats, processed into flour* (other flours might work)

1.5 cups bread crumbs (I processed 3 pieces of Ezekiel bread until fine crumb)*

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed

Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice)

1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)

1.5 tsp chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.

3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together. I made 8 medium patties.

4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 25-30 mins (15-17 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the BBQ, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side. Our preferred method of cooking was frying in the skillet!!

GF Note: To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified GF oats, GF Tamari, and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Food Collective Events April 5th, De-cal speakers: Coalition of Immokalee Farmers, 6 pm- 8pm, 3...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:36:00 -0400

Food Collective Events

April 5^th, De-cal speakers: Coalition of Immokalee Farmers, 6 pm- 8pm, 3 Evans

More info email: education@foodcollective.org

April 19^th, De-cal speaker: Eric Holt-Gimenez, 6 pm – 8 pm, 3 Evans

More info email: education@foodcollective.org

April 26^th, “Simply Raw” film screening and discussion with directors, UC Berkeley, TBA, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

April 28^th, Alemany Farm tour and workday, 11 am – 6 pm (including Bart travel time, but feel free to come for however long you can!) for more information, email education@foodcollective.org

Earth Week events led by UC Berkeley’s ASUC sustainability team

For more information, see their website http://earthweek.webstarts.com/index.html

Other Campus Events

The U.S. Farm Bill panel discussion, April 5^th, 6:30 pm, Wheeler auditorium, http://nature.berkeley.edu/site/albright.php

Corporate Control of the Food System Symposium, Tuesday April 24, 6 pm - 9 pm UC Berkeley, 60 Evans, more info: http://www.facebook.com/events/336683173033857/

Beyond Campus

Food Forward, a PBS documentary series on urban farming, will air on KQED 9 Monday April 9^th at 7:30 pm. Watch the promotion video: http://video.pbs.org/video/2213408392

“Food N’ Justice” workshop series is held every Saturday at the North Oakland Farmer’s market, located at the North Oakland Arlington Medical Center, 5715 Market St, from 11 – 1pm. Upcoming workshops include “Urban Mushrooms with Back to the Roots” on April 7^th, and “Wild Fermentation” on April 14^th. Go to this site for more details and to see all future workshops: http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/events/

Food For Thought 3/18

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:56:06 -0400

Hi again! It’s the education committee! This week, we’re taking a closer look at refined sugar. Check out this article from NPR: Should Sugar Be Regulated Like Alcohol?
(http://www.npr.org/2012/02/17/147047545/should-sugar-be-regulated-like-alcohol)

Here are a few hi-lights from the article:

Do you know how much sugar the average American consumes per year?

“To put things in perspective: The average American drinks 57 gallons of soda a year, about 600 cans, and some of that, of course, is diet soda, it’s sugar-free, but over half is not. And that’s one reason there is so much added sugar in the American diet.
… Americans consume 450 calories of added sugar every day, and that is not counting fruit.”

So is sugar inherently bad?

“All food is inherently good. There is no bad food… It’s what we do to the food that’s a problem. And what we do to the food, unfortunately, is a big problem. And it’s not just the addition of sugar, that’s a primary issue, but it’s also the removal of fiber.
And the reason why fiber is so important is because it actually delays the absorption of sugar so that your liver has a chance to catch up. So it’s both a dose phenomenon and a flux phenomenon. Both are going on at the same time.”

So why regulate fructose?

“Numerous studies, both in animals and humans, show that the area of the brain, the reward center, is affected by sugar the same way it is by tobacco, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, heroin, and therefore it fosters continued consumption.
So how do you regulate, how do you reduce the amount of consumption of a substance that is abused and toxic at the same time? We have not had any success with educational efforts alone. All of our success with any one of those substances of abuse have come through regulation. We’re proposing that sugar be looked at in the same vein.”

Check out the rest of the article for more information!

—————————————————————————————————————————-
What’s in season now?

It’s finally march March! After months of only leafy greens and oranges, spring fruits and veggies are on their way!
Artichokes, asparagus, cucumbers, peas, rhubarb, tomatoes, and strawberries are coming back into season.
(Here’s a great seasonality chart, by the way: http://cuesa.org/node/1358)

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Local Events

Looking for some awesome food events to check out? Here are some upcoming events in April.

4/5- Devika Ghai: Pesticide Action Network and the Science, Society, and Politics of Pesticides. Thursday 6-8 pm, 3 Evans.

4/19 – Eric Holt-Gimenez, FoodFirst: Food Sovereignty, Food Justice, and the threatening phenomenon of Land Grabs. Thursday 6-8 pm, 3 Evans.

Food For Thought

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:10:00 -0400

Hi from the education committee!

We are trying a new thing- contributing an educational post each week with articles, recipes, local food events and any other information we find interesting. If you’re interested in certain topic we are open to suggestions! You can email Emily at education@foodcollective.org

A closer look at Kale….

Kale, actually a cabbage, looks like other leafy green vegetables, such as collard greens, and has a sweet taste if harvested after a frost.

Kale grows in light-, dark-, violet- green and violet-brown shades and many varieties. The most common you’ll see in the see in the U.S. are lacinato (aka dinosaur, Tuscan, black) and curly (Scottish).

Kale thrives best in cool weather. For Kale gardening information, you might find this sight helpful http://harvesttotable.com/2009/02/how_to_grow_kale/

Within those curly green leaves, Kale densely packs fiber, anti-oxidant vitamins A, C, and K, phytonutrients, and minerals, like magnesium. These contribute to a variety of bodily functions, like eye-health, cancer prevention, and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) removal. To learn more about Kale’s health benefits, visit http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-kale

Ways to prepare:

Add to soups and salads

Sauté with lemon juice and olive oil

Stir-fry with other veggies

Bake with olive oil and salt to make kale chips

Try this kale recipe!

From http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/01/spicy-peanut-ginger-kale-salad.html

Spicy Peanut Kale Salad:

Spicy Peanut Ginger Kale Salad

vegan, makes 6-7 cups

2 large bunches of kale (or 3 small)

1 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup peanuts - fold in

1 Tbsp pickled ginger, chopped

Spicy Ginger Peanut Sauce:

2 Tbsp creamy salted peanut butter

1/2 cup water

1 Tbsp tahini

1 tsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp pickled ginger, chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled/chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 tsp tamari

2 Tbsp rice vinegar (yuzu flavored or add 1 tsp lemon juice)

2 tsp agave syrup

5 dashes cayenne

fine black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place a large soup pot over med-high heat on your stove top. Add all the sauce ingredients and stir briskly until they melt and blend together. Reduce heat to medium and simmer/stir for about two minutes. Turn heat to low.

2. Pull the leaves in bits from the thick stalks of your kale. Wash if needed. Add the kale leaves (toss thick stems) - add kale to the pot until filled to the brim. Fold the kale into the hot sauce. Fold well. The hot sauce will wilt the kale.

3. Turn off heat and add the remaining amount of kale. Also add in the pickled ginger, peanuts and red onion. Fold the kale salad well for about a minute - until all the kale has wilted and the leaves and onion mixed with the sauce.

4. Serve warm or place in fridge - covered - to chill and serve cold. Will keep well for up to a few days.

Notes: Add more cayenne and raw ginger for a spicier salad. If you want a thicker dressed salad - double the sauce recipe and fold as much as you’d like into the kale. You may also want to double the sauce recipe if using more kale and making a larger batch of salad. Really an awesome make-ahead dish!

Also: If using organic kale you may not need to wash, but rather simply lightly rinse. Your call. Washed kale should be dried well before adding to pot - otherwise ‘wet’ kale will water down your sauce significantly. (If using wet kale, you can reduce the water in the sauce recipe a bit)

Local events….

UC Berkeley’s First Ever Farmer’s Market

The ASUC is bringing a farmer’s market to campus! All sorts of veggies, fruits and prepared goods will be available. Look for BSFC among the vendors! Better yet, bring your instrument of choice, or juggling balls and entertain our customers!

Date and Time: April 5th (rescheduled due to rain), 11 am – 3 pm

Location: Lower Sproul UC Berkeley

Novella Carpenter Reading

The Food Collective is bringing Novella Carpenter, local author and urban farmer, to the UC Berkeley campus for a book reading and discussion. In a run down Oakland neighborhood, Ghost Town, Carpenter started an urban farm, on which she wrote her memoir, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer. Carpenter continues to write books and articles, and keeps a blog http://ghosttownfarm.wordpress.com/publications/

Date and Time: March 19^th, 6:30 pm – 8 pm

Location: 170 Barrows Hall, UC Berkeley

Ticket: FREE

Contact: events@foodcollective.org

Tracie McMillian and Sandy Brown talk about The American Way of Eating

The Center for Urban Education and Agriculture will host a discussion between Tracie McMillian, author of The American Way of Eating and Sandy Brown co-owner Swatson Berry Farm. McMillian worked at Walmart, industrial farms, and Applebees in order to learn first-hand about American food systems. Brown, a UC Berkeley graduate student, researches farm labor and fair trade certification, and the two will discuss their perspectives. More information at http://undercoveratwalmart.eventbrite.com/

Date and Time: March 20^th, 6 pm - 8 pm

Tickets: $5.00 donations, and RSVP online

Location: Port Commission Hearing Room, Ferry Building, 2nd floor, The Embarcadero at Market St., San Francisco

Taste of the Nation

Top bay area chefs will prepare signature dishes and cocktails at this San Franciscan tasting event, and all proceeds will help end childhood hunger. For more information, http://www.strength.org/sanfrancisco/

Date and Time: March 29^th, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Tickets: $95 in advance, $120 at the door

Location: The Bently Reserve, 301 Battery Street, San Francisco

Notes: Event only for those 21 years and over, come in evening attire

The U.S. Farm Bill: What’s at Stake?

Find out what is at stake regarding the U.S. farm bill, a piece of legislation voted on every five years or so that greatly influences our current food system. Michael Pollan, author and professor at UC Berkeley, Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Ken Cook, president and co-founder of the environmental working group, and Patricia Crawford, director of the Atkins Center for Weight and Health and adjunct professor at UC Berkeley, will attempt to answer that question.

Date and Time: April 5^th, 6:30 pm

Tickets: FREE for pick-up at the Wheeler Auditorium Box Office, 5 pm April 5^th

Location: Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley

In The News…

You may have recently seen or heard about a signatory collection for the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act. Genetically engineered foods are a hot topic among people interested in what’s on their dinner plate, which includes us at the Food Collective! The sponsors of the act intend to collect around 800,000 signatures in order for it to get on the ballet. If passed, the act would require producers to label their GMO-containing products.

We thought it might be helpful to provide a few solid links on GMOs and the ballet to help you learn and figure out where you stand on the labeling issue.

A run-down of what are GMOs, are they harmful or helpful? Do we even know with the amount of research available?

http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

Monsanto is a big name in the GMO discussion; the seed company sells patented GMO seeds, around 90% of total U.S. seeds, to farmers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/business/05monsanto.html?_r=2&ref=geneticallymodifiedfood

Documentary: The World According to Monsanto

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/

A non-partisan overview of the bill

http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2011/110813.aspx

Opinions of BSFC members

“The social implications of GMOs have had measurable effects on small and large-scale farmers, farmers who have opted to farm GMO crops, and those whose crops have been introduced to GMOs not by their own choice (see http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/class-action-lawsuit-against-monsanto-is-dismissed/). I worry about the direction we are moving toward, and that the extreme situation with GMOs is one in which buying patented GMO seeds from a company, and even saving seeds (that likely are not able to be saved due to a terminator gene), would make farming and growing food for impoverished communities much harder.”

“The initiative’s exemption for GMO-fed animal products has adverse environmental implications. The initiative specifically exempts meats and other products from animals that have been fed transgenic crops. Given the costs of labeling and the scary information that has been disseminated by anti-GMO advocates, we can expect the initiative to cause a shift from plant foods to animal-based foods. This should be of concern in itself, and ironically, it would likely mean that the initiative would increase cultivation of transgenic crops.”

Final note:

As with all issues, this one is complicated, so we encourage you to do research, and above all, stand up for what you think is right!

- The Education Committee

We are getting in the green spirit over here at the Food...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:37:09 -0400

We are getting in the green spirit over here at the Food Collective! St. Patrick’s day is usually only one day of the year, but we have decided to make it an all week affair! Starting today, Monday March 12, we are having sales on all things green! That includes green vegetables, teas, salads, desserts, and sandwiches. To add to the fun, we have decided to give our customers 5% off their entire purchase next Friday and Saturday if they come to the store wearing green. Yes, that is 5% the entire purchase, including items that are not green. Also, last night some of our lovely members made some festive green decorations in order to make our store even more beautiful. Come in to see them! Cheers!

Vegan Strawberry Filled Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches. A Berkeley...

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:55:43 -0500

Vegan Strawberry Filled Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches. A Berkeley Student Food Collective creation. Is your mouth watering yet?

Yes, this a picture of Vegan Chocolate Love Cups that one of our...

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:51:00 -0500

Yes, this a picture of Vegan Chocolate Love Cups that one of our wonderful members, Mina Azarnoush, made to sell for Valentine’s day! These were a big hit among our customers! Best part is, they are vegan AND raw. Yes, that means no animal products or ovens were used to make these! I (Nicole Rossi) bought some of these on Valentine’s day and went back to the store the next day to buy more. That is how delicious these are.

These love cups are just one of the many raw desserts that we sell at the food collective. Our food prep chefs are getting more creative each and every day. I have seen desserts in the store ranging from coconut macaroons to vegan strawberry filled cookie sandwiches. All of the Berkeley Student Food Collective made desserts are healthier than your average desserts. They are made with ingredients such as dates, almonds, coconut milk, etc. So next time you are craving something sweet and delicious, stop by the food collective and check out our dessert selection!

At the Food Collective we host a variety of skill share...

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:18:00 -0500

At the Food Collective we host a variety of skill share workshops. These workshops are gatherings where people come together to make a specific type of food. In the past, we have held workshops ranging from sushi making to raw dessert making. These events usually happen on the weekends and they are open to the whole community! You do not have to be a UC Berkeley student to participate in our collective activities!

One Sunday we hosted a fig jam making event! Here is the recipe:

Fig Jam (makes 2 cups):

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh figs, stemmed and cut into small pieces

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the figs, sugar, and lemon juice. Let the figs sit for about half an hour. Then pour the figs into a large pan over medium heat. Add the water, bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid burning until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to simmer until the jam is thick, about 15 minutes.

Wala! Delicious jam is ready for consumption. In the workshop, we spread the jam over bread and goat cheese.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/bsfcollective

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/foodcollective?ref=tn_tnmn

Nicole Rossi here. Member/volunteer/social media intern of the...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:18:03 -0500

Nicole Rossi here. Member/volunteer/social media intern of the Berkeley Student Food Collective. I am a junior at UC Berkeley studying Media Studies and Conservation and Resource Studies. I love food and social media, so the fact that I am the social media intern for this wonderful food collective is more than ideal. Today I’m going to tell you about a new feature of our store: THE SALAD BAR!

Yes you heard right, we just opened a salad bar. It’s quick, convenient, healthy, cheap, and oh so yummy. Our salad is sold by the pound, and the opening week special price is only $4.99/lb. Now that’s what I call a great deal! Currently, we’ve got spinach, arugula, sunchokes, crimini mushrooms, shredded beets, shredded carrots, beats, blood oranges, marinated tofu, beats, corn, peas, beans, and feta cheese! What a variety! All of these ingredients are organic, except for the tofu, which is made with organic soybeans.

These are the ingredients we have for the opening week, but the options will change based on seasonality and what we have in the store. Maybe next week we will have walnuts or cranberries or pears or…well you get the point.

The salad bar has only been open for 5 days now, and it is already a big hit. I was working in the store for a couple hours today and witnessed tons of people buying a salad, and LOVING it. I had my first BSFC salad bar experience today, and let me tell you, my taste buds were happy. I filled my container to the brim with every topping, which was a great decision. If you are every feeling hungry and in need of a great salad, please stop by! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

After this week the price will move up to $7.49 a pound. That’s still pretty cheap, considering lettuce doesn’t weight much!

Fair Trade USA Standard Changes: How Fair is Fair Trade?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:54:34 -0500

Fair trade labeling started with the intention of helping small farmers in developing countries gain access to world markets. Poor farmers were isolated from markets in the developing world, and fair trade organizations helped them with this problem. Large farms and plantations do not need as much help, because large corporations, such as Starbucks and Wal-Mart, often source from them. Fair Trade USA has abandoned the original intentions of the fair trade movement. They have decided to change their certification standards. No longer will small farms be the only recipients of the fair trade label.

Until now, Fair Trade USA only certified smaller farms and farming cooperatives. Also, the fair trade label was only given to products that had a minimum of 20 percent fair trade ingredients. Fair Trade USA recently expanded certification to larger coffee farms and plantations. They also only require that products contain 10 percent of fair trade ingredients.

This new fair trade certification has the potential to damage small farmers. There is a risk that these farmers with less access to world markets will be outcompeted by larger plantations. Critics of these changes are upset because larger farms already have access to major markets, so they do not need the fair trade certification to prosper.

There is also a risk that large plantations may try to get by with including the minimum amount of fair trade ingredients in a product. The integrity of fair trade is at risk. Can an item that contains only 10 percent of fair trade products truly be considered fair trade?

As a food collective that sells fair trade products, we have to be conscious of these changes to fair trade standards. There will be more fair trade labels competing with one another and claiming different things. These competing labels may be confusing for people who are conscious about where their food comes from. We want to ensure that we are supporting small farmers, so we are going to have to take a critical look at our fair trade products.