In this issue:
- Your American Heritage
- The Cornucopia Institute's Campaign
- The Almond Butter of Courage
- Our Almonds Have Character!
- Get Involved!
- New Crop Walnuts, Medjool and Halawi Dates are Here!
- Pecan Halves at Last!
- The Taste of Primordial California
- Snugglespoon, Wildflowers of Australia, Organic Honey
- What's on the World Mind
- Israeli Salad by Master Raw Food Chef Dorit
- Bring Your Vision Out of the Kitchen!
- Become a Living Tree Investor
- Work, Learn and Ski with Us!
- For Nursing Moms and Glorious Elders
- How may we afford you excellent service?
Dear brothers and sisters,
Last January the U.S. Department of Agriculture stunned the live food world by announcing it would require virtually all almonds to be "pasteurized" by September 1, 2007 after a couple of salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 were traced back to almonds.
As we've often said, California almonds are part of your American heritage. Just one handful of almonds is a leading source of protein, vitamin E and magnesium. Furthermore almonds are rich in phytochemicals; plant components that promote heart and vascular health. Yet not only are they robbing you of this nutritional treasure but that very fact is also being hidden from you through the approved use of false labeling, by allowing fumigated almonds to be labeled and sold as "raw."
Pasteurized almonds are neither "raw" nor healthy.
Now the "pasteurization" is to be accomplished with a delightful substance called propylene oxide. It is very much like ether.
Propylene oxide is a highly toxic flammable chemical compound, once used as a racing fuel before it became prohibited for safety reasons. It is also used as a military explosive. It's used to make thermobaric bombs or fuel-air explosives. You'll be gratified to learn that it packs more explosive energy for its size than other explosives.
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) site has this to say about propylene oxide:
Dermal contact, even with dilute solutions, has caused skin irritation and necrosis in humans. Propylene oxide is also a mild central nervous system (CNS) depressant in humans. Propylene oxide has been observed to cause tumors at or near the site of administration in rodents, causing forestomach tumors following ingestion via gavage (experimentally placing the chemical in the stomach) and nasal tumors after inhalation exposure. EPA has classified propylene oxide as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen.
In case you were wondering, necrosis is a medical term meaning the death of tissue, an effect of even a dilute solution of the stuff. Yet you're told these propylene oxide-treated almonds are no different from raw almonds!
What can surpass the cynicism of Big Almond?! They fumigate 6,000,000,000 pounds of almonds, all the while spending millions promoting almonds as the "healthiest specialty crop".
All this applies to conventional almonds. Organic almonds get off somewhat more lightly, they are merely required to be treated with steam. Yet this is also kept hidden from you through the approved use of false labeling, by allowing steam treated almonds to be labeled and sold as "raw."
The brothers and sisters of the Cornucopia Institute tower over this delirium, fighting for your American heritage. We are pleased to bring you an up to date report from them.
The Cornucopia Institute's Campaign on Your Behalf
Co-directors of the Cornucopia Institute, Will Fantle and Mark Kastel, met with three high-ranking officials late last year at the USDA to deliver over 1,500 letters opposing the requirement that all California-grown almonds be pasteurized. For the better part of an hour, Cornucopia discussed the concerns of consumers and the mounting negative impact of the almond pasteurization rule on family farmers and organic farmers.
Cornucopia offered a compromise proposal for USDA to consider. They suggested a plan permitting the sale of untreated American-grown almonds with a warning label, which would allow for continued freedom of choice in the marketplace and would allow marketers the option of continuing to sell raw almonds. Cornucopia also requested that the USDA consider a second solution a pasteurization exemption for organic almond growers, since the organic sector has not been implicated in any of the past contamination problems associated with almonds.
Although the response from USDA staff was encouraging ("constructive" in the words of one official), Cornucopia is preparing legal action should this fall through.
USDA's willingness to consider alternatives to the rule is a testament to the power of consumer opinion‹over half of all comments coming to the Secretary of Agriculture now concern this issue! Please keep it up! A sample proxy letter and directions about where to send it are available here: http://www.cornucopia.org/almond/ConnerLetter2.html
The Almond Butter of Courage
Here in Berkeley stood Martin Luther King. In his last days, he came to the realization that the struggle was not only for social justice for his people but for all of humanity. He came to Berkeley and spoke on the campus, in front of Sproul Hall where the Free Speech Movement began. We all stand a little taller, knowing that a man of his stature walked among us. A most courageous American.
Martin Luther King Jr
American Prophet
In Berkeley, we call it Freedom Butter
Eating a teaspoon of almond butter has now become a political act. Making an almond smoothie is like putting your John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence! The kindly and benevolent folks who are fumigating your almonds, have brought you onto the world stage. Brothers and sisters, you have a date with history!!
Maybe it will inspire you with the wisdom of John Muir,
the courage of Martin Luther King Jr.
and the genius of Steve Wozniak.
This is the ethos of Berkeley
and we invite you to partake of it.
Our Almonds have Character
I just wanted to let you know that we love your almonds! They are raw, crispy and tender.
I now know that if almonds don't taste this WAY, they have been altered in some way. Thanks so much for standing your ground and providing us a wonderful, quality product.
It is well worth the money!
With good wishes,
Leslie Ann Braun
We offer you a 10% discount on purchases of 5 pounds or more.
We offer a 25 case, packed and sealed on the farm for $300.
We suggest that you store some in your refrigerator and put the rest in your freezer where they will keep for a year. Then take a draught of that almond smoothie, confident in the expectation that you'll have the last laugh…
At Living Tree Community we've been distributing California grown, organic and alive almonds for 25 years.
Get Involved. Alert Your Fellow Americans!
The talking heads won't do it. That much is clear. We have got to let every American know that Big Almond or Big Brother can not arbitrarily "pasteurize", "sanitize" or fumigate our food. We ask for volunteers to get the word out to the media. If you'd like to work with us and stand up for freedom and for life please contact us.
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent - Thomas Jefferson
New Crop Calymirna Figs, Walnuts, Medjool and Halawi Dates are Here
Calymirna figs are back! This is the new crop! The glory of enlightened California agriculture. We are also delighted to offer organic walnuts that have just been harvested. Treasure them because the walnut harvest was sparse this year. We are also offering Medjool and Halawi dates, just harvested! Grown by family farmers in California's wondrous fertile Central Valley.
Pecan Halves at Last!
For years we were offering pecan pieces; last week we received a shipment of pecan halves. They are fresh and good. A compelling reason to create an alive pecan pie! Please share your recipe with us.
The Taste of Primordial California
Your olive oil is as good as gold! I am about to drink it right out of the bottle! I am going to personally need a gallon size and then I will need to order an additional dozen for all my friends and family for the holidays - its only fair - if I am living this high on the "raw" they need to as well!
Thank you,
Beth and Morgan Snyder
Los Altos Hills, California
I just had a salad with your alive olive oil (and the bonus almonds that you enclosed in my order... thanks for that) and again I am amazed on how excellent your products are... so coming from a person from Spain it should mean a lot... I have tried literally hundreds of olive oils and this is the best.
Hela Jaen
New York
Buy three or any multiple of three and get a 20% discount.
Snugglespoon, Wildflowers of Australia, Organic Honey
Unheated, unfiltered and raw. This honey has a buttery, butterscotch flavor. So different from other honeys. A unique product of highest quality.
Harvested from eucalyptus flowers in a remote region of Australia under the watchful eyes of master beekeepers. They gather the honey without harm to the bees. A natural antiseptic and preservative. Children under one year of age should not eat raw honey.
The shelf life of honey is 4000 years... in case you were wondering.
Share the gift of alive honey with family and friends!
Buy three or any multiple of three and get a 20% discount.
What's on The World Mind
With all this talk of fumigation we thought that we'd put things in perspective by sharing Dr. Bernarr's brilliant essay:- How to Heal Bacterial Contagious Diseases and Bacterial Infections. It stands on its head the rationale for fumigating 600,000,000 pounds of almonds.
We have also added articles on acne, diabetes and obesity by Dr. Bernarr. These articles are written from the standpoint of Dr. Bernarr's profound understanding of the Natural Hygiene Movement. They are controversial and provocative. By no means do we accept them in their entirety. We call them to your attention to stimulate discussion.
We invite you to enter the World Mind and scroll down to On Illness.
Israeli Salad
by Master Raw Food Chef Dorit of Los Angeles
(available in the book Celebrating Our Raw Nature on Amazon.com)
Serves 5-6
4 cucumbers, diced
24-5 large tomatoes diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 radishes, diced really fine
1/2 cup Living Tree Black Olives , pits removed and diced
2 Tablespoons Living Tree Alive Olive Oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon scallions, diced
1/4 teaspoon garlic, diced
1/4 tsp ginger, diced
Pinch of cayenne pepper
When chopping the cucumbers and tomatoes, be sure to keep the seeds and juice and include that in the cups.
Place all the ingredients in a large salad bowl and mix well. Allow this to sit for about 30 minutes before serving. (Can place in the refrigerator for the full 30 minutes if desired)
This Month's Specials
Learn about our monthly specials and extra bonus at Month's Specials
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Bring your vision out of the kitchen!
For some years, in this column, we've suggested that sooner or later the housing bubble would pop. Foreclosures are now at the highest rate since the Great Depression. Policy makers are stuck between lowering interest rates, thereby pouring gasoline on the flames of inflation or hiking interest rates and causing an economic meltdown due to more defaults on debt. We suspect that the coming debacle will be the ecological disaster of this generation. That policymakers can think of no way out, comes as no surprise; after all these are the same folks who could think of nothing better then to fumigate 600,000,000 pounds of almonds.
Now, it seems to us, that you, who have chosen life in the food you eat, have an opportunity to bring your vision out of the kitchen. America needs you! Think globally and start locally.
We urge you to get together with neighbors and friends and start a food coop or buying club. Combine your purchasing power! Buy in bulk! You'll save considerably, both on the cost of goods and on shipping. We'd be delighted to offer you wholesale prices. Contact us to request that we email to you our Coop and Buying Club literature. What wonderful discoveries you'll make! That stay-at-home mom would make an excellent manager. That retired gentleman across the way, a former accountant, would make a great bookkeeper! Put up a sign in the laundromat and see what sort of response you get! Maybe this will lead you to further discoveries like community gardening, cooperative day-care centers and home schooling.
Big Almond wants to keep you as a "consumer":- anxious and isolated, whose existence is defined solely by your purchasing power. We suggest that you hug your neighbor instead and hug this American earth! This, surely, is the deepest ecology.
Become a Living Tree Partner
We are seeking investors who can provide the long term, stable capital we need to help our enterprise become the leading manufacturer of alive, organic and kosher certified nut butters. We offer the prospect of asset appreciation in the organic food industry; it's been growing at the rate of 20% for over a decade. Right now we are in two locations in Berkeley. We've outgrown both and want to consolidate our administration, sales and manufacturing. We plan to move to a larger facility, engage more teamworkers and purchase more productive equipment. If you'd like to learn more, email us.
Work, learn and ski with us!
We offer an opportunity to become a professional in the organic food industry. We offer first hand experience in sales and marketing.
At the same time, we'll introduce you to our Living Tree Seven Fold Way.:- A live food diet featuring green drinks, vigorous physical exercise, restful sleep, creative inquiry ,organic gardening, showing respect and kindness to all and contemplation. As we see it, vigorous daily exercise is an inseparable part of a live food diet, inquiry is part of our responsibility to engage and understand the world in which we live .and contemplation helps to bring it all together. For more visit Our Way.
Your resources will include the research libraries at the nearby University of California- a treasure trove for early California history. What better place could there be for contemplation than Yosemite National Park, "the incomparable valley" as John Muir called it, one of the most beautiful and inspiring places on earth.
The ski season is here!!! We combine Alive Food with cross country skiing which we consider more contemplative than downhill.
We suggest that you apply by sending us an email introducing yourself Also please include a resume.
Special Offer to Nursing Mothers and Glorious Elders
We feel privileged to offer you one pound of our delicious Thompson seedless organic, sundried California raisins with any purchase you make. Just let us know in the "Comments" section on our shopping cart (Anyone over 60 is a Glorious Elder)
Hi and WOW – I LOVE seeing the page honoring nursing moms/elders. My husband and I delivered our 1st baby in 2005, unassisted and in the water. Awesome experience indeed. I'm 4.5 months along now with our 2nd, and he's planning on coming in the same way as his brother from what he has conveyed to me. I just stumbled across your site seeking raw tahini; so happy I have found you and for much more I see!
PEACE,
Carmen Bentley
Kalamazoo, Michigan
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