Fwd: [SD-LivingFoods] Ether, Almonds and the Struggle for Aliveness - Round Two

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In a message dated 8/28/07 1:40:12 AM, saul writes

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>

> Dear brothers and sisters,

 

There's been a new turn in the struggle for aliveness. Unbelievably, the

California Almond Board's request to the USDA to delay implementation of the

¡È

pasteurization¡É rule for six months has been turned down. They are going

ahead

with plans to fumigate the new crop beginning September 1st. Remember that the

Almond Board asked for the delay not because of your concerns and letters and

petitions but merely because they felt there was not enough time to get the

equipment in place.

Revelation

Now almonds have been grown in California for over 150 years. During that

lengthy span there have been but two outbreaks of Salmonella, one in 2001 and

another in 2004. Both occurred with conventional almonds, not organic. What's

going on here? Its not hard to conjecture that it has something to do with the

advent of large scale industrial processing. An almond grower clued us in:-

Almonds are harvested by having a machine come along and shake the trees. The

almonds fall to the ground and are gathered up. Now conventional almond

orchards are often fertilized with fresh manure. (This is prohibited for organic

almonds where manure has got to be well composted.) Its not hard to see this as

the source of the contamination. But that's not all:-

The almonds are then put in bins and loaded on trucks. Around a processing

plant there may be acres filled with trucks sometimes waiting for days till its

their turn to unload. So the almonds sit there in the hot sun, in bins

covered with tarpaulins. The almonds are moist and are there baking in the sun

What

more ideal conditions for every sort of bacillus to flourish? Could there be a

more perfect petri dish?!

The problem could be resolved, it seems to us, by foregoing fresh manure and

by just in time scheduling so that there is no need to have trucks waiting

around for days. Instead they have chosen to fumigate. What a delightful

solution. (Reminds us of the meat packing industry- instead of cleaning up the

unspeakable conditions in slaughter houses, they want to irradiate meat.)

Organic almonds are handled differently our farmer friend told us. They are

grown in orchards filled grasses and wild plants. All summer long the orchards

are mulched and mown. The grasses and trees are alive with insects, birds and

animals. This biodiversity is a natural check against any untoward organism.

Conventional almonds on the other hand are grown in lunarscapes. The ground

beneath the trees is bare-after all, nothing must get in the way of production.

Now propylene oxide is a substance very much like ether. A glance in the

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, revealed that it is a highly toxic

flammable chemical compound. It was once used as a stock car racing fuel, but,

we are

told, it has been banned by the National Hot Rod Association as too dangerous

to handle. It is also used as a military explosive, we were edified to learn.

No one gets near the stuff unless dressed in a space suit equipped with a

respirator, rubber hands and boots.

We were further edified to learn that The United States Food & Drug

Administration has approved its use to pasteurize raw almonds beginning on

September 1,

2007. A fine example of interagency cooperation. But we find it, a bit

difficult to understand, as propylene oxide is classified by the Environmental

Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen. ¡ÈProbable¡É,

although it has

caused cancer in laboratory animals, because no one has been willing to imbibe

the

stuff to see what would happen. One would imagine that this would be of

concern to an agency ostensibly charged with safeguarding the nation's health.

But

then there are many things one could imagine.

We learned further that propylene oxide belongs to the so-called

¡Èradiomimetic

¡É genotoxic chemicals group, because it induces similar biological

end-points

as ionizing radiation. The chemical's effects on food include gene mutation,

DNA strand breaks, and neoplastic cell transformation.

At a time when Americans are increasing concerned about contamination of the

food they eat, the Almond Board has sent them a powerful message about better

toxicity through chemistry. We note that the propylene oxide treatment of

foods is banned in the European Union, Canada, Mexico and most other civilized

countries. Let us also remember that almonds are consumed by children, adults,

expectant and nursing mothers and elders.

Yet the California Almond Board is rushing to fumigate. As we see it, the

fumigation of almonds is a dangerous precedent. Before long, most food sold in

the United States will be genetically modified, irradiated, pasteurized,

homogenized, hydrolyzed and labeled ¡Ènatural¡É, of course.

Last week the San Francisco Chronicle did an interview with us and other

activists and it appeared as a front-page feature story:

Organic Almond Supporters Roast Pasteurization Plan

 

What You Can Do

 

We have prepared a Press Release and we¡Çd like to ask your help in

getting

it out. Could you please send it to your local newspapers, tv, radio and other

media. Suggest that you follow up with a phone call. Thank you indeed! Please

visit Press Release.

Almonds are grown nowhere else in North America but here in California. They

are the result of the intentionality of family farmers, the fertile soil of

the great Central Valley, water from melting snow in the high Sierra Mountains

and the California sunlight. They are your American heritage and birthright.

 

The Almond Butter of Courage

 

 

 

We will always have alive almond butter even if we have to import almonds!

 

 

These Almonds Have Character

 

Industrial farming and processing are slowly taking over the organic world.

As a farmer told us, the guys who make Twinkies are quite capable of going

organic. To them its just a different ¡Ècook book¡É¡Ä O yes what

they produce is ¡È

organic¡É... in some sense... but something is missing. Some call it

energy, we

call it soul. At Living Tree we¡Çve been working with family farmers for

over

25 years. They are the conductors of a symphony of their trees, soil and

animals. Our almonds, in particular, are grown by a family farmer of Armenian

descent, who was growing almonds organically long before anyone heard of

¡Èorganic¡É

.. Farming without chemicals or pesticides was what his forbearers had always

been doing in the ¡Èold country.¡É The intentionally and we daresay,

the

consciousness of those who grow them and process them make every difference.

These

almonds have character! Ponder these beautiful almonds. Decipher what they come

to teach. Soak overnight and put them in your blender along with a cup or two

of spring water, strain through a cheesecloth and you have almond milk!

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 and meditate on having the last laugh... At Living Tree Community

we've been distributing California grown, organic and alive almonds for 25

years.

We will always have alive almonds even if we have to import them!

 

 

Living Tree Alive Coconut, Carob, Gogi Butter 16oz - New!

 

We¡Çve done it -a spreadable coconut butter. Normally coconut butter or

oil

has to be put in a warm water bath to get it out of the jar.

Starting with coconut oil, we¡Çve added carob and cacao, as well as

Tibetan

Gogi Berries, sundried raisins and Living Tree Alive Olive Oil, Tropical Blossom

Honey, sesame seeds and a dash of Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt. The carob and

cacao combination make it especially rich.

Buy three or any multiple of three and get a 20% discount.

 

 

 

 

Organic Nori Sheets - New!

 

We are delighted to bring you organic nori sheets. Just the thing to wrap

sprouts and grated veggies - with a live tahini dressing of course! These lend

themselves to a variety of uses limited only by your imagination.

There are fifty sheets per pack. Each sheet is 8.25 x 7.50 inches.

 

 

 

 

Heirloom, Sundried, Organic Royal Blenheim Apricots - New Crop!

 

This old time variety has genuine apricot flavor that is not to be found in

newer varieties. Grown by a farming family who cherish this California earth.

Moist and chewy. Use with bananas and chopped dates and raisins in live fruit

salads or as a magnificent snack. Kids love them!

 

Brazil Nuts - Organic and Wildcrafted - New!

 

The Brazil nut is grown in the Amazon rain forests and is gathered by native

people. The Brazil nut tree is enormous, reaching a height of 100 to 150 feet

or more. It can also live a long life of 500 to 800 years. (The trees grow

very slowly, taking as long as 10 to 30 years before producing nuts.)

 

 

Brazil nuts are rich and creamy, and similar in texture to coconut.

Brazil nuts contain a very large amount of selenium and they are also a good

source of phytosterols. Phytosterols from plants have been shown to reduce

cholesterol, to decrease the risk of some cancers and to enhance immune

function.

 

 

Organic Quinoa is for Sprouting! New!

 

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean

civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place

by corn.

In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its

nutritional value, as its protein content (12%¡¾18%) is very high. Unlike

wheat or

rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential

amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means

it takes less quinoa protein to meet one's needs than wheat protein. It is a

good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron.

Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest.

Lastly, quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional

value. Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin and

mineral content. Its easy to sprout. Try it! You¡Çll have sprouts in a day

or

two. Sprouting besides enhancing its nutritional value, softens the grains,

making them suitable to be tossed into salads and other alive foods.

We offer an organic quinoa from Bolivia of outstanding quality.

 

Organic Chia is Here - New!

 

Thanks to your support we are now able to offer organic chia seeds. This is

the forgotten food of Native Americans of the Southwest. With a handful of

these seeds and some water they were able to traverse vast stretches of desert.

Unlike golden flax

seeds, chia does not have to be ground into a powder to be digestible; we

suggest you sprinkle them on everything you eat. A Living Tree exclusive.

 

August-September Surprise Specials-All Nut Butters including Macadamia

Butter and Milk of Paradise are on Sale!

 

We are reducing by 10% our Alive Almond Butter and Organic Cashew Butter.

We are reducing by 20% all of our other nut butters, pestos, agave nectar,

honey and coconut oil. Yes, for the first time even our Macadamia Butter is on

Sale!We ask only that you buy 3 jars of any item to get these lower prices.

Remember that this discount applies to 3,6,9,12... any multiple of 3 jars. This

offer is good till October 1st.

 

A Special Bonus For You!

We are delighted to offer you a bonus jar of Heart n' Sol Almond Sesame

Raisin Halvah for orders over $150 or more.

 

This is in addition to our regular bonus offer:

With a purchase of $50 or more - get 4 ounces Organic Almonds -

FREE!

With a purchase of $100 or more - get 8 ounces Organic Almonds-

FREE!

With a purchase of $150 or more - get 12 ounces of Organic

Almonds- FREE!

With a purchase of $200 or more - get 16 ounces of

Organic-Almonds FREE!

With a purchase of $300 or more - get 20 ounces of Organic

Almonds- FREE!

With a purchase of $450 or more - get FREE SHIPPING and 24 ounces

of Organic Almonds- FREE!

 

 

 

This Week on The World Mind

 

Last Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle did a front page feature story:

Organic Almond Supporters Roast Pasteurization Plan

We have it plus a wealth of additional information on the machinations of

Big Almond. Enter the World Mind.

 

 

 

Food Coops Now!

 

As the consequences of the housing bubble become apparent, it is being

brought home to us that we cannot remain isolated consumers¡Ä 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¡Çll save considerably, both on the

cost of goods and on shipping. We¡Çd be delighted to offer wholesale

prices.

Contact us to request that we email to you our Coop and Buying Club literature.

What wonderful discoveries you¡Çll make! That stay-at-home mom would make

an

excellent manager. That retired gentleman across the way, a former accountant

would

be a great bookkeeper! Go ahead put up a sign at the laundromat or post

office, see what sort of response you get! Friends, maybe this will lead you to

further discoveries like cooperative day-care centers and home schooling.

 

Big Almond wants to keep you as ¡Èconsumer¡É:- alone , anxious,

isolated and

afraid, whose existence is defined solely by your purchasing power... We

suggest that you hug your neighbor instead!

 

Plant Your Winter Garden Now!

 

In more and more areas of the States its possible to have salad greens all

year round. Here¡Çs a chance to play aikido with global warming¡Ä

Now is the

time to plant salad greens for harvests all winter long¡Ä Now is the time

also to

plant those garlic cloves.... For decades brothers and sisters have been

developing intensive gardening methods that are wondrously productive. All of

that

knowledge is readily available to you in books and on the web. Experience the

satisfaction of composting every carrot top and banana peel, transforming it

into humus to heal this American earth. Discover for yourself that the true

¡È

superfoods¡É, ¡Èmagic foods¡É, ¡Èmiracle foods¡É

and ¡Èwonder foods¡É are the

parsley, lettuce, kale, broccoli, celery, spinach and chard you grow with

neighbors

and friends.

 

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¡Çs been growing at the rate of 20% for over

a

decade. Right now we are in two locations in Berkeley. We¡Çve 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.

 

Internships at Living Tree University

 

We invite you to train with us in becoming a professional in the organic

food industry. We offer first hand experience in sales and marketing.

At the same time, we will guide you in becoming more charismatic, spiritually

sensitive and gracious to all. You¡Çll come to understand what spiritual

master Abraham Lincoln meant when he taught us to be ¡Èfirm in the right

as G-d

gives us to see the right.¡É

We¡Çll introduce you to our Living Tree Way of live food and physical

fitness,

intellectual inquiry and contemplation. As we see it, vigorous daily exercise

is an inseparable part of a live food regime, inquiry is our duty to

understand the world in which we live and contemplation helps us to put it all

together.

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 meditation than Yosemite National Park, one of the most

beautiful and inspiring places on earth.

Many believe that cosmic consciousness can only occur through the intellect

and by a separate extra-ordinary mental act. We believe that ¡Èabsolute

knowing¡É

evolves and takes shape within ordinary secular life-through productive and

creative work, family, social concerns and engaging in the struggle for

aliveness. We suggest that you send us an email introducing yourself. Also

please

include a resume. Send it to jesse

Join us this summer for work, study and backpacking in the High Sierras!

 

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).

My little nursling will be 19 months old tomorrow - and he LOVES your

raisins!! Please do send an extra pound to us if they are available. It is such

a

kind offer and I greatly appreciate the support and recognition.

Jodie Chin

La Jolla, California.

 

By way of giving praise and thanks for the gift of aliveness, let's resolve

to show kindness and respect to one another and utmost respect to elders.

 

What products would you like to see on our website?

How can we improve our service to you?

Do you know of others who would appreciate receiving this newsletter?

We'd love to hear from you! To place an order please visit us at:

http://www.LivingTreeCommunity.com

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Living Tree Community Foods

P.O. Box 10082

Berkeley, CA 94709 USA

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