Rhio's
RAW ENERGY HOTLINE
July, 2009
(212) 941-5857
www.rawfoodinfo.com
www.NYTalkRadio.net

1) Quotation
2) With Blessings of Peace to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson
3) This is my last Hotline, I am moving to a Blog format
4) Critical bills before Congress right now will decide the future of our food,
and the future of organic farming and could even impact your own home garden.
5) My first DVD What's NOT Cookin' in Rhio's Kitchen Volume 1 is now available
6) GE talks and classes on raw food prep and theory
7) My Interview with Gail Murphy of the Coop & Food Exchange of Altadena, CA
8) Feedback

Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
-Proverbs 25:18

2) My quote today refers to Michael Jackson and the tragic lies that were told about him which ruined his career and caused his untimely death. In fact, I believe his spirit started to expire in 2005. I know many people think he was guilty of molesting children, but that doesn't square with his love for children and I believed him when he said "When I see children, I see the face of God. That's why I love them so much." and "Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists."

Michael Jackson may be guilty of some things. Guilty of trusting journalists too much, speaking too openly and honestly and his words became subject to many interpretations, most of them negative. Guilty of trusting doctors with his handsome face too many times. Guilty of seeking and taking drugs prescribed by doctors. Guilty of surrounding himself (it would appear) with yes-men, users and vultures and distancing himself from those who had his best interests at heart. But Innocent... innocent of those ludicrous charges which were brought by money grubbing individuals who saw that he was vulnerable and took advantage of it.

We may disagree on the above, but most of us will agree that Michael Jackson was one of the most talented and beloved entertainers of our time, and his triumphant successes paved the way for other entertainers as well. The media has focused on MJs eccentricities over the years, but hardly ever mentions all his good works. He is in the Guiness Book of World Records as the entertainer who has been the most generous to charities and not only with money but with his personal time. http://www.jacksonaction.com/?page=charity.htm

I love you Michael. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent, your impish humor, your love and generosity. You had so much more to give. It's our great loss.
God bless you... be at peace.

3) Blog Format

Yes, I am finally moving to a Blog format. You will now receive my blog instead of my hotline. On the blog there is the opportunity for you to interact with me and other readers directly, as well as giving me the facility to post videos and other items of interest. You will also be able to go to the blog directly on my web site at any time that the mood strikes you.

4) Believe It or Not!

The following information should be in a Believe It or Not publication, it is so bizarre, strange and dangerous for us and all we hold dear to a sane way of life, a sane way of eating, and the freedom to choose the way we want to eat and what kind of food we want to buy... or even grow for ourselves.

Please Please, if you've never called a congressman in your life, NOW is the time to do so. These various bills are being fast-tracked through Congress. ASK YOUR CONGRESSMAN TO READ THE BILL DIRECTLY AND IN ITS ENTIRETY AND NOT TAKE ANYONE'S WORD FOR WHAT IS IN THE BILL. Sometimes Congressmen are so busy that they do not read the bills personally. That is what happened with the PATRIOT ACT and that is what is happening NOW with an onslaught of bills before Congress.

Below I've commented on a few of these bills, and I've also linked to other commentaries and to the bills directly if you would like to read them yourself. Besides the bills I've commented on, all of the following bills have language in them that make producing food in this country outrageously difficult, if not impossible, for the small farmer and producer. Look into HR 875, HR 1749, HR 759, HR 857, HR 2749, HR 814

HR 875 The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (read the bill here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.875:)
S 425 is the Senate version of the bill
Take Action: http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum959.php
HR 2749 The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (read the bill here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2749
Commentary on HR 2749 here http://yupfarming.blogspot.com/2009/06/dont-let-henry-waxman-kill-you.html
Take Action: http://www.ftcldf.org/petitions/pnum993.php

These bills are essentially a takeover of agriculture in any of its sensible forms (organic, small & medium sized farms, backyard gardens, orchards) by very large factory and industrial farming systems. The new administration may be naive or it may be complicit, I do not know which, but at the same time that it is promoting backyard gardens using organic methods through Michelle Obama's excellent example of an organic garden on the White House lawn, it has appointed a staunch Monsanto man as its Secretary of Agriculture. Read about Thomas Vilsack here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_15573.cfm
Another member of the Obama Ag Transition Team, Michael Taylor made a name for himself rotating in and out of the USDA, FDA and law firms representing Monsanto. While at the FDA, Taylor wrote the rules to allow rBGH into the American food system, increasing the public's risk of developing breast, prostate and colon cancer (7 times greater risk). (rBGH, recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone is a genetically engineered hormone produced by Monsanto which is injected into the cows and causes them to produce a lot of milk, they become super milk producers but the price to be paid is an increased incidence of mastitis and other diseases for which the cows are then treated with antibiotics and those antibiotics end up in the milk as well. rBGH is banned in Canada, Europe and many other countries). Read about Michael Taylor here: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-s-Michael-Taylor-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-090308-575.html

HR 875 details how a new department for food safety will be established in the future under the Health and Human Services Administration. And the "future" unknown administrator of this new Food Safety department will have the final say as to how a farm will treat its crops in the event of the threat of contamination. Most of the recent food contaminations by ecoli or salmonellas, may I point out, have been produced from the big industrialized farming systems and not by small farmers, organic farmers, backyard gardens and orchards. Yet, these will not be exempt from the control of this new "safety" administration. In fact, anyone who "holds" food comes under their oversight. Last time I looked, most EVERYONE in the US "holds" food in their refrigerator, freezer and cupboards!!

You only have to look at the part of the bill that outlines the fines and imprisonment for noncompliance to know that this is not a bill we want to have on the books. The fines are $100,000 up to 1 million dollars for each infraction and/or day of noncompliance and also details prison time of up to 10 years. What small farmer or gardener would be able to sustain under these kinds of fines and imprisonments? Think it is far fetched? Similar laws enacted in the EU have already wiped out 60% of Polish farmers. One of the tenets of the bill is that if you "hold" food you would have to register under the administration. Under sec. 202 "(a) In General-Any food establishment or foreign food establishment engaged in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding food for consumption in the United States shall register annually with the Administrator." Please take the preceding quote literally.

Under HR 2749 (a similar bill) each registrant would pay a yearly fee of $1000. and the fees are subject to change in future years. Why should there be any fees? And why should the fees be identical for small farms and huge mega farms? Under HR 2749 The FDA will be allowed to regulate how farmers raise and harvest their crops and livestock. With people like Thomas Vilsack and Michael Taylor in power, what kinds of methods do you think they will be mandating farmers to use? The bill contains a tracing requirement that will extend from the beginning of an animal or plant's life to its consumption. The cost and bookkeeping required to fulfill this requirement alone will shut down a lot of small farms. On my own farm in upstate New York, I have opted to be certified under a private certification service called *Certified Naturally Grown, because the requirements of USDA Certified Organic are heavily weighted in paperwork and I would prefer to spend my time out in the fields rather than at a computer. So now there will be additional bookkeeping burdens imposed. Small farmers don't have enough hours in the day or helping hands just to keep their farms running properly, let alone be additionally burdened with excessive paperwork.

*My farm, Rhio's Garden, will be certified by Certified Naturally Grown in the future, as I am not yet open for business.

Here is a potential example of how these bills might impact small farmers: There is a food contamination scare in the area where I have my farm (although my crops themselves may not be contaminated), I am directed by the "future" food czar to spray my crops as preemptive action to protect the public from my potentially contaminated crops. If I refuse or if I opt to employ organic or sustainable methods to insure the safety of my crop, my methods could be overridden in the name of "food safety". If, therefore, I do not comply, I am fined, and imprisoned. My farm cannot continue its operation and goes under.

Rosa DeLauro is the representative who sponsored HR 875. Her husband's law firm lists Monsanto as a client.
DeLauro can be reached at:

Washington Office: Phone 202-225-3661 Fax 202-225-4890
Connecticut Office: Phone 203-562-3718 Fax 203-772-2260

Stop HR875 The Food Fascism Act: http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum959.php

Other negative aspects of these bills is they override the States' right to decide what happens in their own state (10th amendment), it sanctions warrantless searches and seizures, gives the right to quarantine a geographical area and freeze the sale and/or movement of food. NAIS The National Animal Identification system will mandate that all animals on farms, homesteads or backyards be identified by chip implants, with registration and movement requirements, so if your chipped chicken decides to cross the road, you must get on your computer and keep a record of it or else be subject to the aforementioned fines and imprisonment. Like I said at the beginning of the piece, ideas like these belong in the Believe It or Not books.

Do we need food safety laws? Yes, of course we do. But the laws right now being debated and pushed through congress by mega farm lobbies and misguided representatives and senators are not going to do the job to protect the public. Small and organic farms are not the problem, and eliminating them will not correct the problem. The problems are caused by mega and industrialized farming methods of operation. Industrial farm methods that wipe out beneficial soil bacteria that keep dangerous pathogens in check, methods that wipe out bees and other beneficial insects, methods that create huge tracts of mono crops which obliterate the diversity necessary to keep crops healthy, methods that genetically engineer plants based on faulty dated science, methods that allow heavy metal-laden sludge and chemicals to fertilize crops, methods that allow cancer producing pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in and on crops, and I could go on and on. These are the methods that produce contaminations.

There is an old Japanese saying that goes something like this "The best fertilizer in the world is the footstep of the farmer." I take this to mean that a farm that is small enough where the farmer has the time to nurture his land and plants will produce the healthiest food ever, and that is the best insurance against contaminations that we have. Small sustainable farms, organic farms, eco-farms, biodynamic farms, backyard gardens and permaculture environments... these are the solution.

5) My DVD What's NOT Cookin' in Rhio's Kitchen - Volume 1 is now available at my web site, or ask for it at your nearest retailer or health food store.

Casomorphins, by-product peptides of the digestion of casein in dairy products have addictive qualities - specifically casomorphin opioids. In this DVD I have outlined some of the disadvantages of consuming dairy products and provide delicious, and satisfying substitutes... dairy-like foods made from nuts, seeds, vegetables and herbs. I've done my best to demystify even seemingly difficult recipes, like yogurt and seed cheese, to provide a means for people to transition off dairy successfully. You'll have a clear understanding, and if for any reason a question still comes up, (doesn't it always?) you can shoot me an email. The DVD is 92 minutes and $29.95.

6) Upcoming talks

on the genetic engineering of seeds/plants in LI, New York, West Haven Connecticut and Washington, DC. And, for the first time in 4 years, I am offering courses on raw food preparation in NYC, starting in August, Thursday Evenings with Rhio from 6-9 pm. The first hour is about raw food lifestyle theory - talk and Q&A. The balance of the evening is spent in hands-on food prep. 5 week course is $1000. and includes a day spent at my farm. Please email me if you are interested at Rhotline@rawfoodinfo.com

Two-Part Presentation by Rhio
author of Hooked on Raw

Sunday, July 12, 2009 - 7:30 PM - $12.00
Jandi's Natural Market & Organic Cafe & Deli
3000 Long Beach Road, Oceanside, NY 11572
RSVP: 516 536-5535

1) Learn how to make yogurt out of nuts and seeds.

Dairy products contain casein which breaks down in the body to casomorphin, an opioid peptide with addictive qualities... that is why giving up dairy can be hard for some people. Rhio demonstrates how easy it is to make yogurt out of nuts and seeds with tastings of the yogurt and generous tastings of a coleslaw made with the yogurt.

2) Genetically Engineered Foods Explained in Plain Language

In this talk, you will learn the who, what, why, where and how of GE issues. You will also learn what other countries have done to protect their citizens and the environment, and what we can do here to get the same protections and rights. At least 70% of all GE foods are grown in the US, with Canada and Argentina making up most of the balance at this time. The food fight of the century began in the US and what happens here will be pivotal to defeating this technology worldwide.

Recently the results of some long-term feeding studies commissioned by the Austrian Government confirmed that genetically modified corn seriously affects reproductive health in mice. Advocates fighting against the proliferation of GMOs into the open environment have long warned about the infertility link along with other health risks. They are now calling for an immediate ban of all GM crops so that the fertility of women around the world can be protected as well as the health of humankind.

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Presentation by Rhio, author of Hooked on Raw
Sunday, September 13, 2009 - 7 PM - $12.00
Catch A Healthy Habit Café 203 521-7648
487a Campbell Ave., West Haven, CT

Genetically Engineered Foods Explained in Plain Language

What you can do to protect yourself, your family and the environment.

Rhio and her partner Leigh start off the evening by singing some humorous original songs about the raw food diet.

In Rhio's talk, you will learn the who, what, why, where and how of GE issues. You will also learn what other countries have done to protect their citizens and the environment, and what we can do here to get the same protections and rights. At least 70% of all GE foods are grown in the US, with Canada and Argentina making up most of the balance at this time. The food fight of the century began in the US and what happens here will be pivotal to defeating this technology worldwide.

Same talk also will be given at the Raw Spirit Festival in Washington, DC in August - still to be confirmed.

7) This week on Hooked on Raw I've interviewed Gail Murphy, founder of the Coop and Food Exchange of Altadena, CA. Gail has set a model that can be followed by others nationwide wherein we can exchange food growing in our own backyards and neighborhoods, help feed each other good organic food and create community. It's a wonderful idea. Take a listen at: www.NYTalkRadio.net

8) Feedback

July 9, 2009

I shared your Believe It Or Not Speil and the info re your blog with my egroup, Hope it is okay Rhio

Dorit

July 9, 2009

Of course, Thank you.

Rhio

July 9, 2009

RHIO THIS IS ALL VERY WONDERFUL I LIKE THE MICHAEL PIECE --- THANK YOU

Felicia

July 11, 2009

Jackson was a weird, self-indulgent man-child. The superficial, hypocritical Hollywood elites loved him for a reason. But how the world---and you---could attribute saint-like traits to him probably says something about popular tastes.

But I agree with you about health freedoms.

gary

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