Farmers in the Crosshairs

 

Between retaliatory tariffs and deportations, farmers are getting the short end of the stick, which is now both ends of the stick. Winter wheat is planted in the fall and is almost ready to harvest (pictured above). Half of that wheat is exported. But now, it looks like farmers, producers, and shippers are going to be required to pay a $1 million shipping fee to help revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The country only has 14 ships sailing under its flag; all the rest of the ships that export grain and other commodities to other countries fly under various flags, many of them Chinese. Retaliatory tariffs are also an issue. How much can winter wheat farmers, who rarely make a profit anyway, bear in this trade war? 

Tariffs on exports of corn, wheat, and potatoes are particularly egregious to Colorado farmers. Through decades of work, the state's farmers have managed to create a market in Mexico for about 19 percent of their potatoes. Now, that market is at risk if Mexico joins the trade war that is forming with our nearest neighbors.

The third burden on America's farmers during this Administration is the threat of the disappearance of their labor force. Without migrant labor to harvest the crops, it doesn't matter what the prices, tariffs and fees are. Those crops will rot in the fields and orchards.  Read more about it here in the March 25, 2025 issue of the Colorado Sun:

https://coloradosun.com/2025/03/25/trump-tariffs-shipping-fees-could-take-bite-out-of-colorados-ag-industry/

What to Expect This Summer: Food Shortages and Price Increases

 I'd like to go on record here on the first day of Spring, 2025, predicting which foods we in the US will find expensive and in short supply later this year. Let's revisit this post in a couple of months to see how well I did. You are welcome to leave a comment with your predictions, too! 

The basis is California

As a young woman working in corporations, I found myself living in an odd place: Modesto, California, in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. As I drove to work in nearby Stockton every day, I passed rows upon rows of grapevines. There was also the odorous sugar beet factory, with piles of rotting beet pomace, munched on by contented cows. Planes flew above, dropping loads of sticky malathion to quash the Mediterranean fruit fly that was damaging orchards. 

Around this time of year, the groves of almond trees were beautiful, wearing their white blossoms. Almonds grow well in this area although they require a lot of water. So, if you cherish almond milk on your morning cereal, it would be best to think about switching to a different alternative milk. I predict prices will rise because the federal government ordered that water be released from the area's reservoirs last month. More than 2.2 billion gallons of water flooded the fields, orchards, and vineyards. This means that water, which comes from the Sierra Range in Northern California and the Cascade Range in the Northwest, will not be available later on when the almond trees really need it. 

Today, March 20, 2025, the cost of a one-pound bag of shelled raw almonds ranges from $8 to $10. A half-gallon of Bettergoods Almond Milk at Walmart is only $2.44 (but it may be out of stock).  Other nut crops are also grown in California such as walnuts and pistachios. In fact, 99 percent of US pistachio production comes from the Golden State. 

Now, let's look at those grapevines. Virtually all of the nation's table grapes are grown in California. Water shortages will affect the size and quality of the crop. Raisins, too, will be affected. And wine. Are you ready for a California wine shortage? 

Other fruits will have crop shortages and failures. Oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruit. Stone fruits: peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots. Kiwi fruit. Olives. Dried fruits too. Trail mix.  A one-pound bag of Trader Joe's Trail Mix today is $13.83. Let's revisit the snack aisle in a couple of months and see what's what. 

The line between fruits and vegetables is somewhat undefined, but what's clear is that the bounty of fresh produce that comes from Central California is going to be diminished. From artichokes to zucchini, consumers will see high prices and empty shelves. Even such staples as tomatoes and potatoes might be hard to find unless you grow them yourself.

Many specialty crops come from California. So our holiday tables will be more expensive to fill with goodies like fig jam and pomegranates. In the Delta country around Sacramento, a special kind of rice is grown that is used to make sushi. And for all you people who shy away from gluten, the rice flour you use comes from California, too. Better start looking for substitutes. 

A question lingers: why was all this water released prematurely? It seems that the new administration in its infinite wisdom thought that the water would flow through the valley and south several hundred miles to Los Angeles. But it is patently clear looking at any map that water flows through a process called gravity from the highest elevations to the lowest. The mountains are in the North and East, while the lowest elevations are in the west, at sea level. In the San Joaquin Valley, water pools in the valley, on the floodplain, and is absorbed into the earth. It was a colossal error to release the precious water, and we'll be paying for it for years.  But who will pay the most will be the farmers. They have already invested in seeds, fertilizer, equipment. Crops and trees will die. Soil will dry up and blow away. Harvests won't happen. 

Sweet Potatoes Four Different Ways

It's for good reasons that the sweet potato is the darling of the vegetable kingdom right now. Rich in fiber, it promotes gut health; test tube studies indicate it may be beneficial in fighting against several kinds of cancer. It has abundant antioxidants that decrease inflammation in the brain and elsewhere. Where the sweet potato really stands out is its supply of beta-carotene (which gives it the deep orange coloring) and which the body converts to Vitamin A. A cup of sweet potato cubes supplies an astounding 213 percent of the daily value of Vitamin A, a deficiency of which can lead to blindness. 

Just before the year-end holidays, I bought a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes and wondered how I'd use them up. It turned out to be a no-brainer, as I found easy recipes in pages from the New York Times to my newest cookbook Make it Japanese. Here are a few different ways to cook sweet potatoes now which I've gathered just for you. Unlike eggs, they remain widely available in stores at reasonable prices. Enjoy!

Sweet Potatoes in a Soup

The popular Japanese American chef Rie MeClenny published her debut cookbook Make it Japanese in 2023 and rave reviews are still coming in. She includes a recipe for Dango Miso Soup with sweet potato in the book. On her web site is a recipe for Cream Stew, and sweet potato can be used instead of russets. Here's the link to that recipe. 

The cookbook's recipe is more complex, starting with mochi-like rice flour dumplings. It also uses a dashi and miso stock instead of a milk and chicken broth stock for the cream stew. But both of them feature vegetables, including potato, carrot, onion, and greens that come from the Western world. That is why many of her creations fall into the realm of Yōshoku, or Western-influenced Japanese cooking. 

Ube Mochi: Sweet Potato Pancakes! 

When it was first offered at Trader Joe's, Ube Mochi Pancake and Waffle Mix flew off the shelves. The Filipino-inspired recipe uses dehydrated purple yam powder which is not only a delightful hue but is nutritious and tasty. It makes a delicious breakfast pancake that is distinctively fluffy. And the mochi flour is made of rice, so it's gluten-free. Around the Lunar New Year, I made these savory pancakes with scallion (green onion) slices and a ponzu syrup with lime wedges. Another time, a sweeter version can be made with blueberries, topped with elderberry syrup. A third version uses the pancakes as a base with poached baby scallops in a sauce made with Alsatian white wine (that's an Alice Waters recipe). If you don't want to shell out about $35 for the TJ mix, there's a copy-cat recipe on the Kat Can Cook site, but it's not gluten-free. 

Sheet Pan Crispy Tofu and Sweet Potatoes

Here's a filling and meatless recipe from the New York Times. They really seem to love sheet-pan dinners, and this one actually uses two sheet pans! I streamlined things by putting the tofu and sweet potatoes side-by-side on one. This link takes you to the recipe without having to subscribe:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019575-sheet-pan-crisp-tofu-and-sweet-potatoes?unlocked_article_code=1.2E4.r3ui.2rZhOroZ2ZHI&smid=share-url

Sweet Potatoes with Miso-Ginger Sauce

Deborah Madison is a renowned vegetarian chef, author, and teacher. I've adapted her recipe which is so easy and makes a great presentation.  You don't even need to peel the potatoes! Just scrub them well, halve them, and steam them in a pot with a steamer basket over 2 inches of water for about 30 minutes. 

While the tubers are steaming, make the sauce. Mix a tablespoon of garlic paste with an equal amount of ginger paste. Mix in 2 tsp. sugar or mirin, and 1 tablespoon each of unseasoned rice vinegar, light sesame oil, and toasted sesame oil. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of miso and 1 tablespoon water until blended and add to the sauce, blending until smooth. 

Remove the sweet potatoes from the steamer and pat dry. Make a crisscross pattern on the cut sides. Heat a heavy skillet and then add a swirl of light sesame or other neutral oil. Place the potatoes cut-side down and let them cook for about three minutes until golden brown around the edges. Remove to serving bowls, swirling on the sauce and topping with black sesame seeds, scallion slices, or both. As you can see from the photo, I accompanied them with steamed soba (buckwheat) noodles, which are also topped with the sauce. Other side dishes could be spicy Asian greens or bok-choi and rice.

Now, more than ever, it's time to grow food

Well. I have enough material for a whole year's worth of blog posts already so I'll start at Ground Zero. Your body, your home, your impact. There is no better year to start growing food or to expand your garden. You don't need to start big: a pot, a planter, a plot in your neighborhood. What's important is that each one of us starts to relearn what our ancestors knew: how to use plants to feed ourselves and each other. How to become more self-reliant and self-sustaining. How to ride out the storms which we are literally and figuratively facing. I'm here to guide you and give you confidence. As Senator Bernie Sanders says, "Despair is not an option!" 

Begin at home, in your own kitchen. Begin with your own body and that of your loved ones or friends. What do you like to eat? What sustains you? What keeps you feeling fit, alert, and healthy? Make a list, both of foods you like and those you would like to try or add. 

Now, where do these foods come from? Likely as not, they might come from Mexico or California. Sorry, less and less food comes from California as new home construction gobbles up more land. I bought some corned beef for St. Patrick's Day; it came from Uruguay. Most of our citrus now comes from Brazil and is grown on land that used to be jungle. Turkey is starting to send eggs to the US. We get wheat from Ukraine if the Russians will allow ships to depart. 

But the major exporter of food to the US is Mexico. And now their food is going to jump in price by at least one-fourth. So, growing a dooryard garden is not just a fun hobby, but also a way to keep your food expenditures reasonable. And, most of all, it chips away at that growing knot of worry, the food insecurity that many of us are starting to feel when we go to the grocers and see high prices and empty shelves. Following are some of the plants I recommend that you try growing. 

Radishes. Just kidding! I doubt if many of your food lists say radishes. But beginning gardeners are always urged to grow the pungent roots. I don't know why; they are not particularly easy to grow and mine usually are woody and tough. Let's try again. 

Lettuce. It's easy to grow, comes up in the early spring, is delicious and nutritious. It is a "cut-and-come-again" plant that you can harvest over and over. Baby spinach, mesclun, leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, and arugula are the varieties I recommend. Save iceberg for when you become expert, it is harder to grow and has less nutrition. 

Legumes. Beans and peas are easy to plant and grow, don't get many diseases, come up in early spring and have protein and other nutrients. If you don't like garden peas, plant snap peas. I'm going to experiment with growing peanuts this year and will report on my progress. Due to climate change, the mean temperature in my area has risen by two degrees and I am now in US Hardiness Zone 6, so I can technically grow those goobers. I'm looking forward to using my peanut harvest to make a wonderful African groundnut stew. 

Grains. There's one grain that I've successfully grown here in Central Colorado and that is amaranth. It's versatile, keeps well, and contains a lot of nutrients. Best of all, one cup of cooked amaranth contains nine grams of protein, as well as antioxidants and fiber. One year my amaranth plant grew over 20 feet tall! I'm still planting seed from that plant. 

Herbs and Teas. Here it is early spring and we have been through three Arctic blasts that drove temperatures into the negative degrees. Yet, my parsley plants are green and thriving. They're cozy in a brick raised south-facing bed, covered by a black pot on frigid nights. Parsley is way more than just a garnish. It completes a wide variety of dishes, both visually and in nutrition and taste. Other herbs that are easily grown are cilantro, thyme (needs lots of sun), oregano, mint, rosemary, and tarragon. For tea, I grow hibiscus and roses. 

Onions.  Green onions (scallions) are easiest grown from sets, small bulbs that have been grown for one year. Red onions and chives are also easy to grow. If my onions haven't reached a sufficient size by the fall, I just leave them in the ground and let them grow another year. My soil is well draining so they don't rot. Garlic is another member of the lily family that is fairly easy to grow. I've had the best luck by planting it in the fall. 

Tomatillos. Gardeners are always fussing with their tomato plants. I've decided I'd rather grow tomatillos instead. In fact, I have a salsa garden with hot and sweet peppers, onions, and tomatillos. The large purple ones grow best for me. 

Fruit, nuts, and berries. Thanks to climate change, I can now grow tree fruit like apricots, peaches,  cherries, hardy figs, and persimmons (pictured above). There's an excellent web site called The Food Forest Nursery that lists all the fruit trees, fruiting vines, bush fruits, and native food plants you can grow broken out by hardiness zone. One species that seems to be missing is currant bushes. Perhaps this is because not many people cook with currants nowadays. It's a pity. Strawberries grow well in my garden and make a nice ground cover under plants and bushes. I'm also growing Juneberries. They are like strawberries but with white fruit and red seeds. They are the sweetest berry I've ever tasted!

In the realm of nut trees, I've seen almond and pecan trees start to appear. And I'm growing a Yellowhorn Tree, which has amazing orchid-like flowers and edible nuts. The pinon pine tree has nuts that are quite a delicacy. Don't forget sunflowers, pollinator plants that supply nuts and oil.

Potatoes. I have grown potatoes for several years with mixed results. One year, they just disappeared, rotted or eaten by underground critters. But most years they do well. I get the highest quality seed potatoes I can find, such as German Reds. I cut them into chits, each with at least two eyes. I dry them thoroughly in a cool dark place on newspaper. Planted in trenches, they are "hilled up" as they grow for highest yield. This year, I'm going to try growing sweet potatoes too! 

What's missing: Brassicas. I haven't had very good luck with these due to aphids and other insects. And they take up too much room for the amount of nutrition they provide. In that space, I'm going to grow Asian greens instead, such as bok- and pac-choi. You can buy seeds for Asian greens at the True Leaf site. Melons: New species of watermelons are on the market now that are easier to grow. I'm going to try them. I've grown honeydew and cantaloupe and they are a lot of work with not a lot of yield. Winter Squash: While I love the summer and pattypan squashes as well as the Cinderella Pumpkin, the hard shelled winter squash are too much trouble to prepare in my book. Your mileage may differ. I also recommend the Delicata Squash which is easy to grow and has a thin, edible peel!