Being part of our county’s Master Gardener Speakers Guild is a lot of fun. My program is titled “Herbs: A Place to Begin”. It is for anyone who might be curious about growing herbs or is just beginning to use them. I give simple advice for ways to incorporate tasty herbs into your every day life. After such a sweet reception to my presentation, I will be adding regular posts about herbs.
Watch for the ones titled “A Place to Begin”.
Sometimes I am asked why I grow herbs. There are many reasons, but today, I would like to talk about peace of mind.
While I prefer to not be some “Prophet of Gloom”, I do have many concerns about mass production of food items. This article caught my attention and I thought it might be a nice addition to my little series about herbs.
Source: Morning News Beat on October 31 if you would like to read the entire article.
The New York Times reports this morning that “about 12 percent of spices brought to the United States are contaminated with insect parts, whole insects, rodent hairs and other things, according to an analysis of spice imports by federal food authorities.
“The finding by the Food and Drug Administration is part of a comprehensive look at the safety of spice imports that has been years in the making. The federal authorities also found that nearly 7 percent of spice imports examined by federal inspectors were contaminated with salmonella, a toxic bacteria that can cause severe illness in humans.
“The shares of imported spices contaminated with insect parts and salmonella were twice those found in other types of imported food, federal food officials said … Spice imports from Mexico and India have been found to have the highest rate of contamination. Nearly one-quarter of the spices, oils and food colorings used in the United States comes from India, according to the F.D.A.”
If you are curious and would like to read another article from MSN, click HERE.
I guess the point I am hoping to make is this: When you grow your own herbs, especially from organic seed, you know exactly what your family is eating. Grow them. harvest them, clean them, and enjoy them with complete peace of mind!
Would you like some simple recipes using fresh herbs? Take a peek at my Recipes Page! If you are interested in growing herbs, there are quite a few tips on my Gardening Page! I’d love for you to visit my Stone Cottage each week as my little series continues. If you are new to herbs, I can give a place to begin!
😉 -Marci
