Cheenius fights the law: Urban Chicken Keepers vs County Planning Commission

Guest post from dear friend Cheenius, who got political last night to fight for the right to keep chickens in her backyard. Go Cheenius!

Cheenius likes to stay active politically from time to time, and this evening she made it to Albemarle County’s Planning Commission meeting.  Why?  Because the topic was urban agriculture, and like all HP readers, she knows that favorable zoning is crucial to the local food and sustainability movements.  Andy Sorrell, Senior Planner for Albemarle County, gave a thorough report to the 10 commissioners on pros and cons and how other cities and counties are handling this issue.  Then the commissioners gave some initial thoughts before opening it up to the public. Cheenius, as a gardener, beekeeper, AND chicken-keeper, felt compelled to get up in front of the microphone and shout out:  “MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR!”  Well, actually, not quite.  She thanked the planners and the commissioners for moving urban agriculture forward, and said that they seemed fully capable of hashing out the details, but that they should keep in mind that if they want to impose maximum hen numbers, chickens are flock animals so they should really keep the number at 4 or more.  Also, since the county is strained for staffing, requiring permits seems like a waste of time, when you can just have reasonable regulations that can be enforced as needed.  After the standing ovation (I can’t rule out that that was only in Cheenius’ head), she sat down and realized that if there isn’t a clear zoning mandate now, then possibly she’s currently in violation on all three counts of gardening, beekeeping and chicken-keeping.  She considered running for the door, but decided that would draw even more attention to her lawlessness.  Instead, she’s confident the commissioners will ultimately do the right thing when it comes to letting county residents grow their own food.   Initial language they’re looking at adding to the County’s Comprehensive Plan:

“Urban Agriculture Objective:  Support local food production and consumption through the use of urban agricultural practices as a means for increasing access to healthy, local, and affordable foods and encouraging the productive use of vacant land.”
Cheenius gives it two eggs up!

Thoughts on protein powders

I’m a pescatarian athlete. Being competitive, I want to be faster and stronger than my friends. Some of them swear by their post-workout protein drinks, and I was curious: do protein supplements improve athletic performance? As a pescatarian, do I need a protein supplement anyway, since I don’t eat many animal products? (I do eat a lot of eggs.) If I do need one, what are some options that are minimally processed, and based on protein from plants or humanely-treated animals?

First question: do protein supplements improve athletic performance?

Maybe: The idea is that ingesting protein within a half hour or so of a strenuous workout promotes muscle recovery. Protein drinks are a convenient way to get the protein quickly into your system. I usually eat a handful of almonds directly after a workout, followed by an egg-and-veggie breakfast a couple hours later. Livestrong.com suggests almonds are not the best choice for post-workout protein intake. Shoot.

Maybe not: Robb Wolf posits that unless you’re a competitive (I think meaning elite) athlete, you don’t need to worry about a post-workout meal at all. (See comments on this article; the permalink to the specific comment is broken.) Wolf’s site also says because liquid is absorbed faster than food, a protein drink could spike your insulin levels in a way that protein-rich food would not. Here are some real-food post-workout snack alternatives to liquids.

Answer: Unclear, leaning toward yes.

Second question: as a pescatarian, do I need a protein supplement?

Maybe: Precision Nutrition prescribes protein supplements and branched chain amino acids to vegetarian athletes.

Maybe not: According to this article, vegetarians who eat lots of dairy and soy probably get enough protein. I don’t eat much of either, but I do eat a lot of eggs. Precision Nutrition does not support heavy reliance on dairy for protein intake because lactose intolerance and milk protein allergies are so common.

Answer: Unclear, leaning toward no.

Third question: what are some protein supplement options that are minimally processed, and based on protein from plants or humanely-treated animals?

Many protein powders have some weird stuff in them—additives and fillers to make them palatable. Powders are, by definition, processed foods, so if you try to avoid processed foods, well, there you go. If you’re gluten-free, read the fine print as some protein powders contain glutamine peptides as a cheaper filler protein.

Protein powders generally come in two types: plant-based protein powders, and whey protein powder.

The most common plant-based proteins used in supplements are:

  • Hemp protein
  • Brown rice protein
  • Yellow pea protein

This article gives an overview of the three types above. In it, the author, who is a vegan, gives advice to an active reader curious about protein powders. She seems to rank them hemp, brown rice, yellow pea, from favorite to least, saying hemp protein powder has more fiber than the others, and brown rice protein is hypoallergenic.

Recommended (by people on the internets, not me) plant-based protein powders:

Whey is a byproduct of cheesemaking. If purchasing whey protein supplements, ensure the whey is from grass-fed cows. I read a comment on one site that said Mark Sisson’s Primal Fuel is grass-fed whey, but I could not find evidence of that anywhere on the Primal Fuel site, so I’m guessing it’s not true. A Google search came back with a bunch of grass-fed whey options.

Recommended (by people on the internets, not me) whey protein powder:

So I don’t have a solid answer: do I need a protein supplement or not? This calls for Science! I just ordered a powder and will report back.

Paradox Pastry

In a break from the usual HP posts, there’s a new pastry shop in Charlottesville, and I felt duty-bound to check it out and report back here. Paradox Pastry recently opened in the Glass Building next to Bluegrass Grill. The owner is also a personal trainer; hence, the paradox.

It was hard to choose. I went with a gluten-free concoction of peanut butter mousse on a base of chocolate fudge, and my friends got a savory croissant and a blackberry pie.

The savory was as good as the sweets. My only complaint was that the desserts were too big and I don’t have the willpower to stop eating when I’ve hit my sugar limit.

sweet and savory

In addition to the downstairs seating area, there are a few tables upstairs and a TV. They did a great job with the space. Go check it out!

Happy meat vendor news, and a couple interesting meatless/gluten-free recipes

I don’t eat meat, but have no problem with meat-eating, provided the animals were treated humanely and responsibly. Most people I know do eat meat, however, so I’m happy to promote happy meat options to them and to you. I eat a paleo-esque diet; Paleo dictates that you don’t eat food that has added chemicals that can screw up your system, and emphasizes that you are eating what the animals you eat ate. [One of my favorite quotes is “You are what what you eat eats,” from Michael Pollan.] Therefore, followers of the diet are careful to eat pasture-raised, antibiotic free animal products. This week I saw two posts on Paleo blogs about happy meat purveyors, and wanted to help spread the word.

Whole9 wrote about Pastoral Plate, a San Francisco-area meat CSA, offering local, natural, humanely raised meat and animal products. They visit the farmers regularly to learn about how the animals are raised and what they are fed, ensuring the products sold through Pastoral Plate meet their high standards: They’re pasture-raised, eat organic food, and are finished on the farm rather than a feedlot. Pastoral Plate also hosts workdays on their partner farms, and facilitate small loans from customers to the farmers. They’ll soon be shipping nationally, so happy-meat seekers from outside the SF area can enjoy Pastoral Plate products, and there’s a coupon on the Whole9 writeup. But, of course, if it’s available, purchasing happy meat locally is more environmentally responsible than having it shipped, and supporting your local farmers is good for your community

Another happy meat vendor was profiled by Melissa at The Clothes Make the Girl. TX Bar Organics raises grass-fed beef in a “calm low stress environment” in Northern California. In addition to caring about the animals, they care about people: they have made a pledge to donate one pound of meat to needy families for every 20 pounds sold; and they care about the environment: they practice sustainable agriculture through careful maintenance of their pastures. Melissa is giving away a $75 gift card to TX Bar Organics, with a deadline of tomorrow night (July 2) at 11:59pm, so sign up quickly if you’re interested! Same caveat as above though– if you have local happy meat purveyors, you should look to them before shipping meat from far away. Melissa is also known for her Paleo recipes, so while you’re on her blog, check ’em out!

And speaking of recipes, here are two I can’t wait to try. They are both meatless (but you can add meat, of course) and gluten-free.

First, a quick and easy curry, from Legal Nomads, with veggies and chickpeas and coconut milk, oh my. I think the first time I try it I’ll cheat and use curry powder instead of all the individual spices, to make it extra quick and easy. Jodi added a note at the end with instructions for adding meat, if desired.

And second, zucchini noodles in a thai peanut sauce, from Eating Bird Food. Using zucchini noodles and spaghetti squash is a delicious way to make gluten free “pasta” dishes, and anything with a peanut sauce makes me happy.

Now I must go eat lunch. I am starving.