100 Grannies – What We Do

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charlene Lange

You can view our latest presentation in PDF format [View PDF] or you can see the slides below as images. Click any slide for a larger gallery slideshow view.

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Miriam at the grocery store

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Katharine

Letter to the editor: Kindness, generosity, kinship and love are alive and well
Posted on Mar 5, 2021, in Little Village
By Miriam Kashia, North Liberty
If you are paying attention to the news, you’re undoubtedly getting a major daily
dose of crisis, dishonesty, corruption, conspiracy, illness, death, conflict and on
and on and on. This is a tough time to be living on planet Earth, whether you
have skin, scales, horns, fur, feathers or leaves. Things are not going well.
This is a different kind of story, and it’s uplifting, fun, delightful and TRUE!
Several weeks ago as I was standing in the checkout line at my grocery store (6’
back and wearing my mask), I observed that the woman in front of me was
digging through her purse to try to come up with enough money to pay for her
groceries. So I pulled a $5 bill from my wallet and handed it to the clerk to make
up the difference. My new “friend” was very appreciative, and I felt uplifted about
having helped her. The opportunity to commit a “random act of kindness” is a
moment of opening one’s heart to another. And it feels so good.
I was next in line, and after the cashier rang up my groceries — about $20 worth
— a young woman directly behind me who had witnessed the interaction, pulled
out some cash from her wallet and handed it to the cashier and announced that
she was paying for my groceries. Though I indicated she needn’t do that, she
insisted and we both enjoyed the beauty of the moment. It was such a surprise
and such a sweet moment for all three of us: the cashier, me, and my young
benefactor. I have enjoyed telling that story many times, because it is a
wonderful example of a “random act of kindness,” and how “what goes round,
comes round.”
Fast-forward a couple of weeks:
I am in the same grocery store, again waiting in line (6’ back wearing my mask).
There are about 15 items in my cart. A stranger walked up to get in line behind
me. All she had was a small container of cherry tomatoes. I indicated that she
should step in front of me since she only had one item. I invited her several
times before she acquiesced and took my place in the checkout line. As there
were a couple of people in front of us with grocery carts filled high, we had a few
minutes to chat.
I told her about the incident related above, as I love telling it because it is such a
wonderful example of shared generosity and kindness. Then my “new friend”
paid for her tomatoes and headed for the exit as I was starting to check out. The
cashier indicated to me that the tomato lady had emptied all her money from her
wallet and there was $12.51 left after paying for her tomatoes. She had asked
him to apply it to my bill.
I looked at her as she was about to leave the store, and she looked at me and
we both burst out laughing. It was a moment of sheer delight. It was a “random
act of kindness,” and generosity, but it was far more. In that moment, there was
a mutual recognition of our shared humanity and connection. It reminds me that
there is so much good in the world and so many ways we can bless one
another.
The most heartfelt part of this story for me is that we were four women with
various skin colors who shared a “magical moment ” of possibility in our broken
world.
So to my beautiful grocery store neighbors, thank you! And know that I will be passing the love on.

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Would you rather have a lawn..

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Charlene Lange

Would you rather have a lawn that looks like a golf course or a park?

It’s a joy to be outdoors in the spring! Seasonal changes add interest to our walks in the neighborhood …. UNTIL we get to that acrid odor of lawn spray. We take care not to step on THAT yard to avoid tracking toxic chemicals into our home. Thankfully, in Iowa City, our public turf grass is free from harmful effects of urban pesticide. Back in 2016 Iowa City banned pesticides in parks and trails. Soon after, Iowa City Community Schools followed suit and now Johnson County, too. And the reason is because research shows evidence of harm from pesticide exposure in so many ways – to health, water quality, pets, pollinators, and biodiversity.

We are blessed to live in a neighborhood where very few yards are sprayed. Our neighbors get it. Natural lawn care is simple and it saves money. Here’s what you do: Just omit pesticides and herbicides, and mow high (at least 3 inches). And neighbors get this part, too: our lawns are just as aesthetically pleasing as treated lawns, while providing some great benefits. If you are interested in reconsidering the way you care for your lawn, go here for more information and science-driven evidence: https://goodneighboriowa.org/ -Linda Rice and Gary Lawrenson, Iowa City

https://iowacitypresscitizen-ia.newsmemory.com/?selDate=20210303&editionStart=Iowa+City+Press+Citizen&goTo=A07

also in Little Village March 1, 2021

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WorldWaterDay is 22 Mar 2021

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Katharine

#WorldWaterDay is Monday, March 22, and the 2021 theme is “Valuing Water.”. In honor of the theme, the City of Iowa City will highlight a different topic and “call to action” every Wednesday in March, and we invite the community to learn and celebrate with us! Here is the “Water Wednesday” lineup: 🔵March 3: Use water wisely. 🔵March 10: Appreciate water treatment and wastewater treatment plants. 🔵March 17: Do not litter. 🔵March 24: Be a wise consumer. 🔵March 31: Celebrate water’s importance in our lives.

from Jane Wilch, Iowa City Recycling Coordinator  jane-wilch@iowa-city.org

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Time to cut loose from Big Ag’s factory farm

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Charlene Lange

published Iowa City Press Citizen 2-24-21

Time to cut loose from Big Ag’s factory farm stranglehold

Despite powerful evidence and years of opposition from many citizens, numerous county boards, small nonprofits and leading environmental groups, “factory farms” continue to proliferate across the state. Calling these operations “farms” is a misnomer.  “Industrial Animal Factories” is more accurate. They are destroying our rural communities, displacing traditional family farms, defiling our land, air and water, and putting us all at risk. Iowa’s landscape is riddled with more than 13,000 of these installations with rows of long, narrow sheds containing thousands of abused animals packed in together in toxic, cruel conditions. And they just keep coming.

Just a few of the many reasons to support a moratorium:

  • Widespread noxious, harmful odors.
  • Drastic reduction in nearby property values.
  • Harmful health impacts — breathing problems (especially in children and the elderly), risk of antibiotic-resistant infections, depression and more.
  • Poisoning of wells and groundwater.
  • Potential hotbed for the emergence of another devastating pandemic.
  • Manure spills and runoff contributed to over 750 polluted waterways.

This movement is NOT anti-farmer. Rather, it seeks to support traditional, independent farmers who care for their land and our environment, reflecting values of responsibility, respect and regeneration. The unsustainable factory farm model is quite the opposite, placing corporate profits above all else. As Iowans, we must find our way back from this destructive, polluting precipice and lend our voices to demand a moratorium on new or expanded factory farms.

— Miriam Kashia, North Liberty

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2021 Barbara Schlachter Memorial March Lectures

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Katharine

100 Grannies Barbara Schlachter Memorial March Lecture Series

Register online:
http://apm.activecommunities.com/iowacityseniorcenter/Activity_Search/16101
or call the senior center:  319-356-5220
========================================================
March 8: Climate Change and the Paris  Agreement – Jerry Schnoor;

March 15: Facts behind factory farms – Miriam Kashia, Sandy Alper, and Mackenzie Aime, Iowa Food and Water Watch

March 22: Focus on eliminating single use plastic – Becky Ross

March 29th: Solving Sustainability Challenges Through Equity – Stratis Giannakouros, Dir. of the U of IA Human Center Sustainability and Environment

Lectures are from 6:30 to 8:00 (with time for Q&A) – you need to register for the lecture, but you do not need to be a member of the senior Center.

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Cream of Broccoli Soup

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Charlene Lange

Ingredients:

4 cups veggie broth (water w/2 teaspoons of better than bullion)
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½ in pieces  (approx. 12 ounces)
1 onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
4-8 cloves of garlic, minced
4-6 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teas basil, dried
1 cup of cashews
1 cup water
1 ½-2 teas salt
½-1 teas pepper

 Cook the first 5 ingredients for 5 minutes.

Add in the broccoli and basil for about 7 -10 minutes more (or until they’re barely tender)

Blend the cashews with 1 cup of water.  (If you do not have a Vitamix, soak the cashews first.)

Scoop about ½-1 cup of hot soup into blender with cashews and blend until smooth.

Pour the puree back into the pan.

Note:  You can blend all the soup in batches until smooth if you prefer.

Stir and enjoy!

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Sandy Alper 10 Feb 2021 PC

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Katharine

Officials are right – factory farms are bad for Iowa

Mackenzie Aime and Sandra Alper

Special to Iowa City Press-Citizen USA TODAY NETWORK

Just before the new year, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors voted for a ban on factory farms in their 2021 legislative priorities. This week, legislators will introduce statewide bills that, if passed, would establish a moratorium on new and expanding factory farms. The movement to stop factory farms in Iowa is homegrown, with roots here in Johnson County. Over the past few years, Food & Water Watch and 100Grannies for a Livable Future have rallied our fellow Iowans around the urgent need to stop factory farms. It’s time that our state legislators carry the torch on this priority into the General Assembly.

Iowa is in a factory farm crisis. The events of 2020 brought to light many of the consequences of our hyper- consolidated food system, which is dominated by the factory farm industry.

Factory farms render our rivers too dirty and dangerous to serve as public water supplies. For three months in 2020, the Des Moines River was virtually unusable because of high concentrations of microcystin. Microcystin are the toxic result of blue-green algae caused largely by the overuse and misapplication of manure and other fertilizer that run off from factory farms into our rivers and streams. Microcystin pose a serious health threat that includes the potential to cause both kidney and liver damage if ingested, and drinking water utilities are unable to filter this toxin out. Will our rivers eventually be entirely too polluted to serve as a source of drinking water? What will we do then? Our elected officials must take action to address this crisis before it’s too late.

Factory farms also put the health of our communities at risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dangerous conditions that food system workers toil in daily. Widespread reporting has uncovered systematic denials of access to basic safety measures including PPE for meatpacking plant workers. As a result, over 6,000 Iowa meatpackers contracted COVID- 19 — and many have died — while corporations like Tyson and JBS profited. Unsafe conditions are driven, in part, by consolidation in our food supply. Exploding numbers of factory farms across Iowa are a large part of the ongoing consolidation that puts workers at risk. We can and must change this.

What’s more, factory farms are bad business for our state. Since factory farms monopolized Iowa’s ag sector, the state’s lost more than 85% of

its small- and medium- sized hog farms. Those lost farms were economic pillars for many rural communities, and rural voters know this. A recent poll by RuralOrganizing.org shows that 88% of young people and 82% of independents in rural areas support a moratorium on factory farms and corporate monopolies in our food and farm system. Many of those who adapted to the consolidated system and own factory farms became entrenched in debt, struggling to make ends meet while trapped in predatory corporate contracts. Clear momentum is growing around a food system that invests not in the corporate giants whose stranglehold brought us the factory farm crisis, but in the workers and independent farmers that bring food to our tables.

In calling for a ban on factory farms, Johnson County Supervisors have appropriately responded to the demands of their constituents. Johnson County’s state legislators must follow suit. Bills to establish a moratorium on new and expanding factory farms will be introduced in both chambers of the General Assembly this week. Co-sponsoring these bills would honor the wishes of Johnson County constituents as well as the county’s Board of Supervisors. The time for our state legislators to act is now.

We need bold policy solutions that protect our clean water, our health and Iowa’s remaining independent farms. When legislators announce factory farm moratorium bills this week, we will rally with the Iowa voters to stop factory farm expansion and corporate monopolies in our food system. Will you join us?

Mackenzie Aime is an Iowa City resident and organizer with Food & Water Watch and Sandra Alper is a member of 100Grannies for Livable Future

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Miriam Kashia with Ed Fallon – radio interview – 1 Feb 2021

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Katharine

Granny Miriam Kashia was interviewed on the Fallon Forum radio show on Monday 2/1 about the CAFO moratorium project the Grannies are currently working on in partnership with Food & Water Watch. (Link)

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Eggless Salad Sandwich Filling

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Charlene Lange

by Carol Throckmorton

Yield: approx.. 8 half cup servings

3/4 C vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. kala namak salt (black salt or Indian salt)*
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ C nutritional yeast
1 – 2 green onions, thinly slicked
1- 16 oz. Package of tofu, firm or extra firm

In a medium sized bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard. Stir until well mixed. Add dry ingredients and slicked onions until blended

Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry with paper towel. Crumble into bowl and mix with other other ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving to allow seasonings to blend with tofu.

Use ½ cup of filling for two slices of whole grain bread (or sever on crackers).

*Kala namak salt is also called black salt or Indian salt. It is primarily sodium chloride, but also contains sulfur compounds, which provides a hard boiled egg aroma and taste. It is used in vegan dishes to mimic the taste of eggs. It can be purchased at specialty grocery stores. This is an optional ingredient; other salt can be substituted.

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