Page

August 2017

Changing With Today

Presidentrsquos Message

Columbia County Association for Home and Community Education

January 2019

Greetings New Years Eve and into Januaryhellip the time of the year everyone makes their New Years resolutions I think most people resolve to diet and lose weight but that doesnrsquot work well for me I found a few that might be easier to accomplish 1 Compliment others often it may uplift that person 2 Travel somewhere new whether by train plane car boat or foot

Do a road trip to a goofy-named town that youve always been curious about

3 Say yes To new hobbies activities volunteeringmdashanything you might dismiss for no good reason Put yourself out there and try new things If itrsquos wild and crazy then go for it

4 Say no Embrace your awareness when you are feeling stretched Do not be afraid to say no if you do not want to do it

5 Eat right and wrong Instead of going cold turkey on a diet try gradual menu modifications Keep that dessert if you like it just downsize a little

This is usually what my New Years resolution looks like Kris Young President

Page 2

My mailing list has been updated begin-ning January 1 to match the membership list

If there is someone in your club who is not

receiving the newsletter please let me

know

If you are receiving this newsletter and are

no longer a member please let me know

As always let me know if you have an

address change THANKS LuAnn

$1000 will be presented to Wisconsin Bookwormstrade by an

anonymous donor if 10 new members are recruited

by December 31

Any clubs with new members not reported Let LuAnn know

WELCOME NEW MEMBER

Leonard KnadlemdashCastle Builders

Program books are not ready yet As

soon as they are back from the printer

I will mail them to individuals and clubs

with ten or fewer members Larger

clubs can make arrangements to pick

them up

EXECUTIVE BOARD

MEETING DATES

January 15 March 19 May 21 September 17

All meetings are 930 am at the Columbia County Health amp Human Services Bldg meeting room 3

January ishellip

National Hot Tea Month

National Clean Up Your Computer Month

Page 3

Country Settlers continue to meet monthly to discuss monthly lessons

This year we have had two members decide to cancel their member-

ship with our club December we will again have our Christmas get-

together at Pizza Ranch in Portage We always help

put together Christmas cards to get delivered to the

veterans and elderly at nursing homes in the area

Kris YoungCenter Chair

Aging and Exercise February 7 2019 130 pm LaVita Fitness Center Divine Savior 2815 New Pinery Rd Portage Go in the main entrance of the Fitness Center Bobbie Goodman will be there to greet you and direct you to the meeting space

Learn about the benefits of exercise especially as you age The LaVita staff will go through some strength balance and stretching exercises Divine Savior physical therapy staff will talk about falls prevention

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Registration Form Aging and Exercise

February 7 2019mdash130 pm LaVita Fitness Center

Name______________________________________________ ClubIndividual______________________________________ Phone______________________________________________ Return by February 1 to LuAnn Olson UW-Extension 112 E Edgewater St Rm 212 Portage WI 53901 OR call LuAnn at (608) 742-9688 OR e-mail luannolsoncesuwexedu

Page 4

Organic Food ndash What Does it Really Mean

George Koepp Columbia County UW-Extension Agriculture Educator

People have many reasons to purchase

and consume organic food some are

based on fact and some are based on

opinion Typically organic food is

more costly because of the higher cost

of production but what does the term

organic really mean Is organic really

more healthy for me and my family Is

it worth the extra expense To make an

informed decision we need to under-

stand a few organic terms

What does the

USDA ldquoorganic labelrdquo mean Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agri-cultural product has been produced through approved methods The organic standards describe the spe-cific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can receive the USDA ldquoorganic labelrdquo

The term organic refers to foods that

have been farmed and produced accord-

ing to the standards of the United States

Department of Agriculturersquos (USDA)

National Organic Program (NOP) Or-

ganic farms cannot use synthetic fertiliz-

ers synthetic pesticides sewage sludge

fertilizers genetically modified seeds

growth hormones or antibiotics or

drugs (except in the case of illness)

Animals being raised organically must

have access to the outdoors ingest or-

ganic feed and live in nonstressful set-

tings Organic food processing cannot

use nonorganic ingredients irradiation

genetically engineered ingredients or

solvents to extract oil Farmers must

demonstrate these characteristics for

three years prior to becoming a certified

organic farm

What percentage is considered organic

One cannot assume any food that uses

the term ldquoorganicrdquo is 100 percent organ-

ic There are four types of organic

labels ldquo100 organicrdquo ldquoorganicrdquo

ldquomade with organic ingredientsrdquo and

others Foods labeled ldquo100 organicrdquo

with the USDA organic seal are the only

foods guaranteed to be 100 percent or-

ganic Foods labeled ldquoorganicrdquo must

contain at least 95 percent organic in-

gredients and have the USDA organic

seal Foods labeled ldquomade with organic

ingredientsrdquo may not use the USDA

organic seal but must contain at least 70

percent organic ingredients Other foods

containing organic ingredients may not

use the USDA organic seal and may

only list the organic ingredients in the

ingredient list Food labeled with

ldquonaturalrdquo ldquofreshrdquo ldquocage-freerdquo and oth-

er labels cannot be assumed to be organ-

ic as these terms do not share the same

definition

Page 5

Is organic food healthier than

conventional

Most independent studies indicate that

there is no health or nutritional differ-

ence between foods grown conven-

tionally versus organically There are

limited examples of organic crops or

conventional crops with greater levels

of this or that component but at levels

that are not materially significant

When the relative costs are taken into

account the cost per unit of nutrient

conventional crops comes out far

ahead Most nutritionists argue that it

is more important for people to in-

crease their consumption of fruits and

vegetablesmdashregardless of how they

are grown It should also be noted

that some organic farmers also use

organic pesticides

although they have a smaller arsenal

from which to choose Also some

widely used organic pesticides are as

toxic or more toxic than many syn-

thetic alternatives

Researchers at the Stanford University

Medical School conducted the most

comprehensive independent study to

datemdashldquoAre Organic Foods Safer or

Healthier than Conventional Alterna-

tivesrdquomdashin 2012 For their study the

researchers sifted through thousands of

papers and identified 237 of the most

relevant to analyze They found noth-

ing to support the notion that organic

food on the whole is safer or more

nutrient dense or vitamin rich The

researchers found organic food had a

30 percent lower risk of pesticide resi-

dues however the residue levels on

the conventional foods was well with-

in safety limits

ldquoSome people believe that organic

food is always healthier and more nu-

tritious We were a little surprised that

we didnrsquot find thatrdquo said Crystal

Smith-Spangler a Stanford Medicine

instructor and one of the paperrsquos au-

thors The only nutrient found to be

significantly higher in organic food

was phosphorous but that was consid-

ered an inconsequential advantage

since few people have a phosphorous

deficiency

Some final notes

Should I eat or provide organic food to

my family There is no easy one size

fits all answer Most families must

consider price in their budget and find

that it may not be worth the extra ex-

pense because research has shown that

organic does not make it more healthy

or wholesome Organic does have a

30 lower risk of pesticide residues

but it is not necessarily pesticide free

Organic growers can use pesticides

they just work from a much smaller

approved list The real concern should

be how much do you trust the produc-

ers of your food

(contrsquod next page)

Page 6

Sources httpsextensionpsueduorganic-foods

httpswwwamsusdagovgrades-standardsorganic-standards

httpswwwmensjournalcomfood-drinkare-organic-foods-really-healthier

httpswwwtheatlanticcomhealtharchive201112how-much-of-your-food-

labeled-as-organic-is-actually-organic250301

Organic foods are a nice option

when they are available and you can

afford them Instead of stressing

over organic vs conventionally

grown food consider some im-

portant guidelines we can all live by

Eat more fresh fruits and vege-

tables (example ndash Mediterrane-

an diets)

Buy local whenever possible ndash

know your farmer know your

food by purchasing from

Farmerrsquos Markets Food Co-ops

and CSArsquos ndash Community Sup-

ported Agriculture shares

Grow your own food ndash you get

exercise stress relief and know

how your food was grown and

handled ndash UW-Extension has

many resources to help you

Wash clean and handle your

unprocessed foods in a proper

and safe manner

Page 3

Country Settlers continue to meet monthly to discuss monthly lessons

This year we have had two members decide to cancel their member-

ship with our club December we will again have our Christmas get-

together at Pizza Ranch in Portage We always help

put together Christmas cards to get delivered to the

veterans and elderly at nursing homes in the area

Kris YoungCenter Chair

Aging and Exercise February 7 2019 130 pm LaVita Fitness Center Divine Savior 2815 New Pinery Rd Portage Go in the main entrance of the Fitness Center Bobbie Goodman will be there to greet you and direct you to the meeting space

Learn about the benefits of exercise especially as you age The LaVita staff will go through some strength balance and stretching exercises Divine Savior physical therapy staff will talk about falls prevention

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Registration Form Aging and Exercise

February 7 2019mdash130 pm LaVita Fitness Center

Name______________________________________________ ClubIndividual______________________________________ Phone______________________________________________ Return by February 1 to LuAnn Olson UW-Extension 112 E Edgewater St Rm 212 Portage WI 53901 OR call LuAnn at (608) 742-9688 OR e-mail luannolsoncesuwexedu

Page 4

Organic Food ndash What Does it Really Mean

George Koepp Columbia County UW-Extension Agriculture Educator

People have many reasons to purchase

and consume organic food some are

based on fact and some are based on

opinion Typically organic food is

more costly because of the higher cost

of production but what does the term

organic really mean Is organic really

more healthy for me and my family Is

it worth the extra expense To make an

informed decision we need to under-

stand a few organic terms

What does the

USDA ldquoorganic labelrdquo mean Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agri-cultural product has been produced through approved methods The organic standards describe the spe-cific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can receive the USDA ldquoorganic labelrdquo

The term organic refers to foods that

have been farmed and produced accord-

ing to the standards of the United States

Department of Agriculturersquos (USDA)

National Organic Program (NOP) Or-

ganic farms cannot use synthetic fertiliz-

ers synthetic pesticides sewage sludge

fertilizers genetically modified seeds

growth hormones or antibiotics or

drugs (except in the case of illness)

Animals being raised organically must

have access to the outdoors ingest or-

ganic feed and live in nonstressful set-

tings Organic food processing cannot

use nonorganic ingredients irradiation

genetically engineered ingredients or

solvents to extract oil Farmers must

demonstrate these characteristics for

three years prior to becoming a certified

organic farm

What percentage is considered organic

One cannot assume any food that uses

the term ldquoorganicrdquo is 100 percent organ-

ic There are four types of organic

labels ldquo100 organicrdquo ldquoorganicrdquo

ldquomade with organic ingredientsrdquo and

others Foods labeled ldquo100 organicrdquo

with the USDA organic seal are the only

foods guaranteed to be 100 percent or-

ganic Foods labeled ldquoorganicrdquo must

contain at least 95 percent organic in-

gredients and have the USDA organic

seal Foods labeled ldquomade with organic

ingredientsrdquo may not use the USDA

organic seal but must contain at least 70

percent organic ingredients Other foods

containing organic ingredients may not

use the USDA organic seal and may

only list the organic ingredients in the

ingredient list Food labeled with

ldquonaturalrdquo ldquofreshrdquo ldquocage-freerdquo and oth-

er labels cannot be assumed to be organ-

ic as these terms do not share the same

definition

Page 5

Is organic food healthier than

conventional

Most independent studies indicate that

there is no health or nutritional differ-

ence between foods grown conven-

tionally versus organically There are

limited examples of organic crops or

conventional crops with greater levels

of this or that component but at levels

that are not materially significant

When the relative costs are taken into

account the cost per unit of nutrient

conventional crops comes out far

ahead Most nutritionists argue that it

is more important for people to in-

crease their consumption of fruits and

vegetablesmdashregardless of how they

are grown It should also be noted

that some organic farmers also use

organic pesticides

although they have a smaller arsenal

from which to choose Also some

widely used organic pesticides are as

toxic or more toxic than many syn-

thetic alternatives

Researchers at the Stanford University

Medical School conducted the most

comprehensive independent study to

datemdashldquoAre Organic Foods Safer or

Healthier than Conventional Alterna-

tivesrdquomdashin 2012 For their study the

researchers sifted through thousands of

papers and identified 237 of the most

relevant to analyze They found noth-

ing to support the notion that organic

food on the whole is safer or more

nutrient dense or vitamin rich The

researchers found organic food had a

30 percent lower risk of pesticide resi-

dues however the residue levels on

the conventional foods was well with-

in safety limits

ldquoSome people believe that organic

food is always healthier and more nu-

tritious We were a little surprised that

we didnrsquot find thatrdquo said Crystal

Smith-Spangler a Stanford Medicine

instructor and one of the paperrsquos au-

thors The only nutrient found to be

significantly higher in organic food

was phosphorous but that was consid-

ered an inconsequential advantage

since few people have a phosphorous

deficiency

Some final notes

Should I eat or provide organic food to

my family There is no easy one size

fits all answer Most families must

consider price in their budget and find

that it may not be worth the extra ex-

pense because research has shown that

organic does not make it more healthy

or wholesome Organic does have a

30 lower risk of pesticide residues

but it is not necessarily pesticide free

Organic growers can use pesticides

they just work from a much smaller

approved list The real concern should

be how much do you trust the produc-

ers of your food

(contrsquod next page)

Page 6

Sources httpsextensionpsueduorganic-foods

httpswwwamsusdagovgrades-standardsorganic-standards

httpswwwmensjournalcomfood-drinkare-organic-foods-really-healthier

httpswwwtheatlanticcomhealtharchive201112how-much-of-your-food-

labeled-as-organic-is-actually-organic250301

Organic foods are a nice option

when they are available and you can

afford them Instead of stressing

over organic vs conventionally

grown food consider some im-

portant guidelines we can all live by

Eat more fresh fruits and vege-

tables (example ndash Mediterrane-

an diets)

Buy local whenever possible ndash

know your farmer know your

food by purchasing from

Farmerrsquos Markets Food Co-ops

and CSArsquos ndash Community Sup-

ported Agriculture shares

Grow your own food ndash you get

exercise stress relief and know

how your food was grown and

handled ndash UW-Extension has

many resources to help you

Wash clean and handle your

unprocessed foods in a proper

and safe manner

Page 5

Is organic food healthier than

conventional

Most independent studies indicate that

there is no health or nutritional differ-

ence between foods grown conven-

tionally versus organically There are

limited examples of organic crops or

conventional crops with greater levels

of this or that component but at levels

that are not materially significant

When the relative costs are taken into

account the cost per unit of nutrient

conventional crops comes out far

ahead Most nutritionists argue that it

is more important for people to in-

crease their consumption of fruits and

vegetablesmdashregardless of how they

are grown It should also be noted

that some organic farmers also use

organic pesticides

although they have a smaller arsenal

from which to choose Also some

widely used organic pesticides are as

toxic or more toxic than many syn-

thetic alternatives

Researchers at the Stanford University

Medical School conducted the most

comprehensive independent study to

datemdashldquoAre Organic Foods Safer or

Healthier than Conventional Alterna-

tivesrdquomdashin 2012 For their study the

researchers sifted through thousands of

papers and identified 237 of the most

relevant to analyze They found noth-

ing to support the notion that organic

food on the whole is safer or more

nutrient dense or vitamin rich The

researchers found organic food had a

30 percent lower risk of pesticide resi-

dues however the residue levels on

the conventional foods was well with-

in safety limits

ldquoSome people believe that organic

food is always healthier and more nu-

tritious We were a little surprised that

we didnrsquot find thatrdquo said Crystal

Smith-Spangler a Stanford Medicine

instructor and one of the paperrsquos au-

thors The only nutrient found to be

significantly higher in organic food

was phosphorous but that was consid-

ered an inconsequential advantage

since few people have a phosphorous

deficiency

Some final notes

Should I eat or provide organic food to

my family There is no easy one size

fits all answer Most families must

consider price in their budget and find

that it may not be worth the extra ex-

pense because research has shown that

organic does not make it more healthy

or wholesome Organic does have a

30 lower risk of pesticide residues

but it is not necessarily pesticide free

Organic growers can use pesticides

they just work from a much smaller

approved list The real concern should

be how much do you trust the produc-

ers of your food

(contrsquod next page)

Page 6

Sources httpsextensionpsueduorganic-foods

httpswwwamsusdagovgrades-standardsorganic-standards

httpswwwmensjournalcomfood-drinkare-organic-foods-really-healthier

httpswwwtheatlanticcomhealtharchive201112how-much-of-your-food-

labeled-as-organic-is-actually-organic250301

Organic foods are a nice option

when they are available and you can

afford them Instead of stressing

over organic vs conventionally

grown food consider some im-

portant guidelines we can all live by

Eat more fresh fruits and vege-

tables (example ndash Mediterrane-

an diets)

Buy local whenever possible ndash

know your farmer know your

food by purchasing from

Farmerrsquos Markets Food Co-ops

and CSArsquos ndash Community Sup-

ported Agriculture shares

Grow your own food ndash you get

exercise stress relief and know

how your food was grown and

handled ndash UW-Extension has

many resources to help you

Wash clean and handle your

unprocessed foods in a proper

and safe manner

Page 7

provides oversight to UW-Extension Mike Weyh (chair) 608-742-2314 Harlan Baumgartner 920-992-5180 John A Stevenson 608-516-1528 Tim Zander 608-948-8216 Gary Leatherberry (secretary) 608-206-3614

UW-Extension Columbia County Human Development and

Relationships Staff

Amanda Coorough Human Development amp Relationships Educator Phone 608-742-9684 amandacooroughcesuwexedu Office hours Mon-Tues alternate Wed 900-430 LuAnn Olson Administrative Assistant Phone 608-742-9688 luannolsoncesuwexedu Office hours Mon-Wed 800-430 Homepage httpcolumbiauwexedu

Kris Young President Liz Miller Vice President President Elect Kay MacLeish Past President Vacant MembershipMarketing Linda Krejchik Secretary Carol Beck Treasurer Margo Holzman International Coordinator Barn Quilts Linda Heckel Education Program Coordinator Dorothy Neitzel ldquo Changing with Todayrdquo Editor Cheryl Neef Cultural Arts Kay MacLeish Cultural Arts Gertrude Stilson Barn Quilts Bobbie Goodman Fund-raising Chris Berger Fund-raising Donna Kohnke Fund-raising Donna MacLeish Scholarship Dorothy Neitzel Scholarship Donna Kohnke Education Community Outreach Coordinator Marie Gabris Wisconsin Bookworms Donna MacLeish Wisconsin Bookworms Avis Link Sunshine Linda Heckel CaledoniaPortageWI Dells Lewiston Center Chair Beth Hahn Cambria Center Chair Elsie Taylor ColumbusFall River Center Chair Cheryl Neef Pardeeville Center Chair Kris Young PoynetteLodi Center Chair

2019 HCE Executive Board

UW-Extension Columbia County Office Staff

Jennifer Evans Administrative Assistant Caitlin Richardson FoodWIse Program Coordinator Kathleen Haas Communities Extension Educator George Koepp Agriculture Extension Educator Pat Wagner Youth Development Extension Educator Jeff Hoffman Area Extension Director

An

EE

OA

ffirm

ativ

e A

ctio

n em

ploy

er U

nive

rsity

of W

isco

nsin

-Ext

ensi

on p

rovi

des

equa

l opp

ortu

nitie

s in

em

ploy

men

t and

pro

gram

in

clud

ing

Titl

e V

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itle

IX a

nd A

DA

req

uire

men

ts

Ple

ase

mak

e re

ques

ts fo

r re

ason

able

acc

omm

odat

ions

to e

nsur

e eq

ual a

cces

s to

edu

catio

nal p

rogr

ams

as e

arly

as

poss

ible

pre

cedi

ng th

e s

ched

uled

pro

gram

ser

vice

or

activ

ity

Page 8

Hum

an D

evelo

pm

ent

and R

ela

ionsh

ips

Adm

inis

trati

on B

uildin

g

112 E

Edgew

ate

r Str

eet

Room

212

Port

age

WI 53901

(608)7

42-9

680

711 f

or

Wis

consi

n R

ela

y

AD

DR

ESS S

ER

VIC

E R

EQ

UEST

ED