Editors of Creative Homeowner.  Ultimate Guide to Planting & Growing Vegetables at Home: Expert Advice for Planting, Growing, and Controlling Pests for Over 70 Vegetables. Creative Homeowner, 2025.

Part of my blurb ended up on the front cover:

Ultimate Guide is just that–an indispensable source of wisdom and deeply practical advice for any vegetable grower.  Professionals as well as beginners will learn much on every page.  This book is a treasure.

I have a garden on the terrace of my New York apartment (I’m currently harvesting the last of the blueberries and raspberries), so was especially happy to be sent this book.  Here are some excerpts.

From the section titled, Grow What You Like

Your vegetable garden is all about providing you with great things to eat, so start by listing all the fruits and vegetables that you and your family will enjoy…The reality is that if you are putting your precious time into growing something, it should be a vegetable that’s a staple in your kitchen.

From: Using compost

Hungry plants such as potatoes and members of the brassica (cabbage) family make the best se of compost or worm compost. Apply before sowing or planting in spring and early summer. Winter brassicas such as Brussels sprouts and sprouting broccoli can benefit from a second application in July or August. In poorer soils, vegetables such as squash, Swiss chard, onions, beans, and beets will also benefit from the application of compost…Worms might not be the most beautiful of creatures, but they are exceptionally effective at producing rich compost.

From: Dealing with garden critters

For any gardener who has experienced the devastating effects of a rabbit in their garden, chicken wire (also known as poultry netting) is an absolute must…It is important to use netting with 1″ (2.5cm) holes and a width of 48″ (121.9cm)…If you follow these instructions to install chicken wire around the entire area to be protected, the crops will be completely safe from attacks by rabbits

From: Never let weeds get out of hand

The trick is to dig weeds out of beds and aisles before they go to seed or spread a network of perennial roots. But keep in mind that every time you disturb the soil, you expose a few
more dormant weed seeds. Take a dandelion digger with you on your weed safaris. With its small, V-pointed, long-shank blade you can cut roots deep in the soil and pull the weed out with little disturbance. Throw weeds into your compost pile. If you leave them where they pulled, they may take root and regrow…If you pull, dig out, or hoe weeds as soon as you see
them, and don’t allow them to go to seed, you will soon reduce the number that sprout in  your garden. While weeds among your vegetables might attract beneficial insects, weeds compete strongly with vegetables for plant nutrients and soil moisture.

Secretary Rollins Announces “Great American Farmers Market” to Celebrate America 250 on National Mall

“There is no greater celebration of America’s legacy than through American agriculture! Farmers helped found our nation and for centuries have diligently passed down the craft of feeding, fueling, and clothing their fellow patriots. The Great American Farmers Market is a celebration of the almost 250 years since our inception and a chance to honor the heart of our nation: agriculture,” said Secretary Rollins.

The press release gives the details:

The ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Great American Farmers Market will be on August 3rd, 2025. For market hours, daily programming updates, and vendor sign-ups, visit our website. Vendors including farmers, ranchers, bakers, dairy producers, beverage producers, fishermen, food concessions, and meat processors are encouraged to apply. To learn more about other farmers markets across the country, visit www.usdalocalfoodportal.com.

USDA also uses social media these days.

USDA (@Dept. of Agriculture) posted: Want to participate as a vendor at the Great American Farmers Market on the National Mall? We’re looking for farmers, ranchers, and producers from all 50 states who want to sell what they grow, raise or produce on their farm! Apply by Sunday, July 13 @ 11:59PM ET

Participation is free.  Here’s the link to the application form.

I have no inside information about what the new Dietary Guidelines will say beyond what I’ve read and what RFK Jr has said: They will be coming out soon and will be short and to the point.

But according to Twitter (X), the source of much leaked information, the new administration “plans to introduce partial bans on alcohol advertising, to bring it ‘closer in line with advertising of unhealthy food.'”

And we now have a Reuters’ Exclusive: US to drop guidance to limit alcohol to one or two drinks per day, sources say

Its summary:

• Americans have long been told to drink two or fewer drinks per day
• New guidelines due as soon as this month
• Expected to include brief statement on limiting drinking
• Alcohol industry faces growing scrutiny of health risks

Reuters’ anonymous sources say “The new guidelines are set to move away from suggesting consumers limit alcohol consumption to a specific number of daily servings, according to the three sources, who asked not to be named to speak freely.”

Reuters also reports:

Major industry players, including Diageo (DGE.L) and Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR) have lobbied lawmakers throughout the review process. Senate records show the companies spent millions on lobbying efforts related to the guidelines and a range of other issues such as tax and trade in 2024 and 2025. Both companies declined to comment.

What is at stake here?

As I explained in January (Alcohol in the Dietary Guidelines: What the Fuss is About), everyone agrees that too much alcohol is bad for you.  The question is whether any alcohol is bad.

The dietary guidelines have advised since 1990 that women have no more than one drink a day and men no more than two, suggesting that such levels are safe.  But are they?

I discuss the recent reports arguing one way or the other on January 7 (The big fight over alcohol recommendations: not over yet) and January 22 (The Alcohol Saga continues).

Neither RFK Jr nor President Trump drink alochol.

And we have evidence that the Majority of Americans Unaware of Cancer Risks Linked to Alcohol Consumption.

Recent research conducted by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center unveiled that only approximately 40% of American adults recognize alcohol as a cancer risk factor. This stark gap in knowledge persists despite alcohol’s status as a leading preventable cause of cancer, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced public health communication and policy reforms.

Dietary guidelines are a key component of federal nutrition policy.

I can’t wait to see what they say about alcohol consumption (and everything else), in the light of the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) agenda.

I would be remiss not to comment on congressional passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” which takes money from the poor and gives it to the rich (see Paul Krugman’s Attack of the Sadistic Zombies).

For what all this has to do with food, take a look at Kevin Klatt’s “6 Months of MAHA: A Reflection and Call to Action.”

My summary of his summary of what MAHA and MAGA have done so far:

• Cut $1 billion from USDA for local food purchases for school lunch and food bank
• Proposed a 40% cut to the NIH budget (which pays for nutrition research)
• Made huge cuts to SNAP.
• Cut WIC fruit and vegetable benefits.
• Allowed obesity researcher Kevin Hall to resign
• Cut landmark nutrition trials such as the Diabetes Prevention Program.
• Defunded major nutrition departments, like Harvard’s.
• Cut several molecular & community nutrition grants at Cornell.
• Eliminated USAID, a major funder of global nutrition research and intervention.
• Disrupted lead exposure programs.
• Cut FDA and CDC, including the human foods program HFP and food safety lab funding and staff (some reinstated).

Klatt’s point:

At 6 months in, I think it’s time for food and nutrition advocates, scientists and professionals to call out the MAHA agenda for what it is – it’s a movement with the right vibes, the wrong priorities and solutions, headed up by someone with dangerous thoughts on public health who is not going to improve the health of Americans, nutritional or otherwise.

By wrong priorities, I’m thinking color additives (yes, let’s get rid of them, but other things matter more) and seed oils (really, they are healthier than animal fats, especially in large amounts).

There are still real questions about what MAHA will actually do.  I’m waiting for the dietary guidelines and second MAHA report.  Those should reveal the real agenda.

Apparently, no food can exist without research attesting to its healthfulness.  This item comes from Karla Alindahao, senior editor at Food & Wine (for which I have promised to start writing—more on this later in the summer).

She sent me the NBC News account: Eating kimchi every day could help stave off weight gain, new study says:  Cabbage and radish kimchi, a popular fermented vegetable dish, in particular were effective in reducing the risk of obesity and abdominal obesity in both men and women.

As usual, I went right to the study: Jung H, Yun Y-R, Hong SW, et al.  Association between kimchi consumption and obesity based on BMI and abdominal obesity in Korean adults: a cross- sectional analysis of the Health Examinees study. BMJ Open 2024;14:e076650. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2023-076650

Kimchi, fermented vegetables, contains probiotic lactic acid bacteria.

In this survey, higher kimchi consumption was related to a lower prevalence of obesity.

Eating radish kimchi was associated with 8% lower abdominal obesity in men and 11% in women.

As for the funding: “This research was supported by grants from the World Institute of Kimchi (KE2201- 1) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Republic of Korea.”

Comment

Somehow, the caveats got lost in the press releases.

Oops: Both lower and higher kimchi consumption were associated with obesity (a ‘J- shaped’ association).

The authors caution:

In conclusion, total kimchi consumption of 1–3 servings/day was shown to be reversely associated with obesity in men…However, since all results showed a ‘J- shaped’ association, excessive consumption suggests the potential for an increase in obesity prevalence. As kimchi is one of the major sources of sodium intake, a moderate amount of kimchi should be recommended for the health benefits of its other components.

I liked this approach: “How to Have a Festive Fourth of July Menu For Kids With Little Sugar.”

Enjoy the Fourth!

As readers know, I am not convinced anyone needs to worry about protein intake; most of us get more than enough from our usual diets, even if vegetarian and vegan.

Consequently, I do not know what to make of high-protein products like this one.  No, especially this one.

Beyond sugar reduction: Protein Candy adds function and fun to better-for-you sweet set:  With 14 grams of protein and only 4 grams of sugar, Protein Candy promises better performance for consumers and retailers… Watch now

This is candy with whey protein added, specifically designed to “appeal to consumers seeking satiety “as quickly as possible,” which has emerged as a top priority alongside deepening interest in weight loss and the use of GLP-1 medications.”

I will say it again: hardly anyone needs more protein.

If you want protein with your candy, how about milk chocolate with almonds, or plain old peanut brittle.

Happy fourth of July weekend.

I was delighted to see this opinion piece in Forbes by Hank Cardello, who writes very much from the food industry’s point of view: The One Big Beautiful Bill To MAHA: Drop Dead.

The so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” now moving through the Senate proposes sharp cuts to SNAP (food stamps), WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and Medicaid—programs that are lifelines for low-income families. The contradiction is glaring: How can one branch of government promote healthier eating while another branch strips away the supports that make that possible?

“The bill handicaps MAHA’s goals,” he says, pointing out that reducing benefits for these programs can only “increase food insecurity, making it more difficult for people to afford nutritious food and sustain their health.”

This, he says, is

a political blunder…affordable food has more power to sway voters than tariffs or slogans. Cut these programs, and we widen the gap between what families should eat and what they can eat….Medicaid and SNAP aren’t just social programs—they’re long-term investments in public health and economic stability.

He suggests three ways to make MAHA a reality:

• Expand SNAP eligibility to include struggling working families just above the poverty line.
• Recognize food policy as a voter issue, not just a health issue.
• Lawmakers should stop pretending nutrition policy can succeed without social policy alignment.

COMMENT

Wow.  I could not have said this better myself.  What this tells me is that at least some segments of the food industry fully understand that making people too poor to buy their products is not good for business, let alone for society.  Cardullo always has intelligent things to say about food issues, even when I don’t always agree with them.  On this one, we are completely aligned.  Thanks Hank.