Guest Blogger
Melissa Graham
Melissa Graham, a former attorney, is the founding Executive Director of Purple Asparagus, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to educating families about all things associated with good eating, eating that's good for the body and the planet. Though its Delicious Nutritious Adventures program, Purple Asparagus has taught thousands of parents and children about healthful, sustainable eating in schools, community centers, and farmers' markets throughout Chicago and the suburbs.
Melissa speaks and writes regularly on child nutrition and sustainability both in the Chicago community and online, blogging at Little Locavores, as The Sustainable Cook on The Local Beet, and as a regular contributor to Kiwi Magazine’s KiwiLog and Williams-Sonoma’s Blender blog. In recognition of her contributions to the Chicago community, the Chicago Tribune awarded her a 2011 Good Eating Award, an honor previously bestowed to Rick Bayless, Alinea chef Grant Achatz, and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Melissa resides in Chicago with her husband and 7-year old son in a rowhouse built in 1896.
Take Action: Be A Citizen
So what can you do to help stop the misuse of antibiotics and prevent the growth of superbugs?
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The Real Cost of Food and Why You Should “Vote with Your Dollars”
Now that we’ve talked about how to identify meat and poultry products raised without antibiotics, it’s time to get real. Antibiotic free food costs more. Organic food (and choosing organic is one of the best ways to make sure your food is actually antibiotic free) costs more. And when you’re at the supermarket, sometimes it’s [...]
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What to Look for On a Label
Did you know that meat labeled as “natural” can come from animals that are routinely given antibiotics in their food and water? In fact, the word “natural” isn’t even regulated by the FDA or USDA — and in addition to exposure to antibiotics, “natural” meat may come from animals that have been given hormones, raised [...]
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What’s a Superbug?
Yesterday I introduced some pretty scary statistics about antibiotic resistance and today I want to go into more depth about how it all works.
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The Link Between Farms, Foodborne Illness, and Antibiotic Resistance
Here’s a scary statistic: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 48 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States every year, causing 3,000 deaths and 128,000 hospitalizations. Nearly half of reported foodborne illnesses occur in children under the age of fifteen.
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