Midwest Food Bank clients enjoy soy enhanced hot meal

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

NSRL had the privilege of joining with the Midwest Food Bank (MFB) in Peoria last week to celebrate receipt of a check from the Community Foundation to support the Tender Mercies Program.

Tender Mercies is a collaboration between MFB and NSRL, who together created a pre-packaged, easy-to-prepare, highly nutritious, soy-enhanced hot meal mix that incorporates donated soy ingredients. Over the past six months, Stacey Krawczyk and Marilyn Nash have modified and adjusted recipes to get the right taste, texture and mouth feel that would be appealing and appetizing to MFB clients. Each packet of Tender Mercies can serve five people at a cost of about 11 cents per serving. The recipe blends Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) with rice, dehydrated beans and chicken seasoning. 5 cups of boiling water is then added for a high fiber, high protein, nutritionally balanced and delicious meal.

The goal was to develop a soy-enhanced product that was highly adaptable and also enjoyable to eat. The chicken & rice hot meal has a two-year shelf life and visual instructions for preparation are on the label along with written instructions.

The media were invited in to taste the Chicken & Rice hot meal and they thought it tasted pretty good. MFB volunteers were on site assembling the hot meals and the media had a chance to tour the MFB facility.

There are several other soy-enhanced recipes in the pipeline that are being developed to be part of the Tender Mercies Program. Larry and Susan Herman have been excellent partners for NSRL. They are so passionate about their work and we really appreciate their commitment to making a difference in the lives of people who are hungry and food insecure. MFB will begin distributing Tender Mercies in mid-August to 190 not-for-profit organizations. MFB supplies food to about 70,000 people each month.

We are pleased to be making a difference with soy in our own backyard and look forward to working with MFB on future Tender Mercies products that provide highly nutritional soy solutions.

Regards,

Bridget

High Hopes for Illinois Soy's Impact in Haiti

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Illinois soybean farmers have high hopes that the time and effort invested into helping Haiti understand and appreciate the many benefits of soy will lead to a long-lasting relationship. Our recent trip to Haiti reinforced that the Haitian people have a strong commitment to partnering with us and plans are underway to focus on nutrition education, school lunch programs enhanced with soy and a national soy dairy training center.

For more than five years, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) has focused on Haiti by supporting NSRL work at the Caroline Chauveau Girls school in Port-au-Prince, where over 300 girls have received soy-enhanced school lunches. The school was damaged by the earthquake, but none of the students, teachers or staff were injured.

In February of 2010, ISA generously provided support for a container of soy-enhanced soup mix to be sent to the National School Lunch Program of Haiti (PNCS) in Port-au-Prince. We were able to visit the warehouse where the product is being stored on this trip and saw the distribution centers being operated by PNCS. We also met with the team from the Centres Gheskio, where families living with HIV/AIDS are offered government support and resources.
It was humbling to hear about the challenges the people of Haiti face in their day-to-day lives, but it was also wonderful to learn of the great assistance the ISA container of soy enhanced soup mixes provided to the people of Haiti.

Haiti is a very important neighbor, and a country to which we are commited to providing support for developing nutrition solutions. As we left Haiti, we realized there is still much to be done. We are grateful for support from ISA and pledge our continued focus on finding soy solutions for Haiti.

Regards,

Bridget

Soy in Haiti: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Friday, July 30, 2010

Today was a bit of a deja vu for me. We traveled to the Hotel Karibe to host our workshop on soy nutrition: Soy in Haiti: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. We held a seminar at this venue in January 2009 focusing on soy applications in dairy and meat processing. It was great to be back and working with our partners in person. There remains great interest in developing local food production and processing capacity as well as a strong dedication to meeting the nutritional needs of the Haitian people.

There was excellent participation at the conference with over 65 attendees who represented the NGO community, local government, businesses and academia. They all helped make this a rich exchange of ideas and collaborative thinking.

We were able to share the value of soy protein with this group and discuss how it has been in use in Haiti for many years in many forms. We explained the excellent protein resource and economical benefits that can be achieved through the use of soy proteins.

At the end of the workshop, we met with several individuals and groups interested in pursuing the use of soy protein and discussed ways to connect them to the market suppliers in the U.S. We also discussed options for microenterprises using soy as a base product or ingredient.

As we come to the end of our time in Haiti, we leave with cautious optimism. The country's spirit is intact and that is a true strength for the nation as it rebuilds and evolves. We have seen such dedication and creativity this past week in the work being done in Haiti by Haitians and internationals alike. There is an opportunity here for the nation to move forward and build a strong foundation from which to flourish and grow. We will continue to work to expand the use of soy protein products in Haiti and around the world.

Regards,

Bridget

Talks begin about Soy Dairy Training Center in Haiti

July 29, 2010

The morning began with a beautiful sunrise. It is warm in Haiti and it is hurricane season, so each day that passes without a major storm is a small blessing. We traveled to the State University of Haiti today to meet with the faculty and staff and see their agriculture and veterinary medicine campus. The University is back in session and students have resumed their studies in the midst of significant damage from the earthquake, that is still very visible. The young adults who attend the University are the key to a promising future in Haiti and having local universities resume classes brings a feeling of stability and routine and a sense of hope.

The University of Illinois and the State University of Haiti have areas in common - - agriculture, food and nutrition. It was a pleasure to work with our colleagues and to learn of the progress underway at the University as well as the exciting plans for further reconstruction and growth.

This may be a possible site for a soy dairy training center. Local groups as well as World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) and World Soy Foundation (WSF ), are intereested in creating a soy dairy training center in Haiti. We discussed the necessary electricity an plumbing connections that would be needed for such an endeavor, as well as the needs for a business minded operation with a focus on quality and sustainability.

We remain enthusiastic about the work underway with nutrition in Haiti and are working to help that continue with an even greater impact.

Regards,

Bridget

New soccer balls get banana kicked in Haiti

July 28, 2010


Port-au-Prince, Haiti




























My family and friends generously donated quite a few soccer (footballs) for me to bring to Haiti to give to the children we meet during our travels. When we visited Centres Gheskio, we learned of a new school of 600 students that was recently set up for children who live in a nearby tent city. The soccer team at the school had an upcoming match scheduled and their only football had burst, so they were thrilled to receive new soccer balls. We wish the Centre Soccer Team good luck and hope the new soccer balls bring them a win!



Since we've been here, we've met with the leadership team from the PNCS (Programme National de Cantines Scolaires) to discuss the progress with schools re-opening and the resumption of the school lunch program. The schools that survived the earthquake are back in session and new schools set up to serve the children of families living in tent cities are providing a sense of normalcy and routine. The school lunch meals are welcomed by the children and provide much needed nutrition.


One of the truly remarkable buildings in downtown Port-au-Prince was the National Palace. Standing for almost a century, it was a symbol of Haitian indepence. It's nickname is the Haitian White House. The domed entrances, prominent porticos and white pillars were devasted by the January 12, 2010 earthquake and it is heart-breaking to see the demise of such an architectural icon. George baussan was a Haitian who had studied Beaux Arts architecture in Paris. He designed the palace incorporating Beaux Arts, Neoclassical and French Renaissance Revival ideas. The French government has offered to build an identical palace in its place.

There are enormous challenges facing the nation of Haiti; yet, wherever we went, we were greeted with warmth and hospitality. The Haitian people believe in a better life for their children and are eager to find opportunities to achieve a better life. We have seen signs of reconstruction and international assistance as we traveled throughout the city. There is hope here and that is quickly evident when you meet the people living and working here.

Regards,

Bridget

Witnessing the impact of the devastation in Haiti

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Courtney and I flew to Haiti today. It is truly remarkable that less than eight months ago a 7.0 earthquake devastated this country. We have remained in close contact with our friends and partners in Haiti, but it is hard to imagine what we will encounter when we arrive. We are anxious to see old friends and visit the students at the school with whom we've been working for over five years. We look forward to stopping by the relief centers that have been distributing our soy-enhanced soup mixes generously provided by the Illinois Soybean Association through Illinois checkoff dollars.

We land in Port-au-Prince and we are in awe. There is so much still in ruins. Haiti is a testament to mankind's resilience. Tent cities are everywhere right next to the mounds of rubble. So much challenge remains, but the spirit of the Haitian people is omnipotent.

We start our time here with a meeting with Dr. Marhonne from the State University of Haiti. Dr. Marhonne is also a leader in the Ministry of Health for the government of Haiti. We discuss the progress since the quake as well as current activity on campus. Dr. Marhonne was interested in knowing about the work of NSRL and WISHH over the past five years. We discuss future opportunities where we can work together.

As the night grew late, a thunderstorm rolled through and cooled the night air. We contemplate how the menacing storm must sound to the people living in the tents.

The rain continues, but has slowed as our thoughts drift towards tomorrow as we contemplate the challenges and opportunities to incorporate soy into the diets of Haitians.

Regards,

Bridget

ISA Summer Research Tour Highlights

7/23/10


Illinois Soybean Association Summer Research Tour at the University of Illinois


The weather today is overcast and a bit rainy, and I'm sure the farmers are wondering if their fields are being rained on as they listen to presentations on soy production and the many diseases, insects and pests that impact their yields. The day began at South Farms, so everyone could see the test plots up close. There was a cool breeze and several of the presentations took place near the seed house before the rain clouds moved everyone to the auditorium at NSRL.


Over sixty farmers from all around the state are here today to learn about soy research being done on the University of Illinois campus and how they can apply the research to their fields. Farmers have interest in this research, not only because advancements in technology will benefit their yields, but also because each year at harvest time, farmers pay a checkoff to the Illinois Soybean Association that funds various soybean research projects. Last year the ISA funded $4 million in soybean research. The annual tour held by the ISA is a chance for farmers to see how their money is being spent.


Along with the opportunity to listen to valuable presentations, farmers also had the chance to talk with researchers, look at soybean plants in the fields and tour the National Soybean Research Laboratory and the Institute for Genomic Biology today.


Today's presentations covered topics including the use of soybean ingredients in diets fed to swine, effective management strategies for soybean aphids and Japanese beetles, management of white mold in soybean, and wide hybridization.


Wide hybridization is the transfer of agriculturally important traits from one species to another. This research has led to the creation of hybrid soybeans that are resistant to a variety of soybean pests and pathogens.


However, hybrid soybeans are still vulnerable to invasive bugs recently discovered in Illinois, such as the Red Banded Stink Bug and the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. Today farmers received flyers from UI entomologist Mike Gray about these pests, which are attracted to soybean blooms and will peirce through pods, reducing yields.


Farmers have also received an update on Yield Challenge 2010, which is a competition of about 50 Illinois teams all striving to have the highest soybean yield this year.


NSRL is providing lunch for everyone and it includes some delicious soy recipes- - corn casserole with silken tofu and incredible brownies with soy cream cheese. After lunch time presentations, we are all headed to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to learn about more production research happening on their campus.

Regards,

Bridget