It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. History continues to teach us this valuable lesson and living in the woke times we find ourselves in no doubt someone will have a conniption about that His word and before long we will have Themtory on the curriculum. It appears we can be taught to be triggered by anything and offence is the common language of discourse with real free speech a dwindling thing. Re writing the words of Roald Dahl sets a very dangerous precedence, I fear. Where does this stop? My children adored the awfulness Dahl presented as well as the wonderful life lessons imbedded in his stories. The imaginative food images he conjured up – whippie scrumptious fudgemallow delight, hairy scary beard cups, liquid chocolate mixed by waterfall. Ok, it’s not the healthiest choice I know…
 
Looking at the words in this context of being sanitised, though I had a moment of pause.
 
Healthy Food. Heal Thy Food. HEAL THY FOOD…. (Discuss!)
 
Inspired and driven to heal our children and families are we on the path to healing our food too? Organic farming is gaining traction. The land is capable of recovery with regenerative farming practices. We witness the profound results when people return to real food and recover from poor health. Words can never express the full gratitude we hold to these precious resources we have all around us. 

Anne Maher

Gary Larson captures life so well and this one is a favourite. Most recently captioned as “If 2020 was a food truck” It’s a love it or hate it thing with liver. But as a real food we have seen a rising appreciation for this superfood at The Urban Co-op. Customers wait patiently for the next batch to arrive from the farms and it sells out quickly. Stories abound on the healing impact this food has. We reminisce on stories of liver coated in flour and fried in butter and onions and cooked by grandparents, urging us to consume for its goodness. That was then.
 
Our distance from this food into modern eating habits has meant it has been devalued on all stages of the food chain. So much so it is harder to get. Not that it is unavailable but not worth bringing to our table anymore. The cost of processing does not justify the effort. For now, this is a very cheap superfood. It is true I obsess about it, probably more than rationally healthy. But like raw milk it represents something bigger about our food system. A sustaining food in plain sight that we wilfully ignore and undervalue until it is not available to us.
 
For what it’s worth, I baulked at the idea of eating offal for a long time but have learned to respect its value. Fried liver and onions cooked in butter and served with some tamari and balsamic vinegar is a winner recipe for me. It is like a battery recharge to have this meal. Jacinda in NZ tells us she has no more left in the tank. She wasn’t eating NZ lambs’ liver I’d say.
 
Anne Maher
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This time of year, it is no surprise yet again to hear the relentless drum on the media of the overburdened health service as they cope with the waves of sick populous coming through. A few weeks earlier and we were being entertained with the anticipation of Christmas and regaled with the advertisements oozing with sugary delights to tempt us. Can I be the Grinch here and call out the obvious? Sugar prevents us from staying well. Managing the onslaught of sugary snacks is quite an achievement for our bodies at the best of times throughout the year and Christmas is somehow the last chance saloon to send us over the edge. Our immune system does not work as effectively to defend us from infection when dealing with the sweet invasion. Is there a point where being ill is not worth the temptation? It’s the eternal struggle. Is New Year going to be an opportunity to change and improve things? Maybe we can be motivated to keep ourselves well enough to prevent us being victims to the stressful health system as it currently is…
 
At The Urban Co-op we meet many people who are on their journey towards wellness and are literally sick of being sick. Encouraging people to make the change from products that actively deteriorate health to foods that nourish is a process of discovery. Learning that we are highly influenced by our own microbiome on what we consume and how we can change it for the better. There is much to learn but somehow it seems to take the personal or family health crisis to motivate change. Amazingly real food can heal and feed our microbiome and this microworld returns the favour by protecting our health. That’s a good deal in our books!
 
Anne Maher
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​Call Lady Gaga the meat war is on, and I need my meat costume battle dress…
 
The food industry is no stranger to making a synthetic version of a natural food. We have endured butter substitutes for 150 years with the last 50 being a continuous carousel of brands to which we are more than familiar. Butter is reclaiming its rightful place as a health food ( I make no apology for its role as a superfood) after a concerted effort to justify its place in our diet. I could go on but suffice to say I get very nervous if my supply dwindles at home. My food insecurities kick in big time.
 
Now to the fake meat industry which has galloped into the arena in recent years. From lab grown and 3D versions it is staggering the technology that has been employed to create a fake version of the real thing in the name of saving the environment. It would seem there were hundreds of companies getting in on the game. After all, creating a fake version of a chicken nugget is perhaps not that much of a stretch. Investors wrote big cheques with promises of a sure thing. The returns were in sight. Initial sales were very promising. Stock prices rose excitedly... but then guess what…the repeat sales were disappointing. Shock! Maybe real people liked real meat after all…
 
Beyond Meat is one such company that has been, well, beyond failure. Serious losses, a share price that has tanked... I would like to think they would all just give up on the idea. But no fake meat has too much invested in it. How to make this more acceptable to the masses? Remove the competition! 
What if real meat becomes prohibitively expensive? Fake meat becomes readily available. 
 
Watch this space. There are ways of making you eat it…
 
Anne Maher

It is a watershed moment to see our dear supplier Sean Condon be recognised as Farming Ambassador 2022 for the Farm to Nature awards.
 
There are many reasons why this award needs to be acknowledged for the achievement it is.  In a time where a concerted effort is being made to point the environmental finger of blame at farmers for apparently contributing to climate change, there must be a clear distinction made between industrialised intensive farming models and as we would say – real farming!
 
A circular economy in action!
 
Sean has broken ground for farmers to witness the possibilities of what a farming life can be.  A smaller happier herd giving quality nourishing real food to very grateful customers directly.  Raw milk is truly a special food.  The ecological harmony he has achieved speaks for itself and being recognised nationally is an endorsement that he is doing something so right.  We have always thought so.  Congratulations Sean!
 
Anne Maher
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We pay a heavy price for this chronic poisoning in physical and mental health problems.  Our time and resources are channelled towards managing and caring with the fallout.  It is exhausting!!
 
The top 100 grocery brands are revealed again for Ireland and yet again Coca Cola gains the top spot.  The top 10 list below is a sobering reminder that what we consume is far removed from the concept of nourishment.

1. Coca Cola
2. Tayto
3. Lucozade
4. Dairy Milk
5. Avonmore
6. Brennans
7. Monster
8. Red Bull
9. 7UP
10. Jacob’s

 
Half of this list are carbonated energising drinks that are well implicated in the debacle of diabetes/obesity incidence.  Addictive and readily available everywhere!
 
Real Food advocates are usually those who have learned the hard way.  Ill health driving a change in behaviour to seek an alternative to the intolerable status quo.  Seeking the Real Food amid the ultra-processed can be a challenge.
 
What if Real Food was as available? What if Real Food was as heavily advertised? What if Real Food was normal?  I propose a top 100 Real Food Brand list to champion each year as we see out the end of the 30 day local food challenge.  I welcome your suggestions!
 
Anne Maher
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​The 30 day local food challenge has now become a familiar theme to us here at The Urban Co-op. Can we sustain ourselves on foods that are locally produced? A global world market has flooded us with foods that we once thought were exotic but now have become the “normal” part of the diet. No I won’t go down the avocado rabbit hole because I assume you are well familiar. But I have wondered and pondered what would happen if we couldn’t have access to the exotic foods due to supply line problems could we enjoy a sustainable local supply?
 
Lisa Fingleton is the sterling champion for this September based initiative which challenges us to give it a go for 30 days. Let’s face it, it’s a great time to do so! The glut of produce giving the choice at least. Let’s leave aside tea and coffee for one moment… (although there are options for herbals and dandelion root coffee substitutes)….
 
We’d love to see your food ideas so send us a picture and let’s keep the conversation going. We may be glad we did! 

​Anne Maher