IOGOP Newsletter 8

INDOOR ORGANIC GARDENS OF POUGHKEEPSIE

Good Bye -July 2016, “It’s been good to know ya” Of course the Microgreen Gardens at IOGP were at a comfortable 75 -80 degrees 24/7, plenty to drink, 12 hours a day of rest.  Pretty good life for a Vegetable, and then their real value begins as they provide us Humans with the most Intense Life Sustaining, Natural Source of Nutrition on the Planet!! They “lay down their lives” every 6 days to make us Humans Healthier and Happier.   Hat’s Off to these Sustainers of Life! Can I get an AMEN?

(whoa, too much Political Convention exposure?)

My primary focus is going to be on an article in todays Poughkeepsie Journal (7/31/2016) by Todd Tancredi, Director of Dutchess County Office for the Aging in the Smart Life Section, for and about Baby Boomers.

My response to Todd as well as the role IOGP will play in addressing the Preventive Health issues for all ages follows:

Todd,

Nice piece in the PJ this morning.   I will be 71 on Monday and appreciate the critical need for Health Maintenance and Preventive Measures.  This should obviously be a priority at any age, but like a new car, we don’t worry so much about its care until the miles start adding up.

If we could impact Heart Disease, Cancer and Diabetes, even a little bit, through  comprehensive preventive protocols based on Diet and Exercise, the outcomes would be significant. 

Physical Education and Health must become a significant part of early (K-8) education and taught by Professionally trained Diet and Exercise experts.   Participation in a physically active Sport should be mandatory!!!  (Face Book, Instagram, Twitter are NOT physically active Sports)

Similar activity based programs for Seniors.   I go to a Gym two days a week (sort of) with many folks my age and older, including my Trainer/Abuser Ron Paglia.   Those folks are significantly less of a drag on the Health Care Costs than those watching TV all day.   BTW I’m pretty good at watching TV too!!! so I do understand the choices.

We must develop new options for maintaining health until death, most Health Costs are incurred in the last 6 months of Life according to the Experts, given the increases in Life Expectancy.   However, it is my opinion that these increases in Life Expectancy have come at a heavy price and driven primarily by advances in Medical Solutions, there’s an expensive drug or procedure for everything, rather than a more Healthy and Sustainable life style.

One of my “Bucket List Projects” is to promote the Preventive Health dynamic focused on Ingestion, Digestion, and Absorption of Nutritious Food, in Convenient, Tasteful and Efficient form, resulting in a Healthier, Happier, more Efficient Society. (Health Care costs are killing the Economy!!)

My “drug of choice” (insurance policy) is Fresh, Nutrition Intensive, Natural, Whole vegetables harvested when the maximum Unit Nutrition has been established.   The traditional presentation of vegetables as food/medicine is to allow them to grow to maturity gaining maximum mass and consequently weight.   Interesting scientific data shows that while mature vegetables do have more mass/weight (mostly water and fiber), the Nutritional Unit Values (Vitamins, Minerals, etc per ounce), are greatest at the Microgreen Stage. (When the first set of leaves develop)

This means, as reported by a study out of the University of Maryland, that in the case of Red Cabbage, there is a 40 Times greater concentration of Vitamin E at the Microgreen Stage (MG Stage) than at the Mature Stage.  (attachments 1 and 2).

Here’s some “rough” math on that:  A Mature Cabbage is 70 days old and weighs 1.25 lbs .(20 ounces)   This means that if the Mature Cabbage contains 40 units of Vitamin E in 20 ounces, it would take .5 ounces of Microgreen Red Cabbage to deliver those same 40 units proportionately.   IOGP grows and harvests Red Cabbage Microgreens 7 days after germination.

This translates to 10 harvests at the MG Stage vs Mature (70 vs 7).   Combine that with the 40 times Unit value and the combined leverage quotient becomes 400.     Therefore, the MG Stage produces 400 Nutritional Units for each Mature Stage production of 1 Nutritional Unit, over a 70 day period.

For the time being let’s not be concerned about the mountain of additional ancillary facts including that MG’s take a fraction of the water,  transportation, NO Pesticides, NO Fertilizer, space, local economy, Center City jobs for at risk resident/citizens (opps, hope that’s not politically incorrect), property on tax rolls,  local availability of product year around, etc, etc.

Red Cabbage today is selling at Adams for .99/lb.  This is the in season price and varies substantially throughout the year, peaking in the winter months.     400 lbs of Mature Cabbage at the store is $400 compared to 1 lb of MG Cabbage for $25 delivered in bulk quantities to institutional users. (No packaging, labeling, shelf space, etc)   Bulk Mature Cabbage can be purchased for less in quantity, but it won’t reach the .06/lb equivalent.  This further translates to $10 per Unit in Mature form ($400 for 40 units) compared to .625 in MG form ($25 for 40 units).    At some point, .50/lb maybe, the price in 100% value added costs (transportation, post harvest labor, storage, marketing, time value, etc, etc.) and zero for the product.   Even Mexico and China can’t compete with that price, for long at least.

Many other Nutrient measurements for MG are in the 6 – 8 times range.  This would make the raw leverage quotient 60 – 80 (vs 400 above) without ancillary benefits.   This would cut the Per Unit of Nutrition costs by 5 times (400 divided by 80).   This would translate to $2 per Nutritional Unit still well above the delivered cost of MG’s at .60.

Back to the ancillary factors:  One could argue that these factors outweigh any Economic Efficiency metrics in many ways regarding Social, Environmental, Health, and Economic Sustainability.    But that Apples to Cabbage analysis is moot in that we have a case of More Value for Less Cost!!!

This is where the term “NO BRAINER” comes from. (more for less)

The IOGP Team is excited to get started on the execution of the Pilot Program through the Healthy Cities and Counties Program with the OFA, City of Poughkeepsie Schools and the After School Program.

We are scheduled to commence with a Pilot Scale in September with expanded roll out as the Positive Outcomes are confirmed. The primary Positive Outcome measurement is simply that the Target Audience actually ingests 1/3 ounce three times a week.   The Digestion and Absorption outcomes are presumed as “by definition”.

Sales continue to grow with the support of our Users and Distributors. Neil Pollack of Anderson School stopped in last week, we have a meeting scheduled with George at the Dutchess County Jail shortly, and continue to reach out to area Schools, Hospitals and others who feed large numbers of folks on a daily basis.   I’m looking for introductions to Food Service Managers, Nutrition Team Members, etc.   These high volume users will help us move our Food Revolution and Nutritional Food Source misson forward in a Big way.

Check us out on Face Book and meet out six bright eyed summer workers from Nubian Directions and Family Services. This is a Very Productive group that is learning every aspect of our Business.

The Senior Picnic Project is going strong where we are donating 10 lbs of Microgreens each week to supplement the Salad.   Solid response — “They love it”!   We are also pleased to provide Dutchess Outreach and their superb food distribution program with Microgreens each week. Hat’s off to Cloud and her Crew for their great and important work!!!

Thanks for remembering to remind your favorite Restaurants and Shopping Venues to at least take a look, if they haven’t, at sourcing their Microgreens from IOGP.

Brud, Lori, Karole, Earl, Ginny, Rahman,Vincent.;   IOGP