*This recipe is the winner of our April 2012 Recipe Club Prize Drawing.  Jyoti N. won a $50 Nutiva Gift Certificate in our Recipe Club drawing.  Join the Nutiva Recipe Club today for a chance to win!

This month’s Recipe Club winner is a wonderful dairy and gluten-free meal that you and your family will surly enjoy!

Ingredients:

Directions:

While pasta is cooking (follow directions on package), put 1 Tablespoon of Nutiva Hemp Seed in Vitamix or powerful blender along with 1 cup of water and blend (approx. 45 seconds) until you get hemp milk.

Chop up 1 shallot, 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 inch of ginger. Leave for 5 minutes to enhance nutritional value.

Soak 1 cup of frozen corn in warm water to thaw.

In pressure cooker, place the garlic, 1/2 of the chopped shallot, frozen spinach and ginger to cook with 1/2 cup water and add salt to taste. Cook until spinach is tender.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of Nutiva Coconut Oil and saute the remaining chopped shallot. (If you like more garlic, you can saute another clove of garlic at this time.) Drain the water from the corn and add to the chopped shallot, then blend in the cooked spinach along with the hemp milk, Daiya cheese*, salt and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Cook for a few minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is coated with spinach and cheese sauce.

This dish has the crunchiness of the shallot and corn, accompanied by the creamy taste of cheese followed by the tartness of the lemon juice. Vegan and gluten-free.

This recipe can be modified to use real cheese and regular pasta. Bon Appetit!

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*Add cheese according to your taste (anywhere from 1 -2 cups)
Serves: 3-4

Governor Jerry Brown Vetoes Hemp Legalization in California

In a veto message, Jerry California Governor Brown said federal law considers industrial hemp to be a regulated, controlled substance, and that failure to obtain a federal permit would subject California farmers to federal prosecution.

“Although I am not signing this measure, I do support a change in federal law,” Brown said in a veto message. “Products made from hemp – clothes, food, and bath products – are legally sold in California every day. It is absurd that hemp is being imported into the state, but our farmers cannot grow it.”

Nutiva CEO John W Roulac commented ” This is a sad day and this veto will only hurt California farmers, workers, and business’s such as Nutiva who want to grow this renewable non-drug crop.”

September 14, 2011

Governor Jerry Brown                                                                      Sent via Fax: 916-558-3160
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: SB 676 (Leno) California Industrial Hemp Farming Act – Please Sign

Dear Governor Brown,

I am writing to ask you to sign SB 676 (Leno), which would permit California farmers to grow industrial hemp to produce hemp seed, oil and fiber for sale to manufacturers. All hemp products are legally for sale in the United States and are currently imported from Canada and other nations. Current law prohibiting California farmers from producing these legal products hurts our economy and simply does not make sense

Nutiva is the world’s leading organic food brand, with a 44% annual growth rate since 2005. Inc. Magazine has named Nutiva as one of America’s fastest growing brands for the last three consecutive years (2009 – 2011).

Because of our growth rate, Nutiva has hired 25 workers in the past year at our new 18,500 SQ FT facility in Oxnard, California.

We will process three million pounds of organic hempseeds in factories in Canada in 2011. We would prefer to do this in California and the U.S.  This would save us in shipping costs, and further enable us to offer more local jobs. Hemp fiber is among the strongest, natural fibers in the world and it can be used to replace wood pulp, as well as synthetic fibers in numerous applications.  Hempseed is nutritionally rich in protein and healthy Omega-3 fats.

The demand for hemp products has been growing rapidly in recent years and California farmers would benefit from this growth. The benefits for farmers are not only financial, the bill is also practical. Industrial hemp is an excellent rotational crop because it naturally reduces nematode populations, while its dense growth smothers out weeds.  Therefore, hemp requires less water and agricultural chemicals than all other crops and has deep roots that leave the soil in excellent condition for the next crop.

The environmental benefits of hemp as a replacement for wood pulp and a reduction of pesticide use will help create a cleaner and healthier California. California law should be changed to permit the cultivation of industrial hemp as an agricultural crop. SB 676 would enable California farmers and processors to take advantage of industrial hemp and we strongly urge you to sign the bill into law.

Sincerely,

John W. Roulac
CEO and Founder
Nutiva

You too can make a difference in the fight for Hemp Legalization at the Vote Hemp website. Take action NOW and let our voices heard!

Check out the recent news about Hemp legalization in Vermont.  The battle is far from over, but awareness is up and progress is underway.

With your help we can raise awareness and get Hemp legalized.  Please call and write to your Representative in Congress.  Take action HERE, at the Vote Hemp website.

Vermont is the Latest Battleground in the Fight For Hemp

By Tim Johnson, Free Press Staff

August 21, 2011

Like most other products, hemp has its own trade associations. It has lobbyists. It has publicists. Together they churn out literature touting hemp’s extraordinary versatility and its ecological and agronomic virtues – a kind of wonder crop.

Hemp does not have a political action committee, however, which could explain partly why the campaign to legalize industrial hemp in the United States hasn’t gained much traction.

Advocates complain that American farmers are being shut out of a lucrative market. More than 30 countries grow hemp as an agricultural commodity, and hemp-planted fields in Canada – which legalized cultivation in 1998 – increased to 26,815 acres in 2010.

The United States “is the only industrialized country that will not allow its farmers the economic/environmental benefit” of growing hemp, laments Ben Brown, a farmer in Orwell.

Read the rest of the Article HERE or download the PDF HERE.

Hemp products have been misunderstood for quite some time. Hemp’s potential as a cash crop and its nutritional value have been overshadowed by the stigma of Marijuana. However, with the passing of SB 676 in the California State Senate hemp’s day just got a little brighter. This article from IVN does a great job of outlining this historic event and the potential it brings to California.

We’ve all heard about how the Declaration of Independence was penned on hemp paper and how our founding fathers grew the stuff like it was, well, a weed. Their reasons for growing it were sensible enough: hemp offered unparalleled capital potential as a cash crop with its seemingly limitless industrial applications, not to mention its nutritional properties. A couple of centuries and a failed Drug War later, a California state senator is making an effort to revive some of the common sense found in this earlier, agrarian era.

On Tuesday, the California State Senate passed SB 676, Sen. Mark Leno’s (San Francisco) bill, that would effectively legalize the production of hemp in the state for industrial purposes. Two prior attempts by the senator to regulate hemp production were vetoed by former Governor Schwarzenegger.

This measure would redefine “marijuana” to exclude industrial hemp. The new definition for hemp would include non-psychoactive fiber or oilseed crops with no more than 0.3 percent of THC. Crops would have to undergo testing to certify that their THC content was within the legal limit, mimicking established protocol in Canada.

So why is Sen. Leno so bent on legalizing hemp? He expounds on the “golden opportunity” hemp offers California in a recent blog post:

“If you like shopping at your local natural foods or specialty grocery store, you’ve probably noticed the growing popularity of hemp as an ingredient in food and skin care products. Hemp seed, which is high in protein and essential fatty acids, is found in everything from bread, energy bars and waffles to coffee and protein powder. Thanks to its natural antioxidants and moisturizing oil, hemp is also a common ingredient in soaps, shampoos and lotions. Perhaps your favorite T-shirt is even made of hemp, which is an excellent alternative to cotton.”

“Even though most of these consumer products are created by California companies, our farmers are prohibited from growing industrial hemp. Instead of buying hemp from local farmers, local manufacturers are importing thousands of dollars of hemp seed, oil and fiber from growers overseas.”

“California farmers are missing out on a golden opportunity to tap into the growing industrial hemp products business of food, clothing, shelter, paper and fuel, which would greatly benefit our state’s economy and family farmers. Industrial hemp is a perfect, environmentally sustainable crop for our state. It requires little or no pesticides and herbicides and produces two to four times more fiber than an acre of timber. Hemp grows quickly, can be harvested every 90 days and is a great rotational crop, especially for organic farmers.”

Read the rest of this Important Article HERE.

Article Credit: Chris Hinyub

Dr. Oz presents a “A New Miracle Health Drink” on his show… Hemp Milk!  Dr. Oz emphasizes that Hemp Milk is his “favorite alternative to regular milk.”

Tell cow’s milk to move over! Find out 3 new miracle milk drinks that can help you lose weight and more.

Simply Click on the image below to view this episode on Dr. Oz’s site.

View clip HERE.

On March 29th, 2011 UCLA hosted “Hemp for Performance, Profit and the Planet,” a panel discussion featuring hemp advocates and activists Brendan Brazier, John W Roulac, and Steve Levine, as part of Hemp History Week 2011.

There are 6 videos below.  The first is a “trailer” video for the event and Hemp History Week.  The other 5 videos are the complete discussion from the event, broken up into 15-minute segments.

For more information, visit www.HempHistoryWeek.com

Trailer:


Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Hempseeds are getting more and more recognition as an alternative source of nutrients, and Dr. Oz stepped up to the plate to announce his own love for hempseeds this week on his celebrated TV show!  Click the image above to view the segement.

This is pretty interesting: The Organization Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is currently looking at whether or not to legalize hemp as a food product in Australia and New Zealand.  They have progressed as far as recognizing that eating hemp foods does not constitute a public health risk.  We’re watching as this important movement unfolds, and we’ll keep you updated too!  Viva la Hemp!

Enjoy.

Article From: The Sydney Morning Herald

ONCE you could smoke it, then you could wear it, now maybe you can eat it. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is seeking public comment on requested changes to the food code to allow hemp to be eaten. But it will not make you high. While industrial hemp belongs to the cannabis family, it is a distant cousin of the kind that produces marijuana.

Deemed to have no pyschoactive properties due to low levels of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), hemp is produced in Australia for fibre, food for pets and livestock, and oil for cosmetics, but to date the oil may not be used for human food.

FSANZ yesterday announced a period of public comment on two requests for changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code including the hemp request, raised by Dr Andrew Katelaris.

Chief Executive Officer, Steve McCutcheon, said in a statement that FSANZ’s responsibility was to ensure that the use of hemp in food should be safe for consumers.

“We have concluded that the consumption of hemp foods does not pose a public health and safety risk”.

It is the second time FSANZ has come to such a conclusion about hemp, but the last time it made a submission to the government, in 2002, it was rejected by the state, territory and federal health ministers.

A spokeswoman for FSANZ, Lydia Buchtmann, said hemp was a healthy oil which was already used extensively in the cosmetics industry in Australia and in the many other countries for food such as muesli bars, non-soy cheeses and tofu, general oils. The seeds can also be eaten raw or roasted.

Read the rest of the Article, HERE.

Article Credit: Jen Rosenberg

Buy Nutiva Hemp Protein

One common question we hear from our customers is this: “What are the major differences between a Hemp Protein powder, and a Whey Protein Powder?”

Well, there are a lot of differences between whey protein and hemp protein, especially for vegans and athletes who don’t want to get their protein from dairy sources.  Another huge benefit to hemp protein is the fiber content.  Also, Nutiva’s Hemp Protein Powder is an organic whole food, which is always non-GMO, with complete proteins.

Read more…

We found this article on http://fantastichemp.wordpress.com/

One common query is how hemp protein stands up to whey protein powder. We are told whey is tested, approved, it works, so why move to anything else? If you’re getting results with one sort of protein, why make the move to hemp and run the chance of reducing your workout results? There are lots of reasons to consider hemp protein as an alternative to whey protein. In reality, I would like to debate that moving to hemp protein is one of the finest things you can do for your overall health if you’re currently taking whey protein supplements. Hemp Protein Powder
Pros : You will need less : since there are no fillers and additives and it supplies the eight essential amino acids and trans-acids,you may need much less hemp protein than whey protein for equal benefit. It’s more soluble : Hemp protein won’t sludge your system, bloat you, or cause you to feel uncomfortable. Your body can instantly recognize and digest natural, entire hemp protein.
Fiber Content : Hemp protein contains fiber, and some additions have hemp protein powders with even more natural fiber to help in digestion.
Natural hemp also has friendly bacteria that help in digestion decreasing bloating to keep you looking lean. Each serving of hemp protein gives your daily fix of fiber.

Continue Reading HERE

Author Credit: TERI WALLACE