The (Not so) Rural Pennsylvanian

  • Good News about Milk

    It is well recognized that milk is a great source of protein, calcium, and Vitamin D, potassium and other essential nutrients that can aid in bone growth, heart health, building muscle and warding off cancer. Recent research highlights some additional benefits of milk you may not be aware of.

    In a recent paper published by researchers at Scotland’s Saint Andrews University, skim milk topped a list of common beverages when it came to providing oral hydration. Milk beat out water, sports drinks and oral rehydration solutions like Pedialyte. Electrolytes, like sodium and potassium, contribute to better hydration. Calories in beverages result in slower gastric emptying and, therefore, slower release of urination, resulting in better hydration. The thirteen beverages tested, listed in order of hydration, were skim milk, oral rehydration solutions (like Pedialyte), full fat milk, orange juice, cola, diet cola, cold tea, tea, sports drinks, still water, sparkling water, lager and coffee.  While coffee ranks lowest for hydration, adding milk to the coffee may counter some of coffee’s diuretic effects.

    The reason why milk is so effective compared to water is because of its combination of sugar lactose, protein, and tiny fat percentage. These substances slow down the rate at which fluids are emptied from the stomach which provides longer-lasting hydration. Moreover, milk contains electrolytes like sodium and potassium which helps your body retain the fluids in your bloodstream for a longer period of time rather than quickly processing it into urine.

    This information may be especially important for individuals who dehydrate rapidly, such as athletes and those doing strenuous labor. The body relies on hydration to fight infections, carry nutrients throughout the body and lubricate joints. It appears hydration should be added to the list of the superpowers of milk.

    Chocolate milk also received a special notice for its role in helping high school athletes outperform peers who did not drink chocolate milk in a study done by the University of Texas at Austin. Researchers in that study highlighted chocolate milk’s carbohydrate to protein ratio compared to beverages such as sports drinks. The research was conducted in 2018 and published in the 2019 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. It showed that, in strength tests, high school athletes drinking chocolate milk lifted 3.5% more than before the study while the adolescents drinking a commercial sports drink lifted 3.2% less than before.

    Drinking chocolate milk within 30 minutes after a workout rehydrates, repairs and replenishes the body. The naturally occurring electrolytes and 90% water content rehydrate, while the 8 grams of protein helps repair muscles. The carbohydrate to protein ratio in chocolate milk was shown to be more beneficial than carbohydrate only sports drinks in improving athlete performance as part of a strength and speed training at a high school level. Previous studies all looked at adults, but never at before at high school athlete for whom nutrition is especially critical.

    Chocolate milk contains carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, as well as water and electrolytes, which may be ideal for post-exercise recovery. The evidence regarding the efficacy of chocolate milk compared to either water or other “sport drinks” on post-exercise recovery markers was also reviewed by researchers in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition who conducted an analysis of twelve different studies on it effects. They concluded that “chocolate milk provides either similar or superior results when compared to placebo or other recovery drinks. Overall, the evidence is limited and high-quality clinical trials with more well-controlled methodology and larger sample sizes are warranted.”

    So it seems we have even more reason to drink up.

  • What You Need to Know About the Pennsylvania Farm Bill

    Pennsylvania’s first ever Farm Bill was recently signed into law and provides $24 million in funds to support the agricultural industry. It is designed to increase opportunities in areas such as dairy, hemp and organics and remove barriers for young farmers’ entry into the profession. The bill also decreases some regulatory burdens on farmers. 

    The bill is comprehensive, so I thought it might be helpful to highlight some of the areas that might be of most interest or immediately helpful. Here are some of the most interesting parts of the bill:

    • Funding for the Pennsylvania Agricultural Business Development Center to serve as a resource to help  farmers create a business plan, transition plan, or succession plan. 
    • A realty transfer tax exemption for any transfer of preserved farmland to a qualified beginning farmer will be available. 
    • Funding for the dairy industry in the form of  research and development, organic transition assistance, value-added processing, and marketing grants.
    • Center for Animal Agriculture Excellence funding to support the animal agriculture industry by expanding processing capacity, technical assistance, providing resources for food safety compliance, and assisting with the establishment of hemp as an approved animal feed.  
    • A program to reimburse federal meat inspection costs and subsidize the first-time purchase of equipment needed for federal compliance to access to new and expanded markets for small or new producers will be established.
    • Agriculture linked investment program to re-establish this low interest loan program for the implementation of best management practices.
    • Resource enhancement and protection tax credits to increase the lifetime cap and increase availability.
    • Expansion of the allowable width for the use of implements of husbandry on roads, such as farm tractors and combines, from 16 feet to 18 feet. 
    • Farm Bill amends the Ag Area Security Act to allow for subdivision of preserved farms.
    • Funding for agricultural and youth organizations.
    • Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account to allow for a quick response to agricultural disasters, including utilizing animal or plant health officials to contain an outbreak or threat, or providing an immediate response to a food borne illness.
    • Increasing market opportunities through funding of the PA Preferred Organic Initiative to make Pennsylvania the nation’s leading organic state, the PA Preferred Program to support the overall program and to bolster enrollment in the Homegrown by Heroes Program, and the State-level Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to invest in and encourage farming of high-priority horticultural crops like hemp, hops, and hardwoods. 

    There is a lot to take in with this bill, and we will see what the future brings in terms of implementation. In the meantime, more information can be found here:

    Governor Wolf’s statement on the PA Farm Bill https://www.governor.pa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/021319-farm-bill.pdf

    Information from the PA Department of Agriculturehttps://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Pages/PA-Farm-Bill.aspx

  • Like the Spring, I Have Returned

    This weekend, I set off to Chester Springs to check out some garden centers in hopes of finding some aquatic plants for a container water garden I have on my balcony. I found a Louisiana iris and spearwort plant to add to the equisetum (horsetail reed) and water hyacinth I already have.

    Here’s how it looks so far:

    Maker:0x4c,Date:2017-11-17,Ver:4,Lens:Kan03,Act:Lar01,E-Y,E-ver:20190214.5310204.002.000

    It doesn’t look like much now, but it should fill in nicely. I will try to keep you updated about my little water garden. The sponges are an experiment to see if birds will use them as landing pads to take drink. I hope to add some fish when the water warms up.

    While I was out, I ran across the charming Chester Springs Creamery at Milky Way Farm. They make delicious ice cream. Here is an impromptu panorama of part of the property:

    The lovely property at Chester Springs Creamery at Milky Way Farm.
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