Boston Flora

Tag: ConAgra

  • Wednesday, March 16, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – The Combat-Ready Kitchen

    Did you know that much of the science used in creating processed foods was developed courtesy of the U.S. military? Armies have sought better ways to preserve, store, and transport edibles since the days of Napoleon, and, as part of this quest, the U.S. army spearheaded the invention of energy bars, restructured meat, extended-life bread, cling wrap, cheese powder, TV dinners, active dry yeast, instant coffee, and much more. After World War II, as part of our national policy of preparedness, the Defense Department enlisted the help of huge corporations such as ADM, ConAgra, General Mills, Hershey, Hormel, Mars, Nabisco, Reynolds, Smithfield, Swift, Tyson, and Unilever. But the help came with a catch. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, the author of Combat-Ready Kitchen: How the U.S. Military Shapes the Way You Eat, instructs on the ways those traits most prized in soldier sustenance—imperishability, durability, affordability, and appeal to a broad range of palates—have ended up dominating our grocery store shelves and refrigerator cases, often to the detriment of consumer health. Free lecture will be held Wednesday, March 16 beginning at 6 pm at the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 211. For more information visit www.bu.edu/foodandwine/

  • From the Archives: Beans For Reforestation

    In 1971, Garden Club of the Back Bay members were encouraged to buy a can of Big John Beans ‘N Fixins’ (Husband Pleasin’) at the Star Market or at the Stop & Shop.  The ladies were told the beans could be eaten (no great enthusiasm there,) but in any event, they were to remove the label and bring it to the next meeting. The labels would then to be mailed to the Hunt-Wesson Company in the name of the Garden Club, and for each label returned, the Hunt Wesson Company would plant one tree as part of its reforestation plan.

    In 1970, the “Bear Fire” destroyed 53,000 acres of forest in the San Bernardino Mountains. Children’s Forest was the vision of the USDA Forest Service and Hunt-Wesson, who partnered to reforest 3.400 acres of the burned area by planting trees in children’s names. The Rim of the World Interpretive Association built an interpretive trail on the land so that visitors could see the good work and enjoy The National Children’s Forest. Missouri’s Children’s Forest was another beneficiary of the project.

    Hunt Wesson Company became part of ConAgra Foods and Big John’s Beans ‘N Fixin’s was discontinued as a product in 1996.

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