Meet Your Farmers (CSA Open House)

CSAs are alive and well in the Madison area!  The FairShare CSA Coalition will host its annual open house at the Monona Terrace, Sunday March 23, from 1:00-4:00 PM. A "CSA" (Community-Supported Agriculture) is a community venture in which participants pledge their support for a farm’s food production efforts and, in turn, receive a share of the product in various installments.  The CSA model has been extended to include (and support) other small grower/producer products including craft beer, coffee, and seafood.

At the open house, you will be able to chat with farmers and evaluate the different share options--often weekly or every-other-week deliveries of seasonal produce, eggs, cheese, honey or meat depending upon share plan and CSA farm. (And, many of these same folks participate in the area farmers’ markets).

In order to plan ahead, take a look at the Farm List to consider farms and share options that will best satisfy your appetite for produce and level of participation. Many of the farms have application forms that you can submit now.

In addition to supporting a local economy and savoring the fresh produce, there are some other incentives for students and staff. Many health plans furnish rebates for CSA participation. Shares can also be donated to assist families in our community in need. And, less we forget, there are opportunities to volunteer and to learn more with a job or internship at an area farm or FairShare event.

Raise the Woof with Dogs on Call

What better way to relieve the stress of studying than to meet wet-nose to nose with a wiggling, wagging member of the canine corps, Dogs on Call?! "Dogs on Call" is a local member of Pet Partners--an organization devoted to improving human health through the existing bond between people and companion animals. These companion animals are specially-trained to gently-interact with their human counterparts in any number of environments including schools, hospitals, libraries and special-care facilities.

Steenbock staff welcomes Dogs on Call and their companion handlers to the library, Monday, October 29, from 6:30-8:00 PM. The dogs will be available for a pat near the front, main entrance to the library (second floor).

Please visit the sites for Dogs on Call and Pet Partners to learn more about their services.

Fallout

In keeping with this year’s Go Big Read selection, Radioactive: A Tale of Love and Fallout, Ebling Library has organized an exhibit featuring articles, books and various ephemera from its collections and those from other campus libraries and the Radiology Department that speak to the history of x-ray technology, the occupational hazards of working with radiation and radioactive materials, and the legacy of the Curie’s research.

An opening reception will be held on November 1 from 4:00 until 6:00 PM in the Historical Reading Room/Third Floor Gallery.  Rumor has it that something "glowing" will be served!

Exhibit Information:

Fallout: The Mixed Blessing of Radiation and the Public Health
November 1, 2012 - April 1, 2013
Historical Reading Room and 3rd Floor Gallery

Dirty Dozen Redux

When is it a good idea to consider purchasing organic produce?

According to the staff with the Environmental Working Group, you may wish to splurge (that is, buy organic) on those produce items that bear a heavy pesticide burden when grown using contemporary "conventional" methods.

In tough economic times, it may not always be possible to shop organic 100% of the time, therefore one strategy is to pick and choose your food products wisely using such tools as the Dirty Dozen (Plus) and Clean 15 Shopper’s Guide.

The Dirty Dozen (Plus) for 2012 (buy these organic)

1.  Apples

2.  Celery

3.  Sweet bell peppers

4.  Peaches

5.  Strawberries

6.  Nectarines-imported

7.  Grapes

8.  Spinach

9.  Lettuce

10.  Cucumbers

11.  Blueberries-domestic

12.  Potatoes

Plus

Green beans

Kale/Greens 

The Clean 15 for 2012 (lowest in pesticides when grown conventionally)

1.  Onions

2.  Sweet Corn

3.  Pineapples

4.  Avocado

5.  Cabbage

6.  Sweet peas

7.  Asparagus

8.  Mangoes

9.  Eggplant

10.  Kiwi

11.  Cantaloupe-domestic

12.  Sweet potatoes

13.  Grapefruit

14.  Watermelon

15.  Mushrooms

Campus Blood Drive, March 8

Less than a year ago, campus library staff lost one of its own to unexpected and tragic circumstance. In memory of this colleague, Maureen Grant, the libraries will host a blood drive--a cause that was near and dear to her. The libraries invite eligible donors to stop by Memorial Library, Room 116 (from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM) on Thursday, March 8 to donate a pint through the American Red Cross.

For additional information about how to donate, phone 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit the Red Cross Website. All blood types are desired and necessary. Donors will be asked to present a blood donor card, driver’s license or two other forms of ID to check-in.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of those needing your donation.

Blood Drive in Memory of Maureen Grant
Date and Time: Thursday, March 8 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Place: UW-Madison Memorial Library, Room 116, 728 State Street

View the press release.

Cycling at its Coolest!

Have this season’s milder winter temps had you eager for a ride?! If so, then check out the schedule of events for Winter Bike to Work Week (February 12-18, 2012). "Madison Bike Winter" and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin encourage you to discover a fitness and transportation solution with a winter commuting challenge. Visit the "Bicycle Blog" page to view the Madison calendar of events where you can outfit that bike, snack (hot coffee, anyone?!), and socialize with fellow cyclists.

Events remaining this week include:

Wednesday
Machinery Row Wednesday--FREE Coffee on Path outside Machinery Row; “Love Your Bike” 50% off tune-ups at Machinery Row Bicycles, all day; “Singles Ride,” single-speed bikes encouraged, meet at Machinery Row Bicycles, 5:30 PM; “Love Cycles,” indoor cycling, Speed Cycling in Fitchburg, 6:00 PM, $5 drop in

Thursday
Dream Bikes Thursday--FREE Coffee on Path; Yoga for Cyclists, Mound Street Yoga, 5:30 PM, $5 for anyone who bikes

Friday
Bike Fed Friday--FREE Coffee on Path outside Machinery Row; After Work Party, Brocach Irish Pub, Capital Square location with RAFFLE PRIZES, 5:00-7:00 pm; After Party Ride to Ale Asylum, 7:00 PM; Sobering alternative: Indoor Cycling, Speed Cycling, 6:00 PM, $5 drop in

Saturday
Winter Farmers’ Market Ride, Senior Center, 11:00 AM, arrive earlier to eat breakfast!

Optional Sunday
Madison Winter Festival, Cyclo Frost Costume Race, Capital Square, 8:30 AM

Set Sail

Ebling Library plays host this semester to two complementary exhibitions, one featuring the allure of deep-ocean wilderness, the other, a history of maritime health and medicine.

"Beyond the Edge of the Sea", a traveling exhibit from the Muscarelle Museum of Art, features original watercolors that brilliantly capture the deep-ocean diversity observed by those who have descended in the Alvin Submersible.

"Seaworthy" examines a variety of topics in maritime health--from the use of horseshoe crabs to the diagnosis and treatments for scurvy, among other maladies. The materials that comprise this exhibit have been drawn from campus library collections.

A special reception with oceanographer, Dr. Cindy Lee Van Dover, artist, Karen Jacobsen and exhibits curator, Micaela Sullivan-Fowler will be held on Friday, November 11, 2011 (3:00-6:00 PM) in Ebling’s Third Floor Gallery.

Free and open to the public, these exhibitions will run until January 31, 2012 (inaugurated September 28, 2011) in the Historical Reading Room and Third Floor Gallery, Ebling Library (Health Sciences Learning Center).

The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen, 2011

When is it a good idea to consider purchasing organic produce? According to the folks with the Environmental Working Group, you may wish to splurge (that is, buy organic) on those produce items that bear a heavy pesticide burden when grown using contemporary "conventional" methods.

In tough economic times, it may not always be possible to buy organic 100% of the time, therefore one strategy is to pick and choose your food products wisely using such tools as the EWG’s Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides.

The Dirty Dozen for 2011
(buy these organic; note: lower numbers=more pesticides):

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines--imported
7. Grapes--imported
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries--domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The Clean 15 for 2011 (lowest in pesticide residues when grown conventionally):

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe--domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

The Yellow Wall-paper

A traveling exhibition from the National Library of Medicine, The Literature of Prescription: Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "The Yellow Wall-Paper" will occupy the lobby of Memorial Library until May 21, 2011. The exhibition examines how women’s entry into public and intellectual life had been restricted by theories, promulgated by medical professionals, of feminine weakness. Gilman’s short story, "The Yellow Wall-paper" (first published in 1892), remains a strong indictment of these particular medical and social conventions with a protagonist driven to madness by a prescribed "rest cure".

The exhibition has inspired several related exhibits in campus libraries.

Descriptions of related exhibits follow below:

The William B. Cairns Collection of American Women Writers 1650–1940, located in the Department of Special Collections, Memorial Library (9th Floor), boasts a number of works by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Steenbock Library has a small complementary book display featuring material from its collection on both domestic science in the nineteenth century and the history of wallpaper. The exhibit is available for viewing outside of Room 240 through May 21.

Ebling Library for the Health Sciences has a book selection in its 2nd floor study area displaying modern books on mental health issues in women, including some titles on postpartum depression. It also features a reprint of "The Yellow Wall-Paper" and a bibliography of the selected titles. Books on similar subjects from the nineteenth and early twentieth century are available by contacting Micaela Sullivan-Fowler. The display is at Ebling until May 21.

For more information about the traveling exhibition in Memorial Library, visit its page on the National Library of Medicine Website.

Be Kind, Unwind (Study Break@Steen), Apr 27

Come visit Steenbock Library to get a free chair massage from a professional massage therapist or join UHS stress management specialist, Rob Sepich, for a short group session on meditative relaxation techniques that you can use anytime, anywhere. No registration necessary.

Chair massage appointments last ten minutes and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis from 2:30 until 4:30 PM. Relaxation technique sessions last 20 minutes and will begin at 3:00 PM, 3:20 PM, and 3:40 PM.

Just drop on in and bring a friend or three!

This study break occasion is sponsored by the Graduate Student Collaborative (GSC), ASM, University Health Services (UHS), Steenbock Memorial Library, and the Office of Professional Development and Engagement (OPDE) of the Graduate School.

Study Break @ Steenbock Library with Massage and Guided Meditation
Wednesday, April 27
2:30-4:30 PM
Steenbock Library, Rooms 111-114 (first floor)

With thanks to staff with the Graduate Student Collaborative for this blog post.

Chicken and Vegetables

Get your chicken and veg when the School of Medicine and Public Health hosts a free, public lecture on raising poultry and produce in your own backyard.

Matt and Susan Smith from Blue Valley Gardens and Dan Marleau from Ebling Health Sciences Library will review the basics of successful vegetable growing and the pleasures of rearing urban chickens, respectively.

The lecture will be held Thursday, March 3 (noon – 1:00 PM) in Room 1309 of the Health Sciences Learning Center.

Resources on Haiti

In response to the disastrous earthquake in Haiti, Chancellor Martin encourages the UW-Madison community to support relief efforts.

Many resources are available online, and from campus libraries, to help you to learn more about Haiti and current relief efforts. Speak with campus librarians for assistance locating additional resources (articles, books, web sites).

Charitable giving (agencies, organizations):
American Red Cross
Doctors without Borders/Medecins sans Frontieres
Engineers without Borders
Partners in Health
Unicef…, among others.
(In order to evaluate a charitable organization, visit the Charity Navigator site).

News:
CNN Haiti Earthquake
Democracy Now! (headline news and recent shows)
New York Times, Haiti
Relief Web, Haiti

Country Information, Maps:
CountryWatch (Select country, Haiti)
Haiti, CIA World Factbook
Haiti, World Health Organization
Haiti Earthquake, Map, USGS

Health & Disaster Response:
Haiti Earthquake, Disaster Information Management Research Center, NLM, NIH

Books/Documents (campus collections):
Run a MadCat, Words Anywhere search, to flexibly retrieve records to books, documents and audiovisual items from campus collections or browse this index of subject-headings. Click on a heading of interest to pull records to those collection items.

• Haiti: Past and Present Research Guide, UW-Madison Libraries (includes listing of film series event)
  

Blog post inspiration credit to UMass-Amherst librarian, Isabel E. who has generated a “Disaster in Haiti" Research Guide for her campus.

Influenza Updates (Campus) and Research

UW-Madison has supplied the campus community with an Influenza Information and Prevention site to provide news, information, self-care and prevention strategies.

Additionally, librarians with Ebling Health Sciences have produced a Swine Flu/2009-H1N1 Research Guide to provide quick access to information resources from the CDC, WHO, and the State of Wisconsin.

The guide also supplies links to consumer health information, international and foreign language resources, and additional sites with which to keep current on developing health events.

Swine Flu Resources

In light of recent outbreaks of the swine flu virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have issued respective information pages to track the virus and to supply the public with definitions, reports, press briefings, travel notices and practical tips for care.

Additionally, UW-Madison researchers and health service professionals continue to monitor disease reports and campus conditions, urging those who have recently traveled to areas where outbreaks have occurred to be alert for symptoms and to seek advice from their health-care providers, as need be.

Note: Ebling Library has also just posted information on its news blog.

Google Flu Trends

Using statistics gathered from searches entered into its search engine, Google is exploring its ability to predict outbreaks of the flu. In other words, Google is measuring the trend, so to speak, to use the Web to seek information or guidance regarding health issues—perhaps by searches that query ‘flu symptoms’ or similar. For some additional information, see the Guardian article.

Of course, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also track the flu virus. See the Flu Activity and Surveillance page.

Get your Flu Shot (campus clinics)

UW-Madison students can obtain a flu shot by visiting University Health Services (1552 University Avenue) weekdays, between the hours of 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM. No appointment is necessary during these walk-in clinics which will continue through December (after December the UHS clinic will move to 333 East Campus Mall). Students will be asked to present their university ID in order to get the vaccine.

For more information about influenza and the vaccine, visit the UHS site.

Faculty and staff can obtain the flu shot at walk-in clinics hosted in several campus locations during two weeks, November 3-14 and, unless otherwise indicated, from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Faculty and staff will be asked to present their insurance card. For more information, visit the campus Occupational Health site.

Ebling Book Sale (October 23-24)

Ebling Library will hold its annual book sale, Thursday, October 23 (from 8:00 AM -5:00 PM) and Friday, October 24 (from 9:00 AM -12:00 PM) in the Historical Reading Room (third floor, Ebling Library). Bargains are to be found on out-of-date anatomy, clinical, nursing and pharmacy books, and reasonably priced 19th and early 20th century collectibles—including texts of the history of the health sciences.

Campus Bus 80 will get you there!

To donate books for this sale or to ask questions, contact Micaela Sullivan-Fowler at 262-2402.

Wisconsin Eat Local Challenge (Sept 5-14)

Reduce your food miles by purchasing and consuming locally-grown and seasonal food products. The Challenge site enables you to register and to document your food purchases. The site also lists delicious options for sourcing this food bounty, (including farmers’ markets, farms and grocers), recipes and tips for making it work for you.

Why do it? Benefits of local eating

Farm Fresh Atlases

Food Safety Fact Sheets

What with recent summer media attention paid to pathogens in the food supply—namely mass-quantity/processed fresh produce (tomatoes, peppers, etc.)--you may be experiencing some growing interest in food safety.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service offers a handy menu of fact sheets suitable for home use or outreach efforts and instruction. Fact sheets address safe food handling, generally, and handling as recommended for particular food products, foodborne illness, emergency preparedness and food labeling, among other topics. Many guides are available in both English and Spanish languages.

Travelers' Health

As someone who travels internationally, I often find it necessary to stay advised of any health concerns and/or recommended inoculations. For those of you similarly-inclined to do a little investigating, the following resources can be helpful for evaluating conditions and staying healthy at your destination.

CDC Travelers' Health

CDC Yellow Book for 2008

Travel Health Tips for Students Studying Abroad

Campus and area travel clinics:

University Health Services, Travel Clinic

UW-Health, Travel Medicine

Dean Clinics, Travel Medicine