Twenty-first Century Greens

Book excerpt: "In 1535, the French explorer Jacques Cartier became stranded by the harsh Canadian winter. Over fifty of his men had died from scurvy, the lack of vitamin C, and the rest were weak. The native Iroquois saved the lives of Cartier and the remaining men with a simple tea made from a handful of leaves of the white cedar tree. The leaves of the vast pine forest that surrounded them contained far more vitamin C than the limes the explorers had on their ship. Few people die from vitamin C deficiency anymore. But, more than 600,000 children died last year from a lack of vitamin A. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common serious diseases in the world, eroding the lives of a billion people. Where can these people find the vitamin A and iron they need to regain their health? Now, nearly 500 years after Cartier, the answer can be found in the same place -- the green leaves growing all around us. Discover a new world of green leafy vegetables and find out how they can help build the food system we need for the 21st Century. Learn how to make green leaf vegetables more; nutritious, delicious, local, inexpensive, and sustainable."--Back cover.