Preseason Chodosh Bulletin

[Y. Herman]

TIME TO RENEW SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE GUIDE TO CHODOSH

The new Chodosh season will start soon (see estimates below.) Now is the 
time to renew your subscription to have the three issues of the Guide 
mailed to your home. The Guide project does not accept any donations. All 
expenses are covered by the sales of the Guides. To cover some increasing 
costs, we are raising the cost of the subscriptions from $12 per year to 
$15 per year. (We apologize to those few people who already sent in their 
$12 for the new season, but we have to ask you to send in an additional $3 
at your convenience. This is required to avoid any problems of ribbis.) 
Individual copies sold by local distributors will remain at $5 per issue.

To subscribe, please send your checks made out to “Project Chodosh” to the 
Guide address given at top of the page.

We have had difficulties in the past because not everyone included their 
full mailing address. Please fill in the renewal form given below.

THE AGRICULTURAL SITUATION
The progress of the new Chodosh crops is running about 2 weeks behind last 
year. That means that Chodosh should start later than last year (and the 
Guide will also come out later than last year, see below.) Even though 
pesach was somewhat late on the secular calendar this year, due to delayed 
crop progress, very little potentially Chodosh crops were planted before 
pesach. Specifically the amount planted before pesach was 3% of spring 
wheat, 6% of the barley and 3% of the oats. In terms of total crops 
available after the harvest, we anticipate that during the upcoming season, 
the majority of spring wheat, oats and barley will be Chodosh. 
Specifically, we estimate the percentage Chodosh will be 68% for spring 
wheat (used for breads, challehs, pizza), 67% for durum spring wheat (used 
for pasta), 68% for barley and 63% for oats. It is also noteworthy that 34% 
of all the oats in the USA will be imported, mostly from Canada. Canadian 
oats are also mostly Chodosh, however, the harvest is considerably later 
than in the US.  This means that those companies that use US-grown oats 
could start Chodosh as early as start of August. However many large 
companies import oats for their cereals. Their Chodosh starting date is 
usually in early October. Last year, several of the major companies that 
used Canadian oats in their cereals included General Mills, ConAgra and 
Ralston. We have not yet checked on the arrangements of these companies for 
the new season.

ESTIMATED CHODOSH STARTING DATES
The following are preliminary estimates only. Corrections and updates to 
these will be posted  when available on the News section of the Chodosh Hot 
Line and by E mail to those who subscribe to the E mail list (see below.) 
The corrected dates will be published in the first edition of the Guide.

Freshly baked products in local bakeries such as breads, challehs, rolls, 
bagels probably Yoshon if purchased up to: Sept 15 in the East and Far 
West, Sept 1 in the Mid West.
Packaged foods containing wheat, other than pasta probably Yoshon if 
purchased up to Sept 15. After that package codes have to be used.
Packaged pasta probably safe if packed before Sept 30, probably safe to 
purchase up to Oct 15.
Foods containing oats may be Chodosh as early as the purchase date of Aug 
15. However, they are probably safe if packed up to Oct 1, probably safe to 
purchase up to Oct 15. (The reason for this range of dates is that US-grown 
oats is harvested starting late July, but many large companies use Canadian 
oats that is harvested much later, as explained above.)
Foods containing barley (other than malt) probably safe if packed up to Oct 
2, probably safe to purchase up to Oct 16.

A NOTE TO OWNERS OF YOSHON-PRODUCING ESTABLISHMENTS
If you are a producer of Yoshon foods, please note:
·       This year we will continue to have separate  sections in the Guide 
for foods with and without hashgocho for Yoshon. However we will 
specifically recommend that Yoshon consumers buy foods only if they are 
under a reliable hashgocho for Yoshon, whenever the choice is available. 
(The Guide to Chodosh does not give such hashgochos. You choose your own 
mashgiach.)
·       A few weeks ago, we sent a mailing to the stores and bakeries in 
last year’s Guide warning them, that we are no longer able to make detailed 
phone calls to each establishment. We want to list all sources of Yoshon 
that consumers can use. There is never a charge for this listing. However, 
starting this year each store and other establishment is asked to send a 
fax to the Guide (fax #845-356-5999) to let us know their name, address, 
phone, what is Yoshon and which hashgochos, if any they have for Yoshon. 
Those who have not sent us the applicable information can not be listed in 
the new Guide.
If you are a Yoshon consumer, you would do us all a service if you would 
alert your local Yoshon producing establishment to these points.
THE E-MAIL MAILING LIST
Those who have access to E mail can have important corrections and updates 
sent to their E mail address automatically. To subscribe to this free 
service send a blank E mail message to:
Chodosh-subscribe at jif.org.il
Those who have subscribed last year do not need to renew this subscription.