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Vol 1 Number 2

WINTER 2006

Editor: Jan Boyle

Golden Willow Botanicals is an organic farm, certified such since 1999. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, along with quality grass and alfalfa hay are grown on 120 acres. I began selling our organic produce 4 years ago. My customers came to me by word-of-mouth. Reasons: they wanted freshly grown vegies; they wanted locally grown produce (they supported organic as healthier); and they wanted a tomato to taste like a tomato, not like cardboard!

WOW, I could truly relate to these folks! In fact, they have inspired me in my efforts as an organic producer to give them a healthier choice as consumers.

Comtemplate this: Better soils, ecologically cultivated, allow plants to take up minerals more efficiently, thereby allowing plants to make their own phytonutrients naturally for their own health and growth. Many antioxidants play a part in the health of the plants themselves. They help plants resist disease, and recover from insect damage. We, as consumers, benefit from plants (food) high in antioxidants because antioxidants reduce the damage to cells and DNA in our bodies. That's good for us - it promotes cardiovascular health and slows the aging process, among other things.

Evidence suggests that organically grown fruits and vegetables are proving to have higher levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than their counterparts grown conventionally. Studies have been conducted that show a decline in nutritional values of conventionally grown produce that correlate with the period of increasing industrialization of farming or use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It suggests that use of these chemicals can interfere with a plant's ability to synthesize nutrients more effectively and efficiently.

Among foods very high in antioxidants are berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries; red kidney and pinto beans; red grapes; artichoke and broccoli. See website www.organic-center.org for additional info.

A BAD SIDE TO ORGANIC?
With all the goods news, can it be there is a negative side to organic? Perhaps "the Bad" is too strong a phrase to use but there are some disturbing sides to organic that teeter on the edge. Organic standards, for instance, were developed to enhance the integrity of organic production that includes an absence of synthetic chemicals, and, just as importantly, focuses on practices of sustainable ecological cultivation, addressing the interrelationships of soil, microorganisms, plants, and animals long-term by the producer.

With the expansion of corporate grocers into the organic market, there is increasing concern that lobbying clout of these big food businesses will put a once apolitical nature of organic into a political light. It wasn't so long ago (a year) that lobbying efforts by these big food businesses included expanding a list of synthetic substances allowed under the Federal Organic Standards.
Assessing the inclusion of these synthetics in organic production is the job of the NOSB. So far several of these artificial ingredients have been approved by this Board. They include such items as pectin and ascorbic acid.

Perhaps some of the approved substances are relatively harmless, but the question posed by some consumers and many long-time organic producers is this: Will the original intent of the organic movement be compromised even further by the economic whims of mega food manufacturers?

AND THE NOT SO PRETTY. . .
What might not be well known is the fact that many of the original organic businesses that had been producing and supplying much of the certified organic products we trusted and enjoyed so much are, well, no longer!

EXAMPLE: Cascadian Farms, once a small grass-roots provider of certified organic foodstuffs has been bought out by Small Planet Foods, whose principle stockholder is General Mills, who, in turn, is owned by such companies as Chevron, DuPont, McDonalds, Monsanto, PepsiCo, Phillip Morris, Starbucks, Target, etc. The question here is why doesn't Cascadian Farms let us know about this change on their products? Could it be that the "trust" factor would be compromised since many of these companies manufacture pesticides, cigarettes, and other not so "organic" products?

MORE EXAMPLES . . .
Horizon Dairy and Silk Soy Milk are owned by Dean Foods whose stockholders include Home Depot, Exxon Mobile, Microsoft, Phillip Morris, and Wal-mart.
Kashi is owned by Kellogg's. Odwalla is owned by Coca-Cola. Seeds of Change is owned by M&M Mars.

Perhaps it can be argued that with these changes the organic movement benefits in increased visibility. The fact is that the once apolitical nature of organic is over. Evidence of political maneuvering of these companies is increasing. So where do we find transparent honesty in the foods business anymore?

Interesting Websites to check out: