Where does your food come from?

Is it just me or does it feel like the rising cost of energy is going to have a dramatic affect on our food system? We can already see it in rising prices, which make people ask questions, which makes them more aware of their food. Why do Organic apples suddenly cost $5/lb? Well, it's because Spring/Summer they come from New Zealand. That's a long way to travel...racking up food miles which are getting more expensive by the day. They're certainly still healthier and more nutritious than their conventional counterparts, but maybe the year-round apple buyers might start looking to other...maybe seasonal...fruit? Most people just wouldn't even think about it without something like this to highlight where the food comes from.

Have you ever asked your waiter in a restaurant where your dinner comes from? I'm doing it much more often. We know most of them don't know. But they often offer to ask their manager. 'Sure' I say. 'It's not a big deal, but if YOU want to ask your manager, I'd love to know.' They go ask their manager who also doesn't know....'our food distributor?' But you know what just happened? 2 people who otherwise wouldn't even think about that suddenly did. And if anyone around my table heard that conversation, they might think about it too. Start asking anyone who serves you food where it comes from! Not in a condescending way and don't refuse food if they don't know. Just start asking. It could change the world.

My first vacation in 3 years

Mylie and I will go on a belated honeymoon. We eloped in Vegas over a weekend, so didn't have an immediate honeymoon planned. We're going to San Miguel de Allende in the mountains of Mexico. I'll be gone from April 18th-25th, but then the next day we fly out to the annual OTA (Organic Trade Association) conference in Chicago until the 29th.

The OTA show is really awesome and I highly suggest anyone who would like to get up to date on what's going on in Organics attend it. They have speaker panels with some incredible market research that you would normally have to pay thousands of dollars for. They gather all of the industry's biggest and brightest. It's really fun to see the dedication that still exists to the Organic principles even in the large companies. Nobody can make everyone happy, but the OTA is fighting hard to promote the Organic agenda at the national level.

Grain Crisis!

This is going to be a pretty big challenge for the Organic industry and may chase away some people. Grain prices have exploded and are driving prices significantly higher and driving some bakers and producers out of the business. The farmers are going to make a killing, which is always nice, but we may see prices of organic grains and breads jump 100%-150% in the next 6-12 months if nothing is done. Here's an article about it:
Fallout Expected From Super High Grain Prices

The explosion of record high prices on the conventional has pushed the organic sector even higher and the fallout is already happening—organic bakers are pulling out.

“The whole thing is chaos,” said Bob Quinn, who runs the Kamut Association, which is based in Big Sandy MT. “It is so extremely out of control, I don’t know how it is going to play out.” Farmers under contract to plant organic Kamut, a high protein hard red spring wheat, will plant 60,000 acres in Montana and Canada this year.

In trading at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, hard red spring wheat closed at a record $24 a bushel Feb. 27. The asking price for organic hard spring wheat has now soared to between $30 and $36 a bushel.

“Prices like that are sustainable,” said Travis Sitter, a buyer for Hesco in Watertown, SD. He said some organic cattle and dairy farmers can no longer afford the high price of organic soybean and corn meal, and are switching back to conventional. Bakers are already up in arms and planning a March 12 “Crisis” March on Washington, DC where they will meet congressmen and USDA officials.

“Commodity prices for every item we use are out of control and rising faster than we could ever hope to catch them,” said Michael Kalupa, president of the Retail Bakers of America. “If there is not some type of relief, many businesses will fail.” Ben Volk with Dakota Organic Prairie Flour in Harvey, ND said two east coast bakeries that were buying organic flour switched back to conventional.

What worries Ron Schlecht, a buyer for SK Foods International in Fargo, ND, is that expanded spring planting of hard red spring wheat will prevent farmers from growing other crops such as edible beans. “I don’t know if we can get any flax,” he said. He said one wheat processor told him he did not have conventional grain seed for his customers. Schlect and others said that most organic farmers have set aside enough organic seed for this year’s planting. They all expect more acreage to be planted both in the US and Canada.

Lynn Clarkson, who heads Clarkson Grain in Cerro Gordo, IL, blames the burst in commodity prices on ethanol. He said that subsidies totaling 40% on corn and processing have thrown everything else off. “Land values are going up and the biggest hedge funds are dumping funds into the commodities market,” Clarkson said.

quoted from : http://obn.hotlineprinting.com/obnbreaking.html

I was quoted in an article I didn't even know about...

Not a bad article either....kinda glad a few people are listening:
See the Article Here

I had to post the cached page to get around the subscription vice...let me know if it doesn't work for you.

We just started carrying this amazing pork. I have tried the sausage, cutlets, and bacon so far and they are all awesome!

Also, our Brix meters are on their way. Brix testing is a way to help determine the quality of fresh produce in terms of mineral content. Even if something is grown organically, that doesn't mean there are minerals in the soil...which are needed for minerals to be present in the plants and vegetables. Odds are much better - most organic farmers take care of their soil and replenish minerals, but here at Greenling we looked for more conclusive evidence. The Brix testers help us make sure that everything we deliver is the best possible quality.

More Articles

Article about a peer-reviewed study on kids and pesticide levels in their saliva and urine. Kids who ate conventional foods had unhealthy levels of pesticides in both, kids who ate organic foods had none. Obvious for most of us, but there are a lot of people who are still on the fence about the benefits of Organics. please read if you have any doubt:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/349263_pesticide30.html

Great article on the link between antibiotic resistant bacteria and Honey Bee colony collapse disorder:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16wwln-lede-t.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=magazine%3E

Here's a great article about Greenling from Tribeza magazine:
http://www.tribeza.com/?q=pd/articledetail&nid=2320

Senate Passes Farm Bill

Some good news for Organics. This is not real support for the industry, but considering some of the roadblocks we've been facing, it's a huge win and a small step towards equality for organics in the USDA:
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Legislative Update
Senate today passes its version of the Farm Bill
In a major milestone, the U.S. Senate today approved its version of the Farm Bill in a 79 to 14 vote. Included are funding and direction for key organic priorities, including a sense that organic research be funded at a level commensurate with organic agriculture's share of teh market. Some of the other provisions allot funds for organic data collection and certification cost share; would bar the U.S. Department of Agriculture from charging a premium surcharge on organic crop insurance; and would add organic production as an eligible activity in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The Senate version and the version approved this summer by the U.S. House of Representatives must go to conference to settle any differences before a final bill is voted on by Congress.

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I hear not much headway has been made on eliminating govt. farm subsidies for corn and other commodities, but at least they're making concessions for Organics.

More Proof

I can't wait for organic pudding so I can start saying "The proof is in the pudding". What does that mean anyways?
Here's some more proof for ya that organics is more nutritious:
http://green.msn.com/articles/article.aspx?aid=295&GT1=10725
It might be the same study as the EU one....honestly, I wanted to post it, but don't have time right now to read the whole thing.

Meeting with Kirk Watson

Senator Watson carried the Organic Advisory Board bill for me in the Senate Natural Resources Committee. After we successfully passed the bill, a couple of months ago we sat down to talk about the future. He is excited to continue working for the Organic and Sustainability movement and we are working on a strategic plan for future legislation. He is really a great guy and doesn't fit the mold at all of a politician. I asked him how often he gets frustrated with the political process - "Every day!" He says at least once a week he really hates it. I really admire him sticking it out. I'm not sure I could have that kind of patience.....but you never know until you try.

Google Alerts

I have set up google alerts to send me any new info published to the web for certain key words. I of course have my name set up and I also have alerts for several company-related topics - "organic food" "organic delivery" "greenling" and "terminator technology." The last one I follow primarily because I think it's just so scary. Anyways, I learn some very interesting things reading all the new articles on these topics. One hilarious website informed us that there's going to be a movie out next year with some little green men called Greenlings. Here's that link - http://tinyurl.com/247m3g
Luckily we have trademark on "Greenling" so I don't have to worry about a movie studio coming after me.....also being in completely different industries helps. Another interesting link is a fairly new website - www.wewantorganicfood.com. Seems to have some good tips and articles on organics.

New research studies out

The list keeps piling up. Just a few studies can be refuted as being interpreted wrong or biased, but as more and more research piles up showing pesticides as being dangerous, organics as having more nutrition, etc. it will get harder and harder to ignore or dismiss. Check out the latest wave of studies here:
Breaking News!
New Studies Broaden Scientific Support for Five Dimensions of the Organic Benefit

I. Linkage Established Between Pesticides and Autism

For years epidemiologists have seen hints of a link between pesticide exposure and autism. As of July 30, 2007, these days are over. Scientists working for the California Department of Health Services have found that pregnant women living near fields sprayed with the common insecticides dicofol and endosulfan were six-times more likely to give birth to children with "Autism Spectrum Disorders" (ASD) than women living many miles from treated fields.

Six-times higher risk - it is very rare for such a large and statistically significant difference to be found in a study of this kind. Plus, the authors report that the closer a mother lived to treated fields, and/or the more pounds of pesticides applied, the greater the risk.

These two insecticides are the last widely used organochlorines - the family of insecticides including DDT, chlordane, aldrin, and toxaphene, among others. Both are known endocrine disruptors, they are persistent in the environment, and bioaccumulate up food chains. Residues of these insecticides, in particular endosulfan, are common in conventional fruits and vegetables, especially imports. This study should compel the EPA to finally take decisive action to end exposures to these two insecticides.

The full study appeared in the online version of Environmental Health Perspectives and is available free of charge.

II. Organic Milk and Meat Dramatically Enhances the Nutritional Quality of Mom's Breast Milk

Mothers consuming mostly organic milk and meat products were found to have about 50 percent higher levels of rumenic acid in their breast milk. This Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is responsible for most of the health benefits of CLAs in milk and meat. The authors of this European study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in June 2007 report that the greater reliance of organic beef and dairy farmers on pasture and forage grasses increases the levels of CLAs in milk and beef, and in turn in the breast milk of women eating organic animal products.

Details on the study are on the Center's website.

III. Organic Farming Practices Improve Water Quality in Minnesota

A team of University of Minnesota scientists studied the impact of organic and sustainable agricultural practices over three years on subsurface drainage and water quality in southwestern Minnesota. Their focus was on corn-soybean farms.

They found that organic and sustainable systems reduced the volume of subsurface drainage water discharges by 41 percent – a major benefit for the farmer, especially in dry years when lack of soil moisture cuts back yields. Organic and sustainable systems also reduced the loss of nitrate nitrogen by about 60 percent, allowing farmers to reduce fertilization rates by nearly half without sacrificing yields in most years. The improved soil quality on the organic/sustainable plots, coupled with more diverse land use patterns, were credited by the team with improving the efficiency of nutrient uptake and water infiltration and use, especially in average to wet years.

The full text of the University of Minnesota study is available free of charge.

IV. Organically Grown Melons Deliver More Vitamin C and Polyphenols

During the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science, a team from Colorado State University reported encouraging results from a two-year comparison of organic and conventional melon production systems. The team highlighted the impact of crop genetics on total antioxidant activity, which varied over ten-fold across varieties. Crop genotype accounted for 65 percent of this variation, with production system accounting for most of the rest. Organic management was found to increase both vitamin C and polyphenol.

The team's work is ongoing, and has expanded to include some key Colorado vegetable crops.

V. Pesticide Exposures Increase Risk of Gestational Diabetes

The Agricultural Health Study, underway for over a decade, has produced valuable data on the impacts of pesticides on human health. In an important March 2007 paper in "Diabetes Care," a team of government scientists found that pregnant women exposed to pesticides occupationally (i.e., spraying, mixing pesticides) had more than double the risk of developing gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy). Four herbicides, including two in the phenoxy herbicide class that also includes 2,4-D (see the item on pesticide use and biotech crops below), plus three insecticides were found to be associated with elevated risk of gestational diabetes.

Additional information on this study is on the Center's website.

San Antonio Expansion

Got to meet some great guys in SA today, Dean McCall and Miguel Olivo. They strongly suggested I pick blogging back up. Thanks, guys, I think I will (I'm guessing they both have google alerts on their names and will find this). So, we're planning on opening up parts of San Antonio to receive our yummy organic goodies starting some time in October. Fairly certain that part of this launch will be a give-away of a week-long vacation for 2 at an amazing eco-resort on the beach of Mexico. Stay Tuned!