Sustainability

Food Label Glossary

Certified Naturally Grown

Every day we run into new terms for food.  Sometimes there is a new certification, other times its a new way to process or farm the food.  Occasionally its a new “marketing” ploy to get you to buy a particular type of food. It can get very confusing for the conscious eater.

Here are a few terms to help you as you vote with your dollars what types of food you will eat.

Farming Terms

Certification for [...]

Organic Gardening

COULD BP'S DISPERSANTS CAUSE APOCALYPTIC RAINS?

BIRDS AND VEGETATION ARE DYING…
Widespread Mysterious Crop Damage Near Gulf Oil Spill Area

Gulf of Mexico oil spill

Gulf Oil Tracker

I am trying to remain positive about this catastrophic ecological event, but I continue to cry. I do not wish for this blog to become a negative outlet. But I do truly and firmly believe that the DeepWater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill must have our attention and we must pour our hearts, our positive energy and our Spirits into it. Because we must find a deeper meaning to what we [...]

Community

Gulf of Mexico Wildlife & Beach Cleanup

Thank you everyone for generously donating your old sheets, towels and heating pads.  The need for these items is still great.  If you have not heard the news today, the box that was lowered did not work and oil is now beginning to land on the beaches of Alabama.  We will continue collecting these items and sending them to the Gulf of Mexico.  The items can be dropped off of [...]

Sustainability

Seven Organic Predictions for 2010

Did you know that only 1% of all pesticides causes nearly all pesticide-related risks to early childhood development from dietary exposure?

Just one percent is enough to bring on autism, ADHD, birth defects and allergies with the number of children to be impacted by these health disorders on the increase, according to the Organic Center (www.organic-center.org), which released its projections on March 16.

That one percent was #1 of the center’s “Food Safety, Agriculture and Nutrition: 7 [...]

Sustainability

Food choices. Food Labeling on GMO’s.

meyer-lemon

If you’ve been reading our posts both here and at www.miritturley.com, you know that we have been advocating clear labeling on genetically modified food.  The FDA hasn’t listened to our voices, congress hasn’t listened to us either.  However there is good news, thanks to the need for grocers to use price scanners for inventory and pricing purposes, we do have a clear labeling system for fruits and vegetables.

Here is an explanation of the codes on [...]

Sustainability

What about the pesticides?

I read everyday about the debate between eating organically grown food and non- organically grown food.  This debate will never end.  Big industrial agriculture is not going to let go of their control of a 100 billion dollar market.  The money is too big.  Imagine controlling what people eat down to what seeds are planted to how the end product is manufactured and marketed.  That is a lot of control. Most studies are influenced [...]

Feed Your Brain

Avoid GMO

institute-for-resp-tech

Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food

By Jeffrey M. Smith

On May 19th, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.” [...]

Nutrition

Chicken Safety

Submitted by Denise Reynolds RD on Nov 30th, 2009

Consumer Reports has issued the results of their latest investigation of chicken safety, and the news is not good. In their latest analysis, over two thirds of fresh, whole broilers purchased in stores across the United States were infected with either salmonella or campylobacter bacteria, the leading causes of foodborne illness. The rate has improved since the magazine’s January 2007 report, when 80% of store-bought chickens were [...]

Organic Gardening

Government bill could reduce produce from small local farmers

crops

Sunday, November 15, 2009
By Mark Binker
Staff Writer – News-Record.com

RALEIGH — There’s no need to wonder where the collard greens or tomatoes came from that are on sale at Whitaker Farms’ stall at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market.

They came right from Richard and Faylene Whitaker’s Randolph County farm fields or greenhouse. The farm has developed such a reputation among local veggie lovers that something curious happened in 2008 when a salmonella outbreak had folks running [...]

Community

Food, Inc.

food_inc-wickline

Lifestyle

Organic Food Healthier Choice

detox-diet-1

Organic or ordinary?

Article from The Telegraph – Calcutta

A recent report suggests that the nutritional value of organic food is the same as that of conventionally grown produce. So should you still go organic, asks Shabina Akhtar

Just when the demand for organic food was increasing, comes a report that might force consumers to think twice before paying that extra rupee. An independent study funded by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has found that organic food [...]

Lifestyle

First Lady vs Big Farms

Is Michelle Obama about to take on Big Food?

from The obvious advantage of organic food over conventional | Grist
by Tom Laskawy

With all the talk of Michael Pollan and Jamie Oliver lately, it’s easy to ignore the person who right now is, given her current address, the most influential voice on food policy in the country. Naturally, I’m talking about First Lady Michelle Obama. While she’s been exercising what diplomats would call her “soft power” for [...]

Sustainability

CSPI Ranks Ten Foods

shopper

I saw this story today in the Huffington Post and thought…great some need attention is being put on the hidden danger of “Big Farming”. It scares me every time I read another article about food borne illnesses.

But, remember, there is a very safe way to eliminate the worry that this article by Eric Sorensen wrote. Simply buy organic. We firmly believe buying organic food is the best solution to our contamination [...]

Sustainability

Green Expo – Town Center’s Central Park

flagler-county-home-builders-assoication

I am always finding out at the last moment what is going on but this time I can give a heads up.

On Saturday September 12, 2009, next Saturday at the Central Park in the Palm Coast Town Center The Flagler County Home Builders Association is having their 1st Annual Flagler Green Expo. There will be over 35 vendors.

The purpose of the expo is to educate, [...]

Sustainability

Homeowner trades in grass for water-wise plants

By RAY WEISS Staff writer for News Journal

Peter Harraka is proud his front yard looks nothing like any other in the Sabal Creek subdivision of Port Orange.

Harraka

He’s through with St. Augustine grass and its expensive upkeep — the never-ending watering, fertilizing and spraying. Instead, Harraka replaced it all with a multi-colored assortment of Florida native plants, highlighted by rocks, mulch and a working fountain. The look is in stark contrast from the traditional greenery of [...]