Casual Vs. Committed Organic Food Shoppers

New Survey Projects 14% growth

in Total U.S. Organic Food Market

 

 

Stephen Daniells, reporting for the online Food Navigator U.S.A. (January 3, 2014), using various sources, profiles a vibrant organic food market in the U.S.

 

Statistical Organic Food Profile

 

• Solid growth projected through 2018, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14%
• Western U.S. is driving much of organic food market revenues
• The push for GMO labeling will propel  the organic market
• 81% of U.S. families purchase organic food, at least occasionally
• Between 2002 and 2011, domestic organic food production has increased 240% compared to 3% in non-organic production
• The U.S. organic food and beverage market in 2011 was at $29.2 billion with a projected growth rate at 9.4%, compared to the conventional food and beverage market growth projected in the low single digits
•  

Organic "Power Shoppers"

 

• "True believers" in organic food and "environmentalists"--the two leading purchasing segments--make up 46% of all natural/organic product sales
• These two "power shopper" groups together comprise 18% of consumers

 

Cheers!

 

All Indicators are Up!



 

 

*   *   *

 

 

 

President Obama Reminded of 2007 Campaign Pledge to Label GMO Foods

Four U.S. Lawmakers Support Over 200 Food Companies and Others With Letter Delivered to Obama

 

 

On January 16, 2014, with the support of four U.S. lawmakers, more than 200 food companies, organic farming groups, health and environmental organizations and other groups, in a letter addressed to U.S. President Obama, urged labeling of food products containing genetically engineered ingredients. 

 

A Campaign Promise Reminder

 

The letter reminded Obama that as he campaigned in Iowa in 2007, he had promised to work toward labeling GMO foods.

 

 

Major Organizational Advocates

 

 

Organizations signing the letter included:

 

• Ben & Jerry's--the ice cream maker
• Nature's Path--the cereal maker
• Stonyfield Farms--maker of yogurt
• Consumer Federation of America
• Other environmental and health organizations

 

Lawmaker Supporters

 

Four Democratic U.S. lawmakers held a press conference to endorse the call to Obama for mandatory labeling:

 

• U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio, Oregon
• U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut
• U.S. Representative Ann McLane Kuster, New Hampshire
• U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, Maine

 

Hear the Call, President Obama!

 

Choose Either

 

GMO Money

 

or

 

Our Nation's Health!

 

*   *   *





Enhanced Organic Food

The Biodynamic Cultivation Method

Tops All Other Organic Methods!

 

Few folks realize that some organic food is far superior to others.  Moreover, too few have even heard of the biodynamic method of farming and gardening.

 

The First Truly Organic Method

 

Biodynamics is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, to food production, and to nutrition.  It originated in the 1920s based on the spiritual insights and practical suggestions of the Austrian writer, educator, and social activist Rudolf Steiner, whose world outlook is known as "anthroposophy."

 

Today, the biodynamic movement encompasses thousands of successful gardens, farms, vineyards, and agricultural operations of many kinds and sizes on all continents and in a wide variety of ecological and economic settings.

 

A New Testing Technique You can Use When You Shop for Organic Food

or Anything Else!

 

David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D (1927-2012)  pioneered the use of kinesiological testing (muscle testing) to determine the relative healthfulness (or truthfulness) of any visible or invisible (mental, spiritual) item or object.

 

In his book Power Vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior (Revised Edition 2012), Hawkins shows the extraordinary potential to discern scientifically  through kinesiology the health value of virtually anything.   He demonstrates that using applied kinesiology--the technique widely used by alternative healthcare providers, such as chiropractors--a user can calibrate or measure the relative healthfulness (or truthfulness) of any visible or invisible (mental, spiritual) item, subject, or object.

 

One of Hawkin's major contributions is his Map of Consciousness which consists of a
logarithmic scale (from 1 to 1,000) against which anything tested can be calibrated (measured).

 

The Dividing Point

 

On his logarithmic scale, he discovered that everything tested (He made thousands of tests) that registered 200 or better was healthful (true).  Everything calibrating below 200 was unhealthful, debilitating (false) and to be avoided.

 

My Revealing Organic Food Tests

 

 

I learned kinesiology before I had even heard of Hawkins and his work.  I use so-called O-Ring Kinesiology, which a person can do by himself.  The more formal kinesiology used by Hawkins for his scientific purposes and the kind so widely used by alternative healthcare providers requires two people, a tester and a subject.

 

 

Here are my testing results:

 

So-called "natural food"  calibrates at 200.  In other words, it's healthful! 

 

Organic Food calibrates at 205.  It is far more healthful.

 

Food produced by the biodynamic method calibrates at 215.  Because Hawkins' scale is logarithmic, biodynamic food is by far the most healthful food available on our planet!

 

But Most Alarming of All!

 

Most alarming of all is the calibration for food tainted in any way by by genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  Foods containing even traces of GMOs calibrate at -15 (minus 15).  In other words, ingesting foods containing GMOs is like taking poison!  Deadly, deadly, deadly!

 

 

Broadcast the health-giving value of biodynamic food!

 

Avoid at all cost, any food containing GMOs!

 

Wake Up World! 

 

Wake Up!

 

Wake Up!

 

*   *   *



 



General Mills Dips One Tiny Toe in the Organic Food Field

Behemoth General Mills Publicizes

 Organic Tomatoes in a Can

 

 

The massive giant General Mills, sensing the need to "get with it,"  now boasts of offering organic canned tomatoes raised on a tiny plot of land in California.

 

In the Overall Organic Farming Field, What are 13 Acres?

 

 

 

General Mills recently announced the release of its 2013 Reserve Tomato Harvest, under its Muir Glen brand raised on a 13-acre plot of land on a Muir Glen California farm.

 

 

Testing the Organic Cereals Market, Too!

 

Another example of the giant's toe dipped in the organic food field:  General Mills recently started manufacturing its original Cheerios breakfast cereal--without genetically modified organisms (GMOs), because of growing concerns among consumers and activist groups of artificial ingredients in its food products.

 

Money More Than Customers' Health Concerns May Motivate General Mills

 

 

Stock evaluator Zacks ranks other food companies higher.  They all carry a Zacks rank of #2 (Buy).

 

Please, General Mills,

 

Lead the Way

 

Make All Your Products

 

Organic

 

Now!

 

 

*   *   *

 



 

Taiwan Plans to Tripple Organic Farm Land by 2020

All Children will Savor a Weekly Meal of Organic Vegetables

 

 

Taiwan's Council of Agriculture is serious about organic food.  So  that 346,000 elementary-to-high school students may experience one meal featuring organic vegetables each week, the Council plans to triple land used for organic farming.

 

Achievements in the development of organic farming have already enabled organic farming to expand to 5,930 hectares, up from just 2,356 hectares in 2008.

 

A 10-Year Policy to Promote and Expand the Supply Chain of Organic Food

 

 

According to The China Post (January 1, 2014), the tripling of organic farmland  is part of a 10-year policy to transform the organic food chain.  To promote the growth and sales of organic produce, the Council has set up:

 

• 14 "designated areas"
• 12 farming villages
• 120 service counters
• 140 online shops

May Many Other Nations

 

Large and Small

 

East and West

 

Take Comparable Action!

 

 

*   *   *



 

 

 

Wake Up Before It's Too Late!

The United Nations Urges Us to Switch Back to Sustainable, More Organic, Local, Small-scale Farming

 

 

Nick Mayer of AltHealthWORKS, writing for Technology Water sums up well the contrary positions of the U.S. government and the United Nations (UN):

 

Even  as the U.S. government continues to push for the use of more chemically-intensive and corporate-dominated farming methods such as GMOs and monoculture-based crops, the United Nations is once again sounding the alarm about the urgent need to return to (and develop) a more sustainable, natural and organic system.

 

Are the UN and 60 Experts from Around the World Wrong?

 

 

The UN Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) took its stand in the publication Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before It's Too Late (http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ditcted2012d3_en.pdf).

 

What the UN Calls For

• Shift to local, small-scale farms
• Shift to local, small-scale food systems
• Reduce use of chemical fertilizers
• Move rapidly from monoculture to diversity in farming

 

On the Contrary

 

These pending global trade deals will have just the opposite effects, for they are "primarily designed to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate and financial firms on the global economy". . . instead of "the urgent need for a shift in agriculture":

 

• Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)
• U.S.--EU Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)

 

Wake Up!

 

Wake Up!

 

WAKE UP!

 

 *   *   *

 

 

• 

 

 

 



Organic Agricultural Research Supported by U.S. Department of Agriculture

Grants Awarded to Five Universities

 

 

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), on December 11, 2013, awarded five universities grants to support research, education, and Extension programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers.

 

 

The Secretary of Agriculture Speaks

 

 

Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack said:

 

 

The organic industry is a rapidly growing segment of American agriculture and it is important we continue to invest in sound science to support organic producers. 

 

The discoveries these grants enable can help farmers who are looking to adopt the best organic practices that will make their operations more competitive and sustainable.

 

Universities and Grants Awarded

 

• University of Florida, Gainesville, $675,719
• Michigan State, East Lansing, $464,482
• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, $718,225
• University of Texas Pan American, Edinburg, $746,973
• Washington State University, Pullman, $749,661

 

The Organic Transitory Program

 

The grants disbursed include more than $3 million through the Organic Transitions Program (ORG).  This program:

 

• Determines "ecosystems," i.e., environmental benefits, provided by organic farming systems in the area of soil conservation and climate change mitigation, including mitigation of greenhouse gases.
• Develops educational tools for Cooperative Extension personnel and other agricultural professionals who advice producers on organic practices.
• Supports the organic industry to develop appropriate practices and materials to correspond with the National Organic Program's National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

 

The Department's Stand on Organic Production

 

Officially, the Department says:

 

Since the late 1990's, U.S. organic production has grown significantly.  U.S. producers are increasingly turning to certified organic farming systems as a potential way to decrease reliance on nonrenewable resources, capture high-value markets and premium prices, and boost farm income.

 

Today, more than two-thirds of U.S. consumers buy organic products at least occasionally, and 28 percent buy organic products weekly.

 

 

Thankfully, the U.S. Department of Agriculture

 

Is Awake to This Trend!

 

 

*   *   *





Organic Farming on the Sinai Peninsula

Who Would Have Expected This?

 

 

According to Al-Monitor, The Pulse of the Middle East, the daily newsletter summarizing reports from Middle Eastern nations, including Israel, the southern Sinai Peninsula--once a thriving tourist resort, surrounded by stretches of dry desert--is now dotted with world-class organic farms.

 

These farms, that continue to expand, supply vegetables and herbs for both locals and tourists in the Red Sea towns of Taba, Nuweiba, Dehab, and Sharm El-Sheikh.

 

How Did This Happen?

 

After the January 25, 2011 uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's multi-billion dollar tourism sector plunged, suffering 90% losses.  Earlier,  in 2007, Maged El-Said, a tourism investor living and operating in South Sinai since 1989, had decided to start an organic farm.  Although he raked in millions of dollars from tourism investments, he was dissatisfied, wanting a sustainable, environmentally friendly business.  People thought him crazy for attempting such a venture.

 

He noted that during the Israeli occupation of the Sinai the Israeli government had developed a 400-acre agricultural estate--presently, its irrigation system in ruins and thousands of trees dying.  Nevertheless, from this Israeli farm produce was exported, even flowers to The Netherlands.

 

 

A Model Organic Farm Transforming the South Sinai Region

 

Habiba Organic Farm, El-Said's two-acres in Nuweiba, a Red Sea town 40 miles from the Israeli border, with the help of universities and NGO partnerships, now serves as a model for Egypt's South Sinai.  The farm demonstrates how an entire region can transform itself via sound organic farming practices in the desert.

 

 

A Demeter-Certified Biodynamic Farm

 

 

 

In 2012, the Habiba Organic Farm (HOF) began selling its organic products as Demeter-certified.  Demeter International is the certification organization for biodynamic agriculture and a top organic certifier worldwide.  The farm was officially registered with the Egyptian Center of Organic Agriculture and declared one of the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

 

 

Developing a Self-Sustaining Society

 

A regional organism develops where



 

• Crops can be used to feed cattle and chickens on neighboring farms
• A free-range chicken farm supplies neighboring farms with chicken excrement to use as organic fertilizer

 

El-Said that others now see the wisdom of organic farming.  Eniz Eneizan, a powerful leader of the Tarabyn tribe in South Sinai, has turned his farms organic.  El-Said says,

 

But our major success was seeing the tribal leaders of South Sinai adopt the idea and open their lands to it.

 

An Organic Community

 

Blooms in the Desert

 

May Many More Bloom in Deserts Throughout the World

 

 

And in Your Neighborhood!

 

 

*   *   *

 

 

 



 

Preserving Farmland for Biodynamic and Organic Cultivation

Yggdrasil Land Foundation--A Land Trust--and its Associates

 

 

Yggdrasil Land Foundation, together  with its associates, the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association (BDA), the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI), and RSF Social Finance (RSF), work to develop and preserve organic farmland.

 

Loss of Prime Agricultural Land

 

In the U.S., from the 1980's to the late 1990's, the rate at which prime agricultural land was taken over for commercial development increased by 51%.  By 2007, the U.S. was losing 1.2 million acres each year.

 

Farms Across the Country

 

Yggdrasil, with headquarters in San Francisco,  now is helping preserve farms across the country, from the East Coast (New Hampshire), the Mid-West (Wisconsin), to the West (California). 

 

Yggdrasil partners with the Michael Fields Institute of East Troy, Michigan, that both conducts agricultural research and education in sustainable farming, and with RSF Social Finance, that, as its name implies, helps fund sustainable farming ventures.

 

Michael Fields Institute holds about 25 workshops a year attracting hundred of farmers, as well as urban residents interested in sustainable farming practices.

 

Example of a Gift of Farmland

 

Recently, as reported by the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, October 29, 2013, a 92-year-old woman, Betty Phelps Refior, has donated her 226 acre farm to the Michael Fields Institute.  The prime acreage located in the heart of Indiana's corn and soybean country, about 10 miles from Peru, Indiana, has been in her family since 1887.

 

 

The Dying of Bees Convinced Her

 

 

In 2010,Refior heard about bees dying.  Her land had been cultivated in conventional ways but she decided that she wanted her land to be a place where farmers and urban people could come to learn about the environment and how to protect the land for future generations.

 

Although it will take three years to convert the farm to a point where it can become certified as organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Institute plans for the 226 acres to become a model to show how farmers can transition to organic agriculture.

 

May this triumvirate:

 

The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening  Association

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

and

RSF Social Finance

 

Continue to Foster and Prosper

 

Farmlands in America!

 

 

*   *   *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chemicals Destroy the Very Basis of Agriculture

They Kill Earthworms that Produce the Best Soil!

 

 

Narendre Singh of Organic India says:

 

 

Western, modern farming has spoiled agriculture in the country.  An over use of chemicals has made land acidic and hard, which means it needs even more water to produce, which is costly. 

 

So Says the Country With More Organic Food Producers Than Any Other!

 

India estimates that it has more organic producers than any other country.  Formerly, most organic products were exported. Now, they find favor with growing numbers of consumers.  According to a survey of 1,000 consumers in ten cities, 30% of Indian consumers prefer organic products and are prepared to pay  10 to 20% more for them.

 

But more earthworms are needed:

 

India Honors Earthworms

 

Shouldn't We All?

 

Long Live Earthworms!

 

 

*   *   *

The Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association

A Valiant  David Battles the Monsanto Goliath



Seed for Thought, the December 13 newsletter of the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, (OSGATA), sums up the tragic battle humanity faces--between the mighty, concentrated powers that care primarily for their own wealth and well being and the far more dispersed warriors who perceive the dangers of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and care for humanity as a whole.

 

The Seed for Thought newsletter says:

 

There is a mounting public support for GMO labeling across-the country [the U.S.A.].  Growing numbers of restaurants, grocery retailers, and organic companies are pledging to source non-GE [genetically engineered] ingredients for their products.

 

In the absence of Right-to-Know labeling, many consumers wishing to avoid GE foods have turned to the organic label.  Under federal standards, genetic engineering is considered an excluded method in organic production systems.

 

The Hidden Danger

 

 

Although organic farmers may consciously avoid the use of materials contaminated by GMOs--animal feed for example--because products apparently organic are not tested for genetically engineered content, neither farmers nor consumers can know if the products are inherently safe.

 

 

The Entire Organic Food Movement is at Risk

 

According to the newsletter:

 

 

OSGATA recognizes the impact of trans gene movement and contamination on the organic industry.  Compromised organic seed integrity has broad-reaching impacts on the viability of organic farms and the credibility of organic products.  Organic farmers also risk the threat of patent litigation in the face of contamination.

  

A Tool to Overcome the Risk

 

 

To battle the giant Monsanto--as a help for farmers, seed handlers, and seed companies--OSGATA has just issued a tool entitled The Organic Farmer's Handbook for GE Contamination Avoidance and Testing Protocols.  The handbook tells how to avoid transgenic seed contamination for crops, with federally approved GE counterparts currently in commercial production.  Testing protocols have been assessed for early detection of contaminated seed lots, to prevent further contamination through trade channels.

 

 

 

Cheers for Humanity!

 

 

May Humanity 

 

 

Win This One!

 

 

 

*   *   *  

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Enjoy All-Organic Meals--All the Time!

Wise Shopping and Meal Planning

Make Organic Food Affordable

 

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) says that although 80 percent of parents buy organic food sometime and that organic food sales continue to increase by double digits annually, folks still find organic food too expensive.  An associated organization, the Organic Center offers credible, peer-reviewed scientific studies that support organic food and farming for human, animal, and environmental health.

 

Tips to Make Organic Food More affordable 

 

To make organic food more affordable, the OTA offers tips, showing how a U.S. family of four can eat organic for $25 a day, or less:

 

• Buy in bulk
• Buy in season, then store for off season
• Plan for the month, not just the week
• Explore private label ingredients
• Explore local blogs and community news
• Join buyers' clubs and loyalty programs
• Comparison shop
• Check out cookbooks and new publications

 

Who's Behind This Positive Organic Food Advice?

 

The Organic Trade Association is a membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America, representing over 6,500 organic businesses in 49 states.  Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, consultants, farmers, retailers, and the public.

 

 

Thank You, OTA,  for Championing Organic Food

 

 

Before a Doubting World!

 

 

*   *   *

What is the Role of Biodynamics in the Overall Organic Food Movement?

The Executive Director of the Biodynamic Farming

and Gardening Association Explains

 

 

Robert Karp, Executive Director of the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association in the U.S., speaking to an animated and receptive audience in Carlsbad, California, on December 2, 2013, offered these salient observations:

 

Medicine for the Earth

 

Whereas Karp enthusiastically acknowledged and welcomed the current, widespread interest in

 

• organic food
• eating from local resources rather than food trucked in from who knows where
• the dynamic growth of CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture support and distribution services)

he pointed out that the earth is sick and needs healing.

 

Going beyond the valuable contribution of the organic farming movement, biodynamics--which is a vital part of it--offers medicine for the ailing earth, in a way that no other part of the movement does.  He then touched briefly on the various biodynamic "preparations," designed to enhance both the soil and also crops once they appear above the earth.

 

The Farm as a Self-Sustainable Organism

 

Another essential contribution of biodynamics is the concept of the farm as a unique organism unto itself.  Although a weak farm may initially need to import manure for its fields and food for livestock from elsewhere, ultimately to become healthy, the farm needs to produce its own field manure and raise enough of its own food to feed its livestock.

 

Furthermore, because each farm and garden is situated in its very own landscape, with its own local weather and climate, each farmer or gardener needs to tune into the overall "personality" of the region where it is located (Something impossible for factory farms!).  As the farmer or gardener through observation of his land, his livestock, his farm or garden organism, becomes more aware of the land's own personality, he learns to work consciously to develop it--the way it intrinsically wishes to grow and thrive.

 

The Surrounding Community

 

 

Robert Karp sees all farms--not just biodynamic farms--as the basis of a revolutionary transformation of civilization.  During Medieval times, the city was the source, the center, that drew people to experience community.

 

 

Now, people try to escape the deadening, albeit exhilarating forces of our cities.  They seek community in a healthier locale and on a healthier scale.  Karp sees farms as a source of renewal, a "potential source of social, community renewal."   Farms now have educational programs and have become places to hold festivals.  The farm is now playing a therapeutic role in civilization.  It is an ark for social renewal. 

 

The Farm as Our Heart

 

The movement toward the farm is a movement of consciousness.  "I am not whole as a human being if I'm not connected consciously to nature, the foundation of all life"

 

 

And the origin of life is the human heart!

 

 

*   *   *







It May be Tiny--But It Intends to be Organic

Tiny Sikkim Plans to be a Fully Organic State by 2015!

 

 

 

Sikkim, with only 610,577 inhabitants, is a landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayan mountains.  It borders Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region on the north and east,  to the east, Bhutan, and to the south the Indian State West Bengal.

 

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling Confirms His State's Goals

 

 

At a ceremony inaugurating a College of Agricultural Engineering and Post Harvest Technology in Ranipool, Sikkim, on November 30, 2013, Chief Minister Pawn Chamling declared:

 

 

The State Government is moving ahead to make Sikkim fully Organic by 2015.

 

 

The State has adopted organic mode in production and processing agriculture.  There has been increasing demand for organic products in the domestic and international markets.  Consumers are generally willing to pay premium prices for organic products for health and improved livelihood. . . .

 

Process of organic certification of our land is going on together with extensive training for our farmers and officials.  We are also building an awareness program across the State among all the stakeholders to increasingly use organic manure only in our farm land.

 

 

Pay Heed Great Countries!

 

 

You Don't Need to be Big

 

 

To be Enlightened

 

 

About Organic Food!

 

*   *   *

Organic Farm Hosts and Volunteer Helpers in 60 Countries Around the World

Sign Up as a Host or Volunteer Helper with WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms)

 

 

In 60 countries around the world, the international WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and its national affiliates match organic growers with volunteer helpers eager to experience what organic farming and organic living is all about.

 

Hosts

 

 

Hosts may have a farm, smallholding, garden, allotment, vineyard, or woodland and follow sustainability principles--perhaps biodynamics or permaculture.

 

Hosts may make a living off their land, may be homesteaders interested in self-sufficiency.  They may be families, individuals, cooperatives, communities, or eco-villages.

 

Volunteers

 

 

As a volunteer (18 years or older), you usually live with your host and join in with the day's activities.  No money exchanges hands--you work 4- to 6 hours in exchange for food and lodging.  Activities you might help with are:

• Sowing seed
• Making compost
• Weeding
• Cutting wood
• Harvesting
• Packing
• Milking
• Feeding
• Wine making
• Cheese making
• Bread making

 

How long you stay at a farm is negotiated between you and your host.  Most visits last one to two weeks;  however, visits might be as short as two or three days or as long as six months.

 

What Counties?

 

 

Choose from among organic farms in these areas:

 

• Africa (8 countries)
• The Americas (13 countries)*
• Asia-Pacific (13 countries) 
• Europe (26 counties)



________________

*  WWOOF-USA (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, USA) offers 1,754 host farms.

 

Spread the word!

 

Many young people

 

Long for these opportunities!

 

 

*   *   *



Preserving Land for Organic Farming in Perpetuity

The Yggdrasil Land Foundation

 

 

The Yggdrasil Land Foundation is a non-profit organization, based in San Francisco, California, dedicated to preserving biodynamic and organic farmland.  Yggdrasil works with landowners who desire to sell or donate their property to offer long-term farming opportunities to families and community groups.

 

Today, Yggdrasil, incorporated in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization,  owns over 400 acres, managed by organic and biodynamic farmers in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and California.

 

Preserving Farmland for the Future

 

Yggdrasil works to counteract the trend of prime agricultural land being converted to commercial development.  From the early 1980s to the late 1990s, this conversion rate increased by 51%.  As of 2007, the U.S. was losing 1.2 million acres every year.

 

Details Provided

 

The Yggdrasil website describes in detail the legal and commercial details a seller or donor may encounter.  For example:

 

Yggdrasil aims to preserve farmland through acquisition and donation of land and easement as well as provide educational resources and workshops on preservation methods.

 

Yggdrasil utilizes diverse Preservation Methods to protect sustainable agricultural lands.  If you are interested in having Yggdrasil own and steward your land in perpetuity you can choose to sell outright or donate, and we will locate a long-term farm steward to care for the land. 

 

 If you would like to keep the land in private ownership, but preserve its conservation values you can choose to sell or donate a conservation easement.  Funding for purchasing or conservation easements must be cultivated and raised to provide fair market value compensation.  Landowners can assist this process by making outright or partial donations of land or conservation easements.

 

 

May this model lead the way

 

 

toward land preservation

 

 

for organic farming

 

 

throughout the nation!

 

 

 

*   *   *







Huge Growth Predicted for Organic Products

Swiss Bank UBS and Goldman Sachs Pleased

 

 

UBS, the Swiss bank that manages the world's largest private wealth assets ($2.2 trillion) predicts that natural and organic product sales could increase 10 percent a year during the next decade.

 

Noting that the U.S. market is still in the early stages of adoption to truly natural and organic products, the analysts stated:

 

We are still at the beginning stages of mass-market adoption.



 

 A Boost for U.S. Major Organic Food Retailers

 

 

Analysts from both UBS and U.S.-based Goldman Sachs are pleased to see Sprouts Farmers Markets heading toward as much as a 12 percent growth over the coming 15 years. 

 

Whole Foods and Trader's Joe, like Sprouts, are seen as top performers in the natural foods market.

 

Health Enthusiast Gloats

 

 

Nick Meyer of  Alt Health Works gleefully states:

 

 

Organic Food Market Growing Globally Despite Government  GMO Push

 

While it may be easy to get discouraged at news of Monsanto loopholes, government collusion, new genetically modified organisms (crops), and chemical companies' political influence, these new predictions combined with recent global trends are extremely encouraging.

 

The message is loud and clear:

 

 

Hang in there:

 

because

 

things really are changing.

 

 

      *   *   *

 

Consult:  http://humansarefree.com/2013/10/analysts-predict-huge-growth-for.html

Engage Young People in the U.S. to Get GMO-corrupted Food Labeled!

Max Goldberg Has it Right!

Max Goldberg of LivingMaxWell, Your Guide to Organic Food & Drink (LivingMaxWell) has it right.  He says:

 

If we want GMO-labeling to happen in the U.S.  young people must be engaged

AND empowered.

 

Real Food Challenge

 

Goldberg cites Real Food Challenge (Real Food Challenge) to show what youth can do.  The organization states:

 

The Real Food Challenge  leverages the power of youth and universities

 to create a healthy, fair, and green food system.

 

The organization aims:

 

To shift $1 billion of existing university food budgets away from industrial farms and junk food and towards local/community-based, fair, ecologically sound and humane food sources--what we call "real food"--by 2020.

 

A New Partnership Needed

 

 

Goldberg calls on the leading organic food companies and non-profits to partner with Real Food Challenge and say:

 

Let us tell you what is really going on with GMO-labeling in this country and why young people MUST be an important part of this process.  We don't know how to effectively reach your demographic and we don't understand social media like you do, but we do have financial resources that you don't have. 

 

 

We are going to give you some of our money, so that you can help our country have a future of food that looks promising.  After all, you have the most stake here since you are the future.

 

Tell us what we should be doing

and please lead the way.

 

 

 

And to his organic food industry friends, Goldberg concludes:

 

 

All they need now is for our industry

 

to offer them

 

a seat at the table.

 

 

*   *   *

 

 

Canada's Organic Food Market Now Fourth Largest in the World!

 Worth C$3.5 Billion Annually

 

 

A new study by the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) reports that the market for organics reached C$3.5 billion in 2012, making it the fastest growing agri-food sector in Canada.

 

 

Sales of certified organic food and non-alcoholic beverages totaled C$3 billion--triple the market's value in 2006.

 

 

Where and How Canadian Consumers Buy Organics

 

The study discovered a diverse purchasing base for organics among Canadian consumers:

 

• More than half of Canadians buy organic products weekly

 

• Except for British Columbia, where 66% of Canadian consumers shop weekly for organics.

 

First Comprehensive Market Analysis

 

Canada's Organic Market Growth, Trends and Opportunities,  is the most comprehensive study to date of the country's organic marketplace.  COTA reports that the study contains the first data on Canada's organic market since the federal government began regulating the sector in 2009.

 

Consult: http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/food/news/canada%E2%80%99s-organic-market

 

May the rest of the world

 

Catch up with

 

Or Surpass Canada!

 

 

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Create an Organic Beer to Celebrate an Anniversary!

Eco-conscious Patagonia Brews a Malty Beverage

 to Celebrates Its 40 Years

 

 

The well-known, outdoor clothing manufacturer, Patagonia, has joined New Belgium Brewing to mark its 40th year in business with suds described as brewed with organic ingredients.

 

Intriguing Taste

 

California-based Patagonia boasts that its beer brewed in the "California Common" tradition  and named California Route, is a California lager.  Here is the company's artful description:

 

Boasting California lager yeast with subtle  fruity esters and a refreshing light lager finish, California Route organic lager is canned for adventure [In other words, you can take your cans of organic beer with you on  outdoor trips, as you wear your esteemed Patagonia outerwear!].

 

The beer has an aromatic blast of citrusy hops and a heavy dose of noble hallertau. 

 

The addition of organic Munich specialty malt builds complexity with hints of freshly baked bread.  Consistent with Patagonia's long-standing commitment to organics, the beer is brewed with certified organic ingredients.

 

Where Can You Drink Up!

 

Patagonia says that California Route, 5.5% ABV, and sold in 12-ounce cans, will be sold in

 

• Seattle
• Portland
• Chicago
• Boulder
• Denver
• Boston
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Palo Alto
• Cardiff-by-the Sea
• Ventura

Consult: http://huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/14/patagonia-beer_n_4275804.html

 

 

Cheers to Patagonia!

 

May Organic Beer

 

Have a New, Thriving Day!

 

 

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