Huge organic farm under threat; County will invade and spray Roundup

Alert
Source: NoMoreFakeNews.com | JonRappoport.wordpress.com
By: Jon Rappoport
May 15, 2017

“I have a great idea. We’re the Sherman County government. We have power. Let’s claim Azure Farms can’t control their weeds. Let’s come in and invade them with Roundup and other toxic chemicals. Let’s destroy their organic farm. We know the spraying won’t wipe out the weeds—it’ll make the situation worse. But who cares? Let’s open up ourselves to massive lawsuits. I’m sure Monsanto will give us some legal help. We can set a fantastic precedent. No organic farm is safe. No organic farmer has the right to protect his land from the government. Isn’t that a terrific idea?”

Government trespass, invasion?

So far, I have seen no coverage of this issue in Oregon newspapers. Why not? Also, I find nothing on the Sherman County, Oregon, government website about a massive spraying program.

A local government is going to decimate a huge organic farm with herbicide?

Azure Farms, a 2000-acre organic farm in Oregon, states it is under threat from the local Sherman County government. Why? Because Sherman County officials are re-interpreting a law concerning the “control of noxious weeds,” so it means “eradication.”

These weeds can be controlled on an organic farm, but the only way they can be eliminated (according to conventional “science”) is by spraying. And that means Roundup and other toxic chemicals. That would decimate the organic nature of the farm. That would decertify it as an organic farm.

Further, according to Azure, Sherman County plans to put a lien on the farm, forcing it to pay for the spraying.

The deadline for expressing opposition is May 22. A better deadline is May 17.

Here is the complete press release from Azure Farms and the ways to register your concern:

Azure Farms is a working, certified organic farm located in Moro, central Oregon, in Sherman County. It has been certified organic for about 18 years. The farm produces almost all the organic wheat, field peas, barley, Einkorn, and beef for Azure Standard.

Sherman County is changing the interpretation of its statutory code from controlling noxious weeds to eradicating noxious weeds. These weeds include Morning Glory, Canada Thistle, and Whitetop, all of which have been on the farm for many years, but that only toxic chemicals will eradicate.

Organic farming methods – at least as far as we know today – can only control noxious weeds—it is very difficult to eradicate them.

Sherman County may be issuing a Court Order on May 22, 2017 to quarantine Azure Farms and possibly to spray the whole farm with poisonous herbicides, contaminating them with Milestone, Escort and Roundup herbicides.

This will destroy all the efforts Azure Farms has made for years to produce the very cleanest and healthiest food humanly possible. About 2,000 organic acres would be impacted; that is about 1.5 times the size of the city center of Philadelphia that is about to be sprayed with noxious, toxic, polluting herbicides.

The county would then put a lien on the farm to pay for the expense of the labor and chemicals used.

Contact Sherman County Court before May 17 when the next court discussion will be held.
Contact info:
1. Via email at lhernandez@co.sherman.or.us or
2. Call Lauren at 541-565-3416.

Show Sherman County that people care about their food NOT containing toxic chemicals.

Overwhelm the Sherman County representatives with your voices!

—end of Azure Farms statement—

Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor to jonathanturley.org, has been covering this story. He reached out and obtained a devastating letter from agricultural scientist, Charles Benbrook. Benbrook has his critics within the conventional pesticide and GMO research community. Here is Smith’s piece and Dr. Benbrook’s letter:

Yesterday I fielded an article concerning a rather distressing mandate by an Oregon county weed control agency seeking to force the application of hazardous herbicides onto a 2,000 acre organic farm owned by Azure Farms. Sherman County Oregon maintains this scorched earth policy is necessary to abate, or more specifically “eradicate”, weeds listed by state statute as noxious.

Now, the scientific community is responding to this overreaching government action by acting in the interests of health and responsible environmental stewardship through advocacy in the hopes that officials in Sherman County will reconsider their mandate.

Dr. Charles Benbrook is a highly credentialed research professor and expert serving on several boards of directors for agribusiness and natural resources organizations. Having read news of Sherman County’s actions, he penned an authoritative response I believe will make informative reading for those concerned by present and future implications in the forced use of herbicides under the rubric of noxious weed eradication, and the damage to organic farming generally arising from such mandates.

Charles Benbrook has a PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an undergraduate degree from Harvard University. He currently is a Visiting Professor at Newcastle University in the UK…

He was a Research Professor at Washington State University from 2012-2015, and served as the Chief Scientist of The Organic Center from 2006-2012. He was the Executive Director of the Board on Agriculture in the National Academy of Sciences from 1984-1990. He was the staff director of the Subcommittee on Department [USDA] Operations, Research, and Foreign Agriculture of the House Committee on Agriculture (1981-1983). He worked as an agricultural and natural resources policy expert in the Council for Environmental Quality in the last 1.5 years of the Carter Administration. He began Benbrook Consulting Services (BCS) in 1990, and continues to carry out projects with a wide range of clients via BCS

He coauthors an informative website Hygeia-Analytics.com.

I reached out to Dr. Benbrook and received permission to reprint his letter in the hope that with more attention, including that from the scientific community, we can arrive at a reasonable solution to the county’s concerns. Here is Dr. Benbrook’s letter:…

Tom McCoy
Joe Dabulskis
Sherman County Commissioners
Lauren Hernandez
Administrative Assistant
Sherman County, Oregon
Rod Asher
Sherman Country Weed District Supervisor
Moro, Oregon
Alexis Taylor
Director
Oregon Department of Agriculture

Dear Ms. Hernandez el al:

I live in Wallowa County. I learned today of the recent, dramatic change in the Sherman County noxious weed control program and the plan to forcibly spray a 2,000-acre organic farm in the county.

Over a long career, I have studied herbicide use and efficacy, public and private weed control efforts, the linkages between herbicide use and the emergence and spread of resistant weeds, and the public health and environmental impacts of herbicide use and other weed management strategies.

I served for six years, along with fellow Oregonian Barry Bushue, past-president of the Oregon Farm Bureau, on the USDA’s AC 21 Agricultural Biotechnology Advisory Committee. Issues arising from herbicide use were a frequent topic of discussion during our Committee’s deliberations.

I have published multiple scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals on glyphosate, its human health risks, and the impact of genetically engineered crops on overall herbicide use and the spread of resistant weeds. In a separate email, I will forward you copies of my published research relevant to the use of herbicides, and glyphosate in particular.

The notion that Sherman County can eradicate noxious weeds by blanket herbicide spraying is deeply misguided. I cannot imagine a single, reputable university weed scientist in the State supporting the idea that an herbicide-based noxious weed eradication program would work (i.e., eradicate the target weeds) in Oregon, or any other state. To hear another opinion from one of the State’s most widely known and respected weed scientists, I urge the County to consult with Dr. Carol Mallory-Smith, Oregon State University.

I also doubt any corporate official working for Monsanto, the manufacturer of glyphosate (Roundup), would agree or endorse the notion that any long-established weed in Sherman County, noxious or otherwise, could be eradicated via blanket spraying with Roundup, or for that matter any combination of herbicides.

Before proceeding with any county-mandated herbicide use justified by the goal of eradication, I urge the County to seek concurrence from the herbicide manufacturer that they believe use of their product will likely eradicate your named, target, noxious weeds.

Given that almost no one with experience in weed management believes that any long-established weed, noxious or otherwise, can be eradicated with herbicides, one wonders why the County has adopted such a draconian change in its noxious weed control program. I can think of two plausible motivations – a desire by companies and individuals involved in noxious weed control activities, via selling or applying herbicides, to increase business volume and profits; or, an effort to reduce or eliminate acreage in the Country that is certified organic.

Weeds are classified as noxious when they prone to spread, are difficult to control, and pose a public health or economic threat to citizens, public lands, and/or farming and ranching operations. Ironically, by far the fastest growing and mostly economically damaging noxious weeds in the U.S. are both noxious and spreading because they have developed resistance to commonly applied herbicides, and especially glyphosate.

There is near-universal agreement in the weed science community nationwide, and surely as well in the PNW, that over-reliance on glyphosate (Roundup) over the last two decades has created multiple, new noxious weeds posing serious economic, environmental, and public health threats.

In fact, over 120 million acres of cultivated cropland in the U.S. is now infested with one or more glyphosate-resistant weed (for details, see http://cehn-healthykids.org/herbicide-use/resistant-weeds/.

The majority of glyphosate-resistant weeds are in the Southeast and Midwest, where routine, year-after-year planting of Roundup Ready crops has led to heavy and continuous selection pressure on weed populations, pressure that over three-to-six years typically leads to the evolution of genetically resistant weed phenotypes, that can then take off, spreading across tens of millions of acres in just a few years.

Ask any farmer in Georgia, or Iowa, or Arkansas whether they would call “noxious” the glyphosate-resistant kochia, Palmer amaranth, Johnson grass, marestail, or any of a dozen other glyphosate-resistant weeds in their fields.

It is virtually certain that an herbicide-based attempt to eradicate noxious weeds in Sherman County would fail. It would also be extremely costly, and would pose hard-to-predict collateral damage on non-target plants from drift, and on human health and the environment. But even worse, it would also, almost certainly, accelerate the emergence and spread of a host of weeds resistant to the herbicides used in the program.

This would, in turn, leave the county, and the county’s farmers with not just their existing suite of noxious weeds to deal with, but a new generation of them resistant to glyphosate, or whatever other herbicides are widely used.

Sherman County’s proposal, while perhaps well meaning, will simply push the herbicide use-resistant weed treadmill into high gear. Just as farmers in other parts of the county have learned over the last 20 years, excessive reliance on glyphosate, or herbicides over-all, accomplishes only one thing reliably – it accelerates the emergence and spread of resistant weeds, requiring applications of more, and often more toxic herbicides, and so on before some one, or something breaks this vicious cycle.

I urge you to take into account two other consequences if the County pursues this deeply flawed strategy. Certified organic food products grown and processed in Oregon, and distributed by Oregon-based companies like Azure and the Organically Grown Company, are highly regarded throughout the U.S. for exceptional quality, consistency, and value.

Plus, export demand is growing rapidly across several Pacific Rim nations for high-value, certified organic foods and wine from Oregon. Triggering a high-profile fight over government-mandated herbicide spraying on certified organic fields in Sherman County will come as a shock to many people, who are under the impression that all Oregonians, farmers and consumers alike, are committed to a vibrant, growing, and profitable organic food industry.

Does Sherman County really want to erode this halo benefiting the marketing of not just organic products, but all food and beverages from Oregon?

Second, if Sherman County is serious about weed eradication, it will have to mandate widespread spraying countywide, and not just on organic farms, and not just for one year. The public reaction will be swift, strong, and build in ferocity. It will likely lead to civil actions of the sort that can trigger substantial, unforeseen costs and consequences. I am surely not the only citizen of the State that recalls the tragic events last year in Malheur County.

Plus, I guarantee you that the County, the herbicide applicators, and the manufacturers of the herbicides applied, under force of law on organic or other farms, will face a torrent of litigation seeking compensatory damages for loss of reputation, health risks, and the loss of premium markets and prices.

I have followed litigation of this sort for decades, and have served as an expert witness in several herbicide-related cases. While it is obviously premature to start contemplating the precise legal theories and statutes that will form the crux of future litigation, the County should develop a realistic estimate of the legal costs likely to arise in the wake of this strategy, if acted upon, so that the County Commissioners can alert the public upfront regarding how they will raise the funds needed to deal with the costs of near-inevitable litigation.

—end of Dr. Benbrook’s letter—

Yesterday, Sunday, I emailed the Sherman County government asking them whether they really intend to pursue this lunatic program. If and when I receive an answer, I’ll post it.

I also emailed Azure Farms, asking why they believe there is no coverage of this issue in Oregon newspapers. If I get an answer, I’ll post that, too.

Ordinarily, local papers will print a stories about contentious issues, however one-sided they may be. In this case, I find nothing.

Is it possible the threat of herbicide spraying has been overstated? Why would Azure issue a release claiming the spraying is imminent if it weren’t true? Why would Azure risk getting into a wrangle with the County government if the threat weren’t real? Why isn’t there any mention of the spraying program on the Sherman County website? Does the County actually think they can keep their intentions under wraps?

“I have a great idea. Let’s claim Azure Farms can’t control their weeds. Let’s come in and invade them with Roundup and other toxic chemicals. Let’s destroy their organic farm. We know the spraying won’t wipe out the weeds—it’ll make the situation worse. But who cares? Let’s open up ourselves to massive lawsuits. I’m sure Monsanto will give us some legal help. We can set a fantastic precedent. No organic farm is safe. No organic farmer has the right to protect his land from the government. Isn’t that a terrific idea?”

Read More At: JonRappoport.wordpress.com
_______________________________________________________________

Jon Rappoport

The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.

Organic farming explodes 13%… Biggest growth since 2008

Image: Organic farming explodes 13%… Biggest growth since 2008
Source: NaturalNews.com
Rhonda Johansson
March 12, 2017

Good news for all local farmers! The latest United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) survey reveals that there are now 24,650 certified organic operations in the U.S. This is a 13 percent increase from 2016 and the highest growth rate we’ve seen since 2008. The number of local, organic farms has been steadily increasing — albeit haphazardly — since 2002. However, it is only this year where a steady and distinctive rise is seen. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition wrote on their website that “organic agriculture is one of the fastest growing sectors…for farmers across the country, strong demand for organic food translates into new and growing market opportunities.”

USDA organic certification provides farms or processing facilities the right and access to sell, label, and represent their products as organic in the United States. It is of particular importance for farms across rural America, where local industries contribute much to the area’s economic growth. As consumer demand for organic products grows, so too do sales. The USDA reported that there was approximately $43 billion in U.S. sales of organic products in 2015. Local farmers have said that being certified as organic by the USDA allows them to receive premium prices for their products.

The USDA ends their report quite succinctly; offering no justification as to why the rise is suddenly so sharp or relevant. Regardless, the growth is being lauded by many health advocates who believe in integrating into a cleaner, greener, and more organic lifestyle. The perils of pesticide-laden food, toxic tap water, and similar environmental concerns make it more necessary for people to be diligent about what they eat, what they do, and most importantly, how they live. Opting for organic food is an advantageous choice not only for your own personal health, but for the planet as well. There are several other reasons to choose organic foods, as listed on Prevention.com:

  1. Free from chemicals – Perhaps the most important consideration, eating organically-grown food is an assurance that you are not inadvertently consuming chemical poisons. In the article, it states that around 600 active chemicals are registered for use in America, roughly translating to around 16 pounds of chemical pesticides per person each year. Moreover, the National Academy of Sciences claims that 90 percent of chemicals applied on food have not been tested for long-term effects. The FDA only tests one percent of food for pesticide residue.
  2. Free from “watered-down” bogus nutrition – Organically-grown food contains more essential vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients compared to their commercially-grown siblings. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine concluded that organic food crops are grown in soil that is better-managed and less laden with chemicals. Consequently, the produce is significantly more nutrient-dense.
  3. Free from risk – More than 90 percent of the pesticides we consume are from meat and dairy products. The EPA says that because animals are further up the food chain, chemicals accumulate in their tissues. Hormones, antibiotics, and drugs are directly passed into these food sources as well. U.S. farmers use sex or growth hormones to aid in the development of their livestock. However, these artificial enhancers cannot be broken down, even at high temperatures. We then eat these products, unknowingly consuming the same toxins.

One other benefit of organic local farming is that it protects the environment. The foundation of all local farming is one of eco-sustenance. Preservation of soil and crop rotation keep farmlands healthy. Moreover, the natural ecosystem, wherein natural flora and animal life is allowed to thrive, is balanced.

While there are no official forecasts on the trend, it is hoped that more local farms going organic will be seen spreading across our nation. Follow more news about organics at Organics.news.

Read More At: NaturalNes.com

Sources include:

AGWeb.com

SustainableAgriculture.net

AMS.USDA.gov

Prevention.com

82% of households are now purchasing organic items

Image: 82% of households are now purchasing organic items
Source: NaturalNews.com
Isabelle Z.
April 2, 2017

If you were buying organic food ten years ago, more than one acquaintance probably rolled their eyes at you and said you were being taken advantage of by a savvy marketing ploy. Over time, however, attitudes have started to shift as more people become aware of the impact that fruit and vegetables grown with pesticides can have on your health as well as the environment. Now, many of those same skeptics who once gave you a hard time about your choices are stocking their own pantries with organic food.

According to a Nielsen survey, the vast majority of American households – 82.3 percent, to be exact – had organic items in their refrigerators and pantries in 2016. This marks a 3.4 percent rise over 2015’s figures.

They reached their conclusions after studying 100,000 households in every state except Hawaii and Alaska. The biggest jump was seen in North Dakota, where 14.2 percent more households are buying organic than a year ago, while Rhode Island noted a rise of 12.3 percent. Other states to note big jumps included Wyoming, which is up 10.8 percent, and South Dakota, which noted a 10 percent rise.

While sales figures for the American organic market from 2016 are not yet available, the total amount of organic food sales noted in 2015 was $43.3 billion, which was 11 percent higher than 2014, according to a press release from the Organic Trade Association. This far outperformed the overall food market during the year, which only grew by 3 percent. The fresh beverage subcategory was the fastest growing, noting a 33.5 percent rise, while dairy noted an increase of more than 10 percent.

The rise is even more dramatic when long-term figures are considered. For example, spending on organic food has jumped by 72 percent since 2008. (RELATED: Follow more news on organics at Organics.news.)

Farmers can’t keep up with demand

Farmers are struggling to meet the growing demand for organic food as they scramble to earn organic certification for their fields, a process that can take upward of three years. Experts have referred to the situation as a “gold rush mentality.” Right now, more farmers in the country than ever before have earned organic certification, signifying that their crops do not contain chemical fertilizers or pesticides. While organic crops have risen by 11 percent over the last two years to cover in excess of 4 million acres of American farmland, it is still not enough to meet the demand. In fact, our country imports organically-grown grain to feed the cows that produce organic milk because not enough is grown domestically. This has led some people to grow their own fruits and vegetables for peace of mind.

A new plan for classifying organic products was recently approved by the USDA, and it is expected to inspire more farmers to get on board. Even though organic food can command a much higher price tag, the process of transitioning places it out of reach for many farmers.

Farmers must discontinue the use of fertilizer and chemical pesticides for three years, and during that period, they often lose a lot of money. Under the new plan, farmers undergoing the transition could label their products as “transitional,” which would enable them to charge a slightly higher price for their goods and recoup some of the expenses associated with the process.

Consumers are making their preference clear. As people become increasingly health-conscious, more and more farmers can see the future of the agriculture industry, and conventionally grown produce is not part of it. The health risks of food grown with pesticides are downright scary, and people are no longer willing to spend money on these foods or put them in their bodies.

Read More At: NaturalNews.com

Sources include:

FoodBusinessNews.net

OTA.com

NaturalNews.com

Chicago gets its first organic fast-food chain

Image: Chicago gets its first organic fast-food chain

Source: NaturalNews.com
Daniel Barker
March 2, 2017

Fast food has an undeniable appeal, despite its unhealthy reputation – it’s convenient, cheap and satisfying, making it attractive on several levels. On the other hand, fast food products are notoriously packed with unhealthy ingredients: highly-processed mystery meats, GMO products, pesticide-laden produce and more.

But is it possible to offer a classic fast food menu consisting of burgers, fries and shakes, etc. using all-natural, organic ingredients – and without having to charge exorbitant prices?

Benjamin Brittsan and his wife Nicolette are betting on the concept by opening the nation’s first certified-organic drive-thru burger chain, called Nic’s Organic Fast Food.

The first restaurant will open in the Rolling Meadows suburb of Chicago this February, with plans to open 50 more Chicago-area locations before launching the chain nationwide – if all goes according to plan.

Nic’s first location is a refurbished Pizza Hut that will seat 60 people indoors in addition to its drive-thru. The restaurant features a mascot named Nic the Organic Farmer – a muscular, life-sized super-hero figure in overalls who is ready to “take back fast food from the clutches of pesticides.”

Brittsan stresses that his products are truly certified organic and not merely labeled as such.

From the Chicago Eater:

“The restaurant’s products have been certified organic by Quality Assurance International… Certification means the foods are free of pesticides and other chemicals. The certification is something that comes with standards and isn’t an empty buzz phrase like ‘all natural,’ said Benjamin Brittsan.”

For example, the beef used in Nic’s hamburgers is USDA-certified organic and free of chemicals, antibiotics or hormones. But the all-organic standard extends to everything on the menu at Nic’s, including the chicken nuggets (made from organic white meat), french fries and even the drinks, which include organic juices, sodas and coffees.

But don’t expect a lot of low-fat, vegan-leaning menu items at Nic’s. Sure, you can order a fresh green salad or a veggie burger, but the emphasis – as with any fast food restaurant worthy of the name – is on big, greasy beef hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, french fries and sodas.

There’s nothing particularly healthy about the BigNic Bacon Burger – two beef patties, two slices of cheese, smoked bacon and all the trimmings – but the important thing, according to Brittsan, is what it doesn’t contain.

“The organic lifestyle doesn’t mean you’re eating any healthier in terms of the food,” he said. “What you’re benefiting from is from what’s not in the food.”

The prices at Nic’s are around the same as popular burger chains such as In-N-Out Burger or Steak ‘n Shake, with burgers at around $5 and combos for under $8.

Whether or not Nic’s can compete with the big fast food chains remains to be seen, but there does seem to be a trend towards fast food that uses fresh, natural ingredients.

Meanwhile, sales at McDonald’s and some of the other mega chains are slowing down significantly and part of the reason is that Mickey D’s and others have been so slow in cleaning up their act, in terms of using quality ingredients.

In fact, one of the headlines in today’s news concerned recent testing of chicken used in Subway products revealing that it contained less than 50 percent chicken DNA. One can only imagine what the rest of the product consisted of…

There will probably always be a market for greasy cheeseburgers, french fries and milkshakes, but it may no longer be possible to use the most questionable ingredients imaginable and expect the public to buy it – especially when restaurants like Nic’s can offer products that satisfy those fast food cravings without having to poison your body with GMOs, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.

Read More At: NaturalNews.com

Sources:

Chicago.Eater.com

Chicago.Eater.com

NicsOrganicFastFood.com

WCPO.com

Colorado farmers go organic to meet growing demand

Image: Colorado farmers go organic to meet growing demand
Source: NaturalNews.com
Amy Goodrich
February 14, 2017

While big agricultural corporations are trying to find ways to fill their pockets with profits from pesticide-laden food, Colorado farmers are working hard to make the transition to less profitable organic farming methods to protect our health and meet the rising demand for clean, organic food.

While the need for organic food is growing fast, organic food sales still account for a relatively small share of the total U.S. food market. Since 2000, organic food sales have exhibited a yearly double-digit growth, providing opportunities for U.S. organic farmers to enter high-value markets in the United States and other countries.

According to an annual survey of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Colorado’s organic agricultural industry has more than doubled in sales in the past three years. In an email to The Denver Post, Tom Lipetzky, the director of marketing programs and strategic initiatives at the ‎Colorado Department of Agriculture, said that today’s consumers are more and more engaged in their food purchases. Not only do they want to know where their food is coming from, but they also want to know how it was produced. (RELATED: read more about clean, organic foods at Ingredients.news.)

Organic farmland in Colorado covers more than 155,000 acres, with another 70,000 acres dedicated to organic pasture- and rangeland. While the transition to organic farming methods can be expensive, time-consuming, and almost always comes with a high amount of crop loss, this isn’t stopping many farmers from making the switch.

In 1907, the Hungenberg family started a farm on 7 acres, which has now grown to 4,000 acres. With the growing organic food trend, co-owner Jordan Hungenberg said they didn’t want to be left behind, so they decided to make the switch slowly. Last year they dedicated about 62 acres of their farmland to growing carrots using organic farming methods.

While they lost more than half of their crop during their first year and had to hire more people, Hungenberg noted that all in all it was a success. They even made a little money out of the harvest, and are now planning to triple their planting of organic carrots for next season.

The ‘certified organic’ sticker goes a long way

With the growing population of health-conscious people in mind, many farmers across Colorado see the potential long-term benefits they will get from making the switch. Becca Jablonski, an assistant professor and food systems extension economist at Colorado State University, said that farmers who sell their USDA “certified organic” produce to major supermarkets are on the right track to ensure financial success. Today’s consumers are more and more drawn to foods which bear the certified organic sticker to protect their families from the harmful effects of GMOs and pesticides.  (RELATED: Stay informed about the damaging effects of pesticides at Pesticides.news.)

Tim Ferrell, owner of Berry Patch Farms in Brighton, added that he has seen the positive effect the USDA “certified organic” sticker has on food sales. While also drawn to the premium sales prices of organic food, using organic farming methods has brought him peace of mind.

“We just do not feel comfortable using fertilizers that would infiltrate the water table,” he said.

Though many farmers complain about the higher cost, research into organic farming methods that reduce the cost and crop loss are booming. According to Kaylee Armstrong of Abundant Life Organic Farms in Hotchkiss, non-chemical products that can be used are becoming more and more available. She even said that they increased the prices of their organic foods to match those of conventional growers. However, this is not a benefit all organic farmers are experiencing just yet. Therefore, special programs exist to help farmers with the costs involved in transitioning to certified organic farming methods.

Colorado’s dry climate seems to be the perfect fit to grow organic crops. There is one thing in the organic evolution, however, that troubles Kaylee Armstrong: the introduction of large food corporations to the market.

“We don’t want to see them lobbying the government to make regulations lower,” she said, which could result in a lower quality of organic food. “We’ve already seen it in the egg industry,” she said.

Sources:

DenverPost.com

ERS.USDA.gov

USDA.MannLib.Cornell.edu[PDF]

Everything You Want to Know about Organic Turmeric & It’s Benefits

Source: GrowingYourGreens
John Cole
January 27, 2017

John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com/ takes you on a field trip to Three Sisters Organic Permaculture Farm in South Florida to share with you the most important food crop you are probably not eating: Turmeric.

In this episode, you will learn everything you wanted to know about turmeric and more! You will learn some of the health benefits of turmeric, how to grow turmeric, how to harvest turmeric, and how to purchase organic turmeric you can eat or grow to grow more turmeric.

You will also discover one part of the turmeric plant that is edible that most people don’t eat.

Finally, John will sit down with Jon Gambino chef and farmer at Three Sisters Organic Farm and ask him the following questions, so you can learn more about growing and using turmeric:
15:55 Why did you have a problem growing turmeric?
18:14 Is Tumeric one of the most productive root crops that you grow?
20:15 What is the best way to use turmeric into your daily meals?
23:30 Why should someone purchase your organic turmeric instead of from other sources?
25:30 How can someone order the organic turmeric from you?

After watching this episode, you will know more about one of the most anti-inflammatory, and health-promoting plant foods on the entire planet.

Organic Garden Fall Harvest // Growing Your Fall Garden #10

Source: Garden&HomeDIY
November 21, 2016

Organic garden fall harvest of lettuce, chard and radishes from the Smart Pots containers! This is why we gardeners do it – so we can step outside our back door, pick fresh, tasty, organic vegetables and fruits, bring them inside to prepare a meal for those we love the most!