Gourmet Greens - Foraging and Farming

I read a delightful story in the New Yorker this afternoon that made me recall how much I just love food. The article entitled "The Food At Our Feet" (by Jane Kramer) (click here to read it in entirety) recalls a summer of foraging for gourmet greens...

OK, so never mind that it's autumn in the U.S heading briskly into winter. Never mind that those tender wild greens won't be around anytime soon, but reading this article will bring you back to those wonderful summer months even if all you did was sit in your air conditioned office slogging through mounds of paperwork.

That said, I recently discovered our own little version of wild foraging - well, not exactly wild and, ok, not foraging. My weekly farm basket comes to me courtesy of a local organic farm just southeast of Tucson. Sunizona Family Farms is not only organic, it's vegan organic (who knew?) . I had seen a variety of farm basket programs but never signed up until I found one that was all organic all the time. Now, every week, I get delightful micro-greens along with spinach, kale, cucumbers, sweet potatoes and more.

My recent fave? Organic, unbelievably delicious spaghetti squash.

More importantly, I'm forced to get out of my habitual food grooves and explore new tastes, new cooking (or not-cooking) methods and flavors.

So, for those of you who have access to a farm basket program in your area, try it. Of course, if it's organic, it's primo, but supporting local farmers who are using sustainable methods is a good starting point. The point is to start.

Support your small local farmers, support your local organic farmers and support small businesses making a big difference (and yes, shopOrganic.com is a small business and one you can proudly support). Our motto - shop local, then shopOrganic.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May your holiday be filled with family, fabulous food and perhaps a few foraged (or locally farmed) greens!

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Right2Know and Your2Cents

There seems to be a growing theme around 2's right now...This month, there is the Right2Know march heading down the East coast of the U.S. demanding the right to know what's in our food. There is growing concern about the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply. The march is intended to bring awareness to this often quiet but disturbing trend. You can read more about the Right2Know march and lend your voice and support by clicking here.

This month, we're happy to announce an initiative that is part of the answer to that problem. The Rodale Institute has launched the Your 2 Cents campaign to raise funds to support organic farms and the future of organic farming. Maria Rodale - and the Rodale Institute are working to help fund the future of organics through getting manufacturers to donate a portion of product sales to the Institute.

When we learned of the program, we contacted Rodale and asked to join in. So, starting October 8, 2011, we're donating 2 cents from every sale we make.

Now, that may not seem like a lot to you, but as a small company still competing with the 'big boys' out there, we're doing our part. We'll be looking to expand our participation through providing an opportunity for our customers to also put their 2 cents in -

As I like to say, one by one and all together, we can make a difference.

Visit Right2Know or Your 2 Cents today to learn more, or head to shopOrganic, buy healthy organic products and contribute to our organic future that way.

Now, go out there and enjoy your day! Read more!

Another New Model - Plenitude

A friend brought over a book the other day - she'd heard about it on NPR. The book is titled Plenitude (Juliet B. Schor) and the basic premise is that our current economic models aren't working. In fact, the economic and environmental policies in place are worse than not working, they're steering us for disaster. But unlike so many other authors, Ms. Schor then lays out, step by step, a remarkable path forward.


The author outlines how we can transform our lives, our communities and our planet and actually like it. What amazes me about the book is that Schor doesn't stick with the gloom-and-doom long, though she certainly will point out data, facts and figures that support her premise. Rather, she continually frames forward and talks about what we can do, how we each are empowered to make change that is not only good for us but is something we ultimately enjoy.

Her premise is that we can't keep doing the same things we've been doing and expect different results - but that we can do new and different things and actually create a better world and have fun getting there.

Here's what sealed the deal for me - and this is just from the introduction:

...there's a growing body of research that attests to human adaptability. Newer thinking in behavioral economics, cultural evolution, and social networking...yields a view of humans as far more malleable....As economic actors, we can change, too. This has profound implications for our ability to shift from one way of living to another, and to be better off in the process. It's an important part of why we can both reduce ecological impact and improve well-being. As we transform our lifestyles, we transform ourselves. Patterns of consuming, earning and interacting that may seem unrealistic or even negative before starting down this road become feasible and appealing." (Schor, Juliet B., Plenitude, The Penguin Press, New York, 2010, p. 11)

Everyone I know has scaled back in the past few years, re-examining their personal economic models. In part this was forced by so many people losing jobs, homes and investments (or savings). But on the heels of that was a true re-assessment of priorities. Even people I know who were less impacted by this economic crisis than most were looking at their lives and deciding that less was more.

Those actions were driven by necessity - the necessity to survive amidst the upheaval. Schor's book takes it a step further and shows us how continuing down this new path can lead to a much more rewarding and richer life experience. Plenitude is for those who've decided to go down this path and are looking for a few guideposts along the way.

Of course, my viewpoint is that organic farming and sustainable environmental practices are absolutely a part of this new economic model. We can't fix our economic model until it incorporates cost accounting for the economic fall out from traditional practices. What's the ultimate cost of the oil spill in the Gulf? It's not just on the ledgers of BP Oil that this cost will be paid, but that's likely the only place it's visible. Schor's approach is to look at many sides of this multi-sided puzzle and provide a sane set of recommendations as to how we move forward.

I won't hold it against her that she mentions organic farming but once in the book (p. 22) - she is providing a large-scale topo map for our new adventure, organic being one of the many facets that will bring us back to a sustainable and enjoyable approach to life on this breaktakingly amazing planet of ours.

If you haven't read this book, grab it as soon as it hits your local library, borrow it from a friend (as I have done) or download it on your favorite e-reader. Buy the hard copy if you must (I am tempted), this one's a keeper.

If you're ready to start spreading your sustainable wings, stop by shopOrganic for the best in organic, fair trade and sustainable products. Use coupon code GRGDS and save 10% on your first order.
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Every Trade A Fair Trade...

If you're like most Americans, you may not stop to think about where things come from or how they're made unless there's a problem. After all, most of us have too much to do and too little time. Still, it's good to stop and take a look at the world around us from time to time. Where things come from is just one question - how they come to land on our table or in our homes is another. How did that shirt or that coffee or that television end up in your home? Chances are good, many of the foods and products you buy have traveled around the world to end up in your hands.

Think about coffee for example. Let's say you buy a bag of French Roast from a local retailer. Let's say it's a 16 oz. package and it sets you back $12.95. One pound for about $13 bucks. A lot of people had a hand in getting that product into your hands - from the retailer to the distributor to the roaster to the grower. Everybody needed to be compensated for their efforts so that $13 has to be shared all the way from grower to retailer.

Coffee is typically grown in developing countries and the Fair Trade movement helps ensure that the folks growing the coffee get a fair deal. That wasn't always the case - and still isn't in places where Fair Trade agreements are not in place. Fair Trade helps farming families lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment and developing business skills to compete in the global marketplace.

Fair trade is not just about price, but price is an important element. That same $13 bucks needs to be split fairly among all the people who are responsible for getting that product to market. Historically, the folks doing the growing were sometimes short changed and the scales were not balanced.

The Fair Trade movement helps to bring things back into balance. It's about fair price, but it's also about fair labor conditions and direct trade (cutting out some of the middlemen along the way). Fair trade also helps to develop communities and supports sustainable agricultural methods. That's why you'll find a lot of Fair Trade products are also organic - if you want to have a sustainable agricultural model, you need to nuture the land you have so it can continue to be fertile and productive for generations to come - organic methods do just that.

October is Fair Trade month and now that you've learned a bit about Fair Trade, you may want to consciously seek out products that are Fair Trade.

Want to learn more? You can visit these sites:
http://www.fairtrademonth.org
http://www.transfairusa.org

Of course, shopOrganic strongly supports the Fair Trade movement and we proudly carry products that are Fair Trade certified.


We can't always control things in the world around us, but each of us can make a difference in small ways that add up. Buying organics is one way, supporting and purchasing Fair Trade products is another.

As I'm fond of saying, consumers vote with their dollars and I hope someday we'll see a landslide victory for organics.

Be well. Read more!

We Can Feed The World

Hey there,

Encouraging research came out this summer. A University of Michigan researcher determined that if all the land in the world currently being farmed for food was farmed using organic farming methods, there would still be plenty of food (kilocalories) produced - in fact, enough to feed the world.

That puts to rest the long-held myth that conventional farming methods (like spraying pesticides or using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were needed because organic farming could not produce enough food to feed the world. Of course, the counter argument in the past would have been - if conventional farming can feed the world, why do people go hungry?

Now, we have scientific research showing it is possible to go organic and feed the world. So, what are we waiting for? Let's go organic, people. Read more!