Archive for the ‘Organics’ Category

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GMO Alfalfa in the Flathead?

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013
Alfalfa

Alfalfa

by Catherine Haug, April 3, 2013

(photo, right, from Wikipedia)

Two years ago, on January 27, 2011, the USDA approved Roundup-Ready GMO alfalfa for planting. You can view this history and read pertinent documents on the USDA’s Roundup-Ready Alfalfa website.

Originally, USDA Chief Vilsak had assured Organic growers that there would be restrictions on how close this new crop could be planted to Organic alfalfa fields, but he did not follow through with that promise; instead, he gave a green light to unrestricted planting of this crop. See Grist: In a stunning reversal, USDA chief Vilsack greenlights Monsanto’s alfalfa from Jan 2011.

What does this mean for Flathead farmers and ranchers? What does this mean for those who raise a dairy cow or goat for the family milk? (more…)

Posted in GMO, Home & Ranch, Livestock, Organics | Comments Closed

More on GMO Labeling

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012

Frankenfood

By Catherine Haug, December 7, 2012

On this Pearl Harbor day, I write about something far more deadly than bombs. Let us pause to remember those who have died in defense of our country, then vow to work to save ourselves from this insidious danger to our food supply.

GMO or GE foods are created by manipulating the DNA material of different species that would never breed naturally – like the banana-fish Frankenfood logo shown right (used by permission from the OCA). These foods are NOT normal, natural, organic, or safe. They pose a signifiant harm to you and your family’s health, not to mention that of our planet. For more on this, see my earlier posts:

The winter 2012 issue of Organic View, a publication of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), includes an informative article about the battle for labeling GMO foods. Here are some highlights: (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Organics | 4 Comments »

Organics: Are they really no better than non-organics?

Sunday, September 9th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, September 7, 2012

Last week, the media (2,3,4) were all abuzz about a new study from a Stanford University Medical School team. They surveyed the global literature for “evidence of differences between the nutritional quality and safety of organic and conventional foods,” (1)  and came to two major conclusions (1):

  • “The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods.”
  • “Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-­resistant bacteria.”

What does this mean for us, the consumers? What does this mean for those of us who want to eat the most healthful diet? What does this mean for the health of our environment? (more…)

Posted in Health, Organics | Comments Closed

Pollinators: Critically Important Partners

Sunday, August 12th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, August 12, 2012

The summer issue of Organic Matters, the magazine of Montana Organic Association (MOA) had a great article on Pollinators: Your Stealthy Partners, by Anna Jones-Crabtree of Vilicus Farms (in Havre (2)), with Jennifer Hopwood of the Xerces Society (3).

At a recent short course on pollinators in Great Falls, the only farmers in attendance were Organic! Now that tells you something … For key points from the short course, with my notes added, read on.

(more…)

Posted in Agriculture, Ecology, Gardening, Landscaping, Organics | Comments Closed

Why ‘Pasture-Raised’ trumps ‘Organic’

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, June 12, 2012 and David Brown, November 2011

Most of us believe that Organic is the best you can buy, to feed your family. And it certainly is better than commercially-produced fresh and processed foods. But is it really the ‘best’ available?

I’ve posted on this topic before (see Related Posts, below). David Brown (avid gardener, compostor, and health researcher from Kalispell) writes about the advantage of ‘pasture-raised’ over ‘Organic’ when it comes to animal foods like meat, dairy and eggs. (more…)

Posted in Compost, Food-Nutrition-Health, Gardening, Livestock, Organics, Shop Local | 4 Comments »

Organics: Who’s Watching your Back?

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

by Catherine Haug, May 24, 2012

Most people assume if it says “Organic” on the package, it contains no harmful additives and is a healthful food. But this is true only for single-ingredient foods (fresh produce, meat, dairy, eggs); it is not necessarily the case when it comes to processed Organic foods (canned, bottled, boxed, packaged or frozen).

For starters, there are three different Organic labels used on processed foods (foods with more than one ingredient; see The EssentiaList: Natural vs Organic Labeling for more detail):

  • “100% Organic”
  • “Organic” (95% of ingredients by weight are Organic)
  • “Made with Organic” (less than 95% of ingredients by weight are Organic)

And then there are the standards that govern what can and cannot be termed ‘Organic.’ These standards are determined and enforced by:

  • National Organic Program (NOP)
  • National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
  • Organic Trade Association (OTA)

These organizations are supposed to be keeping the Organic labels true to the name, but recent history reveals that is not the case. (more…)

Posted in Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Organics, Shop Local | 1 Comment »

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