With so many new companies offering organic cotton menstrual products, my housemates and I got to talking one night and wondered why so many people were making the switch. There are the obvious reasons: Theres less waste with silicone cups, and the smaller companies are run by knowledgeable women versus huge corporations. Theres also the glaring concept that, compared to non-organic items, organic products are simply better for you due to the lack of chemicals. My friends and I began to look up the ingredients of commercial and conventional tampons and realized we actually knew nothing of what goes into them.

Like many things, the Food and Drug Administration doesnt thoroughly require toxicity testing for menstrual products or that all ingredients and the manufacturing process be made transparent to consumers. They do recommend that tampons should be free of pesticide residue, but many still contain trace amounts due to the manufacturing procedure. Furthermore, the cotton that constitutes non-organic tampons is commercially produced, meaning it goes through rigorous bleaching and chemical cleaning that exposes the cotton fibers to toxins. More insecticides are used to grow conventional cotton than any other commercial crop.

First, lets consider the area of the body that tampons regularly come into contact with. As many of us know, tampons are inserted directly into the body to absorb blood and stop external leakage. The tampon then resides in the upper two-thirds of the vaginal canal, an area rich in blood vessels and mucous membranes. Additionally, the vaginal epithelium is covered in multiple layers of dead and dying cells, and the vaginal mucous membrane helps to protect against harmful microorganisms and bacteria. However, this tissue is nowhere near as thick as our external skin, and this tissue is efficient at carrying chemical messengers and other materials throughout the body.

A report from Womens Voice for the Earth, a nonprofit organization, states that within menstrual products, there are ingredients used that are known or suspected to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs. The endocrine system is a complex physiological network of glands and organs that work to produce and secrete hormones. When the endocrine system functions normally, it works brilliantly to regulate healthy development and body function. However, when exposed to EDCs which can be substances in the environment, food, personal care and/or manufactured products this system is disrupted. Some EDCs can act as mimic hormones and trick our bodies while others can stop natural hormones from doing their job. They can increase or decrease natural hormone levels, change how sensitive our bodies are to hormones and have the ability to ultimately cause various injurious health outcomes. These deviations of healthy processes can include abnormalities in sex organs, endometriosis, early puberty, changed nervous system or immune function, including respiratory, metabolic, cardiovascular issues and more.

The breakthrough concerning EDCs came following a time when female researchers realized there was really no scientific research into the development or effects of conventional tampon usage. Vaginal research desperately needed more attention, and women such as Penny Hitchcock and Nancy Alexander took this opportunity to begin research programs on vaginal physiology, microbicides and immunology. These new programs founded by women led to the knowledge that certain chemicals, many of which were conventionally used in or around reproductive organs, could irritate or even damage vaginal epithelial cells. While nearly everyone who menstruates uses some type of tampon or sanitary pad, the chemicals in those create a perfect environment for altering normal vaginal physiology. In a study conducted in 2000 to provide numbers for how many people use which menstrual hygiene product, a range of 50 to 86 percent use tampons, 75 percent use panty liners, 62 to 73 percent use pads and so on. With a rough majority of users opting for the tampon route, many people choosing conventional tampons are directly and unknowingly subjecting their body to microdoses of chemicals and parabens.

Groundbreaking menstrual health research, which has only started in the past few decades, creates greater awareness surrounding chemicals in hygiene products, but theres still a large data and funding gap. This means people who menstruate really dont know what is going into their bodies and how those products are affecting their health.

This brings us to the upside of organic cotton tampons. To be labeled organic, any product must go through considerably stricter FDA guidelines than their nonorganic counterparts. For this reason, we know exactly what we are getting, and that is often pesticide-free, rayon-free, synthetic fiber-free, all-organic, cotton tampons. The wonderful women who started the organic tampon movement industry, pioneering companies like LOLA and Cora, ensure their consumers that their companies do not contain synthetic fibers, chemical additives, fragrances, dyes, chlorine bleach, GMOs, pesticides, toxins, latex or formaldehyde. We can assume that if a company specifically states those ingredients are not involved in their products, it would be logical to believe those bad ingredients go into the widely purchased, conventional tampons But we dont really know, do we?

Of course, the FDA does regulate tampons as medical devices and provides many guidelines companies should follow. However, this doesnt mean the micro-amounts of chemicals still allowed in non-organic, conventional menstrual products are necessarily safe for you or ideal to put in your body. For the same reason many people made the switch to organic foods to avoid consuming trace amounts of pesticides, fertilizers or carcinogens, many are now making the switch to organic tampons to avoid those same things. For some, including myself and my housemates, organic tampons have anecdotally reduced menstruation time or lessened period cramps. These results could be due to a variety of reasons, but it gives us peace of mind to know what we are putting in our bodies.

Brittany Bowman can be reached at babowm@umich.edu.

Read more from the original source:

Brittany Bowman: The harm in non-organic tampons - The Michigan Daily

Reflecting on the life of her mother, Barbara Berwick says: It seemed she would consider first what she thought was right. Then she would think about how reality might arrange itself around what was right.

It was that spirit that made Barbaras mom, Lois Booth, at once the most idealistic and the most practical person Ive ever known.

Her study of the horrors of the first world war turned Lois into a pacifist by her high school days. With her husband, Don, Lois joined a sprawling community of conscientious objectors and social reformers who tried to organize their lives around creation of a world free from war and violence. It was a vision they took seriously and applied to daily life as well as political causes from the 1940s to the 21st century.

For Lois, much of her idealism was applied to the matter of raising a family. As she put it in a letter, written around 1960, We continue to be fully occupied with the basic problems of making a living and caring for our children (she had six). That meant attention to food, cooking, education and complementing Dons home-construction business by becoming a Realtor.

Years before the Woodstock generation was going back to the land, Lois was studying the methods of organic food production. She read everything she could about it, and she had legendary success. At the height she had at least a couple acres of amazing gardens, and all sorts of natural tricks to grow beautiful vegetables and fruits, says Barbara.

It wasnt just food production that put Lois ahead of her times, Barbara recalls. I always felt she sort of invented things that now are commonplace, things like health foods, natural childbirth and recycling. Don later became the Concord areas premiere builder of passive solar houses, pioneering designs to minimize the use of fossil fuels and nuclear-derived electricity.

But Lois always felt the tension between attention to family and attention to the world. I often question whether it is right to spend so much time and energy on our personal problems with the world almost on fire around us, she wrote in the early 1960s.

Although she was part of a Women for Peace group in Concord that protested atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, led a study group on Vietnam in 1965 and leafletted high school students about the draft in 1968, Loiss career as a peace activist didnt take off until her kids were grown and gone from her Canterbury home. But even there, her focus was as practical as it was visionary.

In 1975, Lois was one of several New Hampshire Quakers who turned their attention to establishment of a local branch of the American Friends Service Committee, which at the time had staffed offices in the other five New England states but no such presence in New Hampshire. When Marge Swann, the AFSCs regional director, suggested that local fundraising would help make it possible, Lois turned her attention to that most practical and under-appreciated of volunteer activities.

Devoted to public education, it was Lois who started up a local AFSC newsletter, Quaker Witness. If people only knew the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, she believed, surely they would want to take action to control and eliminate them. When others, including Don after he retired from building solar houses, spent hours on the street holding signs and banners, Lois was more likely to be found at a desk producing leaflets, writing newsletters and organizing conferences, without neglecting the importance of those fundraising appeals.

Not only was Lois central to the birth of the New Hampshire AFSC office, she played an equally important role in the birth of the organization now known as N.H. Peace Action, which grew out of the Nuclear Freeze movement of the early 1980s. As the anchor of the Peace Action board and a nearly full-time volunteer in its Concord office, Lois helped keep the peace movement on course through several presidential administrations, a number of military misadventures and a succession of young staff members.

While she also served on Peace Actions national board and regional AFSC committees, Lois never lost her focus on educating and organizing Canterbury neighbors. Neither did she fail to give attention to individuals who needed a warm place to stay, needed a good meal and needed her love.

Lois Booth, who died on Sept. 13 at the age of 97, opened her home and her heart to those who yearned for peace. She believed that if something was right, it must be possible. In a world thats still on fire, her spirit lives on.

A celebration of the life of Lois Booth will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 274 Pleasant Street, in Concord. For more information, go to loisbooth.wordpress.com.

(Arnie Alpert is the co-director of the American Friends Service Committees New Hampshire Program. Lois Booth was a member of the search committee that hired him in 1981.)

Read the original post:

My Turn: Radical idealism and extreme practicality came together in the life of Lois Booth - Concord Monitor

On the University of Wisconsin campus, we have a Fresh Madison Market, a Capitol Centre Market, a Walgreens and a CVS, among other sources, for groceries. Known to some, but not all, and remembered by some, but forgotten by many, we also have a Trader Joes grocery store on 1810 Monroe Street near Camp Randall Stadium, and it is calling to us Badgers more than ever in this snowy start to November.

I get it. Trader Joes is out of the way for many students. Why hike to Monroe Street when Fresh and Walgreens are in the center of campus and are an easy walk from the dorms? You might need a car, bus or bike to get to Trader Joes, but I promise its worth any inconvenience.

No matter how reluctant some are to admit this especially the fitness junkies everyone knows mac and cheese is a college essential, especially in the Madison winter when a piping hot bowl of cheesy noodles is simply irresistible. Whether you need to make it for a quick dinner or for a midnight snack, mac and cheese is a common and delicious craving. Trader Joes has some of the best mac and cheese in the form of Organic Shells and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese.

Just about every product Trader Joes sells is from the Trader Joes brand. The Organic Shells and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese is no exception, and it serves as a delicious alternative to the Kraft mac you probably keep buying. Nothing wrong with Kraft. I love Kraft, but Kraft doesnt offer white cheddar shells. The shells soak up the distinct, white cheesy flavor with authority.

Those of us who routinely eat Kraft may forget that mac and cheese can taste a different way. Give your taste buds a break from the same mac and cheese routine and do yourself a favor by trying out the Organic Shells and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese for just $1.39 a box.

Hump Day: Cute, cheap date ideas for Valentines DayIts that time of year again, and this time you managed to find the perfect one. You cant wait to Read

The next must-have product from Trader Joes right now is their Organic Honey Crisp Apple Cider, which they are currently making in-store and giving out free samples. One tiny plastic cup of this organic cider will have you storming out of Trader Joes with gallons of the product.

The taste is so fresh, sticking a straw in a squashed apple would lack the same authentic flavor. If you were unable to make it to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard this fall to get your apple cider on, dont fear, Trader Joes has got your back.

Last, but certainly not least, Trader Joes has the best kept secret in the world with its jars of Speculoos Cookie and Cocoa Swirl Spread. This is a build on their original Cookie Butter, combined with their own spin on Nutella. Its a heavenly product that profiles both as a casual snack and as a dessert.

The cookie butter flavor is almost indescribably good and trying to describe its flavor would spoil it. You just need to try it for yourself.

The Speculoos Cookie and Cocoa Swirl Spread offers enough flavor on its own, so its recommended your edible carrier is simple. Trader Joes Golden Rounds Crackers are an excellent vehicle for this delightful spread. A slightly salty, but simple flavor and flaky crunch mixes with the thick spread perfectly.

Life and school may seem more stressful in the winter, which means we need to treat ourselves more often. Next time you grinding late on your next assignment, make sure you have Trader Joes Organic Shells and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese, Organic Honey Crisp Apple Cider, and Speculoos Cookie and Cocoa Swirl Spread by your side to make life a little more enjoyable.

Read the original here:

Trader Joe's: The go-to for comfort food this November - UW Badger Herald

A recent report by MarketResearch.Biz titled as Organic Food Preservatives Market 2019: Market Size, Trends & Opportunity Outlook Forecast to 2028 provides the key trends, opportunities and challenges market will face in the forecasted period of10 years. The study also provides the Organic Food Preservatives market competitors share and region-wise analysis around the globe.

The research study on Global Organic Food PreservativesMarket 2019 closely analyzes significant features of the market. Research servers market size, latest trends, drivers, risks, opportunities, and key market segments. It is based on past information and current market needs. Also, it involves different business approaches accepted by the decision-makers. That escalates growth and makes a remarkable stand in the industry. The report separates the overall market on the basis of key players, geographic areas and segments.

To Obtain All-Inclusive Information On Forecast Analysis Of GlobalOrganic Food PreservativesMarket, Request A Pdf Report Herehttps://marketresearch.biz/report/organic-food-preservatives-market/request-sample

The major players operating in the Organic Food Preservatives market are:

Cargill, Incorporated, I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Tate & Lyle PLC, Univar Inc, Kemin Industries Inc, Hawkins Watts Limited, Naturex S.A., Kalsec Inc, Brenntag North America Inc

These players have adopted various growth strategies, such as acquisitions, mergers, partnerships, and collaborations to strengthen their market reach and retain their position in the market.

Organic Food Preservatives Market Segmentation:

Segmentation by Function: Antimicrobials, Antioxidants, Others. Segmentation by Nutrients: Minerals, Vitamins, Phytonutrients, Others. Segmentation by Application: Bakery & Confectionery, Dairy & Frozen Products, Meat, Snacks & Beverages, Others

Geographically,This report studies key regions [Like United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and more], focused on product sales, share, value and growth opportunities in these regions.

Inquire/Speak To Expert for Further Detailed Information About Organic Food Preservatives Report:https://marketresearch.biz/report/organic-food-preservatives-market/#inquiry

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This study includes the analytical depiction of the Organic Food Preservatives market along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets.

The report presents information regarding restraints, key drivers, and opportunities.

The current market is quantitatively analyzed for the period 2019-2028 to highlight the financial competency of the Organic Food Preservatives market.

Porters five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the market.

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Global Organic Food Preservatives Market Sales Revenue, Emerging Technologies And Growth Analysis And Forecast To 2028 - Trade Examiner

While kids are getting excited about hitting the slopes, local families are bracing for a brutal cold and flu season. Although parents can't control everything, when it comes to their kids' health, there are preventative measures that may help limit the impact.

Havilah Brodhead is a family nurse practitioner and the owner of Hearthside Medicine Family Care in Bend. She works with local families and warns that influenza, strep, norovirus, RSV, pertussis, pneumonia and rhinovirus are coming. Brodhead explains that more illnesses are born in colder months because people spend more time inside where microscopic droplets from cough or sneeze are invisibly suspended mid-air, just waiting to be inhaled.

The good news, according to Brodhead, is that our immune systems are primed for what she calls a systemic, underground warfare, ready to protect us with layers of defense. "One of our most under-appreciated defense systems works as a physical barrier: our skin," she explains. "Beneath our skin circulates our under-armor powerhouse: antibodies."

The human body is undeniably incredible, but there are ways to help it out during the cold and flu season. Brodhead suggests taking some of the following steps to help fortify your family members' immune systems for the months to come.

Encourage sleep: Lack of sleep sends bodies into a stress response, which lowers immunity. As a rule, preschoolers (ages 3-5), should get between 10-13 hours of sleep each night. Children ages 6 to 13 need 9-11 hours, and adolescents ages 14-17 require between 8-10 hours.

Decrease stress and pressure: You've likely heard about the toll stress takes on our immune systems. Teach your child healthy coping mechanisms and mindfulness. Anxiety, stress and depression often result in higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which lowers the immune system.

Increase the joy and cuddles: Multiple studies show that people who are positive tend to have more robust immune systems. Laughter has been documented to increase immunity! Hugging, cuddling and having skin-to-skin contact does wonders for mental and physical health.

Use warm water and soap over hand sanitizers whenever possible. Recent research revealed that even just rinsing hands in water prevents the flu more successfully than using hand sanitizers. Also, most hand sanitizers contain some ingredients that may be more harmful than good.

Protect your skin: Don't neglect that important first line of defense. Keep your skin free from cracks by using a thick moisturizer and, staying hydrated.

Food as medicine: Whenever you are able, choose organic, colorful fruits and vegetables and add them to every meal. Use organic whole grains for carbohydrates.

Proper sneezing technique: Teach your children to cough and sneeze into their elbows rather than into the air.

Choose your supplements wisely and be conservative: Exercise caution with supplements, especially pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, infants and young children. Some are safe while some are not so safe. Some can interact seriously with prescription medications or exacerbate health conditions. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so what is in the actual product may not be what is on the label or may be contaminated.

Our bodies are prepared to go to war during this cold and flu season. So, stock your fridge with healthy, organic foods and get ready to do a whole lot of cuddling. There are worse ways to spend your winter days.

Original post:

Are You Ready? | Health | Bend - The Source Weekly

The global market for Organic Snack Food is expected to reach USD 762 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.34%, during the forecast period, 2019-2025.

The global snack food market is segmented by type into salted snacks, bakery snacks, confectionery, specialty & frozen snacks. The bakery snacks segment possesses the highest market coverage, while the salted snacks including potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, popcorn, pretzels, etc. are expected to have the highest market growth during the forecast period. The snack food industry also includes confectionery items like chocolates, candies and cookies, crackers, etc. The global snack food report discusses the market revenue in terms of distribution channels such as specialty stores, independent stores, online sales, convenience stores, supermarkets and hypermarket, etc.

Snack food has emerged as an alternative to full-fledged meals with the paradigm shift in consumer behaviour patterns. The higher disposable incomes, as a result of the growing urbanization and increasing preference for convenience food, have triggered the growth of the snacks industry.

Top Companies in the Global Organic Snack Food Market: Pure Organic, Prana, Made in Nature, Kadac Pty Ltd, Navitas Naturals, General Mills, Woodstock Farms Manufacturing, SunOpta, Simple Squares, Organic Food Bar and others.

Click the link to get a Sample Copy of the Report:

https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/10301521759/global-organic-snack-food-market-professional-survey-report-2019/inquiry?Mode=PK67

The geographical spectrum of the business as well as its influence on the overall Organic Snack Food market outlook:

With respect to the regional frame of reference, the report segments the Organic Snack Food market into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa.

Europe Holds the Major Share in Organic Snack Food Market:

Snack food products are largely consumed in the developed regions due to high commercialization and urbanization. The market is expected to growth with a high CAGR in developing countries across the globe. Europe represents the largest market for snack food products, followed by North America. The preference for healthy and nutritious snack food is expected to help maintain a steady growth in the developed markets. Asia-Pacific is poised to register the fastest growth during the forecast period, owing to the increasing demand from the developing countries of India and China. The spread of western eating habits to the developing world and growing urbanization have helped in better market penetration for the global players in the developing nations of Asia-Pacific and South America. Among countries, the United States continues to be the largest market, accounting for one-thirds of the total. Japan and the United Kingdom together account for one-fourth of the global snack food market share.

Browse the report description and TOC:

https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/10301521759/global-organic-snack-food-market-professional-survey-report-2019?Mode=PK67

The leading players of Organic Snack Food industry, their market share, product portfolio, company profiles are covered in this report. The leading market players are analysed on the basis of production volume, gross margin, market value, and price structure. The competitive market scenario among Organic Snack Food players will help the industry aspirants in planning their strategies. The statistics offered in this report will be precise and useful guide to shape the business growth.

Table of Contents:

Report Overview: It includes major players of the global Organic Snack Food market covered in the research study, research scope, and market segments by type, market segments by application, years considered for the research study, and objectives of the report.

Global Growth Trends: This section focuses on industry trends where market drivers and top market trends are shed light upon. It also provides growth rates of key producers operating in the global Organic Snack Food market. Furthermore, it offers production and capacity analysis where marketing pricing trends, capacity, production, and production value of the global Organic Snack Food market are discussed.

Company Profiles:Almost all leading players of the global Organic Snack Food market are profiled in this section. The analysts have provided information about their recent developments in the global Organic Snack Food market, products, revenue, production, business, and company.

Value Chain and Sales Analysis:It deeply analyses customers, distributors, sales channels, and value chain of the global Organic Snack Food market.

Key Findings:This section gives a quick look at the important findings of the research study.

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Organic Snack Food Market Competitive Insights, Production and Demand 2019 to 2025 Pure Organic, Prana, Made in NatureOrganic Snack Food Market...

DUBLIN, Nov. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Pet Food Ingredient Market by Ingredient (Cereals, Meat & Meat Products, Vegetables, Fruits, Fats, and Additives), Source (Animal-based, Plant-based, and Synthetic), Pet (Dog, Cat, and Fish), Form (Dry and Liquid), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global pet food ingredients market is estimated to be valued at USD 37.0 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 54.3 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2019 to 2025.

The market is driven by factors such as the growing pet adoption rate among the urban population with a substantial improvement in pet food expenditure.

By pet, the cat segment is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period

The cat segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR as sales of premium cat food are on the rise, and its high cost has not caused any hindrance in the growth of the premium cat food market. The increasing focus of consumers on preventive healthcare is one of the factors driving the demand for expensive and high-quality cat food in the pet food industry. There was a steady rise in the global sales of cat food from 2012 to 2018. The diversification of marketing channels for cat food and increased popularity of organic cat food products are factors that are projected to promote the growth of the cat food market.

By ingredient, the fats segment in the pet food ingredients market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Several types of fat ingredients that are used in pet food include poultry fat, beef tallow, lard, bacon fat, and fish oils. Fats form an essential element in pet food. According to a research analysis conducted by Petnet on more than 2,300 dog foods and 1,600 cat foods, 73% of dog foods, and 65% of cat foods contain added fat. Additionally, 60% of dog foods and 45% of cat foods contain an oil additive. Among fats, the vegetable oil and fish oil markets are projected to grow at high rates.

South America is projected to be the fastest-growing region in the pet food ingredients market due to the increase in export-import of pet food ingredients and growing adoption rate

The South American pet food ingredients market is projected to grow at a steady pace due to the increase in the sale of pet food products in countries such as Brazil. Argentina is the fastest-growing pet food market attributed to increased consumer spending and consumer awareness, despite inflation. The government in the country is also supporting the pet owners and has promoted canine vaccinations and spaying/neutering programs. Nearly 15% of the owners have adopted stray dogs as their pets. Other breeds, such as Poodles, Labradors, and German shepherds are the most popular breeds in the country.

Market Dynamics

Macro-indicators

Drivers

Restraints

Opportunities

Challenges

Leading players profiled in this report

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/g30app

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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$54 Billion Pet Food Ingredient Markets, 2025 - Use of Cannabis in Pet Food / Shift in Focus Toward Natural and Grain-Free Products - PRNewswire

Food coverageis supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.

Jim Baum could not be a better poster child for the eat local movement, knowing personally every farmer and purveyor whose products he sells, and he likes to share his knowledge with his customers. Under the name Marin Community Farm Stands, the cowboy-hat-wearing Baum, 44, has a store in Forest Knolls in West Marin and twice a week operates farmstands, on tables beneath one large tent in San Anselmo and Ross. I caught up with him on a recent Friday afternoon at his stand in front of San Anselmo Town Hall.

J.: Youre a Jew from Brooklyn and then New Jersey. How did you become Mr. Eat Local of Marin County?

Jim Baum: My sister moved to L.A. first and I joined her there. But then I drove up the coast, and the more north I got, the more real it became, and I fell in love. Once my wife and I came over the hill to West Marin, we felt this is home, this is the place we want to be.

How did your business start?

There was a small farmers market happening in San Geronimo Valley but it was hard for farmers to get enough volume, so I thought that aggregating from several farms would be a good idea. The farmstand was born out of that, in 2003. I had never worked in food before, but living here, I became really passionate about real food and about representing the farmers who grow it. In addition to the two farmstands, I have my store in Forest Knolls thats been open for the past five years. I always say that every town should have local, organic produce, but how can farmers be selling in every town? They need to be on the farm. So I can do it for them.

Twice a week you bring the farmstand to two Marin communities that arent big enough to support their own farmers markets. There must be more places that would love for you to set up your farmstand.

Ive been approached by some small towns. [While] they have a lot of character, theres not enough parking. You certainly cant block off a main street, it would be a traffic disaster. San Rafael has the [largest] farmers market in Marin County.

How many farms do you work with? Are they all in Marin County?

I work with about 40 farms. In the beginning they were all in Marin, but now I work with some in Tulare and Yolo counties and maybe a few more.

You dont sell just produce, though. You have local meat, cheeses and fish from local fisherman.

Yes. Its a month before Thanksgiving and I have 67 free-range turkeys ordered from me already.

Whats your goal for your business?

I began with just me, and I have six employees now. I would love for this to be franchisable. It could scale in the Bay Area; we have such an abundance of sustainable farmers. If its not in season, we dont have it. People need access to local, seasonal produce. Whats super about a supermarket? Whats safe about Safeway?

You describe yourself as a non-practicing Jew, but youve become quite involved with the Jews of West Marin group started by Rabbi Mendel and Batsheva Rice.

Yes, they came to the farmstand one day with their brand new baby and we just became instant friends. They have this really positive Chabad joy about them, and that inspired me to want to help the formation of West Marin Jews and get reconnected with my roots.

Ive done a few events with them where Ive donated the food. We made homemade applesauce from farmstand apples on Hanukkah, for example. We recently made kosher pizzas for Sukkot in a friends cob oven. As long as the temperature was over 950 degrees, it could be kosher. I dont keep kosher myself, but why not do a kosher event? I like the idea of elevating food as a way of getting closer to the source.

Link:

While he sells their produce, farmers are freed up to farm - The Jewish News of Northern California

The Zest hosts Dalia Colon(L) and Robin Sussingham.

Ever listen to a podcast and wonder how the sausage is made? Go catch The Zest host a free, live 2 p.m. taping at Sweetwater Organic Community Farms Sunday Morning Market.

Host Robin Sussingham is interviewing bee experts about the ins and outs of beekeeping, and why you should care about Floridas honey bees. Hear the buzz about whats pollinating in Tampa Bay, and stick around to sample some local honey. This family-friendly event comes with free parking, and the Sweetwater market kicks off at noon.

Sun. Nov. 10, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Free, bring cash for market vendors. Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, 6942 W. Comanche Ave., Tampa. thezestpodcast.com.

Want to know everything going on with Tampa Bay's food and drink scene? Sign up for our Bites newsletter.

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Tampa Bay food podcast The Zest hosts free live taping at Sweetwater Farm this Sunday - Creative Loafing Tampa

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Sacks of green chile are stacked by a field owned by the Grajeda family in Hatch. The Hatch Chile Festival celebrates the harvest during Labor Day weekend. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal )

Back in July, I visited my sister who lives in Vancouver, Washington, just north of Portland, Oregon. She is a chile fanatic, and when we are together, we try to cook both red and green chile dishes. When I visit her, I pack my suitcase with fragrant ground red chile from New Mexico. On this recent visit, we went to the supermarket to pick up some fixings to prepare our recipes. As we are strolling down the salsa aisle, she suddenly stops and lets out a cry, Look at this! I caught up with her and followed her gaze to dried red chile pods with Hatch chile on the label. Alongside were canned green chiles from Hatch. This was the first time she had seen Hatch chile sold where she lives.

One month later, she calls me ecstatically to tell me that her local organic produce store is holding a Hatch chile roasting demonstration, which featured chile roasted in the classic rotating roaster that we in the Southwest see in the fall months as chile season is upon us. Having hit the jackpot, my sister was in heaven. She ended up buying two 50-pound sacks of roasted chile. Knowing my sister, this might not last her through the winter.

Fresh, canned, or incorporated into recipes, you can now see Hatch chile featured in major fast-food chains throughout the world. Restaurants from Los Angeles to New York are serving dishes with Hatch chile. Globally, Hatch has become the standard for what is considered Southwest-style chile real chile, not the kind that looks like sloppy joe mix or tomato-based. I wont even acknowledge that Cincinnati chile can even be called chile. And notice that in New Mexico we spell chile with an e at the end of the word, not an i. Although I must admit that my favorite chile is the Chimay strain, having grown up eating this particular flavor in the northern New Mexico town of Espaola near the village of Chimay. I love Hatch chile in stews, enchiladas, sandwiches, and just on a plain toasted tortilla. Happiness for me is going to the Village of Hatch during chile season with my windows rolled down to smell fresh chiles being roasted.

Mind you, New Mexico has other places famous to the locals for chile such as Espaola, Lemitar, and Chimay. But curious as to why Hatch, a village of fewer than 2,000 people, located approximately half an hour north of Las Cruces, could become the epicenter of chile, I started researching the history of Hatch chile. All sources I reviewed say that chile has been grown in the Hatch Valley for centuries. However, the phenomenon of what is Hatch chile has several major components. The first is Joseph and Celestina Franzoy, Austrian immigrants who settled in the Hatch Valley in 1917. They were farmers unfamiliar with chile. One anecdote is that the first time they were served chile, they thought their host was trying to poison them. However, very quickly after this incident they fell in love with chile and saw it as a more financially advantageous crop compared with others, such as cotton.

Up until this time, chile was mostly grown for personal use. Being a natural entrepreneur, Joseph began to load his wagon with chile and sell it around the region, thus becoming the first person to commercialize what was to become Hatch chile. Others followed, and within a few decades, the concept of Hatch chile began to take shape. In 1971, just about the time that Americans started a love affair with spicy foods, the Hatch Chile Festival was established, growing from a handful of attendees to more than 30,000 today. As word spread about Hatch chile, it declared itself the Chile Capital of the World. A lot of places declare themselves the capital of the world for one reason or another, but most do not get past the tipping point where the label sticks.

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Finally, and most important, Hatch is a fantastic chile that is great-tasting. It is grown in a unique portion of the world the high, dry, New Mexico desert provides the climate and sandy soil conditions just right for Hatch chile to become, well, Hatch chile. Its roasted scent is the fragrance of New Mexico, and one of the first foods I can remember smelling.

Throughout the world, as people have started incorporating chile into their cuisine, the fame of Hatch chile has spread like a wildfire, no pun intended. When I can travel to the Portland, Oregon, area, the last place in the U.S. I would expect to find dried Hatch chile pods or to see fresh green chile being roasted New Mexico-style, it makes me proud to see what the tiny village of Hatch and its farmers have accomplished. New Mexican cuisine also has become famous throughout the world, in large part due to the success of Hatch chile. Isnt it ironic that Austrian immigrants, who supposedly experienced anti- immigrant hatred after WWI, came to a state dominated by minorities, fell in love with one of the mainstays of New Mexico cuisine, and helped make it world-famous? Their experience fits well within the multicultural diversity story that is New Mexico.

Writing about the aura of Hatch chile makes me want to thaw some roasted green chile I have in my freezer so that I can make green chile stew tonight. I bet my sister is doing the same thing.

Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com.

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Our Hatch chile is finding its way everywhere - Albuquerque Journal