PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Aug. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Leading nutrition brand Garden of Life and Alicia Silverstone actress, New York Times best-selling author and health advocate together announce an exciting innovation to their industry-leading mykind Organics line of vitamins. New mykind Organics Gummy vitamins are the first full-line of gummy multivitamins to be Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and made from real organic fruit and whole-food vitamins offering a deliciously innovative way for the entire family to get their daily vitamins.

mykind Organics is the No. 1-selling vitamin brand in the health food industry1. These new gummies provide a fun and convenient way for the whole family to obtain essential daily nutrients in a clean and popular form. They are available in six delicious varieties, ranging from prenatal and kids to men's and women's age 40+.

"I am so proud to team up with Garden of Life to introduce our new gummy vitamins the purest, cleanest gummies out there, made from the real, organic, non-GMO whole foods my family eats. These yummy gummies provide the essential nutrients you need, without all of the 'icky stuff' you don't want in your vitamins," said Silverstone.

Whole-Food Vitamin ChewsUnlike many conventional gummy vitamins on the market, mykind Organics Gummies steer clear of typical candy ingredients. Using a base of real, organic fruit, mykind Organics Gummies do not contain processed sugars or syrups, and have no animal gelatin, artificial dyes or artificial sweeteners. Every bottle starts with nine organic whole peaches and apples, with their juices. These are concentrated and combined with mykind Organics real-food vitamins (which are certified organic food-based vitamins, not chemically isolated and synthesized vitamins). The result is an organic fruit chew gummy that is nutritious, convenient, easy to eat and great tasting. And in addition to being Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified, mykind Organics Gummies are certified vegan, certified gluten-free and kosher.

The new mykind Organics gummy multivitamins are available in the following varieties:

Kids Multi Gummies Organic Fruit + VitaminsEach chew provides essential nutrients to support kids' health with 17 essential vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamin D. These gummies are available in two kid-friendly flavors: organic fruit and organic cherry.

Women's Multi Gummies Organic Fruit + Vitamins With targeted ingredients for women's special health needs, this great-tasting organic berry chew contains 17 vitamins and minerals, plus organic Pacran whole-food cranberry.

Women's 40+ Multi Gummies Organic Fruit + VitaminsThis organic berry chew provides targeted ingredients to support the needs of women over age 40, with 17 vitamins and minerals, plus organic black cohosh.

Men's Multi Gummies Organic Fruit + VitaminsA great-tasting organic berry, each chew includes targeted ingredients to support the needs of men, with 17 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and folate.

Men's 40+ Gummies Organic Fruit + VitaminsEach chew includes targeted ingredients to support the needs of men over age 40, with 17 vitamins and minerals, plus organic Flowens whole-food cranberry.

Prenatal Multi Gummies Organic Fruit + Vitamins A great-tasting organic berry chew, Prenatal Multi Gummies have targeted ingredients to support mom and her baby with 600 mcg of folate and B vitamins to promote energy.

mykind Organics Gummies are available now in stores across the country. To locate a store, visit gardenoflife.com. The full mykind Organics line encompasses more than 30 products.

About Garden of LifeGarden of Life, L.L.C. is the recognized leader and innovator in whole-food, science-based, USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified nutrition. Headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., the company offers more than 250 branded supplements that help people achieve extraordinary health. For more information on Garden of Life, visit gardenoflife.com.

1 Source: SPINSMarch 19, 2017. SPINS is the leading provider of retail consumer insights, analytics, and consulting for the natural, organic, and specialty products industries.

Contact:Phoebe Dinner(212) 494-8686rel="nofollow">gardenoflife@clynch.com

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Garden of Life and Alicia Silverstone Introduce Their Newest Innovation -- mykind Organics Gummies, Certified USDA ... - Markets Insider

In 2016-17 India exported Rs2,478 crore worth of organic commodities like oilseeds, cereals and millets and processed foods. Photo: Mint

New Delhi: Although India is home to the largest number of organic farmers in the world, malpractices have resulted in inorganic products being sold as organic, said a study released on Wednesday.

A uniform standard which clearly lays out labelling requirements, punishment for fraudulent practices and a single nodal agency for regulating organic farming will help the organic sector grow at 20% annually, said the study Organic Farming in India: Status, Issues and Way Forward by the Delhi-based Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

Currently multiple agencies set standards for organic food. A nodal agency will help India establish itself as part of the global supply chain, said Arpita Mukherjee, an author of the report.

According to the report, India ranks 11th among 170 exporters of organic produce and ninth in terms of area under organic cultivation. While India follows regulatory standards set by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), when it comes to export of organic products, there is currently no regulation governing its domestic market and imports, the study said.

73% of 73 companies surveyed entered organic food business since 2006 and close to 95% of them work directly with farmers, a survey in the study showed.

Ninetyfive percent of 418 farmers surveyed in the research said they were satisfied with organic farming, while 77% said organic certification should be mandatory as it helps them earn a premium for their produce.

Integrating small and marginal growers to the market for organic produce and following global standards will open up opportunities for agri-businesses, said Amitabh Kant, CEO of the government think-tank NITI Aayog following the launch of the report.

India has a rich heritage in organic farming and rain-fed tracts in parts of the country are organic by default, Kant said, adding, Organic kiwis (fruits) from Arunachal Pradesh are even better than what is grown in New Zealand. The challenge is how to take the produce directly to consumers as organic and inorganic products gets mixed up in the wholesale markets.

Data from the report shows that about 1.5 million hectares of land in India were certified organic, excluding wild and forest areas. In 2016-17 India exported Rs2,478 crore worth of organic commodities like oilseeds, cereals and millets and processed foods.

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Organic food grown in India for domestic consumption may not be safe, says study - Livemint

Aug 23, 2017 at 5:00 am

Organic farming is growing in Iowa almost as fast as the bane of chemical-free farmers weeds.

While pigweed and lambsquarter can double in size in a few sunny days, the number of organic producers and processors in Iowa has increased 31 percent in the past five years.

We are not even close to meeting market demand, and we dont have to spend much time marketing, said Andrew Dunham, who with his wife Melissa operates Grinnell Heritage Farm, one of the states largest producers of organic vegetables and fruit.

When Francis Thicke of rural Fairfield converted to organic in 1975, he said he did so out of principle, in the belief that it was the right and responsible thing to do. We didnt even have a market. Now our products sell themselves, said Thicke, who with his wife Susan operates the 730-acre Radiance Dairy Farm.

Iowa ranks sixth among the 50 states in the number of organic producers and processors with 939 this year, up from 717 in 2012, said Kate Mendenhall, executive director of the Iowa Organic Association. (Scroll to the bottom of this story for a map of certified organic farms in Iowa from the Iowa Organic Association.)

Much of the growth, she said, has been in organic grain, fueled by rapid increases in the production of organic dairy, eggs and poultry. And Amish farmers, finding a profitable niche in labor-intensive organic production, have been leading the way.

The price premium for organic food, while varying from one commodity to another, typically ranges from two to three times higher than prices for their conventionally produced counterparts, Mendenhall said.

Substantially lower chemical residues make organic food more healthful than food raised with commercial fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, she said.

Consumer recognition of health benefits for them, their families and the environment drives the growth of organic products, she said.

Organic sales in the United States totaled $47 billion in 2016, which accounts for more than 5 percent of U.S. food sales, according to the Organic Trade Association. With sales up 8.4 percent from the previous year, it is the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. food industry, the trade group said.

But its more than health benefits contributing to organic products popularity. Consumers also believe that organic agriculture, which eschews chemical fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide and is generally conducted on a smaller, more personal scale, is friendlier to the environment, Thicke said.

Though Thicke makes no claims about the flavor of the milk, cheese and yogurt produced by his 80 Jersey cows, he acknowledges that some of his customers do.

The Dunhams, with the equivalent of 10 full-time employees during the growing season, raise 60 different kinds of organic vegetables and fruit on their 25 acres of raised beds.

Andrew Dunham said they truck more than half their produce to grocery stores. New Pioneer, with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids, is their biggest customer.

They also provide weekly boxes of produce to more than 300 families under the Community Supported Agriculture program, and farmers markets the smallest outlet for their products accounts for about 12 percent of sales, he said.

Dunham said the tilth and fertility of their soil have improved dramatically in the 11 years since they converted to organic practices. Composted manure from their grass-fed cattle, extensive cover crop plantings a crop planted to manage soil erosion, fertility and quality as well as weeds and pests and multiyear crop rotations get much of the credit, he said.

Weed control their biggest challenge is accomplished primarily with mulch, tillage and the long crop rotations, he said.

Dunham said extensive mulching controls blight in their 1,500 tomato plants. Noting that blight spreads through soil contact, Dunham said the only part of the plant that ever touches soil is the roots.

Perry Helmuth, the first Amish farmer in the Hazleton community to convert to organic agriculture, said he noticed increased demand for organic grain in the early 1990s.

At that time I wasnt spraying (chemicals) for weeds anyway. I figured Im close. Id just as well try it, so I switched over and got my certification in 1995, he said.

Most other Amish farmers have since followed, according to Helmuth, who estimates that 95 percent of the farmers in the Hazleton Amish community have converted to organic.

It was a life saver for us out here, he said. We couldnt compete with the big conventional farmers anymore. Land prices were too high. Returns were too low. Many young Amish men were working off the farm to make ends meet.

Amish farmers, typically with small land holdings and large families, found a niche in organic farming, which relies more on labor and management than on capital. Higher prices for organic crops enabled many of them to return to their agricultural roots, Helmuth said.

They still want to come back home and farm. The farm is the best place to raise a family, he said.

His own experience with the popular herbicide atrazine influenced his conversion. I got sick every time I used it, he said.

Helmuth said it took him two years to get a handle on the organic farmers two biggest challenges maintaining soil fertility and controlling weeds.

Livestock manure, coupled with incorporation of clover and alfalfa cover crops, keeps his soil fertile, he said, while multiple passes with horse-drawn tillage equipment curbs weeds.

Whereas conventional Iowa farmers typically start planting corn in mid-April, organic farmers wait another month so they can mechanically kill the first flush of spring weeds before planting, he said. Once their crops have emerged, organic farmers strive to cultivate them at least three times.

Unlike conventional farmers, most of whom annually alternate corn and soybeans in their fields, Helmuth employs a four-year rotation that includes corn, soybeans, oats and a combination of hay and pasture.

A good crop rotation helps keep your soil in balance and your weeds in check, he said.

Helmuth said his corn yields dipped during his first two years of organic farming but quickly rebounded. If we dont get 150 bushels per acre we are disappointed, he said.

We think organic food is healthier, and more and more people are thinking that way, said Freeman Detweiler, an Amish organic farmer in the Hazleton community.

Detweiler said organic farming requires a lot of labor, a lot of manure and good timing, but you will get more out of your land.

The market is there, but the big missing piece is the land, said Suzan Erem, president and co-founder of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, launched in 2015 to permanently protect land to grow healthy food.

Around the cities that constitute the largest market for organic food, no one is reserving land for food production, she said.

Under development pressure, land around cities can sell for as much as $30,000 per acre well beyond the reach of start-up organic farmers, Erem said.

Through donations and easements, the trust is acquiring land that can be made available at lower costs to beginning farmers, she said.

Federal assistance is available to certified organic producers and to those transitioning to organic production through the Environmental Quality Incentives Programs Organic Initiative.

Since its introduction in the 2008 farm bill, the program has paid out more than $8 million to Iowa organic farmers, said Jason Johnson, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agricultures Natural Resources Conservation Service, which administers the program.

Johnson said organic producers receive a higher payment rate than their conventional counterparts for implementing conservation practices such as cover crops, crop rotations and nutrient and pest management.

The USDAs Organic Certification Cost Share Program also reimburses eligible organic producers and handlers up to 75 percent of certification costs each year, to a $750 maximum.

Other than helping to administer the federal assistance, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides no incentives for the adoption of organic practices, department spokesman Dustin Vande Hoff said.

The Iowa Organic Associations Mendenhall said Iowa should do more to encourage the transition from conventional to organic production.

Given that organic practices reduce nutrient loss to surface water by 50 percent, she said doing so would make sense in a state with severe nutrient pollution problems.

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Organic farmers sprouting up across Iowa - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines

Attention, Walmart shoppers: A very different kind of store just hit the big box chain. If you've ever walked into a Walmart, you've probably noticed one of a few tried-and-true chain fast food joints in the front corner. Often it's McDonald's; sometimes it's Checkers or Subway.

The Wally World off of Narcoosee Road in Orlando, FL, is bucking that trend, putting a unique and unexpected restaurant featured front and center.

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It's called grown, an organic restaurant founded by former NBA player Ray Allen and his wife, Shannon. The company, which focuses on selling "slow food for fast people" (think smoothies, juices, and grain bowls), may seem like an odd fit for the chain, but reps insist it's a more organic collaboration than you'd expect.

Grown/Walmart

It turns out Walmart sells more organic groceries than any other retailer in the U.S., and the brand's made it their goal to expand its options for shoppers. "Operating grown inside of Walmart makes the store accessible to every family, regardless of their mean income, making the move a game-changer for consumers," a representative for the brand wrote via email.

Most of the meals are as customizable as a Chipotle burrito bowl: You choose the protein, vegetables, grains, and a sauce to top it. Craving grilled shrimp with Mexican corn, black beans, and Chimichurri? You can do it. Grilled salmon, roasted garlic Brussels Sprouts, mashed sweet potatoes and BBQ sauce? Done and done.

There's also a portion of the menu devoted to salads, sandwiches, and wraps, which start with a base flavor combination say, Parisienne (butter lettuce, greens, red onion, hardboiled eggs, tomatoes and Dijon) or Capri (pesto, kale, romaine, tomato, mozzarella, red onions, and balsamic glaze) and you choose what protein you add to it.

It's unclear whether the pricing mirrors the Miami store, but if so, it may be a surprise to some Walmart shoppers. At $14-$18 per grain bowl, it's pricier than the typical fast food fare.

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Walking down the dusty road along the produce field near Myrtle Creek, one of the first things I noticed were all the different sized footprints. They range from tiny, preschool-sized ones up to teenage, and then adult. This tells the story of the Valadez family; they work hard to make a living on their organic farm, and they do it as a family.

With Juan doing the tractor work, and Lucy selling at two area farmers markets, their five children are fully involved in everything in between. The youngest, twins Mayte and Jozef, and Katalina help plant, weed and harvest and do a lot of giggling and occasional tossing of well-aimed produce while picking.

Teenagers Buddy and Mariyah alternate weeks helping their mom at the farmers markets and will be helping at the roadside stand that will open soon. Lucy beams with pride as her two oldest take care of business, answering questions from customers, making change and offering advice on which melon is the best choice, what variety of corn theyre offering or explaining the difference in peppers.

As the only certified organic vendor at the Umpqua Valley Farmers Market, Lucy says she does her best to explain the whole organic idea because people need to know why organic costs a little more. Seeds have to be certified organic, which tends to limit varieties in some things.

Records must be kept accurately as to where the seed came from, when it was planted, when it was harvested, what fertilizer was used and when and how it was applied. Well water and irrigation water drawn from the South Umpqua River must be tested. Inspections are costly, with yearly recertification costing from $500 to $1,000.

Compost has to be held for two years before use, no manure is used and any farm animals have to be kept a certain distance from the growing area. Strawberries have to be in the ground for two years before the berries can be sold as organic. The greenhouses, where Valadez Organic Produce start all of their own seedlings, require separate certification. Obviously, growing certified organic is only feasible if youre in it for the long haul, which Lucy and her family are.

Currently, summer crops are being harvested, and fall crops are being planted. While the Valadez family grows the usual variety of summer produce, melonsspecifically, watermelonsare their crown jewel. Buddy, known to the family and customers as The Watermelon Whisperer, can tell you more than you probably want to know about his melons, but mainly, how to pick a good one! After all, what else do you really need to know?

There are five varieties available, plus several kinds of cantaloupes and crenshaws. People who only get grocery store melons dont even know what theyre missing! Buddy says proudly. And you have to have a seeded melon for the best flavor. Seedless melons cant compare.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are harvest days, so while Lucy makes estimates of how much to pick for each farmers market, the kids start picking and loading into boxes and totes, which spend the night in the walk-in cooler, ready to be loaded in the morning.

Right now, green beans, corn, squash, beets, eggplant, tomatoes and those wonderful melons fill the tables at the markets with red cabbage, winter squash, pumpkins, Napa cabbage, chard, cauliflower, broccoli and kale coming along for later in the fall.

It was interesting to see some odd-looking plants in one of the hoop houses: lemon trees, lime trees and papayas! Juan, according to his wife, wants to grow everything! A patch of asparagus is dormant in a corner of the yard, and a small grove of cactus threatens if you get too close. Nopalitos, the fleshy cactus pads, can be harvested and cooked for traditional Mexican food or pickled.

Naturally, the conversation got around to cooking and eating. Youll find several recipes that grace the Valadez table regularly, all with the approval of the kids. Lucy says her idea about kids eating vegetables is simple: We grow it, and we eat it! We eat it out in the field when were picking, and we eat it at the table. The kids have seen the seeds pop out of the ground, weve all worked at weeding and harvesting and we all enjoy what we grew.

As to the future of Valadez Organic Produce, Juan says, simply, More! They would like to farm more land and have a good-sized produce stand that would be open earlier and later in the season, and they would like to find another farmers market, possibly along the coast.

You can load up on Valadez Organic Produce on Saturdays at the Umpqua Valley Farmers Market at the Methodist Church on Harvard. You might even find some rolls for those Eggplant Sliders!

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Farm to Fork: Valadez Organic Produce keeps it all in the family - NRToday.com

By Mark P. Vincent, Daily News Correspondent

In evaluating my topic options for this months column, I considered one Ive intended to cover for a long time: organic wine. Frankly, Ive been remiss in not covering them prior to now. That said, lets proceed.

Organic wine is vino produced by viticulturists and winemakers who eschew the use of artificial and synthetic chemicals, such as fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides in their vineyards. They are also highly selective about what they add to wine during the fermentation and winemaking process, using only a limited number of natural substances.

Theres growing evidence that many, if not all, synthetic chemicals are hazardous to the welfare and longevity of human beings and have become dangerously pervasive in our food chain and environment, as well as in our bodies.

This issue is making organic food the fastest growing market category currently. Reflecting this trend, the number of organic vineyards globally almost tripled from 2004 to 2011, according to ProWein magazine. While the trend is growing globally, roughly 89 percent of organic vineyards currently are in Europe, and Austria can boast almost 10 percent of its vineyards are organic.

My sympathy has always been with farmers and vineyard owners who risk significant financial loss due to the destruction of their crops by pests, viruses, bacteria and molds. Its a rare business that can afford to take the position, We just wont produce any income this year without being deeply concerned for their survival.

Consequently, man has long sought to control nature and increase the yield and quality of crops, while limiting the downside of loss. Widespread use of chemicals helped farmers protect their crops and boost yields. However, in doing so, farmers, including grape growers, became more dependent on chemical agriculture rather than on healthy soil. Simultaneously, they increased their exposure, and their customers', to potentially unhealthy chemicals, and conventionally grown grapes leave trace chemical residues in wines.

There is growing awareness of the hazards of many chemicals and the evidence is building that the chickens are now coming home to roost in our declining health and high costs of health care.

Why organic wine? To begin with, there are many who believe organic and biodynamic wines simply taste better. Advocates claim the wines are purer, cleaner, more complex and more delicious. I agree, but Ill leave that up to individual wine consumers to decide for themselves.

The other major reason for drinking organic wine is health related. Its no secret that many of the illnesses that plague mankind are increasingly being linked to our exposure to chemicals. Limiting ones exposure to potentially harmful chemicals just makes good sense, doesnt it? If that is true of food, why not of wine, too?

Now, mind you, we need to understand that grape growers who adopt organic practices do so more often out of self interest rather than looking out for their customers' safety. If we are getting exposed to chemical residues in their wine, isnt their exposure and their workers' exposure in applying these chemicals magnitudes higher than a wine consumers? Nevertheless, in protecting themselves and their employees by adopting organic standards and principles, they inevitably end up protecting consumers too.

As noted above, more growers and vintners are adopting organic and biodynamic practices in their businesses. It's important to also recognize that some wineries, while not advertising or claiming to be organic, always adopted organic principles and committed to producing natural wines as a matter of general operating procedures. They just dont brag that theyve always used a common-sense approach to agriculture.

What recently brought these issues to my attention? I purchased a bottle of Alexander Valley Vineyards Organic Cabernet Sauvignon ($32), made from grapes grown in an organic vineyard created in 2008. Ive always loved their wines and recommend their traditional cab as a terrific, value wine. The new organic offering, while a little pricier, completely blew me away. Its awesome.

Fetzer Vineyards and Bonterra Vineyards in the U.S. have long practiced sustainable, organic farming and I commend both of them for their longstanding commitment and foresight. Whenever Ive had the opportunity to consume their wines, I thoroughly enjoyed them.

My goal is to think and drink organic in the future. Why not join me? Enjoy.

Mark P. Vincent is a Worcester resident who has a passion for wine. Contact him at winewisdom@yahoo.com.

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WINE WISDOM: Is it finally time for organic wine? - Wicked Local Hamilton

Image Source: Sarah Cottrell

I spend a lot of time thinking about food. Not because Im a foodie or because I eat too much (although I do love carbs), but because Im one of the 49 percent of Americans who live paycheck-to-paycheck. This means that I regularly have to take my income and divide it up between the mortgage, the car insurance, the utilities, the groceries, and the many other surprise expenses that crop up when youre raising tiny humans. But at the end of the month, theres little else left over.

In a recent attempt to get financially fit and finally start saving some money again, I decided to take a cold hard look at our spending, and wasnt too surprised to see that our food bill was the biggest chunk of that by far. After all, I have a growing family of five to feed, and we buy organic. But I was surprised to findthat with some careful and deliberate planning, I could cut my monthly food bill in half. Yep HALF.

Before, I was spending close to $300 a week on groceries, easy. But now, with some necessary changes, Ive been keeping us at $150 or less a week. And no, I dont spend half my week coupon clipping (its pretty rare that you can find them for organic foods, anyway). Heres how I do it.

This years tax refund didnt go to a fancy vacation or a new car it went right to food storage. Since I live in a rural area, it wasnt hard to find a few local farmers who I could buy meat in bulk from. For $1,200 I bought half a cow and a whole pig, which filled my 20 ft.-wide stand-up freezer with enough meat to feed us for the year, maybe longer.

But there are plenty of nationwide bulk suppliers you can stock up on food from, too, whether thats for meat, frozen veggies, or other prepared meals. We use companies like Frontiers Co-op where we buy dried goods like flour, sugar, and spices. Associated Buyers is also great for almost anything in bulk, including frozen foods.

Theres also the option to pay for something called a Community Supported Agriculture or CSA subscription. For around $300 a season (or 12 to 18 weeks, depending on the agreement) we can get a box filled with fruit, vegetables, and sometimes eggs and dairy all grown and produced by a local farmer. That works out to be around $25 a week.

If you live in a city you can join a co-op that will allow you to order items in bulk once or twice a month. Talk to your local health food store to find out if they have a program you can sign up for. If not, dont worry, because you can easily set up your own through companies like Om Bulk Foods, which has options for families and friends to create a FBC or Food Buying Club.

My husband and I got some chickens and started collecting our own eggs, which virtually pays for itself. A dozen eggs cost me $4.99 at the grocery store, but I get twice that in a week from home. A 50-pound bag of chicken feed costs me $16 and lasts for a few weeks. There have been many nights at our house when those eggs were the only protein we had. Needless to say, I can make a mean frittata.

My husband has been an avid gardener since Ive known him, so we use his skills to grow and store as much food as we can. This means freezing corn and peas, canning tomatoes, picking berries, and storing potatoes and squash.

We also hit up the local farmers markets, which are shockingly cheap if you only buy vegetables and stay away from the $300 hand-woven baskets and fancy jams that stuff is for the rich housewives, not broke ones like me. You dont have to live in the country or even the suburbs to find a good farmers market, though. Even big cities have awesome farmers markets if you know where to look. (Check out this handy locator to find one near you.)

If you arent signed up for a CSA, then you can still reap big savings by spending your hard earned money on root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and squash. These wont rot right away quickly and you can buy those for dirt cheap literally. A 5 lbs. bag of organic carrots costs me $3 and I can store those for most of the winter. Its also worth buying up the broccoli and peas when theyre in season and then bring them home and freeze them. Salad greens arent as cost effective to buy per pound, so instead we grow our own. The seeds are so cheap and the plants so easy to grow (even in containers in a window) that we keep a variety of lettuces growing throughout the year.

Heres another trick I like to keep up my sleeve: Anytime I am at the grocery store, Ill grab a couple of sale items from the canned foods section and store those in my pantry at home. I like to stick to items that I can use 1,001 different ways, like canned tomatoes, stocks, beans, and corn, which are all cheap and easy to store. I also have a few quart-sized Masson jars on hand in my pantry, to store the food we grow ourselves once canning season rolls around.

Every Friday night, after eating leftovers from the week or breakfast for dinner, I sit down and make menus for the following week. I never include breakfast or lunches, because we all basically eat the same thing; oatmeal for breakfast (I buy that in bulk), and sandwiches with veggie sticks and apples for lunch. The list I come up with is what we eat by for the next seven days, no matter what. We rarely deviate from the plan, and if we want to eat fun food like cookies and brownies or granola bars and Fig Newtons, then I do my best to make it from scratch because the ingredients go way further and are more cost-effective that way. (Plus, the kids get to try their hand at baking, so its kind of win-win.)

When I choose meals, I always have an eye for whats healthy and what my kids will actually eat. The menus are built around what we have on hand and not so much what I saw on Pinterest or what we feel like eating. Were poor. We dont get to say, Meh, lets just order tonight. When we get take-out its because were celebrating something, like when my oldest son ended his year of school with perfect grades, we went out for Chinese. My kids like typical kid fare, but since we make everything ourselves I get to sneak in healthy options from the garden. So instead of French fries, I make roasted vegetables. Instead of store bought Pop Tarts, I make homemade turnovers with whatever fruit we have on hand.

After just a few months in, this budgeting plan is really starting to work, and we have a teeny tiny nest egg started in our savings account, which for us is a huge deal. Weve never had a nest egg before. And while right now that egg looks like more like a jelly bean and less like a future retirement fund, my hope is that by being consistent with our frugality we can grow those savings into something that will provide an eventual safety net for my family.

Our food budget and meal planning is something that we include the kids in, too. They each get a weekly allowance and are tasked with dividing up their money into categories like savings, donations, and spending. We have frank conversations about the value of things and the importance of planning. Being frugal in our house is not so much a virtue as it is a way to survive, but it is turning us into financially savvy people, and that alone is a great gift that Im proud to give my kids.

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How I Feed My Family of 5 Organic on Less Than $150 a Week - Babble (blog)

Organic FoodHow to Fully Understand The Labels on Organic FoodsWhy Organic Foods are Better for HealthWhy Organicically Grown Foods Are Better for the Health of Our PlanetHow to Understand the New Regulation of Organic FoodsOther Questions About Organic Foods

Organic FoodWhat is organic food?

Organic is primarily a labeling term that is used on a wide variety of foods that have been produced through methods and practices approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its National Organics Program (NOP). Organic is also one of the single best steps you can take to safeguard the quality of your food. In many cases, organic is also good step for the environment.

Many people think about "organic" as meaning "earth friendly." Even though this meaning often holds true, it doesn't always. Organic regulations focus on farming practices and food production steps that can be monitored and controlled to decrease risk of food contamination and improve food quality. But for the most part, organic regulations simply do not try to address more complicated issues involving the earth and sustainability.

Here is one simple example of the difference between the focus of organic regulations and a focus on sustainability. In the U.S., we currently plant about 92 million acres of corn, 78 million acres of soybeans, and 57 million acres of wheat. Ecologists view these 227 million acres and the way they are planted as non-sustainable. Many factors combine to make our current planting of corn and soybeans and wheat non-sustainable. Included are factors like natural water cycles and natural mineral cycles in North America and their inability to accommodate the 227 million acres of these three crops as currently cultivated. The USDA's organics program does not address or evaluate the sustainability of these crop acres. The program limits its focus to the farming steps that would be needed in order for all 227 million acres of corn and soybeans and wheat to be certified as organic. For example, USDA organic guidelines would prohibit use of genetic engineering, fertilization with sewage sludge, and irradiation on any of these acres. Such changes would most likely improve the quality of the crops and the quality of the land. But the practice of planting 227 million acres with these three crops would still be non-sustainable, and this non-sustainability would not matter from the USDA's perspective. Provided that USDA organic requirements were met, these crops would be labeled organic regardless of their sustainability. The bottom line here is simple: organic food production is better for the environment and better for our health than conventional food production methods, but important earth-related questions like sustainability are not typically addressed in organic regulations and might not be furthered by adoption of organic standards.

Of special importance in organics are the "big three." Genetic engineering, irradiation, and sewage sludge are sometimes referred to as "the big three" by commentators on the National Organics Program, since they are practices that can have an especially problematic impact on health and the environment. The "big three" have always been - and are still - prohibited by organic regulations. Along with prohibition of these three practices, however, a wide variety of other practices are prohibited in production of organic food. For example, most synthetic chemicals (including most synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers) are prohibited by organic regulations. All off these prohibitions in organic food production are important. They help to safeguard the quality of our food and to reduce our health risk from food contaminants.How to Fully Understand the Labels on Organic FoodsWhat Does the "Organic" Label Mean?

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets, defines, and regulates the use and meaning of "Organic" on food labels. It is the term used to describe raw or processed agricultural products and ingredients that have been (a) organically grown (farmed) and (b) handled in compliance with the standards of April 2001, which have been fully enforced since October 2002. These standards prohibit the used of:

Many people are not completely sure about the precise meaning of the word "organic" or "organically grown" on food labels. One of their concerns is whether or not they can trust that the words ensure that the foods were grown or produced without the use of potentially hazardous chemicals.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the term "organic" can be applied to a variety of different kinds of foods. The term can be used on agricultural products, and on meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. And it also applies to the methods used to process organically grown foods in preparing them for market or to retard spoilage.

Managament methods may include:

Crop-related pest problems must be controlled by mechanical and physical methods including:

Weed problems must be controlled by:

Disease problems must be controlled by:

The National List provides a list of allowed and prohibited substances for organically grown crops.

Organic production is managed with the intent to integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices to promote the cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and biodiversity. Practices help to protect the soil, groundwater, provide health promoting conditions for animals and ultimately help promote the health of the consumer.

The National List provides a list of allowed and prohibited substances for organically grown meat, poultry, eggs and dairy.

Mechanical or biological methods used to process an organically produced agricultural product for the purpose of retarding spoilage or otherwise preparing the agricultural product for market. This includes acceptable processing aids and ingredients, appropriate packaging materials and labeling, cleaning methods, waste disposal and pest management at processing facilities.Why did we need regulation of organic foods?

More than two decades ago, when the U.S. Congress passed its 1990 Farm Bill, a congressional mandate was included in the bill (Title 21) instructing the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create a national legal definition of "organic" that would provide reliable, uniform, and enforceable standards for any food bearing the term "organic."

The development of organic standards was designed to provide consumers with a food labeling process that they could trust to reflect high-quality standards in food production.What is USDA certification?

Certification is the process by which the consumer is assured that a product marketed as "organic" is in compliance with production and handling requirements set forth in USDA regulations.

All producers of organic food, livestock, and fiber crops as well as handlers or organic products must be certified (except growers who gross less than $5000 and retailers).

Growers and handlers submit an Organic Farm Plan or an Organic Handling Plan to a USDA accredited certifying agent detailing their growing and handling methods.

On-site inspections are conducted by certifying agents to verify submitted plans. Methods and materials used in production must meet standards set in the new regulations. Clear documentation of methods and materials must be kept. There must be a paper trail tracing a product back to its production site, enabling verification of production methods and materials.

Certification is the process by which the consumer is assured that a product marketed as "organic" is in compliance with production and handling requirements set forth in USDA regulations.How are organic foods identified?

Organic foods can be identified through 4 different types of label information.

Least common in the marketplace, but most reliable, is the claim "100% organic" on the front of any certified organic food. This claim requires all ingredients in the food (without except) to be produced in compliance with organic regulations.

Much more common in the marketplace is the presence of the USDA organic logo on the front of a certified organic food. This USDA logo often appears in green as pictured below:

Certified organic foods bearing the USDA logo must contain at least 95% (by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt) approved ingredients. Up to 5% of the food may contain prohibited ingredients, if those ingredients are not available in organic form. For example, an ingredient containing a synthetic pesticide residue may be included in a certified organic food bearing the USDA logo, as long as that ingredient could not be obtained by the manufacturer in organic form and as long as the weight of the ingredient did not exceed 5% of the total weight of the product (by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt). However, there is one important caveat to this "5%" rule for certified organic foods bearing the USDA logo: even in the 5% "non-organic" portion of the food, ingredients are not allowed to be genetically engineered, fertilized with sewage sludge, or irradiated.

A third way to identify certified organic foods is through "Made With" labeling claims on the front of the packaging. For example, a certified organic pasta sauce may say "Made with Organic Tomatoes" on the front of the packaging. In the case of "Made With" claims, at least 70% of all ingredients (by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt) must be in compliance with all organic regulations. As such, 30% of ingredients may contain prohibited ingredients, provided that those ingredients are not available in organic form. Just like use of the organic logo, however, there is one important caveat to this "30%" rule for certified organic foods showing "Made With" claims: even in the 30% "non-organic" portion of the food, ingredients are not allowed to be genetically engineered, fertilized with sewage sludge, or irradiated.

A final way to identify certified organic foods is through individual ingredient entries on the Ingredients List on the side or back of the packaging. If a food contains less than 70% of its ingredients (by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt) as organic, no labeling claims are permitted on the front of the packaging. However, individual organic ingredients that comply with USDA regulations may be listed on the side or back of the packaging in the product's Ingredients List.

In summary, your best bet for selecting certified organic foods is to choose foods that state "100% Organic" on the front of the packaging. If you are purchasing whole fruits and vegetables in the produce section of the grocery and the foods are labeled as organic, that's just as good! These whole fruits and vegetables are simply themselves and have no additional ingredients from a labeling standpoint. It is worth pointing out, however, that certain waxes are permitted in the handling of certified organic fruits and vegetables including shellac (from the lac beetle) and carnauba wax (from carnauba palm). It's also worth pointing out that frozen or canned fruits and vegetables that have been certified as organic may contain added ingredients. If you are using the USDA's organic logo to identify these foods as organic, you will need to check the Ingredient List on the packaging to determine if added ingredients are present, and if any of these added ingredients are non-organic and simply fall into the "5%" non-organic category that logo-bearing foods are allowed to have under USDA regulations.

Critics of organic labeling sometimes point to these "5%" and "30%" rules as "loopholes" in the organic certification process, and they sometimes view these labeling standards as regulations that work to undermine the credibility of certified organic foods. Supporters of organic labeling point to the need for government to be realistic about food manufacturing and constraints on growers and manufacturers of food. At the World's Healthiest Foods, we believe that both sides make good points. However, as consumers, each of us has the ability - and perhaps also the responsibility - to ask questions about the quality of food, and to bring our own standards to bear on the food that we eat.What does it mean if I see the word "transitional" on a food label?

Crops grown on land that is in transition to organic (during the first three years after switching from conventional farming, for instance) cannot be certified as organic, and by federal law, cannot be labeled as "transitional". However, under state law, products can already be certified as "transitional" and will continue to be labeled as "transitional" as long as the state laws remain in effect.

One major group of foods - seafoods - are not currently covered within the regulations. The National Organics Standards Board has officially adopted recommendations for seafood (including both finfish and mollusks like oysters, clams, mussels and scallops), but these recommendations have not been added to the National List and implemented into the law as official USDA regulations.Are there any foods that are not covered by the federal organic standards?

Yes. As mentioned above, seafood is a major exception to the organic regulations and has yet to be legally certified by the USDA. Honey is also a food not directly regulated by the USDA. Certified organic honey has been a confusing issue for consumers, since the USDA allows its official organic logo to be placed on honey that has been certified as organic by other agencies.

Yes. You might see the following types of labels on federally certified organic foods:

Yes. Consumption of organically grown food is a great way to reduce your exposure to contaminants commonly found in foods that have been grown using conventional agricultural practices. These contaminants may include not only pesticides - many of which have been classified as potential cancer-causing agents - but also heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and solvents like benzene and toluene. Minimizing exposure to these potential toxins is an important benefit for your health. Heavy metals can damage nerve function, contributing to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and interfere with hemoglobin production in a way that increases risk of anemia. Solvents can damage white blood cell function and lower the immune system's ability to resist infections.

In addition to lessening your exposure to these potentially harmful substances, organically grown foods, on average, contain higher levels of many nutrients including vitamins and minerals.

These two aspects of the organic consumption - decreased intake of contaminants and increased intake of nutrients - have both been topics of controversy in research. While we understand the reasons for this controversy, we are also firmly convinced that organically grown foods contain significantly fewer contaminants than their conventionally grown counterparts, as well as significantly richer nutrient content.

Let's take the contamination aspect first. One of the largest scale studies, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on more than 94,000 food samples, found at least one pesticide residue on approximately 75% of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, in comparison to approximately 25% of organically grown vegetables. Almost half of the pesticide residues found on organically grown vegetables involved DDT or its metabolites. (DDT is a pesticide that has been banned for 40 years for use on food, but because it can be very persistent in the environment, it often shows up in foods decades later.) When DDT and related pesticides were excluded from the results, the percentage of organically grown foods with pesticide residues dropped to about 13%. Studies have been conducted in countries throughout Europe and the Mediterranean comparing one or two specific, organically grown foods to their conventional counterparts, and the results have consistently shown lower contaminant levels in the organically grown foods.

With respect to nutrient content, organically grown fruits and vegetables - on average - appear to contain about 15% higher levels of nutrients than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Results in this area have not always been consistent, however, and in some cases, conventionally grown fruits and/or vegetables have been analyzed as having higher nutrient levels than organically grown vegetables. One early piece of research in this area - a review of 34 studies comparing the nutritional content of organic versus non-organic food - was published in 1998. In this research, compared to conventionally grown food, organically grown food was found to have: similar or slightly lower amounts of protein, but higher protein quality (in terms of amino acid composition); higher levels of vitamin C in about half of all studies; and 5-20% higher mineral levels for a majority of minerals. Higher flavonoid content has also been shown in one study of organic versus non-organic foods.

From our perspective at the World's Healthiest Foods, we are not surprised at either set of results. Organics regulations are quite extensive in their lists of prohibited substances, and lower levels of contaminants in certified organic foods make perfect sense. Foods depend on soil and water for their nourishment, and cleaner soil and water means cleaner food. It's that simple.

The nutrient concentrations in organic versus non-organic food are another matter, however. Here the relationship is not so simple. Soil quality can vary greatly from region to region, and many differences in soil quality cannot be overridden by organic farming practices. Neither can genetic tendencies in plants, which can be very closely connected with the plants' harvest-stage nutrient content. In short, nutrient composition in plants is the result of many different factors that interact in a complex way, and organic farming practices - while beneficial - would not be expected to function like an "overriding factor" in terms of nutrient content. The idea of an average improved nourishment level of 5-20% makes good sense to us given this complicated mix of factors.

When you combine a significantly lower exposure to food contaminants with a 5-20% greater intake of nutrients, what you get is a winning combination. That's exactly the way we think about certified organic foods with respect to health: they are a winning combination, and clearly deserve a place in your meal plan.What substances do we avoid by eating organic food?

Several thousand contaminants routinely present in the U.S. food supply are, by law, excluded from organic food, including:

Synthetic Pesticides: By far the largest group of contaminants to be largely prohibited from organically grown foods are synthetic pesticides, which are found virtually everywhere else in the food supply. Several hundred different chemicals and several thousand brand-name pesticide products are legally used in commercial food production. The Environmental Protection Agency has classified dozens of pesticides as potential carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). These pesticides can affect much more than the crops on which they are directly sprayed. A 1996 study by the Environmental Working Group found 96% of all water samples taken from 748 towns across the U.S. contained the pesticide atrazine, and at least 20 different chemical pesticides are routinely present in municipal tap water across the U.S. Many of these pesticide residues found in tap water started out in the form of crop sprays to help control infestation of food crops.

Heavy metals: The toxic metals cadmium, lead, and mercury can enter the food supply through industrial pollution of soil and groundwater and through machinery used in food processing and packaging. Cadmium exposure, which can be concentrated in plant tissues at levels higher than those in soil, has been linked to increased risk of lung, prostate and testicular cancers. Despite a well-documented negative impact on health - especially health of young children - lead residues can be found in many foods, including canned foods, which may still contain lead solder. Even low levels of lead intake can be harmful and have been associated with impaired neurobehavioral development, decreased stature and growth, and impaired hearing.

Solvents: Used to dissolve food components and produce food additives, solvents are found in a wide variety of commercially processed foods. Excessive exposure to solvents such as benzene and toluene has been linked to increased risk of several types of cancer. Excessive exposure to benzene has also been lined to increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

While food is by no means our only source of exposure to potentially harmful synthetic chemicals or heavy metals, food is something that passes continuously through our bodies, meal after meal, day after day, and year after year. It's this constant exposure to food that makes its quality so very important in our health.Why Organically Grown Foods Are Better for the Health of Our PlanetWhat are the environmental benefits of organic farming over conventional farming methods?

Organically grown foods are cultivated using farming practices that can work to preserve and protect the environment.

Most conventional farming methods depend on a wide range of "off-farm inputs" for success. If the soil does not contain enough minerals, minerals are purchased from off the farm in the form of bagged synthetic fertilizers from a farm supply store. If there is not enough water available, irrigation pumps are installed and natural gas is used to run the pumps and irrigate the fields with groundwater. If insects are a threat to crops, pesticides are purchased from a supply store and sprayed to prevent crop infestation. These methods may result in successful crop production, but they do not result in sustainable use of resources. And in many cases, they can pose a risk to health by contaminating soil, water and air with levels of synthetic chemicals that cannot be readily absorbed by the earth.

Organic farming practices try to minimize "off-farm inputs" and seek to develop farming environment that is more self-contained. Along with the composting of plant materials, animals on the farm may be able to provide much of the necessary fertilizer in the form of composted manure. Crop rotation and the planting of cover crops may be able to improve soil nourishment. Avoidance of moldboard plowing may be able to help preserve soil integrity. Interplanting of crops may help reduce the need for pesticides as might biological balances in which natural predators take care of unwanted pests. Berms may help protect soil and plants from wind.

According to many experts in the field of resource conservation and global warming, changes in farming practices worldwide could very likely form a centerpiece for climate stabilization across out planet. Organic farming practices may be able to greatly reduce carbon emissions associated with production and transport of synthetic fertilizers, and carbon sequestration (retention) by agricultural land could be greatly increased through organic farming practices. By cutting down on carbon emissions and capturing more carbon in croplands themselves, organic farmers might be able to change U.S. agriculture from being a net emitter (releaser) of carbon into the atmosphere to a net retainer of carbon. That change might be able to help reverse the problem of humankind's ever-increasing carbon footprint.Can you give me a one or two sentence summary of "organic" as it applies to USDA food labeling?

When the USDA certifies a food as organic, it is guaranteeing that the food was produced through USDA-approved methods designed to improve food quality and environmental conditions associated with food production. As part of this guarantee, the USDA forbids the use of sewage sludge, irradiation, or genetic engineering in any certified organic food, and at present, certified organic food is one of the few ways that U.S. consumers have to guarantee the absence of these practices from a food's production.How are organic foods regulated?

Federal regulations are the laws authorized by major legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress. As part of the 1990 Farm Bill, the U.S. Congress included a title called Title XXI: The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). In this section of the Farm Bill, Congress instructed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the National Organic Program (NOP). Once the 1990 Farm Bill was approved and signed into law, the USDA became responsible for developing organic standards.What is the National Organic Standards Board?

As part of its ongoing process for development of organic standards, the National Organic Program relies heavily on the work of its 15-member National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and is comprised of representatives from the following categories: farmer/grower; handler/processor; retailer; consumer/public interest; environmentalist; scientist; and certifying agent. Several standing committees exist on the NOSB, including a Livestock Committee, Materials Committee, Crops Committee, Policy Development Committee, Handling Committee, and Certification/Accreditation/Compliance Committee. NOSB committees typically meet on a quarterly basis to review petitions and consider proposed changes in organic regulations.What factors led up to U.S. government certification of organic food?

Organic production had been practiced in the United States since the late 1940s. From that time, the industry had grown from experimental garden plots to large farms with surplus products sold under a special organic label. Food manufacturers developed organic processed products and many retail marketing chains specialized in the sale of "organic" products. This growth stimulated a need for verification that products are indeed produced according to certain standards. Thus, the organic certification industry also evolved.

More than 40 private organizations and state agencies (certifiers) currently certify organic food, but their standards for growing and labeling organic food may differ. For example, some agencies may permit or prohibit different pesticides or fertilizers in growing organic food. In addition, the language contained in seals, labels, and logos approved by organic certifiers may differ. By the late 1980s, after an attempt to develop a consensus of production and certification standards, the organic industry petitioned Congress to draft the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) defining "organic."Can you give me more details about the certification process?

Certification standards establish the requirements that organic production and handling operations must meet to become accredited by USDA-accredited certifying agents. The information that an applicant must submit to the certifying agent includes the applicant's organic system plan. This plan describes (among other things) practices and substances used in production, record keeping procedures, and practices to prevent commingling of organic and non-organic products. The certification standards also address on-site inspections.

Producers and handling (processing) operations that sell less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural products are exempt from certification. They may label their products organic if they abide by the standards, but they cannot display the USDA Organic seal. Retail operations, such as grocery stores and restaurants, do not have to be certified.

Accreditation standards establish the requirements an applicant must meet in order to become a USDA-accredited certifying agent. The standards are designed to ensure that all organic certifying agents act consistently and impartially. Successful applicants will employ experienced personnel, demonstrate their expertise in certifying organic producers and handlers, and prevent conflicts of interest and maintain strict confidentiality.

Imported agricultural products may be sold in the United States if they are certified by USDA-accredited certifying agents. Imported products must meet the NOP standards. USDA has accredited certifying agents in several foreign countries.

In lieu of USDA accreditation, a foreign entity also may be accredited when USDA "recognizes" that its government is able to assess and accredit certifying agents as meeting the requirements of the NOP called a recognition agreement.What is rulemaking?

Rulemaking is the process of creating, amending, or removing regulations from the organics standards. The National Organics Program typically conducts rulemaking using four sequential steps:

1. Initial Planning. Before beginning the rulemaking process, the NOP first determines that the regulatory action is authorized by the Organic Foods Production Act. Rulemaking may be initiated for a variety of reasons, including: description of new requirements, clarification of existing language, and amendment of the National List.

2. Proposed Rule. A notice of proposed rulemaking is issued by the NOP, which proposes to add, change, or delete regulatory language and includes a request for public comments during a specified time period.

3. Public Comments. Public comments on the proposed rule are received and analyzed by the NOP.

4. Final Rule. A file rule is issued.

The overall rulemaking process can be lengthy, and can take anywhere from one to multiple years. What are the basic organic standards for plant crops?

Farmers wanting to produce certified organic crops must show the USDA that their cropland has been free of prohibited substances for a period of 3 years. In addition farmers must agree to use practices that help promote soil integrity, including crop rotation and composting. While the USDA allows composted manure to be used in organic crop production, composting standards for manure are much stricter than non-organic standards. To prevent "drift" from synthetic pesticides or fertilizers used on non-organic adjacent cropland, farmers are also required to establish buffer zones around all certified organic crops. What are the basic organic standards for livestock (animals)?

When raising animals for food, farmers seeking organic certification are required to provide animals with 100% organic feed. They are also prohibited from routine use of antibiotics, wormers, and other prescription medications as a means of preventing illness in animals. There is also a requirement that animals have access to pasture during the grazing season, and that a minimum of 30% of total dry matter intake (DMI) be obtained from pasture forage during the grazing season. At a minimum, the grazing season must extend for at least 120 days. Organic regulations also require that animals have outdoor access during the first 6 months of life, except for circumstances involving problematic weather. Are there basic organic standards for processing and handling?

Yes. Processors of certified organic food are forbidden to use certain additives, including sulfites, nitrites, and nitrates. Handlers of certified organic food are not allowed to store the food in any containers that contain prohibited synthetic fungicides or fumigants. In addition, containers that have previously come into contact with prohibited substances may not be reused to store certified organic foods. What is the National List?

The National List is a critical part of federal organic standards. It lists materials that are acceptable for use in organic food production, materials that are prohibited from use, and "processing aids" that are acceptable during the organic food production process. As a very general guideline, natural (non-synthetic) substances are allowed for use in organic production and synthetic substances are prohibited. However, there are definitely exceptions to this general rule, and the National List includes a specific section for Allowed Synthetic Substances and Prohibited Non-Synthetic (natural) Substances. The National List does not specific brand name products of any kind, but instead lists all allowed and prohibited substances by generic name. It's important to remember that the National List is continually changing, since allowed and prohibited substances can be added or removed from the list. Removals and additions typically involve NOSB committee review of petitions from manufacturers and other parties seeking changes in National List. Take me directly to the The National List.How do I know if my food is organic?

Look at the label. If you see the USDA organic seal, the product is certified organic and has 95 percent or more organic content (by weight, excluding water and salt). For multi-ingredient products such as bread or soup, if the label claims that it is made with specified organic ingredients, you can be confident that those specific ingredients have been certified organic.Can you give me more details about labeling?

Labeling standards are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product. Products labeled "100 percent organic" must contain only organically produced ingredients. Products labeled "organic" must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. Products meeting the requirements for "100 percent organic" and "organic" may display the USDA Organic seal.

Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase "made with organic ingredients" and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups on the principal display panel. For example, soup made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients and only organic vegetables may be labeled either "made with organic peas, potatoes, and carrots," or "made with organic vegetables." The USDA Organic seal cannot be used anywhere on the package.

Processed products that contain less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot use the term "organic" other than to identify the specific ingredients that are organically produced in the ingredients statement.

A civil penalty of up to $11,000 for each offense can be levied on any person who knowingly sells or labels as organic a product that is not produced and handled in accordance with the National Organic Program's regulations.What about other types of food labels?

There are other voluntary labels for livestock products, such as meat and eggs:

Free-range. This label indicates that the flock was provided shelter in a building, room, or area with unlimited access to food, fresh water, and continuous access to the outdoors during their production cycle. The outdoor area may or may not be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material. This label is regulated by the USDA.

Cage-free. This label indicates that the flock was able to freely roam a building, room, or enclosed area with unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle.

Natural. As required by USDA, meat, poultry, and egg products labeled as "natural" must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients. However, the natural label does not include any standards regarding farm practices and only applies to processing of meat and egg products. There are no standards or regulations for the labeling of natural food products if they do not contain meat or eggs.

Grass-fed. Grass-fed animals receive a majority of their nutrients from grass throughout their life, while organic animals' pasture diet may be supplemented with grain. Also USDA regulated, the grass-fed label does not limit the use of antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. Meat products may be labeled as grass-fed organic.

Pasture-raised. Due to the number of variables involved in pasture-raised agricultural systems, the USDA has not developed a labeling policy for pasture-raised products.

Humane. Multiple labeling programs make claims that animals were treated humanely during the production cycle, but the verification of these claims varies widely. These labeling programs are not regulated.

Other Questions About Organic FoodsDo organic foods taste better?

From a research standpoint, we don't know, because we have to see any large-scale formal research in this area. On an anecdotal basis, however, some people - including many chefs - believe that organic foods have better taste, color and flavor. The superior taste of organic foods leads these chefs to choose organic foods for their kitchens. One recent and informal survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association found that 50% of restaurants with a per-person dinner check of $25 or more offer organic items on their menus.Why do organic foods cost more?

Much of the higher cost of organic foods can be explained by the scale of production. Organically grown foods - while growing in popularity across the U.S. and reaching a level of $25 billion in sales - still account for less than 4% of all foods purchased in the U.S. In comparison to conventionally grown foods, organic foods simply cannot reach the same economy of scale. The huge difference in production volume means that organically grown foods cannot compete in price with conventionally grown foods on a nationwide basis.

Organic foods don't always cost more, however. In some areas of the country and during certain seasons, the price of certain organic foods may be practically identical to the price of their conventionally grown counterparts. This situation is not common, but it does exist.

It's important to remember that conventionally grown foods often have a "hidden" cost - the cost of environmental harm and the cost of long-term health risks. These "hidden" costs do not show up on the grocery store shopping receipt, but they exist nevertheless.

How popular are organic foods?

Organic foods have been growing in popularity, not only in the United States, but worldwide. According to data from the Organic Trade Association, organic sales in the U.S. surpassed $26.5 billion in 2010 - a 7.7% increase in growth in one year. Organic Monitor estimates (also provided through the Organic Trade Association) show worldwide organic sales to have reached approximately $55 billion in 2009. On a worldwide basis, over 37 million hectares of land were cultivated organically in 2009 and used to produce organic crops. (Since one hectare is roughly 2.5 acres, this amount of land is roughly equivalent to 92.5 million acres.)What is the history of organic foods?

Long before the federal government got involved in the regulation of organic foods, dozens of states had passed organic laws of their own. Today, 45 out of the 50 states have their own organic laws. And even before state laws were established, concerned farmers set up voluntary organic certification systems. The first organization in the country to certify organic farms was CCOF, California Certified Organic Farmers, over twenty years ago.

Since states continue to uphold their own organic regulations the label on an organically grown food may contain other phrases besides "100% Organic" and "Made with Organic Ingredients". The most important of these phrases are "Certified Organic" and "Transitional Organic". In states that allow the label "Certified Organic" you can be sure that 100% of the food ingredients were produced organically. In states where the label says "Transitional Organic," you can be sure the food's producers are making an effort to fully comply with state standards but are simply not there yet, since it takes time for all prohibited substances to become absent from the soil, even though these substances are no longer being used in the cultivation process.

Even though organic food sales in the U.S. surpassed $26.5 billion in 2010, organic food sales remained less than 4% of total U.S. food sales. Because the vast majority of U.S. foods are not produced organically, organic regulations have often come under pressure to accommodate non-organic techniques. This pressure was particularly strong in the mid 1990's when a recommendation was made to allow use of sewage sludge, irradiation and genetic engineering in organically certified foods. This recommendation was rejected, partially in response to more than 250,000 letters received by the USDA in opposition to these regulatory changes. To this day, consumer pressure remains important in keeping the "big three" (genetic engineering, irradiation, and sewage sludge) out of organic crop production.

One of the most controversial aspects of the OFPA continues to be the National List. This list of substances permitted and prohibited in organic food production undergoes quarterly review by a government board called the National Organics Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB includes five separate committees, including committees on livestock, food processing, crops and materials. The materials committee, in particular, must review a constant supply of petitions asking or permission to use more and more substances in the production of organically certified foods.Where can I look on the Internet for more information about organic foods?

The official site of the National Organic Program (NOP) is a great place to start.

Organic trade association websites can also be extremely helpful. One of our favorites is the Organic Trade Association. Also very helpful is IFOAM: The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. Other helpful sites include: The Organic Consumers Association and Local Harvest.

For information on organic farming, you will want to visit the NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Project. This site is overseen by ATTRA, a key government agency providing information in the area of organic and sustainable agriculture.

See the rest here:

Everything You Need to Know About Organic Foods

Organic agriculture, which is governed by strict government standards, requires that products bearing the organic label are produced without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering or other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation.

Organic farmers understand that what you put into the soil has a profound impact on what you get out of it. That is why they rely on such practices as hand weeding, mechanical control, mulches, cover crops, crop rotation and dense planting, rather than toxic and persistent pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, to enrich the soil in which they grow their crops.

They recognize that doing so provides plants with the nutrients they need to grow. Plus, it enables the absorption of major and micro-nutrients like Vitamin C, resulting in a higher nutrient content and often a better tasting crop.

It all starts with practices to help build healthy soils, which nurture the plants and help decrease the incidence of plant disease. In order to earn organic certification, land must be handled without prohibited materials for at least three years. With certification, organic farmers must develop an organic operating farm plan, which is overseen by their certification agency with annual third-party inspections.

U.S. Organic Standards Natural vs. Organic Organic Farming Practices What does 'organic'reallymean?

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How is organic food grown? | OTA

ORGANIC FOOD BAR is a tightly-knit family. Each person who works here at our headquarters in Henderson Nevada is member of that family. Most of our staff have been here for many years. Thats because we all believe deeply in the vision of ORGANIC FOOD BAR.

We pride ourselves in producing the best food bars in the world, and we work tirelessly to achieve that every day. Although, most of the time, it doesnt feel like work. We love what we do, and we believe in the mission here. Interesting, isnt it that when you truly love your work, its rarely a struggle to do it?

We travel the world to source the finest ingredients to handcraft ORGANIC FOOD BAR products. All of our ingredients are certified organic (USDA & EEC 2091/2092) and kosher, and they are purchased fresh every month. We make our ORGANIC FOOD BARS with lots of love right here in our certified organic facility.

Organic Food Bar products are made in a SOLAR powered facility that is GMP, Organic, Gluten Free and Kosher certified. All of Organic Food Bar products are now nonGMO project verified.

The bottom line at ORGANIC FOOD BAR is that we focus on three simple things: our people, our product and our customers.

By working with the best people, who genuinely enjoy their time here, we can produce the best product for you.

From our family to yours, ORGANIC FOOD BAR. Its whats inside that counts.

Dr. Jack J. Singh is the founder and President ORGANIC FOOD BAR, the finest quality and best-selling organic and raw bars in the world. Were #1 for a reason: ORGANIC FOOD BAR launched intrepidly years ago before any other organic barbefore organics were widely accepted as a better alternative to conventionally grown foods. We printed the benefits of raw foods on the front of our 70100% raw bar. It was substantially higher in price than the bars of its day. We were, and remain, a pioneer in the industry and we helped pave the way for many organic and raw food entrepreneurs. We are the original and remain the best in terms of quality, taste and value!

Dr. Jack J. Singh, N.D., H.M.D

Indian born Jack J. Singh, N.D., H.M.D. is a board certified naturopathic physician, homeopathic medical doctor and expert nutritionist with over thirty years of experience. He is the founder and CEO of ORGANIC FOOD BAR, Inc., makers of the best-selling organic nutrition bar in the world. He has designed food bars specifically for vegetarians, vegans and children with better nutritional needs and food allergies.

Dr. Singh received his board certification in naturopathic medicine from Naturopathic Medical Association in Washington DC and his Doctorate of Homeopathy from the Hahnemann College of Homeopathy.

Dr. Singh combined experience and expertise in Naturopathic, Homeopathic and Avurvedic disciplines to help children and adults make more informed decisions about how they eat.

I have over three generations of experience in nutrition, combining anecdotal and scientific data with the goal of helping children and adults eat better. I have been eating organic food as far back as I can remember. I was the only 8 year old and knew the names of most homeopathic medicines!

Dr. Singh founded ORGANIC FOOD BAR, Inc. when he came to learn that, increasingly, many preventable ailments in America and most of western world are the result of poor nutrition. He set out to create a bar of unparalleled quality and taste to help people lead healthier lives in a time when they need that most.

In the U.S., there seems to be an inverse relationship between medical advancements and preventable disease. We know more than ever yet we are in worse physical shape than ever. Much of that stems from an over-consumption of processed foods. That is why my heart rests with helping families eat in a more wholesome and practical way.

As Chief Executive Office of ORGANIC FOOD BAR, Inc., Dr. Singh recently co-developed healthy food that meets the most rigorous nutritional guidelines set for food sold on school campuses.

I believe children are our future and that is one reason why I believe so deeply in sustainability and organics. We must make our planet healthier and cleaner for ourselves and for our most precious assets: our children. That is what I have dedicated my life to.

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