My humble beginnings in the organic industry began in 1976 in a small co-op in Iowa. The people were eclectic, and I was drawn to the culture as much as I was the idea of providing healthy organic foods to my community. We were a nascent movement, getting back to the land and nature. Growing, selling and eating organic foodswe were a palpable crusade of Birkenstock bedecked folks who wanted to leave the world a better place through food and agriculture.

I was involved in a bit of midwifery helping to birth the organic movement. Fast forward almost 40 years later, has the organic industry truly grown up?

The state of the organic adolescent

Every year the Organic Trade Association studies and surveys the Organic Industry. According to their latest, sales of organic food and non-food products in the United States broke another record in 2016, totaling a whopping $43.3 billion, up double digits from the previous year.

In 2016 the USDA announced a significant increase in the number of certified organic operations, continuing the trend of double-digit growth in the organic sector. According to new data, there are now 21,781 certified organic operations in the United States and 31,160 around the world.

Organic continues its growth spurts despite the struggles we have with tight supplies in some sectors.

We have a long way to grow to adulthood

Back in 1997 when I was just starting my own business, organic food sales were just $3.4 billion and under 1% of total food sales. The hard work paid off and now organic is at 5% of total food sales. Today as I sit at my desk and I cogitate on the possibilitiesI wonder if we have really gone beyond juvenile delinquency. Should we be satisfied to be just 5% of food?

The spawn is growing, but it still represents only 2% of total agriculture in the US. Has my lifes work been spent for 2% of the total body of agriculture? What kind of incubator is this?

Think about the potential organic agriculture has. Shouldnt we be striving for more than 2% in this world of ecological woes? An increase in organic acreage has the potential to build and preserve our topsoil, clean up our nitrogen and pesticide laden waters. Studies show organic agriculture sequesters carbon, protects wildlife and pollinators, and definitely reduces our exposure to toxic chemicals.

A final push for organic maturity

We clearly need to induce a final thrust to help bring the organic industry into adulthood. We need more organic farmers, plain and simple. We must recruit young people and train existing farmers with more technical assistance to help them transition land into organic.

Its critical that we have the funds for more science and research to help organic farmers produce more efficiently with higher yields. Organic seed breeding and research are essential to helping producers succeed in the midst of a changing climate.

This can all be accomplished and much more if the organic community pools their funds and approves the GRO Check-Off Program. If everyone pays a little, we can have enough funds to match USDA research dollars at land grant universities. Transitioning farmers will have the technical assistance and training to bring more acreage under organic production. The public can be educated on the true meaning of organic.

If you care about the future of organic the time to act is now; the USDA is waiting to hear from you. They published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on the GRO Organic CheckOff Program that could provide funds for a stronger more resilient organic industry. The USDA needs to hear from everyonefarmer, consumer, manufacturer, and handler, thats YOU before April 19th.

If you believe organic food and agriculture needs another push to gain adulthood, please weigh in today.

The future is ours to create.

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One Final Push For Organic April 19th is Your Deadline to Act ... - Huffington Post

New York Times

Whole Foods Pressured by Activist Investor Jana Partners New York Times Whole Foods, the purveyor of organic food products, once shook up the grocery store aisle. Now it is facing pressure for its own shake-up. Jana Partners, the activist hedge fund founded by Barry Rosenstein, disclosed Monday that it was the second ... Activist Investor May Pressure Whole Foods to Sell ItselfFortune New investor suggests board consider selling Whole FoodsPress Herald Whole Foods stock jumps after investor suggests saleToledo Blade CBS News -Charlotte Observer -Wall Street Journal -SEC all 81 news articles »

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Whole Foods Pressured by Activist Investor Jana Partners - New York Times

Verily

4 Things You Should Know About Organic Produce in 2017 Verily When you're grocery shopping, chances are that you still eye the two categories of berries and wonder: Should I buy organic? While the hype surrounding organic food may seem so 2010, new data released by the Organic Trade Association found that ...

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4 Things You Should Know About Organic Produce in 2017 - Verily

PortCityDaily.com is your source for free news and information in the Wilmington area.

WILMINGTON Farm to table cuisine revolves around two interlocking ideas: environmental sustainability and good tasting food. Its the philosophy pushing the Wilmington food scene, but its also expensive.

As Chef Craig Loveof Surf House told Port City Daily in a recent interview, the philosophy has to do with how food gets on your plate.

If people want fresh tomatoes when theyre not in season here, that means putting them on a truck and shipping them from somewhere else, California or Mexico. The tomato that ends up on your plate has been sitting in a truck for a long time, and youve burnt a lot of fuel to get there. Its bad for the taste, and its lousy for the environment. You get the tomato you asked for, but you dont really get what you want, Love explained.

The idea is this: the closer the food is to your plate from the start, the better it is for everyone. But while the price of industrially farmed foods has dropped worldwide due to ever-increasing mechanization and declining oil prices,according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the costs of local and in particular local organic produce has risen.

In the American southeast, organic produce costs on between 30 percent and 50 percent more than conventional produce, according to the USDAs regional produce report (you can compare prices on fruits, vegetables and other products here). The same is true of local produce which, like organic produce, frequently comes from smaller farms without the economy of scale of industrialfarming, marketing and distribution.

The local organic produce that has been the foundation of farm to table cooking is expensive. That cost at the supermarket, let alone on the restaurant table can be prohibitive.

So what can you do? Grow your own.

In a coastal region with a high percentage of apartment living (about 40 percent of New Hanover County rents) and large swathes of sandy soil, not everyone will have access to a garden, let alone a tilled plot of hearty soil. But if you have room for a few planters somewhere that gets eight hours of sun, you can grow a variety of cultivars of tomato, squash (which will grow vertically), cabbages, peppers and a number of herbs.

Port City Daily set up a demonstration model garden, planting several herbs from Shelton Herb Farm and two kinds of heirloom tomatoes (Black Krim and Green Cherokee) from a local farm in Burgaw. (To prepare for the garden, we visited the Herb & Garden Fair at Poplar Grove on April 2. We spoke to several local farmers for background, and attended a lecture on gardening in southeastern North Carolina given by Meg Shelton, whos family runs the Shelton Herb Farm in Leland).

The investment is moderate: $75 for a shovel, compost, potting soil, plant food, planters and seedlings. The potential return is far more. According to Shelton, a single Black Krim tomato plant can produce 12 20 pounds of tomatoes (which sell, locally, between $5 and $6 a pound). So one tomato plant could net you at least $60 worth of heirloom tomatoes.

For the demonstration garden, we used organic plants, compost, soil and plant food. The difference in cost was about $3 for the soil, $2 for the plant food, and less than a quarter for the actual plants. Leaving aside the contentious debate between organic and conventional growing methods, it does seem clear that the cost difference ingrowing produce is less than the cost difference in buying produce.

At the recommendation of Shelton, the herbs and tomatoes were left outside in small planters for about a week. They were brought inside during the extreme winds last week, as well as during one violent thunderstorm. Otherwise, the plants were left outside.

This was done about two weeks after the last potential frost, when the nights are no longer going much below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. (The weather in southeastern North Carolina has been unpredictable this year, and several farmers we spoke to had different opinions. But in general Shelton said, early April is a good bet.) This process, according to Shelton, hardens the plants, toughening cell walls and preparing them for the shock of being transplanted into the ground or in this case larger planters.

Next, prepare a mixture of compost, soil and plant food.Whether youre planting in a garden box on top of sandy soil or using a planter, this mixture is important as it replaces the nutrients created by worms and microbes in fertile soil.

Before planting, it is important to shake loose some of the original potting soil, gently exposing the roots. Some plants like heirloom tomatoes also benefit from a small sprinkling of Epsom salts in the potting hole.

Tomatoes, as well as several varieties of squash and peppers, grow well vertically. This method keeps the ripening vegetables off the ground, but also puts a strain on the plant; using a trellis or a cage allows you to secure the plant as it grows. Secure the trellis or cage early, rather than later, to allow the root system to adapt to it.

What comes next? Vigilance and knowing your crops. For one example: Tomatoes are thirsty plants and can be watered every day, a herb like thyme can succumb easily to root rot, and doesnt need as much water.

It can seem overwhelming, but theres a great deal of information available online. Theres also a lot of local knowledge. In addition to information from the Shelton Herb Farm (in Leland), Port City Daily also spoke to the Green Seasons Garden Center (in Wilmington). Several local farmers hold informal information sessions at the Poplar Grove Farmers Market (off Highway 17 in Wilmington), which runs April 19 through late October.

A good general rule of thumb: dont be afraid to ask questions when and where you buy your seeds and plants. Finally, both New Hanover and Brunswick counties have Cooperative Extensions, resources centers for commercial farmers and backyard gardeners alike.

Sunlight, water and vigilance are all you need now. (Photo by Benjamin Schachtman)

DIY, food costs, local food, Wilmington

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Local organic produce is expensive, here's how to grow your own - Port City Daily

Every Wednesday from noon to dusk, a piece of the park, Lake Ella, is transformed into an organic food market called the Growers Market at Lake Ella. Started as an initiative in the community by Florida A&M Universitys (FAMU) School of Agriculture and Food Sciences and their FAMU statewide Small Farm program, the Growers Market at Lake Ella has managed to stay afloat for the last 13 years.

According to Jennifer Taylor, Ph.D., associate professor and coordinator of Small Farm Programs at the FAMU s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, the Growers Market at Lake Ella was a FAMU initiative.

We were having a series of workshops about organic farming, organic agriculture, and what it was about. The benefits of organic farming and organic integrated management, all of these different kind of strategies that support organic farming systems, said Dr. Taylor.

The development for the Growers Market at Lake Ella, didnt stop at a meeting table.

They came to me and said, Well Jennifer we actually need a different kind of market, can you help us develop a market? continued Dr. Taylor.

According to Dr. Taylor, there are a total of four markets in Tallahassee, but what makes the Growers Market at Lake Ella so unique is it is the only organic methods market, where only organic farmers are able to sell produce.

The Growers Market at Lake Ella features many of farmers from surrounding counties who go through strategic planning processes to thoroughly execute a Wednesday at the market.

According to Annette Layton, owner and farmer of Little Eden Heirloom Farm in Crawford, Fla., preparing their produce for sell, is impossible to do at the last minute.

It really starts months in advance. Its going to take two to three months for this to harvest. Basically its an everyday thing, Layton said.

According to David Newman, farmer of Ripe City Urban Farm in Tallahassee, Fla., his Wednesdays begin with early morning preparation.

Wake up fairly early, harvest everything the same day, package it in some kind of bag. Whatever units, I sell each particular item and then put that in the cooler then put it in the truck. Then prepare all of the marketing stuff. It is pretty routine now, Newman explained.

To the average person, farming may seem like a heavy cross to bear, but to farmers like David Newman and Annette Layton, farming equals steady income and food sustainability.

It is literally a full-time job. This is the only job we have right now. Every now and then Ill do some art, Layton said

I got passionate about growing food in a healthy and sustainable way. This is my form or major income, I also get into real estate on the side, explained Newman.

At the Growers Market at Lake Ella organic food seekers get the opportunity to meet the farmers, without a third party, who nurtured and grew their food. For many of the produce buyers, attending the Growers Market at Lake Ella every Wednesday is more than just buying produce and going home, but also building relationships with the people in the community.

According to Bennett Hoffman, Little Eden Heirloom Farms frequently visiting customer, Little Eden Heirloom Farm is what brings him back to the Growers Market at Lake Ella.

They have great stuff, the people are nice. Thats why I like to come to the market because I like to know what I am getting and who I am getting it from, Hoffman explained.

The diverse love for organic food is what the Growers Market at Lake Ella used as a great tactic to bring the community together.

According to Dr. Taylor, for the last 13 years after searching for a place to host the market, the Tallahassee community has welcomed the Growers Market with open arms.

I searched several places around town that would be a great place to have a market. Somewhere where the community needs to come and see and supportand we got that mix here [Lake Ella] and the people support us.

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Lake Ella becomes organic hotspot - Famuan

Linus Doll, For USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 7:49 a.m. CT April 8, 2017

Linus Doll(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

I have never been obsessed with what is going around, in perhaps the last 50years, more or less, that I call the organic food craze. Latelywe are bombarded with ads about organic food and how much better it is for us. I became curious and decided to find out just what is meant by organic.

My dictionary shows 12definitions of this word, but I will only use the very first one and it should suffice for this article. It says this:Noting or pertaining to a class of compounds that formerly comprised only those existing in or derived from plants or animals, but now includes all other compounds of carbon. So what does this mean pertaining to the food we eat? Wikipedia defines organic foods as those that are produced that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers, etc.

Here is what got me to thinking. Heck, when I was a young boy, my parents planted a big garden with vegetables, sweet corn, potatoesand such, and I never saw them using anything on their crops except sweat and labor. So that tells me I was eating organic food many years ago. I remember my brother Tony and I had to pick potato bugs by hand. No spraying with chemicals back then. Food must have been good;Istill am here.

What really got me to thinking about this article was when I read an advertisement about eggs. Seems like a certain company claims that their eggs are the best and they give you the best in taste, nutrition, variety and savings. Wow! Now they sell organic eggs, cage-free eggs and best eggs. I am a bit confused. I wonder how they get their chickens to lay three different types of eggs. I checked in one of our local supermarkets and I found regular eggs for 98 cents for 18 eggs and the aforementioned best eggs were priced above$3a dozen. Thats a saving? My opinion is an egg is an egg and only the chicken has the say about what it is.

Another ad that caught my eye was one for organic butter. Years ago, people churned their own butter and added a little salt so it didnt taste so flat, but we didnt call it organic. All the stores only called it salted or unsalted. Now they tell us the organic butter is better for us. Huh? What really got me was the cost. One ad was for $5.69 a pound and another was for $4.49 for selected 16-ounce varieties. What are they adding to the cream to make varieties of butter? Can they still be called organic? If a person is a believer in organic food, more power to them. Eggs and butter are only two of the many products that are on the organic bandwagon, and I am sure the bandwagon has not stopped rolling. I just cant jump up on it.

Continuing on with my curiosity, I went online to see what the experts have to say about organic food. When I found what I was looking for, I clicked on print and got six full pages of information. I will only write a few quotes that I thought were interesting. Most of these are answers to questions.

Your friends are right: Organic food does have some benefits, but depending on what your friends told you, some may be bigger than others. A new study published by the American College of Physicians that reviewed 200 studies and determined that organic foods do not have higher vitamin or mineral content than the same foods grown using conventional methods.

The study has been hotly debated, and some outlets say the added-cost of organics is wasted money. Others point out that focusing on nutritional benefit misses the point entirely of certifying, supporting, and buying organic foods. Regardless, the trust is this: The result should cast doubt on any assertions that organic foods somehow have higher nutritional benefits than conventional foods.

Whether you should buy organic foods over conventional depends entirely on you, your budget,and what you expect to get out of those foods. If the reason youve been buying organic is because you believe theyre better for you nutritionally, then theres no reason to continue.

So you ask, Linus, do you buy organic? The answer is Yes, but only if the price is less than your name brand product. I drink tea (green) just about every day and I found a brand of organic tea bags that suits my budget. And I still am here.

Shop wisely.

Linus Doll of Fond du Lac writes community columns for The Reporter. This is his 105thcolumn.

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Doll wonders about organic foods - Fond du Lac Reporter

Most people are aware that organically grown food is free from exposure to harmful chemicals, but that is only one small part of what organic is about.

A larger part of organic agriculture involves the health of the soil and of the ecosystems in which crops and livestock are raised. Organic agriculture is born from the idea that a healthy environment significantly benefits crops and the health of those consuming them. In addition, organic practices are also viable in the long term, since they are efficient in their use of resources, and do not damage the environment and local communities like large scale "chemical agriculture" does.

LocalHarvest does not restrict its listings to organic producers only, since our mission is first and foremost to support small growers, and then to promote Organic agriculture.

We do track our growers' organic status with the following categories:

There are many organizations worldwide that certify produce as being grown in a manner that does not harm the environment and that preserves or improves soil fertility, soil structure, and farm sustainability. Farms that are certified organic are shown as such in LocalHarvest.

Some of our farms prefer not to pursue an organic certification, but do follow organic principles in growing their produce.

CNG is a grassroots certification program created specifically for farmers that sell locally and directly to their customers. CNG's certification standards are based on the National Organic Program but with some variation, including improved livestock living conditions and more explicit access to pasture requirements.

Organic certification standards are very strict, and it usually takes years for farms the achieve them, as all pesticide and chemical residue from the soil is slowly broken down and leached away. Farms marked as "Transitional" are farms in the process of getting their certification, but that are not quite there yet.

Conventional farming does not necessarily have to be as destructive as large scale chemical agriculture. There are many small farms worldwide that sparingly use chemicals when needed, and that otherwise follow good guidelines in the care of their environments and communities. We list those farms in LocalHarvest too.

Based on a series of lectures given by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924, Biodynamics is a method of agriculture which seeks to actively work with the health-giving forces of nature. It is the oldest non-chemical agricultural movement, predating the organic agriculture movement by some 20 years and has now spread throughout the world.

Grass fed, or pastured, animals are raised on pasture, as opposed to being kept in confinement and fed primarily grains. Pasturing livestock and poultry is the traditional method of raising farm animals, is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the most nutritious meat, dairy and eggs.

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Organic Food - LocalHarvest

Following in the footsteps of Chipotle, which just debuted preservative-free tortillas, Papa Johns has announced an ambitious new project that should entice health-conscious people who still like cheap pizza: organic toppings.

Dubbed the organics pilot program, the company is trying to cement itself as a leader in the clean eating revolution by testing out four, freshly sliced toppings in select restaurants across Lexington Kentucky. Customers can see if organic roma tomatoes, green peppers, yellow onions, and mushrooms fit their fancy. In conjunction with Green Bean Delivery, the pizza purveyor is sourcing the fresh veggiefrom farms in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Oregon, California and Indiana. Sean Muldoon, the companys Chief Ingredient Officer (yes, thats an actual job title) said of the project: "Our customers want to know where their food comes from and how it is produced...At Papa John's, we are constantly looking at ways to meet the needs of our customers whether it's through our clean label initiative or testing organic produce."

Papa Johns is also rolling out a gluten-free crust in Los Angeles, Nashville, St. Louis and Phoenix, according to Fortune.

This is all catered toward a larger market trend; the organic food industry posted a sales record of $43.5 billion in 2015, and Fortune reports that half of American households have organic produce in the fridge. Papa Johns is seizing on an investment opportunity, and has been for a while: In 2016, the company announced the elimination of synthetic and artificial food colors, preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup across its entire menu.

Papa Johns enjoys trumpeting itself as the country's healthiest pizza chain. As customers are increasingly drawn to healthy eating, the claim appears to make sense.

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Vice. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.

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Papa John's is Changing its Pizzas in a Major Way - Thrillist

Prevention.com

I Tried To Eat Organic For A Month Without Spending Extra On Food ... Prevention.com I managed to eat organic for a month without spending any extra on food , but it wasn't always easy. Here's what I learned. Research and Markets - Natural and Organic Foods and Beverages ...PR Newswire (press release) all 3 news articles »

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I Tried To Eat Organic For A Month Without Spending Extra On Food ... - Prevention.com

Dive Brief:

One of the most contentious ideas before the National Organic Standards Board at its last meeting was whether to require organic crops to be grown in soil not hydroponically. After much discussion, the issue was tabled and sent to a subcommittee for more research.

Its an issue that has been making plenty of news. Five months ago, the Cornucopia Institute filed a legal complaint against the USDA and other major agribusinesses and organic certifying agents claiming illegal labeling on hydroponic produce sold as certified organic. Other groups feel that when produce is not grown in soil, it is not truly organic.

Now, it looks like the NOSB will make some sort of recommendation to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in two weeks. The NOSB's recommendation is nonbinding, but will strongly influence organic policy decisions made by USDA.

If the NOSB recommends banning the labeling for hydroponic-growncrops as organic, it could have devastating effects on these growers. Many rely on the higher prices that organic foods bring in and have transitioned their produce to being grown this way.

Plus, with the organic market growing monthly, and still not enough organic farmers to meet the demand, this will also create more of a problem. The global organic food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 14% from 2016 to 2021,according to TechSci Research.

A decision on hydroponics could be another NOSB recommendation that could impact the wider food industry.In November, the NOSB decided carrageenan should no longer be allowed as an additive to organic food. Opponents of the controversial ingredient, which is used as an emulsifier in many products, point to scientific and anecdotal evidence that it causes digestive inflammation. However, the board made its decision based on information that there are other additives that can do a similar job.

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Will hydroponic produce get to keep its organic certification? - Food Dive