Organic Connection - Organic food issues & more

Thank you for your support

2007-12-26T14:14:00.000-05:00

This time of year brings reflection. A time to look at what we have and haven't accomplished in the year and a time to look at ahead towards the new year.

It is a little more than a year ago that we opened Organic Connection in Brewster. And with any comprehensive retail food market, the costs of fitting out, setting up and establishing a new store are financially significant. It generally takes some time before such a business becomes profitable. We shall look forward to the new year for that time.

But, success also comes in other forms. To create a place that is so different to all others - and for it to be so wonderfully, gratefully appreciated by you, our customers, our friends. For this success, we are so grateful to you.

Another Jazzy Sunday Afternoon with the Diamond Jubilators

2007-12-26T14:13:00.000-05:00

This Sunday (December 29th) between 2:30 & 5pm, the Diamond Jubilators are back at Organic Connection to fill the store with their fun, entertaining & uplifting jazzy music.

Dinner Nights

2007-12-26T14:12:00.000-05:00

The next dinner nights at Organic Connection will be on Saturday, January 5th and Saturday, January 19th.

As usual the mouth-watering menu will be sensationally delicious as well as using organic ingredients.

Menu will consist of many meat & vegetarian dishes, soups, salads, appetisers, desserts & beverages.

Please note that our new fixed price menu will be $40 per person (not including tax & gratuity).

Seating from 7pm. Reservations recommended. (845) 279-2290.

Cooking Classes

2007-12-26T14:10:00.000-05:00

Commencing in January

Gerry Herrfurth, Executive Chef at Organic Connection will be teaching organic cooking classes.

The classes will focus on the "hands on" preparation, cooking and presentation of meals using organic ingredients.

The first evening class will be on Thursday, January 10th. Further details to follow in upcoming newsletters.

Positions Available

2007-12-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

Chefs Assistant

We have a part-time opening in our kitchen - ideal for a chef trainee assisting with all aspects of food preparation. Daytimes and weekend work involved.

Retail Store Assistant - Full Time

We have a full-time position available for a store assistant with strong natural & organic food interest. Some weekend work involved.

Retail Store Assistant - Part Time

Weekend and some after school work available for a young person with enthusiasm for natural & organic foods.

Holiday Roast Ideas

2007-12-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

It's not too late to order an organic roast for the holiday season. We still have available:

Herondale Farm Beef - rib roasts, filet mignon, sirloin roasts, briskets, chuck roasts, spare ribs & other cuts.
Herondale Farm Pork - loin roasts, rib roasts, ham roasts, spare ribs & picnic roasts
Herondale Farm Pastured Chicken
Eberly's Organic Duck
Eberly's Organic Turkey - Whole & Breasts
Organic Smoked Hams
Australian Legs of Lamb - not organic
Locally-smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

Please feel welcome to call and discuss your specific needs.

Organic Farm Bill

2007-12-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

By Matthew Wilde, WCF Courier, December 16

It appears the federal government will finally deliver something to producers: Help. Congress has proposed hundreds of millions of dollars for organic farmers and consumers in the farm bill currently being debated.

To boost organic production, the House and the Senate have each proposed the industry receive a bigger piece of the farm budget.

The House passed a $286 billion, five-year bill in July. It includes $365 million for grants and research into such things as pest and disease management --- crucial for an industry that doesn't allow man-made chemicals --- and marketing and education. The House wants to spend $22 million in new funding to help farmers transition to organic agriculture and $3 million for organic marketing data collection and publication.

Senators, though, are still debating their version of the bill. The Senate wants to spend the same amount of money on grants and research and to help farmers get certified. Plus, $30 million for farmers market promotion and $24 million in new money for technical assistance to address export barriers for specialty crops. The Conservation Security Program would be funded and made nationwide instead of helping certain watersheds under the Senate version.

"It will reward organic farmers, who will prosper from payments for conservation practices such as long-term crop rotation ... including (planting) perennial prospect forages. Those are two key issues we're looking at," said Kathleen Delate, organic agriculture expert at Iowa State University.

FDA Approval of Food from Cloned Animals Gets Stalled in Senate

2007-12-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

A broad coalition of consumer, farmer, and animal welfare organizations last week applauded passage of a provision in the Senate's Farm Bill that would delay the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) endorsement of the use of food from cloned animals. This amendment calls for a rigorous and careful review of the human health and economic impacts of bringing cloned food into America's food supply.

"The passage of this bill with the amendment is like a gift for the holidays," said Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director of the Center for Food Safety. "The FDA's flawed and cavalier approach to cloned food and its potential impacts called for a truly rigorous scientific assessment. At a time when the FDA has repeatedly failed the public, this amendment will ensure that the American consumer is considered before any special interest."

The amendment requires that two rigorous studies be performed before the FDA is able to issue a final decision on food from clones. The amendment directs the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to convene a blue-ribbon panel of leading scientists to review the FDA's initial decision that food from cloned animals is safe. The amendment further requires the NAS to study the potential health impacts of cloned foods entering the nation's food supply, including the possible effects of lessened milk consumption (due to consumer avoidance of cloned food) leading to development of chronic diseases as a result. The bill also directs the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to examine consumer acceptance of cloned foods and the likely impacts they could have on domestic and international markets.

The Story of Stuff

2007-12-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

A new short film was released last week that takes viewers on a provocative tour of our consumer-driven culture -- from resource extraction to computer incineration -- exposing the real costs of this use-it and lose-it approach to stuff.

Throughout the 20-minute film, activist Annie Leonard, the film's narrator and an expert on the materials economy, examines the social, environmental and global costs of extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal.

From the limited life cycle of personal computers to changes in footwear fashion, Leonard demonstrates that products are either designed to be regularly replaced or to convince consumers that their stuff needs to be upgraded. This notion of planned and perceived obsolescence drives the machine of American consumerism year round.

The Story of Stuff Video

Federal Court Rebukes Auto Industry Challenge to Clean Car Program as "the Very Definition of Folly"

2007-12-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

Federal district court Judge Anthony Ishii issued a strong rebuke to the automobile industry's attempt to derail the California Clean Car program that would reduce global warming pollution from motor vehicles. The car companies claimed that the nation's fuel economy law preempted the regulation of global warming pollution by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the federal Clean Air Act.

"This is a huge win for clean air and a cooler planet. Judge Ishii's opinion leaves no doubt that the EPA must act now to pave the way for the innovative clean car programs being advanced by California and 16 other states across the nation," said Vickie Patton, senior attorney with Environmental Defense, a defendant-intervener in the case.

Organic Connection to focus on In-Store experience:

2007-12-18T12:47:00.000-05:00

No Longer Offering Home Delivery

Organic Connection began offering home delivery of organic foods more than five years ago. The business very quickly outgrew a home garage and expanded into warehouse space in South Salem.

Based around customers ordering online from our website, the process was simple and efficient. So efficient that often there was no need for direct communication between our customers and us. Place your order online; it's delivered to your home; done.

However, from the standpoint of our business philosophy, home delivery was somewhat unsatisfactory. Even with our weekly newsletter, we had limited communication with our customers, and limited opportunity to present a wider perspective that, we believe, embraces a Philosophy of food, environment and life-style choices that enhance our overall well-being, and that of our planet.

Hence the opening of our retail store in Brewster. We always planned to have our store be very, very different to other health & natural food stores:

We are 98% organic with our food offerings (no other store comes close that percentage)
We sell and use almost exclusively whole grains and flours (no white flour, no white rice) because they are higher in nutritional value
We avoid offering any foods containing cane sugar (not even organic). All sugar processing uses Calcium Hydroxide to clarify - it also changes the pH of the cane juice. Not really a healthy choice
We offer a hot & cold prepared food (Deli) department using 98% organic ingredients. Of course! Should it be any other way?
We want your shopping experience to be pleasant, social and, even, fun. We try to avoid overstimulating your senses - we're very careful with background music and sales information and impulse buy candy racks.

There is so much more that we plan to offer and provide in our store (healthy cooking classes, documentary viewings & health presentations are just some of the things we have in mind). We would like to focus on Organic Connection becoming a social network hub for people interested in health, well-being and our environment.

We found that we couldn't provide that same focus through home delivery and on that basis are discontinuing that service. The resources that have gone towards order packing, delivery and website e-commerce maintenance will now be able to go towards improving and expanding our retail store environment.

We thank our home delivery customers for their support and encourage them to consider experiencing our retail store in person, and all it has to offer!

Ian Diamond & David Richard
Owners, Organic Connection

Position Available

2007-12-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

Chefs Assistant

We have a part-time opening in our kitchen - ideal for a chef trainee assisting with all aspects of food preparation. Daytimes and weekend work involved.

Organic Connection to focus on In-Store experience:

2007-12-11T14:17:00.000-05:00

No Longer Offering Home Delivery

Organic Connection began offering home delivery of organic foods more than five years ago. The business very quickly outgrew a home garage and expanded into warehouse space in South Salem.

Hence the opening of our retail store in Brewster.

We always planned to have our store be very, very different to other health & natural food stores:
We are 98% organic with our food offerings (no other store comes close that percentage)
We sell and use almost exclusively whole grains and flours (no white flour, no white rice) because they are higher in nutritional value
We avoid offering any foods containing cane sugar (not even organic). All sugar processing uses Calcium Hydroxide to clarify - it also changes the pH of the cane juice. Not really a healthy choice
We offer a hot & cold prepared food (Deli) department using 98% organic ingredients. Of course! Should it be any other way?
We want your shopping experience to be pleasant, social and, even, fun. We try to avoid overstimulating your senses - we're very careful with background music and sales information and impulse buy candy racks.

We thank our home delivery customers for their support and encourage them to consider experiencing our retail store in person, and all it has to offer!

Ian Diamond & David Richard
Owners, Organic Connection

Holiday Food Ideas

2007-12-11T14:15:00.000-05:00

Our Dinner with The Farmer was a wonderful social and culinary experience for our dining clientele on Saturday night.

As seems to be a common happening at our dinner nights, groups of our customers greeted each other and then chose to sit together when they'd never met before. It's quite remarkable and wonderful.

The Dinner Menu featured beef, pork and chicken dishes with the meat produced on Herondale Farm in Columbia County. Jerry & Iva Peele of Herondale Farm were guests for the evening and shared information about their farm with other guests.

With the festive season of this month we can now offer some wonderful organic meat choices to highlight your holiday dinners:

Herondale Farm Beef - plenty of roasts from which to choose
Herondale Farm Pork - plenty of roasts from which to choose
Herondale Farm Pastured Chicken
Eberly's Organic Duck
Eberly's Organic Turkey - Whole & Breasts
Organic Smoked Hams
Australian Legs of Lamb - not organic

Please feel welcome to call and discuss your specific needs.

Toxic Toys

2007-12-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

By Mark Schapiro, The Nation, Nov 5

Into the playrooms of children has come the unsettling news: those little red trains and other neat miniatures of the adult world may be coated in paint containing illegally high levels of lead, posing myriad risks to a child's neurological development. After that discovery prompted a mass recall this past summer, parents will never look at Thomas the Tank Engine the same way again. But the uproar over banned substances and rogue Chinese toy manufacturers has overshadowed an even more troubling issue: the toxins in toys that are perfectly legal. The United States remains one of the few developed countries to permit the import of plastic toys made with polyvinyl chloride additives called phthalates (pronounced tha-lates), which help make toys soft and pliable enough to be twisted or sucked yet durable enough to survive a 1-year-old's grip. A mounting body of scientific evidence suggests that phthalates impede the production of testosterone and disrupt the sexual development of infant boys.

In the average home, phthalates are everywhere--in shower curtains, shampoo bottles, raincoats and perfumes (to aid adherence to the skin). In hospitals, they're in medical tubing. A component of that distinct "new car smell" comes from phthalates in the plastic dashboard. The dash becomes more brittle as the car ages because phthalates are slowly migrating into the car's interior. As they sweat out of the plastic, residue enters the air or, through direct contact, the skin.

1973: Sorry, Out of Gas

2007-12-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

It's a companion website to the 1973: Sorry, Out of Gas show at the CCA in Montreal; it shows the approaches architects and designers used to deal with sun, earth and wind to live without fossil fuels back in the 1970's. It is a true time warp for anyone who went to architecture school in the seventies.

Of Mice and Mint

2007-12-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

Mice are repelled by the scent of natural peppermint essential oil (also called "oil of peppermint"). To rid your house of rodents, simply put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on cotton balls and place them around the house, sprinkle the oil directly on some items, or make a scented spray with two teaspoons of peppermint essential oil per cup of water.

The peppermint applications will remain an effective repellent for as long as the scent remains. This varies according to conditions, of course, but you should get good results in most cases if you replenish the oil every two or three weeks.

Try to strongly scent areas where you think the mice might be entering or hiding out--like basements and stairs--as well as the areas you see them most.

The scent of peppermint oil drives mice away without the danger of poisoning pets and, as a bonus, creates a very pleasant atmosphere for human inhabitants.

more about peppermint (Auracacia.com)

Position Available

2007-12-11T13:45:00.001-05:00

Chefs Assistant

We have a part-time opening in our kitchen - ideal for a chef trainee assisting with all aspects of food preparation. Daytimes and weekend work involved.

Who makes sure organic means organic?

2007-11-26T12:46:00.000-05:00

By Alan Gionet, CBS4 Denver, Nov 22

If you get a taste of ice cream from Bliss Organic Ice Cream in Boulder, you're getting the product of an entire stream of organic products and inspections.

"We have to fill out a lot of paperwork," owner Kim Troy said. "And we have to prove every year that we are organic. We have to keep track of all our lot numbers. We have to keep track of all our certifications. We have to prove that every single pint of ice cream can be followed."

That means keeping some things separate in their shop, which also sells some items that aren't considered organic.

"So we have to have separate bins, separate containers, separate shelving, separate refrigeration for all of our organics," Troy said.

Troy pays over $2,000 a year to get the inspectors from the Colorado Department of Agriculture to take a look at her operation, study it and give her the right to use the symbol that says, "Organic."

Watch excellent news article

Farmers in developing world hurt by 'eat local' philosophy in U.S

2007-11-26T12:40:00.000-05:00

By William G. Moseley, SanFrancisco Chronicle, Nov 18.

Increasing awareness of climate change has transformed the way Americans think about organic food. While organic consumers used to focus on how food was produced, such as whether pesticides were used, they now are also concerned about how far food has traveled to arrive at their plate. The issue is that greater distances often equate to more energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The preference for eating local has been popularized, among others, by UC Berkeley journalism professor Michael Pollan in the "Omnivore's Dilemma" and by Barbara Kingsolver in "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." This "eating local" philosophy has a huge following among those consumers who buy organic food. But what about the consequences of the local food craze for farmers in the developing world who have joined the organic and fair trade movements?

Sustainability in Curitiba and Urban Acupuncture

2007-11-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

"A sustainable city is the one that integrates housing, work and leisure, while preserving its history and investing in public transportation." With this idea in mind, Jaime Lerner has turned Curitiba, capital of the Parana State in Brazil, into one of the greenest cities in the world.

Some of his ideas were to educate children on garbage separation in order for them to educate their parents, to exchange food for recovered garbage in favelas (poor settlements) in order to encourage trash separation, and to put sheep in parks for them to take care of grass and attract children.

Now on a project to revitalize the marine coast, solve the garbage management issues and transform the road system in Luanda, Angola; Lerner is constantly consulted by governments from cities around the world on environmental issues

Sweet Misery - A Poisoned World

2007-11-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

Excellent documentary showing how dangerous artificial sweetener Aspartame is. From its history, to its effects this video is enough to shock anyone into really looking at there food labels next time they shop. Aspartame is a toxic food that came into the world as an investment by Donald Rumsfeld, while ignoring the deadly effects the tests showed.

Video (90 minutes)

There are many benefits to 'going organic'

2007-11-26T12:35:00.000-05:00

By Laurie Bomba, Kansas City Star, Nov 11.

E. Thomas McClanahan suspects that shoppers who buy organic foods are doing so merely for "psychological reassurance" or as a "penance for the excesses of consumerism."

His opening paragraph seeks to alarm readers with the price of organic maple syrup compared with the store brand. If he had read the labels, he'd know that the reason the high-end organic syrup costs 10 dollars is that it's actually maple syrup, distilled from the slow-dripping sap of sugar maple trees. Organic or not, maple syrup is expensive to produce, and is therefore expensive to buy. The corn-syrup-based imitation he bought at one-tenth the price is something else entirely.

The vast majority of organic foods are not priced like delicacies, and they are rapidly making their way beyond the shelves of natural and gourmet markets and into the aisles of discount grocers and price clubs.

While not everyone is able to jump on the organic bandwagon yet, those of us who do go out of our way - geographically and financially - to buy organic foods have many legitimate reasons for doing so.

The Gullible Jennifer Garner Flu Shot Campaign

2007-11-26T12:33:00.000-05:00

By Byron Richards, Wellness Resources, Nov 14

Flu shots remain a subject of intense controversy. Vaccinations of all types remain the centerpiece of the public health herd-mentality paradigm. Just wait until the Avian flu comes, then you will see public health at its finest. Yes, there will be police-state forced vaccinations with experimental vaccines and no right of recourse if you are injured. Thanks to our generally brain-dead Congress the laws are already on the books.

Vaccines have a long and tarnished history, along with an element of workability - which is why there is a controversy. Louis Pasteur is the grandfather of the vaccine-for-profit industry, the creator of the first vaccines (rabies, anthrax, and smallpox) with the financial backing of industry. He had his research records sealed for 50 years after his death, and when they were finally reviewed he was found to be a liar and dishonest scientist. He routinely discarded experiments that didn't prove his vaccine theory and even lied about the kind of vaccines he was using because the technical merit of his work was flawed.

Positions Available

2007-11-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

Assistant Manager
We're looking for an enthusiastic person to join our team as Assistant Manager. Some experience required in natural food retail for this trainee position in which all aspects of natural food retail will be learned.

Store Assistant
Part-time retail position that includes some weekend work - entry level position for a person with a keen interest in organic foods.

Chefs Assistant
We have a part-time opening in our kitchen - ideal for a chef trainee assisting with all aspects of food preparation. Daytimes and weekend work involved.

Food for Thought - Food for the Future

2007-11-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

Climate Change, Agriculture, & Community Planning:
A forum for community leaders, farmers, and local officials in the Hudson Valley

Saturday, December 1, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Glynwood Center, Cold Spring, NY

more information

Thanksgiving Turkeys

2007-11-15T18:11:00.000-05:00

It's not too late to order your organic turkey for Thanksgiving.

We're offering fresh organic turkeys at the exceptionally special pre-order price of $3.45/lb. Turkeys can be picked up fresh Sunday to Wednesday.

We also have organic duck available.

We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Week Delivery Schedule

2007-11-15T18:10:00.002-05:00

Delivery Day

Usual - Thanksgiving
Tuesday - Monday
Wednesday - Tuesday
Thursday - Wednesday
Friday - Wednesday

Please order by 12 midnight day before delivery.

Target Joins Wave of Other Retailers & Companies Moving Away from PVC

2007-11-15T18:10:00.001-05:00

After a national campaign by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) and a coalition of health and environmental organizations, Target has agreed to systematically reduce its use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, commonly known as vinyl. The company is reducing PVC found in many of its owned brand products including infant products, children's toys, shower curtains, packaging and fashion accessories. PVC commonly contains toxic additives such as lead and phthalates.

Support Amendment to Stop Animal Cloning in the Farm Bill!

2007-11-15T18:09:00.000-05:00

The FDA will soon make a final decision on whether food from cloned animals is safe to enter our food supply. They released their preliminary risk assessment in December and received over 145,000 public comments opposing the unlabeled introduction of meat and milk from animal clones.

We need to know more before the FDA releases cloned animals into our food supply. The health risks associated with the consumption of food products from cloned animals is not well documented or available to consumers. Denmark has already banned food from cloned animals and the entire European Union is examining this closely.

Why corn-based fuel isn't our miracle cure for oil dependency

2007-11-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

By Cameron Scott, Mother Jones, Nov/Dec 2007.

"Everything about ethanol is good, good, good," crows Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, echoing the conventional wisdom that corn-based ethanol will help us kick the oil habit, line the pockets of farmers, and usher in a new era of guilt-free motoring. But despite the wishes of Iowans (and the candidates courting them) the "dot-corn bubble" is too good to be true. Click here to see image.

The American Green House

2007-11-15T18:06:00.000-05:00

Mass-market retailers are offering more eco-friendly home furnishings

by Ernest Beck, Business Week, Nov 5.

Eco-conscious consumers can buy their organic milk at mass-market retailers like Target, and now, they can pick up an eco-friendly bookcase there, too. As the greening of the American home continues, major retailers are betting that sustainable home furnishings, will be next on the green shopping list.

Bill Maher - Anti-Pharma Rant

2007-11-15T18:05:00.000-05:00

Bill Maher ends one of his shows with a rant about big pharma.

Watch Video

Positions Available

2007-11-15T18:04:00.000-05:00

Assistant Manager
We're looking for an enthusiastic person to join our team as Assistant Manager. Some experience required in natural food retail for this trainee position in which all aspects of natural food retail will be learned.

Store Assistant
Part-time retail position that includes some weekend work - entry level position for a person with a keen interest in organic foods.

Chefs Assistant
We have a part-time opening in our kitchen - ideal for a chef trainee assisting with all aspects of food preparation. Daytimes and weekend work involved.

Grassroots Healthy Lawn Program

2007-11-15T18:03:00.002-05:00

Now in its fourth successful year, GHLP, a program of Grassroots Environmental Education in cooperation with Westchester County, is an award winning two-day intensive training and certification course in natural lawn and turf care. Learn about soil biology, how and when to use natural turf amendments, how to brew and apply compost tea, and revising horticultural techniques for natural lawn care.

Thurs, Nov. 15, 1:30 - 5:00 p.m. and Fri, Nov. 16, 9:30 - 4:00 at Wainright House in Rye.

More information (GHLP.Org)

Rags, Blues, And All That Jazz!

2007-11-15T18:03:00.001-05:00

The Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck

Sunday, November 25, 2007, 3 PM

Peter Muir returns with the Diamond Jubilators Jazz Band and a fantastical, musical journey through ragtime, blues, and jazz. Join us for this post-Thanksgiving treat - a show perfect for the whole family!

more details

Food for Thought - Food for the Future

2007-11-15T18:02:00.000-05:00

Climate Change, Agriculture, & Community Planning:
A forum for community leaders, farmers, and local officials in the Hudson Valley

Saturday, December 1, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Glynwood Center, Cold Spring, NY

more information

Danbury native changes food habits overnight

2007-11-15T18:00:00.002-05:00

By Donna Christopher, Danbury News-Times, October 29.

A "switch went off" for Philip McCluskey when he started eating a raw vegan diet a year and a half ago. Ultimately he lost 130 pounds, down from his "max weight" of 400, and now feels "happier and lighter" inside and out.

At 5-foot-10 he wants to slim down to 200, but conquering obesity is only part of the story, says McCluskey.

The Danbury native changed his diet overnight, leaving behind a regimen of "highly processed food" that often consisted of "dollar meals" from a fast-food restaurant. A typical order was "a couple of chicken sandwiches, large fries and a milk shake," items he now considers "fake foods." These days he prefers to savor only raw fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and seaweed for every meal.

McCluskey, 30, is thrilled with the transformation and wants to help others feel as good as he does. Obese or not, he claims the average American diet is a disaster. Processed, cooked foods, he said, leave people feeling dissatisfied and unenergetic. He keeps a daily blog on his Web site, lovingraw.com, to inform others on his becoming a "raw foodist," and presents the subject in a 5-minute video on YouTube. The video has already drawn over 2,700 viewers.

Organic Salmon?

2007-11-15T18:00:00.001-05:00

COALITION SIGN LETTER URGING THAT "USDA ORGANIC" STANDARDS BE UPHELD FOR AQUACULTURE

A coalition of concerned advocates from 44 organizations have sent a message to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), urging caution as that body considers whether or not to weaken USDA Organic Standards, it was announced today. The NOSB is meeting in late November of this year to consider the report of their Aquaculture Working Group. If acted upon, their recommendations would allow fish to carry the USDA Organic label - despite being raised under conditions that fail to meet basic USDA Organic principles.

In their letter, the groups comment on the Aquaculture Working Group's recommendations to allow use of fishmeal from wild fish (which has the potential to carry mercury and PCBs) and open net cages (which promotes pollution from fish waste, can spread disease and parasites killing wild fish and allows escapes of farmed fish into the wild).

The co-signing organizations conclude that while the farming of herbivorous finfish may be conducted within organic regulations, farming carnivorous finfish (including salmon) in open net cage systems is an inherently flawed farming practice, incompatible with organic principles.

Farmers & Rural Residents Call for Shutting Down "Organic" Factory Dairy

2007-11-15T17:59:00.000-05:00

By Andrew Villegas, The Greeley Tribune (Colorado), Oct 25

Aurora Organic Dairy near Gill, CO will be allowed to continue operations despite a substantial fly problem bothering neighbors.

The Board of Weld County Commissioners decided on a split vote Wednesday to continue a hearing until August 2008 that could revoke the dairy's special permit to operate the dairy with 4,500 cows.

Of central concern to dairy neighbors is a substantial fly problem that they say has inundated their properties and homes. Commissioners are giving the dairy until August to absolve the pest situation.

"I would like this dairy to disappear," said Wendy Rogers, who owns a farm next to the dairy. "The dairy is too big to manage naturally."

[Note: Aurora provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for some of the nation's biggest chains, including Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, Wild Oats, and about 20 others.]

USDA lets "Organic" Factory Farms off the Hook

2007-11-15T17:58:00.000-05:00

The USDA informed Cornucopia today that it had closed its investigation into Dean Foods' Horizon dairy in Paul, Idaho and another corporate-owned facility in Kennedyville, Maryland. The USDA investigation was in response to a formal legal complaint filed by the Cornucopia Institute in 2006.

"We know from our visit to the Idaho facility that they had no functional pasture meeting legal requirements and were unable to graze their huge dairy herd," said Mark Kastel, codirector of the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute. Cornucopia's legal complaint included interviews with the veterinarian and with livestock professionals associated with Horizon's Maryland dairy indicating that they were not pasturing the animals there, either.

Prep Cook Position Available

2007-11-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

We have an opening for a part-time or full time experience chef's assistant to help with food preparation in our kitchen. Daytimes and weekend work involved.

Can Indian Point be attacked by terrorists? asks EPA

2007-11-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

By Abby Luby, North County News, November 1.

The Environmental Protection Agency wants to know just how vulnerable the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plants are to a terrorist attack. They want the information to be part of the decision in the license renewal process for the Buchanan based plants.

The EPA's comment is based on a court decision ruling against the NRC last year in the case San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (June 2006) where the Ninth Circuit court decided that the NRC was wrong in not considering public and industrial projects as terrorist targets.

Change of Delivery Days

2007-11-15T17:53:00.000-05:00

Heavy customer demand for our Home Delivery service in lower Westchester has created some pressure on us being able to make all deliveries on a timely basis.

So, in an effort to provide timely Home Delivery service to all our customers in Westchester, we are changing the delivery day for some towns.

Effective this week, the towns of Croton & Ossining will now be provided delivery every Tuesday.

Food for Thought - Food for the Future

2007-11-15T17:48:00.000-05:00

Climate Change, Agriculture, & Community Planning:
A forum for community leaders, farmers, and local officials in the Hudson Valley

Saturday, December 1, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Glynwood Center, Cold Spring, NY

more information

Official: Organic Really is Better

2007-10-29T22:42:00.000-05:00

Jon Ungoed-Thomas, Sunday Times, London, October 28.

THE biggest study into organic food has found that it is more nutritious than ordinary produce and may help to lengthen people's lives.

The evidence from the £12m four-year project will end years of debate and is likely to overturn government advice that eating organic food is no more than a lifestyle choice.

The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Britain's biggest killers. They also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc.

Some Things Aren't as Green as They Seem

2007-10-29T22:40:00.000-05:00

Eviana Hartman, Washington Post, October 28, 2007

Green really is the new black: Goods from food to fashion are becoming environmentally trendy. The downside? Many products and services appear Earth-friendly but aren't much different from their conventional counterparts. While there are many shades of green -- and it's impossible to avoid consuming the planet's resources -- it helps to know how to separate fact from fiction.

A few tips to avoid greenwashing.

Halloween Candies

2007-10-29T22:37:00.000-05:00

Halloween is a notorious time for children to receive quantities of candies containing excessive amounts of refined sugars, artificial colors & flavorings. Scary!

There are healthier options. Giving fruit to the treaters, to some, might be considered as bad as a trick. But, we do have available organic candies available sweetened with grain syrups. Available as lollipops and toffees, they'll please the sweet teeth of the gremlins that come knocking at your door, and appease your conscience of healthier feeding to your little ghosts.

Thanksgiving Turkeys

2007-10-29T22:36:00.002-05:00

It's not too early to order your organic turkey for Thanksgiving.

We're offering fresh organic turkeys at the exceptionally special pre-order price of $3.45/lb.

Change of Delivery Days

2007-10-29T22:36:00.001-05:00

Heavy customer demand for our Home Delivery service in lower Westchester has created some pressure on us being able to make all deliveries on a timely basis.

So, in an effort to provide timely Home Delivery service to all our customers in Westchester, we are changing the delivery day for some towns.

Effective this week, the towns of Croton & Ossining will now be provided delivery every Tuesday.

Job Available

2007-10-29T22:35:00.001-05:00

We have an opening for a part-time or full time chef's assitant to assist with food prepartion in our kitchen. Daytimes and weekend work involved.

Lawsuits Announced Against Nation's Biggest Organic Dairy

2007-10-29T22:32:00.000-05:00

Class Action Suits Seek Damages from Sale of Fraudulent Milk

Acting on behalf of organic food consumers in 27 states, class action lawsuits are being filed in U.S. federal courts, in St. Louis and Denver, against the nation's largest organic dairy. The suits charge Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado, with allegations of consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk by the company. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the USDA detailing multiple and "willful" violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.

"This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry," said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. Cornucopia's 2005 formal legal complaint first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. "Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer's good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw- corporation to continue to operate," Kastel added.

Law firms based in Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri have so far have filed one of the lawsuits in Missouri, with another suit, covering dozens of additional states where plaintiffs live, due to be filed in Denver tomorrow. The attorneys are seeking damages from Aurora to reimburse consumers harmed by the company's actions and are requesting that the U.S. District Courts put an injunction in place to halt the ongoing sale of Aurora's organic milk in the nation's grocery stores until it can be demonstrated that the company is complying with federal organic regulations.

Aurora, with $100 million in annual sales, provides milk that is sold as organic and packaged as private label, store-brand products for some of the nation's biggest chains, including Wal-Mart, Target, Costco, Safeway, Wild Oats, and about 20 others.

Independent investigators at the USDA concluded earlier this year that Aurora-with five dairy facilities in Colorado and Texas, each milking thousands of cows-had 14 "willful" violations of federal organic regulations. One of the most egregious of the findings was that from December 5, 2003, to April 16, 2007, the Aurora Dairy "labeled and represented milk as organically produced, when such milk was not produced and handled in accordance with the National Organic Program regulations."

Note: Organic Connection only offers milk & dairy products from regional farmers, family businesses, farmer co-operatives or small organic companies. We maintain the preference and ability to communicate with real people in business rather than work with faceless corporations.

Rule Requiring Pasteurization of Raw Almonds Goes Into Effect

2007-10-29T22:30:00.000-05:00

Despite massive opposition from almond producers, retailers and organic consumers, the USDA has implemented its ruling to require that raw almonds be pasteurized. The rule went into effect on September 1st, and since then, all retail outlets have been forced to remove truly raw almonds from store shelves. Consumers will be misled by this action as there will still be almonds on store shelves labeled as "raw", but they will actually be pasteurized.

One of the FDA-recommended pasteurization methods requires the use of propylene oxide, which is classified as a "possible human carcinogen" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and is banned in Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.

Since the decision about the rule was made, Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, has stepped down. He is temporarily replaced by Chuck Conner. This may provide a new opportunity for reversal.

Please contact Conner today to ask that the rule be suspended for 6 months while the public comment period is re-opened.

Note: Organic Connection continues to offer Certified Organic Raw Almonds. We have ample supply from our main supplier.

Diet for Small Planet may be most efficient if it includes dairy and a little meat

2007-10-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

By Susan Lang, Cornell Chronicle, Oct. 4th.

A low-fat vegetarian diet is very efficient in terms of how much land is needed to support it. But adding some dairy products and a limited amount of meat may actually increase this efficiency, Cornell researchers suggest.

The study, published in the journal Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, is the first to examine the land requirements of complete diets. The researchers compared 42 diets with the same number of calories and a core of grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy products (using only foods that can be produced in New York state), but with varying amounts of meat (from none to 13.4 ounces daily) and fat (from 20 to 45 percent of calories) to determine each diet's "agricultural land footprint."

"A person following a low-fat vegetarian diet, for example, will need less than half (0.44) an acre per person per year to produce their food," said Christian Peters, M.S. '02, Ph.D. '07, a Cornell postdoctoral associate in crop and soil sciences and lead author of the research. "A high-fat diet with a lot of meat, on the other hand, needs 2.11 acres."

"Surprisingly, however, a vegetarian diet is not necessarily the most efficient in terms of land use," said Peters.

The reason is that fruits, vegetables and grains must be grown on high-quality cropland, he explained. Meat and dairy products from ruminant animals are supported by lower quality, but more widely available, land that can support pasture and hay. A large pool of such land is available in New York state because for sustainable use, most farmland requires a crop rotation with such perennial crops as pasture and hay.

Thus, although vegetarian diets in New York state may require less land per person, they use more high- valued land. "It appears that while meat increases land-use requirements, diets including modest amounts of meat can feed more people than some higher fat vegetarian diets," said Peters.

Complaint against Mushroom Company for Organic Standards Violations

2007-10-29T22:26:00.000-05:00

Last week, the Government Accountability Project (GAP) requested that the United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program (NOP) initiate an investigation into violations of organic standards allegedly committed by a mushroom production company based in California. A formal complaint from GAP was submitted earlier today against Golden Gourmet Mushrooms, Inc. (GGM) of San Diego County.

According to documents acquired by GAP, the specialty mushroom company may have violated organic standards and public confidence in several ways, including:

The sale of conventional mushroom products as organic
The manipulation of organic certification documents
Making false claims regarding the nature and origin of its mushroom products.

"Every violation of the standards reduces public confidence in the organic label. It is critical that the National Organic Program thoroughly investigate complaints and weed out any bad actors now while the program is still young," says Jacqueline Ostfeld, GAP Food and Drug Safety Officer.

more info (WhistleBlower.org)

Thanksgiving pre-orders

2007-10-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

Planning yor organic Thanksgiving yet? We'll have organic turkeys available as well as organic hams and many other items (maybe even organic duck).

Not your turn to provide Thanksgiving this year? Don't do without the superb flavors of organic - demand it.

Herondale Farm Pasture Raised Chickens

2007-10-29T22:24:00.000-05:00

We now have available a limited supply of pasture raised organic chickens from Herondale Farm of Ancramdale, New York (Columbia County).

Their chickens roam free in a special protected pasture from the time they're a few weeks old, and enjoy a varied diet combining grass, alfalfa, clover and bugs from the pasture in combination with an organic feed mix.

Home Delivery Area Expansion - New Milford & Kent

2007-10-29T22:23:00.000-05:00

We currently have the capability of increasing our Thursday Home Delivery area. So, we're considering offering Home Delivery to New Milford, Kent and nearby areas.

If you're interested in getting weekly home delivery from us, please drop us an email to let us know.

Organic Harvest Celebration

2007-10-29T22:22:00.001-05:00

Come to CT NOFA's

Organic Harvest Celebration

In New Haven

Saturday November 3, 2007

More info...

Contractors Wanted

2007-10-29T22:19:00.000-05:00

As we enlarge our Eco-Home department with the range of Bio-Shield natural paints and wood finishes, we do get enquiries from customers looking for contractors who would like to have an eco-orientation.

Contractors are welcome to place their business cards or leaflets at the front section of our store.

Job availability

2007-10-29T22:18:00.000-05:00

Organic Connection has an opening in their superb culinary team for a kitchen hand to assist with food preparation and cleaning.

A Tale of Two Counties

2007-10-17T19:04:00.000-05:00

In the farm belt, a look at the extremes of agricultural production

By Tom Philpott, Grist, Oct. 10.

At first glance, Hardin County, located in the central part of the state an hour north of Des Moines, is just another rural county. It's blanketed in corn and soy, and houses what's become the sine qua non of rural Iowa: an ethanol plant. But Hardin isn't just another rural county: it's arguably the state's Confined-Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) capital. The county's farmers have kept hogs for as long as anyone can remember, but CAFOs didn't start popping up until the early 1990s.

I drove through the area with three farmers who have been fighting the CAFO explosion. As we moved along country roads, every few miles a set of low-slung buildings would break through the monotony of corn and soy fields. Sometimes there would be two together; sometimes as many as six or eight lined up in two rows. You can't just walk up to a hog confinement and look inside. CAFO operators are justly terrified that a trespasser could infect the hogs; animals raised this way have little in the way of immune systems. So the lawns in front of most CAFOs display "no trespassing" signs.

Each building, I learned, houses around 2,500 pigs. Often, a kind of big black pond separates the rows. The CAFO industry favors the word "lagoon" to describe these open repositories of feces and urine; I prefer "cesspool." Newer CAFOs, I learned, can no longer utilize open cesspools. So they plunk the confinement building on top of the cesspool: 2,500 hogs standing over their own several-months' accumulation of waste.

Genetically Engineered Corn Study Shows Potential Harm To Stream Wildlife Near Farms

2007-10-17T19:02:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month the Center for Food Safety voiced concern regarding a study issued by a team of researchers on the potential harm posed by the genetically engineered (GE) Bt variety of corn. The study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, establishes that pollen and other material from Bt corn is washing into streams and river headwaters. The study further found through laboratory trials that Bt corn material is toxic to insects that play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. As a result, Bt corn may pose a serious threat to our nation's waterways and the plants, fish and animals that inhabit them.

"This is yet another example of a government agency granting clearance for a GE organism without requiring meaningful or stringent testing," said Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director of the Center for Food Safety. "Bt corn is planted widely throughout the U.S. Had a study like this been done prior to the government's approval, we would not be looking at a popular crop that has the potential to broadly disrupt the environment."

Crops are getting less nutritious and farming methods are partly to blame

2007-10-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Today's farmers raise more bushels of corn, pecks of apples, and pounds of broccoli from a given piece of land than they did decades ago. But those crops are often less nutritious, according to a new report released from The Organic Center, "Still No Free Lunch: Nutrient levels in U.S. food supply eroded by pursuit of high yields."

"Our crops are more abundant [i.e., per acre yields are higher], but they are also generally less nutritious," said report author Brian Halweil, a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute and a member of the Organic Center's scientific advisory board. Historical records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that everyday fruits and vegetables-from collard greens to tomatoes to sweet corn-often have lower levels of some vitamins and less iron, calcium, zinc, and other micronutrients than they did 50 years ago.

Green Chimneys Fall Harvest Festival

2007-10-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

Saturday, Oct. 20th 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Pony Rides · Hayrides· Games · Food Sales · Vendors · Live Music by Shrdlu Trio & More!

Children $5 · Adults $10 · Family Pass $25

Doansberg Rd, Brewster.

Organic Connection will be displaying at this Fall Festival and selling hot soups and chili.

Green Chimneys

Two Angry Moms

2007-10-17T18:56:00.000-05:00

You're invited to a Hometown screening of Two Angry Moms in Weston, CT. Meet the film's producer, Amy Kalafa of Weston!

When: Tuesday, October 16th @ 7pm

Where: Weston Public Library 56 Norfield Road, Weston, CT 06883

What is happening to the health of our children and how does school food factor in?

The film chronicles what happens when two fed-up moms take on the system and start a grass-roots revolution aimed at establishing programs that safeguard the health of our kids.

Two Angry Moms explores the roles the federal government, corporate interest, school administration and parents play in the feeding of our country's school kids and the impact it has on their health.

Two Angry Moms

Organic Harvest Celebration

2007-10-17T18:55:00.000-05:00

Come to CT NOFA's

Organic Harvest Celebration

In New Haven

Saturday November 3, 2007

More info...

Organic Dinner Night - Oktoberfest Theme

2007-10-17T18:51:00.000-05:00

Organic Dinner Nights are held every other Saturday (Oct. 20, Nov. 3 & 17, Dec. 1 & 15) at Organic Connection.

ORGANIC DINNER BUFFET MENU

Oktoberfest Theme

Saturday, October 20th

Salads & Soups
· Beet Salad (VV) (GF)
· Cabbage Salad (VV) (GF)
· Barley Salad
· Cauliflower Salad (VV) (GF)
· Mushroom and Leek Salad (VV) (GF)
· Cucumber and Dill Salad (VV) (GF)
· Mixed Greens with Apple Cider Vinaigrette (VV) (GF)
· German Potato Salad (VV) (GF
· Split Pea Soup with Bacon
· Autumn Vegetable Soup (VV) (GF)

Main Dishes
· Potato Pancakes with Sour Cream or Applesauce (VV) (GF)
· Braised Red Cabbage (VV) (GF)
· Sauerkraut (VV) (GF)
· Braised Lentils (VV) (GF)
· Vegetable and Brown Rice Stuffed Cabbage (VV) (GF)
· Kasseler Rippenspeer (Rib Pork Roast)
· Beef Rouladen
· Vegetable Goulash (VV) (GF)
· Chicken Schnitzel

Desserts
· Fresh Fruit (VV) (GF)
· Apple Cake
· Pumpkin Custards

Legend: GF = Gluten-free, VV = Vegan, V = Vegetarian, Soy = contains Soy.

All ingredients are organic with the exception of seafood

All inclusive dinner price is $40 (includes taxes, tips & non-alcoholic drinks).

BYO Wine. We also have a selection of organic beers for sale.

Seating from 7:00 to 7:30.

Call to make your reservation. Phone: (845) 279-2290.

Selecting the Safest Meat

2007-10-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

As 27 people in eight states have fallen ill from E. coli exposure after eating Topp Meat's hamburger, the company has issued a recall of 21.7 million pounds of frozen ground beef products. Topp advises consumers who've purchased Topp's hamburger burgers to discard them or return them to the store for a full refund. But better choices abound: The Green Guide offers help on sorting your way through the thicket of labels, read on.

Most Reliable Labels

Certified Organic-Animals are fed organic, vegetarian feed, are not administered any antibiotics and no irradiation or genetic modification takes place. They are raised under conditions which provide for exercise, access to outdoors and freedom of movement.

Pastured or grass fed-Cattle are fed on a confined or unconfined system with a grass floor. Claims are not necessarily verified by third party inspectors, though some grass producers do provide independent documentation that their animals are vegetarian (look for the USDA Verified Shield). Grass results in healthier animals with less need for antibiotics. Uncrowded and hygienic rearing conditions also result in lower E. coli infection rates.

[Note: all the beef available at Organic Connection is both Certified Organic & 100% Grass-Fed]

Least Reliable Labels

Free range or free roaming-"free range" is only defined by the USDA for poultry production. Claims are defined by USDA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

No antibiotics administered, raised without antibiotics or antibiotic-free-The USDA allows producers to label meat and poultry products with the claims "no antibiotics administered" or "raised without antibiotics." The term "antibiotic-free" is not approved for use by the USDA. Claims are defined by USDA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

No hormones administered, raised without hormones, or hormone-free-Cattle must not receive any hormones during their lifetime. The term "hormone-free" is not approved for use by the FDA. Claims are defined by USDA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

Natural-Meat must be minimally processed without any artificial flavors, colors, chemical preservatives, or synthetic ingredients. However, the USDA does not exclude meats raised using antibiotics as growth promoters. Claims are defined by USDA, but are not verified by third party inspectors.

thegreenguide.com

UN backs organic farming

2007-10-11T11:47:00.001-05:00

The organic food movement has received endorsement from the United Nations leading agency on food and agriculture, the FAO. In a new report, it says that organic farming fights hunger, tackles climate change, and is good for farmers, consumers and the environment.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has come out in favour of organic agriculture. Its report Organic Agriculture and Food Security explicitly states that organic agriculture can address local and global food security challenges.

Nadia Scialabba, an FAO official, defined organic agriculture as: "A holistic production management system that avoids the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, and genetically modified organisms, minimises pollution of air, soil and water, and optimises the health and productivity of plants, animals and people."

The strongest benefits of organic agriculture, Scialabba said, are its reliance on fossil fuel independent, locally available resources that incur minimal agro-ecological stresses and are cost effective. She described organic agriculture as a 'neo-traditional food system' which combines modern science and indigenous knowledge.'

The FAO report strongly suggests that a worldwide shift to organic agriculture can fight world hunger and at the same time tackle climate change. According to FAO's previous World Food Summit report], conventional agriculture, together with deforestation and rangeland burning, are responsible for 30 per cent of the CO2 and 90 per cent of nitrous oxide emissions worldwide.

FAO Organic Agriculture Programme

Organic, and Tastier: The Rat's Nose Knows

2007-10-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

By Harold McGee, New York Times, October 3, 2007.

In any controversy it can be helpful to consider the views of disinterested parties. So, on the subject of agricultural policy and practice, it's worth noting that an unimpeachably neutral group has joined the ranks of those who prefer organic foods over foods produced with the help of synthetic chemicals. That group is 40 Swiss rats.

A team of Swiss and Austrian scientists recently concluded a 21-year study of organic wheat production. As an "integrative method" for assessing quality, they gave lab animals a choice of biscuits made from organic or conventional wheat. The rats ate significantly more of the former. The authors call this result remarkable, because they found the two wheats to be very similar in chemical composition and baking performance.

Organic Harvest Celebration

2007-10-11T11:42:00.000-05:00

Come to CT NOFA's

Organic Harvest Celebration

In New Haven

Saturday November 3, 2007

more info

International Cleanup Weekend

2007-10-11T11:37:00.000-05:00

International Cleanup Weekend is October 13 and 14th. Think globally and make a difference locally by organizing your own cleanup. Choose a spot close to home -- maybe a trail, park, playground, or patch of sidewalk. Find some friends to help. This year, you can use Google Maps to share your plans and get other folks to the cleanup site.

Google Maps International Cleanup Weekend

First Organic Hotel in Wales

2007-10-11T11:36:00.000-05:00

The first organic hotel in Wales has opened for business in St David's in Pembrokeshire. The TYF Eco Hotel opened its doors for guests on 23rd August 2007. Based in a converted windmill, the intimate 12-bedroom TYF Eco Hotel has been granted organic certification from the Welsh Organic Scheme. This means that almost all the food and drink served in the hotel is guaranteed organic, and inspectors from the Welsh Organic Scheme will visit the hotel several times a year to ensure that standards are maintained.

How about here in the US? Any of our readers know of hotels or B&B's that provide mainly organic meals?

And stay tuned - there's a B&B opening in Ridgefield with an organic oriented attitude.

Position Available: Organic Baker

2007-10-11T11:35:00.000-05:00

We love the idea of having fresh, organic bread and other baked goods available for our customers. We are, therefore, looking for an experienced sourdough baker to help us produce these goods for our store.

Education for Sustainability

2007-10-11T11:34:00.001-05:00

Sustainability is more than a catchword - it is a new kind of thinking, a way to pursue environmental stewardship, economic security and social equity as complementary goals.

More and more, as students pursue degrees at institutions of higher education worldwide, they are exposed to the concepts of sustainable development. Long a hallmark in fi elds such as environmental studies or agriculture, sustainability issues now are cropping up in all walks of course work. Degree programs from Business to Engineering are incorporating discussions of the real-world application of sustainability in their curricula. This reality necessitates more discussion of sustainability in K-12 curricula.

The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation's (CELF) mission is to bring about enduring institutional change to education by promoting sustainability as a core K-12 learning framework. Through early education we can equip students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will lead to a sustainable future for everyone.

Ultimately, we envision our children and future generations understanding the unique and complex systems that support the natural, as well as the human-built environments, and having the knowledge, the desire and the ability to save the integrity of those systems.

King Corn

2007-10-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation.

In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat-and how we farm.

What Makes a Cow Organic?

2007-10-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

By Kathie Arnold

What makes a cow organic? The answer has certainly been controversial over the last several years, especially when it comes to grazing cows on pasture. However, I would submit that the National Organic Program regulation, which states that all ruminants must have access to pasture, has been clear right from the start to the vast majority of organic dairy farms and certifiers.

Only a small minority of operators and certifiers took advantage of the absence of a definitively worded regulation to minimize grazing; they also loosely interpreted, if not disregarded, the several citations to pasture requirements in the USDA regulations. This failure to come to the same understanding and application as everyone else seems to stem from a profit motive-to make more organic milk for the marketplace. For example, documents that have recently come to light show that the first operation of Aurora Organic Dairy, in Platteville, Colorado, apparently started out with about 70 acres of pasture for the 5,000 cows they were transitioning. Their self-serving interpretation of the regulation - "all ruminants must have access to pasture" - was that the livestock just needed to have access to pasture at some point in their life.

Getting Kids to Eat Healthy

2007-10-03T16:13:00.000-05:00

By Amy Linn

Having difficulty getting your kids to eat healthy? Cynthia Sass, a New York City-based registered dietitian, health expert, and author of the book Your Diet is Driving Me Crazy says that by giving kids the information they need they're going to want to eat right.

"What older children need is a basic understanding about this stuff -- about the chemicals and additives and fats and sugars and how it affects their bodies," she says. "Kids are great critical thinkers."

The pickiest fifth-grader and the most eye-rolling teen are equally devoted to taking control of their lives, in the food department and all others, she says. Engage their smarts and their natural sense of outrage -- about the disodium inosinate in those Doritos and the pesticide residue on that peach -- and they'll become allies in the food fight.

"The key is to avoid trying to trick them, or sway them, or force them to clean their plate or eat in a certain way," Sass says. Playing the food cop when they're downing the junky stuff "really pushes them toward those foods."

By sleuthing with your kids instead of for them -- reading labels and finding out together what foods have nasty additives and which fruit juices have no fruit in them and how that strange purple vegetable from the farmers' market actually tastes -- you engage them and bond with them, too.

Apple Varieties - Did you know?

2007-10-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

I bet you already knew that the Granny Smith apple variety was developed in Australia. Of course you did.

But what about Pink Lady apples? A crisp, sweet, good keeping apple variety - it's a cross between the Lady William and Golden Delicious varieties. And it was also developed in Australia.

About the Pink Lady

What's Happening Next Door?

2007-10-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

The owners of the building where Organic Connection is located, have finally received approvals and commenced redevelopment of the shopping plaza. The entire strip will be given a make over with an impressive new facade in addition to a new roof and fitting out of the vacant store spaces. A rendering of the new design is posted in our window.

Organic Connection will be expanding into some of the new space. We plan to use the additional area for restaurant type seating plus the creation of some store within a store concepts including a comprehensive organic clothing, bedding & linen department store, and an Eco-Home store that will be offering natural paints & wood finishes and other eco & health positive home goods.

Additionally, we'll have a community room in which we will be offering workshops & presentations and showing documentaries. The space will also be available for some group events and extra space for our restaurant. The space will also be used as an art gallery showing and offering photography & artwork by John Diamond, M.D. - created for the specific purpose of enhancing our Life Energy.

Organic Architect?

2007-10-03T16:09:00.000-05:00

With our proposed expansion we're looking for an 'organic' architect to assist us with our planning.

An Organic & Healthy Living Oasis?

2007-10-03T16:08:00.000-05:00

The potential for us to create an "Organic Center" with all the available space in the shopping center is exciting. We would consider having stores within a store at the "Organic Center" or else seek other businesses that would complement Organic Connection and make the shopping center an Organic & Healthy Living oasis.

With this purpose to consider, we are currently seeking input from retail experienced, philosophically like-minded business people. Please contact Ian @ (845) 279-2290.

Position Available: Organic Baker

2007-10-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

Protect Us from Polluting Factory Farms

2007-09-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

When factory farms pollute rivers or drinking water supplies with their waste, they should have to pay the cost to clean up the mess. That's what the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compenstation and Liability Act requires.

But now Tyson Foods, other livestock companies and some members of Congress are seeking to make a radical change: They want to take the livestock industry off the hook for paying any cleanup costs and, instead, make cities, states and drinking water suppliers pay the bill. Shifting the burden of cleanup from the polluter to the victim is completely unfair. It would remove a key incentive for factory farms to manage their waste properly and keep it out of our drinking water.
Watch Video - Cockle Doodle Doo Doo

The Deadliest Item at Your Grocery Store?

2007-09-26T15:13:00.000-05:00

Somewhere in the northern Pacific floats a non- biodegradable petrochemical blob that's twice the size of Texas. Much of this deadly mess originated when someone innocently took home their shopping in a plastic bag.

In the U.S. alone, we throw away 100 billion plastic bags each year -- the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil. Yikes!

Paper or Plastic?

The energy and other environmental impacts embodied in a plastic grocery bag is somewhat less than in a paper grocery bag. But paper is easier to recycle, being accepted in most recycling programs. The recycling rate for plastic bags is very low.

So, which is better for the environment? Neither! The fact is that the difference between paper and plastic RECYCLING is small compared with the REUSING bags.

Join our free Connection Club and receive two Organic Cotton Shopping Bags. Keep them with you for shopping. Be keen in their reuse and help keep our environment clean.

The Connection Club

2007-09-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

For our regular customers we're now inviting you to join our Connection Club at no charge.

Membership will entitle you to two free organic cotton shopping bags. Plus your purchases will earn you free credits for use in the Organic Connection Deli.

Additionally, every time you shop at Organic Connection without requiring new bags, we'll donate ten cents towards equipment for the organic farming program at Green Chimneys Children's Services.

Fruity Notes

2007-09-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

Grapes

Many home delivery customers who have ordered from us in pasy years are sure to remember the superb biodynamic grapes that we get at this time of the year.

Marian Farms in California produce these excellent little Thompson Seedless grapes that are bursting with sweet flavor. The season is has limited duration so don't be disappointed when they run out.

One of the significant differences between US organic standards and those in Europe (& Australia) relates to the use of Giberellic Acid (a.k.a. Giberellin), a plant hormone that is injected into grapevines to improve yield. The US standards allow it - hence the prevalence of large elongated grape berries.

Marian Farms, with their adherence to BioDynamic farming principles, do not use Giberellin. So, their grapes have smalled berry sizes but much stronger in flavor intensity and sweetness.

Watermelon

Are seedless watermelon manipulations of nature by people of evil disposition? No, not all. Like all commercial plants, various characteristics are specifically promoted through seed selection. Seedless watermelon are produced commercially for consumers who cringe at the thought of encountering a watermelon seed (is it true that if you swallow a seed that a watermelon will grow in our stomach?).

But, in seeking a seedless watermelon something was forgotten along the way - umm, flavor would be nice. So, we're saying goodbye to seedless watermelon. We have a bin load of deliciously sweet, ripe and juicy watermelons with seeds (let's have a seed spitting contest). And perfect for the next week of warm, sunny weather. And, we almost giving them away for 50 cents a pound. No extra charge for the seeds.

Is Sustainable Forestry Sustainable?

2007-09-26T15:05:00.000-05:00

By George Wuerthner, Sept 22.

We hear praise for sustainable forestry from the timber industry, politicians, and even among many environmental groups. While sustainability is an admirable goal, most of what I have seen touted as sustainable practices are far from ecologically sustainable, especially when compared to wild landscapes. In nearly all instances that I have observed, the so called "sustainable" logging, grazing, farming-- fill in the blank-- is only sustainable by externalizing most of the real costs (ecological impacts) of production. That doesn't prevent people from trying to claim that they have achieved the Holy Grail and found a way to exploit nature and protect it too. Everyone wants to think they can take from nature and somehow not have to pay the full cost. It's the free lunch syndrome.

Sustainable forestry as practiced today is usually more of an economic definition than an ecological one. By sustainable, timber companies and their supporters in the "sustainable forestry" movement engage in practices that ensure a continual long term timber supply, not a sustainable forest.

Antibiotic Runoff

2007-09-26T15:04:00.000-05:00

New York Times Editorial, Sept. 18.

One of the persistent problems of industrial agriculture is the inappropriate use of antibiotics. It's one thing to give antibiotics to individual animals, case by case, the way we treat humans. But it's a common practice in the confinement hog industry to give antibiotics to the whole herd, to enhance growth and to fight off the risk of disease, which is increased by keeping so many animals in such close quarters. This is an ideal way to create organisms resistant to the drugs. That poses a risk to us all.

A recent study by the University of Illinois makes the risk even more apparent. Studying the groundwater around two confinement hog farms, scientists have identified the presence of several transferable genes that confer antibiotic resistance, specifically to tetracycline. There is the very real chance that in such a rich bacterial soup these genes might move from organism to organism, carrying the ability to resist tetracycline with them. And because the resistant genes were found in groundwater, they are already at large in the environment.

Help Enforce the Integrity of Organic Milk Labels!

2007-09-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

One of the Center for Food Safety's main goals is to protect the integrity of organic food so that consumers have a dependable, safe, and environmentally sustainable alternative to food produced through industrial agriculture.

Unfortunately, the ongoing actions of one dairy company have violated the trust consumers place in the organic label. On August 29th the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that from 2003 through 2006 Aurora Organic Dairy willfully violated the federal requirements for organic milk production by illegally failing to provide pasture, and by selling milk from cows that were not fully under organic management. The end result is that you - the organic consumer - may have paid a premium to purchase "organic" milk that was not truly organic!

Companies like Aurora hurt the integrity of the organic label, and threaten the future of organic agriculture. While the USDA has partially addressed Aurora's flagrant disregard for the organic standards, Aurora been allowed to continue to operate and many consumers are left feeling duped. CFS expects that there will be legal action taken against Aurora on behalf of consumers, and we want to make sure that YOUR rights are protected.

Aurora sells some of its milk under its own label: High Meadows. It also packages the majority of all private label organic milk and butter in the country for supermarkets such as Safeway, Costco, WalMart, Target and Wild Oats.

Center For Food Safety

Find out what your kids are really eating for lunch

2007-09-18T10:13:00.002-05:00

Sneak preview of the nationally acclaimed movie, Two Angry Moms, featuring the Katonah-Lewisboro School District.

Two Angry Moms is the movie about school food that everyone is talking about. Filmmaker Amy Kalafa follows Dr. Susan Rubin of Chappaqua in their quest for better school food and to improve our children's health. Come see the movie and learn about the movement!

Katonah Public Library

26 Bedford Road, Katonah

Thursday, September 20, 10:00am & 7:00pm

Suggested donation: $10 suggested(tax-deductible)

Event Details

The Connection Club

2007-09-18T10:13:00.001-05:00

For our regular customers we're now inviting you to join our Connection Club at no charge.

Membership will entitle you to two free organic cotton shopping bags. Plus your purchases will earn you free credits for use in the Organic Connection Deli.

Additionally, every time you shop at Organic Connection without requiring new bags, we'll donate ten cents towards equipment for the organic farming program at Green Chimneys Children's Services.

The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food

2007-09-18T10:07:00.000-05:00

How can we continue America's legacy of independent farmers and fresh, healthy food in the 21st century?

Food2 is an annual series of presentations and workshops created in 2006 that sought to answer this question. The 2007 - 2008 series is underway, commencing with The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food.

September 24, 6:30 - 8:00 pm,

Helen Mills Theater, 137 - 139 West 26th Street, New York

In this presentation and panel discussion, Glynwood looks at the global issue of climate change in terms of its impact on the regional food economy of the Hudson Valley. Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig of NASA/Goddard will summarize current scientific projections on the likely impact of climate change on agricultural production, particularly in the Northeast. She will be joined by Jackson W. Robinson, President & Chief Investment Officer, the Winslow Management Company, a leader in the field of green investing, who will discuss how these projections are already influencing investment decisions, and Jim Hayes, a leader of the NY farm community, who will describe climate changes that farmers are already experiencing and steps they are taking to try to mitigate them.

Glynwood.Org

Late Night Shopping - every Thursday

2007-09-18T10:05:00.000-05:00

In an effort to better accommodate the needs of our customers, Organic Connection will be open for late night shopping every Thursday until 9pm. (First late night this Thursday).

Our deli and hot food bars will also be open late to provide you with the option of a casual, eat-in our take-out organic dinner.

How the Food Industry Deceives Us

2007-09-18T10:03:00.000-05:00

Now deceased TV newscaster Peter Jennings explores how the food industry spends billions of dollars to sabotage your health. Jennings also takes a critical look at our government's agricultural subsidy programs, and the consequences of misguided government policies on our diet and health. For example, sugar and fat receive 20 times more government farming subsidies than fruits and vegetables. The food industry spends $34 billion per year marketing their products, $12 billion of which is spent marketing unhealthy foods to children. Learn how misleading advertising, food additives, and a corrupt subsidy system have undermined public health.

Watch Video #1

Farmworker Kids and Pesticides

2007-09-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Latino farmworker children ages 1 to 6 in North Carolina were found to have, on average, four pesticide metabolites in their urine, according to a just-published study in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Almost 90 percent of the 60 children had three or more pesticide metabolites in their urine, one-third had five or more, and only one child had none.

Metabolites of the highly toxic organophosphate (OP) parathion were found in 90 percent of the children, and chlorpyrifos was found in 83.3 percent. About 2.5 OPs were found, on average, in each child's urine, indicative of active exposures to each of these pesticides within the last few days, and evidence of the need for cumulative risk assessments of the OPs taking into account all active ingredients in the class and all routes of exposure.

The ubiquitous exposure of farmworker children in North Carolina to highly toxic OPs documented in this study occurred in the summer of 2004, two or more years after the regulatory actions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency against parathion and chlorpyrifos under the Food Quality Protection Act. Clearly, use of these OPs remains widespread and continues to expose children to heightened risk of developmental abnormalities, especially those impacting the brain and central nervous system.

The Little Things At Dinner

2007-09-18T09:58:00.000-05:00

If you attend a Dinner Night at Organic Connection, obviously you'll be eating organic (exception: seafood), but there are other 'little things' we do or use that make these dinners different.

Some examples:

Compostable Dinnerware made from Palm Leaves
Candles on the tables made from Soy Oil or Beeswax (no petroleum parrafin)
Organic Flowers

Little Things Can Make A Difference.

Senator Pushes Organic Farming

2007-09-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

Montana Senator Jon Tester is trying to use his Montana farming expertise to get more Americans to switch to organic farming. On Wednesday the Big Sandy farmer outlined his newest legislation which provides assistance to producers who want to start farming *without* any fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

Sen. Tester says making the transition to organic farming ultimately saves producers time and money.

"Organic agriculture is the fastest growing sector of agriculture today, and if we want to increase prices at the farm gate, this is one of the ways to do it. And it will help Montana producers meet the needs of the organic sector for those who chose to use it."

Study Points to Virus in Collapse of Honeybee Colonies

2007-09-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, September 7.

Scientists yesterday identified a virus as one of the likely causes of the recent wave of honeybee colony collapses across the country.

The study, co-authored by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, Columbia University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and several other institutions, suggests that the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) helps trigger the mysterious condition known as colony collapse disorder, which destroyed about 23 percent of U.S. beehives last winter. The paper is being published today in the journal Science.

Beekeepers, scientists and public officials have been searching for the cause of the disorder, which surfaced in 2004 and was formally recognized last year. Unlike other diseases that strike hives, the collapse disorder leaves a colony without most of its worker bees despite the presence of plentiful food, a queen and other adult bees. It has devastated an industry that produces honey and pollinates lucrative crops such as almonds, oranges and apples.