Tag Archives: organic agriculture

5 People Looking Out for Your Food

Posted on May 16, 2012 by lzerbe| Leave a comment

By Frances Beinecke, president of Natural Resources Defense Council

Today NRDC announces the winners of the 2012 Growing Green Awards. These awards celebrate the farmers, business owners, and bold thinkers who are transforming America’s food system. Each one of them has pioneered ways to produce food that nourishes our families and restores our water, air, and soil at the same time.

These leaders stand at the forefront of a movement that is sweeping the nation. This is the fourth year NRDC has hosted the Growing Green Awards and within that short time, there’s been an explosion of interest in healthy, sustainable food. Continue reading →

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Fit for a King: On the Future of Food (A Book Review)

Posted on February 16, 2012 by lzerbe| 1 Comment

by Leslie Hatfield, GRACE communications

Advocates of locally sourced, sustainably produced food are often portrayed as elitists (most often by those with a vested interest in the agricultural status quo) and granted, it doesn’t get much more elite than His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales.

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The Endless Controversy Over Organics

Posted on February 16, 2012 by lzerbe| 1 Comment

by Marion Nestle, PhD, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University.

I am a big fan of the Perishable Pundit, Jim Prevor, whose opinions on the produce industry I think are always worth reading whether I agree with them or not.  I check his site regularly.

I am also a big fan of organics.  I think research shows that organic production methods are kinder to soil, climate, and animals than industrial production methods. Continue reading →

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Farm & College: Young Organic Farmers Do Double Duty

Posted on January 11, 2012 by lzerbe| 3 Comments

By Andrea and Erika Holm, second-generation organic farmers and members of Generation Organic

Twin sisters Andrea and Erika Holm are young organic farmers who live and work on their family farm in Elk Mound, Wisconsin. Together with their seven siblings, Andrea and Erika are second-generation farmers at Holm Girls Dairy. Recently, Andrea and Erika were chosen to join the Generation Organic 2011 “Who’s Your Farmer?” Tour, a road trip throughout the Pacific Northwest and California. Continue reading →

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Organic Isn’t Always Sustainable

Posted on January 6, 2012 by lzerbe| 1 Comment


By Marion Nestle, PhD, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University.

Sales of organic foods continue to increase at a faster pace than sales of conventional foods. This alone makes people suspicious of the organic enterprise.

Another reason is confusion about what organic production methods are, exactly. If you are part of the food movement, you probably want your foods to be organic, local, seasonal, and sustainable. You might also want them produced by farm workers who have decent wages and living conditions. Continue reading →

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Posted in Food Politics, Organic Food

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Building Your Community’s Food System: What You Can Do!

Posted on December 1, 2011 by lzerbe| 1 Comment


By Helen Dombalis, Policy Associate at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

The month of November, and really the entire fall, has been filled with a whirlwind of conversations and questions about the state of agriculture funding and our nation’s economic status. We’ve heard the new terms, created as needed by Congress and advocates, which aim to succinctly explain what’s happening: from the “Super Committee” to “mini-buses” to a “secret” farm bill. Continue reading →

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Remembering A Global Treasure

Posted on November 9, 2011 by lzerbe| Leave a comment

by Deirdre Imus, founder and president of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center at Hackensack University Medical Center

Last month, ovarian cancer claimed another dynamic woman, 71 year-old social activist, ecologist and Nobel Laureate, Wangari Maathai. Born in 1940 in Nyeri, Kenya, Maathai attended school during a time when few Kenyan girls were educated. Although hardly known in the U.S., Maathai received a master’s degree in biology from the University of Pittsburgh before returning to Kenya where she earned her Ph.D. – a first for an Eastern African woman – from the University of Nairobi and began advocating for women’s rights and environmental conservation. Continue reading →

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Organic Optimism: The Science Makes Sense

Posted on November 7, 2011 by lzerbe| 3 Comments


By Casey Knapp, fifth generation farmer and member of Generation Organic

Organic farming improves the soil and the environment, lets animals grow in harmony with nature, and provides consumers with healthy, wholesome food. But what really makes me believe in organic agriculture is that the premium goes to the American family farm. However, no business will stay afloat if it isn’t profitable. The reason organic agriculture has survived for over 25 years in the marketplace is because people recognize the importance of knowing where their food comes from and who grows their food. I am an optimistic member of Generation Organic, Organic Valley’s initiative to usher in the next generation of young organic farmers. I see organic farming playing an important role in years to come as the planet evolves to cope with challenges of the future.

Continue reading →

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Creating More Farmers: The Most Uplifting Bill in Congress!

Posted on November 3, 2011 by lzerbe| Leave a comment


By Juli Obudzinski, policy associate at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

With all the heated debate going on in the nation’s capital these days, you’d think it was a depressing time to be working on federal policy.  Well, sometimes it is, but sometimes you get the slightest glimmer of hope when you get to be part of a really exciting and forward-thinking piece of legislation, like The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 [H.R.3236].  The bill was recently introduced in Congress, and has emerged over the past year from extensive dialogue around the country by beginning farmers, organizations that represent them, and legislative champions of the new farmer cause. Continue reading →

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