Knowing the people that grow your food is the polar opposite from the grocery store chain experience. When you buy produce in a supermarket, you don’t know what country it was grown in, much less what’s been sprayed on it, or who harvested the food.

The Farmers Pledge can accompany organic certification or be an alternative to it. It’s based in part on the idea of “getting to know your farmer” and building trust.

You can get to know farmers through talking to the vendors at a local farmers market or by participating in a CSA (community supported agriculture) program. If a farmer sells through your local natural foods store, talking to the store buyers is another way, once removed, to get to know them.

Farmers Pledge Program (NOFA-NY)

The Farmer’s PledgeTM is a commitment to a broad set of principles that go far beyond the National Organic Program by addressing labor issues, community values and marketing. It is a commitment that either certified organic farmers or uncertified organic farmers can make to their customers and neighbors. — NOFA NY

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Look Who Owns Organics

June 21, 2010

Some organic food products you may have been purchasing for years have changed ownership without changing their labels. If you want to know who processes the canned organic tomatoes you buy, or your organic milk or the cereal you pour it on, take a look at the research of Dr. Philip Howard.
In 2002, the USDA [...]

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Can organic agriculture really feed the world?

June 16, 2010

Maybe the most popular argument against organic farming is that crop yields can’t compete with conventional agriculture that uses nitrogen fertilizers, pesticides and often, genetically modified seeds. The usual argument is that these chemical-intensive farming practices are needed in order for us to feed the world.
There is science out there that says this isn’t so. [...]

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Don’t read this, if you don’t want to know…

June 4, 2010

about the relationship between food system and fossil fuels
the history of US Ag policy
the impact of the US Farm Bill on national heath
the impact of US food system on rest of the world
what is meant by “food security”
what is meant by “sun food”

If you do want to know about these things, a good place to [...]

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What do those labels mean?

June 4, 2010

Whether it’s food, personal hygiene products, household cleaners or paper products, what do all those labels mean? You know the ones: small logos placed in a row along the back of a package of herbal tea, or the now ubiquitous green and white circle with the words “USDA Organic.”
A great place to find this information [...]

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