Organic Food Blog

There’s a new talk of the town on the net and its known as http://www.stonyfield.com/Organic/. This site has the best info around of any organic farming website. They have been recognized by several top newspapers such as the New York Times and many magazines. They are buzzing all around in the news. Please check out their site to find out more information and don’t forget to sign up for one of there monthly moosletters!

Organic farms are becoming more and more common throughout the US and other countries as well. Most of them are small individual farmers and sell to bigger markets and companies. When we buy organic foods we are helping our fellow farmers and not the big powerful companies that distribute food that’s not as rich in vitamins and not as healthy for us as organic food. Lets all do our fellow farmers families and buy organic!

Well we all have heard many benefits of eating and buyin organic foods. But what are some social benefits we ask ourselves? An unusual question but an important one. Organic farmers tend to care more about their land and as they do so through the years if will continue to be a constant giver to their families and customers. They do so by not using harmful chemicals and pesticides. Also they have to worry less about the key factors:

• loss of topsoil
• toxic runoff and resulting water pollution
• soil contamination and poisoning
• death of insects, birds, critters and beneficial soil organisms

These insure the best of organic foods and the farms and land are preserved for future use.

Heres a quick and easy tip to help you grow the best Organic fruits and veggies possible. As we all know Organic means they are grown with no fertilizers or pesticides etc. Use of a compost bed will suppy these helpful ailments in a natural manner and is costless. Who can resist trying this at home when it is free to you. Heres what to do.

1. Find a spot atleast 2 feet from your house, structures, or fences etc.

2. Plan on making a bed as large as you want and determine a permanent spot where it can develop without harm. Remember the bed will be 1/4th of thes size when its finished. (it will shrink).

3. Add things such as pine straw, leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps (no meat, grease or bones), bonemeal, even cofee grinds or hair can be added.

4. Plan on turning and mixing your ingredients in your compost bed once a week usually with a shovel or pitch fork.

5. When your compost is ready to be added to you beds and garden it should have a sweet woodsy smell to it and be easily ground through your fingers. If it has a bad odor or is clumped it usually means it didnt get enough oxygen.

Hopefully this will help you to enhance the growth of your garden or flower beds. Natural compost helps the water holding capability of the soil and adds nutrients and nitrogen to the soil which it vital in the growth of you plants.

Many people wonder why you have to pay more for organic foods in most instances. There are a number of reasons for this, all of which boil down to one simple concept: you get what you pay for!

You may a little more for those organic carrots at the supermarket, but they are cleaner, healthier and you know they came from a wholesome source. You can paying for peace of mind. Can’t say that about your regular carrots, huh?

Here are three reasons why you pay more for organic food and why you shouldn’t complain:

Reason #1: Animal Welfare — Essentially, the better the animals are treated and the better their conditions, the better quality of food you will have. If the animals in question are being fed good food often and being kept in clean, sterile conditions, the chances that they will end with diseases or in poor health from malnourishment are much slimmer. Optimal treatment of animals is a staple of the organic farming industry.

Reason #2: Skilled Husbandry — This boils down to the fact that organic farmers must be more skilled in farming their land and handling their crops. Since there are no pesticides used in many facets of organic farming, farmers must weed by hand. They must keep a constant watch over all of their plants and animals to ensure that everything is growing and being nurtured as it should. This requires a great deal of education and knowledge on the part of those involved in the organic farming process.

Reason #3: Materials — In many instances, organic farmers must make their own materials from scratch, i.e. fertilizer. This is because many of the products on the market today are made with non-organic, artificial components and cannot be used in the organic farming process. Therefore, farmers must either pay more for organic materials or produce their own, which can translate into better quality, but higher cost for the consumer.

Just remember, you are what you eat. Organic food helps to guarantee that what you eat is healthy and natural and when you look and feel better, that will manifest in other areas of your life.