Apart from being knowledgeable about all things organic and a champion for the green movement in Australia, our man on the ground – Anthony – is also an extremely talented musician. For those of you who don’t already know, Anthony is the lead singer in one of Australia’s hottest new bands, Frequency Drive. Recently, he’s been putting in some long hours readying the band’s latest video for public release. “Such is Life”, a song capturing and reflecting Anthony’s energy, enthusiasm and passion, can now be viewed online. I strongly encourage you to check it out now on YouTube!

Shot in Sydney, Australia, the video is beautifully put together and features some of the more historic locations in and around the city. Congratulations to Ryan B (aka Film Guy) and Frequency Drive on all of the hard work that went into producing this amazing clip.

If you know Anthony, you’re already aware that he has something special. “Such is Life” is transformational. It’s as though Anthony has pooled all of his energy and channelled it into one song. As far as I’m aware, the only other artist that had the capacity to do that sort of thing within the confines of a song was Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys (I’m thinking “God Only Knows” from the Pet Sounds album right now).  “Such is Life” represents fresh beginnings and the embodiment of hopes and dreams that are finally crystallising. My heartiest congratulations go to Anthony and the boys. Well done!!!

Do you like it – let us know? Better still, jump on to Frequency Drive’s myspace site and let them know what you think…

Here’s a speech delivered by HRH The Prince of Wales at the inaugural “Food for Life” Awards in London recently. It’s so insightful that I thought it should be included in full. This is the kind of support the organic movement needs to combat the assault from industrial agricultural concerns. Enjoy.

Ladies and gentlemen, if I may say so, it really is a huge pleasure to be here this afternoon to present these inaugural “Food for Life Partnership Awards”. 

I know from Peter Melchett and Emma Noble, who have worked so tirelessly on this campaign, that they are immensely heartened that so many schools have met the criteria to be award winners in this first year of the awards. 

The fact that there is no gold winner this year proves just how tough the standards are and I can only congratulate all the silver and bronze winners – and, particularly, the “School of the Year”. 

I know you are all longing to find out which one of you has won this prestigious title, but I hope you will forgive me for prolonging the suspense a little longer because I just wanted to say a few words about precisely why I believe it is so crucial to follow the example you are all setting and to transform the food culture in this country… 

Over the last forty years it would appear that we have managed to create a whole generation – the parents of the children you teach – whose understanding of where food comes from and how it is produced is severely limited. 

And it is causing real harm.  The over-reliance on packaged, processed food is not just damaging our own health, but damaging our bio-diversity, our soil through agro-chemicals and our water-table through pesticides. 

And, linked to all this, our family farmers have seen ever-diminishing returns on their produce, which means that rural communities have suffered from the loss of local distinctiveness, traditions and culture.

So we have much to mend, but the prize if we succeed is enormous.  And what is so encouraging is that there are signs of real optimism.  Things are beginning to change, not least as a result of the heroic efforts of a really remarkable man, Jamie Oliver.  But at the heart of the progress which has been made is the work of the “Food for Life Partnership”. 

I am proud to say that two organizations of which I am patron – the Soil Association and Garden Organic – are members, together with the Focus on Food Campaign and the Health Education Trust.

I was reflecting over the weekend that it was only in 2004 – just four years ago, long before this had become a public issue – that I spoke to teachers, school cooks and farmers at a Soil Association “Food for Life” event in Skipton. 

Everyone agreed that radical change was needed, but there was a real sense that it was probably too difficult because even if caterers could be persuaded to put fresher, healthier food on the menu, pupils would not eat it. 

However, there were two people at that meeting who knew it was possible because they had done it and it had worked.  One was Steve Hatcher, the Deputy Head of St Aiden’s, a secondary school in Harrogate, who had brought in a restaurant chef with the result that the numbers of pupils eating school lunch increased massively, there was a significant improvement in behaviour and concentration and far fewer pupils were going out into the town at lunchtime.  In other words, the food was better on the inside than the outside! 

The second pioneer at that meeting was the most extraordinary dinner lady, Jeanette Orrey, who had revolutionized the school meals at her primary school, St Peter’s in Nottinghamshire.  I am so pleased to see her here today since I can only say she is owed the greatest possible debt of gratitude because she inspired the creation of Food for Life which has led the revolution in school food.

But, of course, what everyone here knows is that it isn’t enough just to offer healthy food.  The Food for Life Partnership has shown that the take-up of school meals rises – on average by 16 per cent across the award-winning schools that are here today – when school meal changes are supported by practical food education like learning to cook, growing food and visiting farms to learn where food actually comes from. 

So it is crucial that we teach children about the link between the soil, the countryside and food production; we must allow them to discover the joys of planting a seed in the earth, to see it grow, to harvest it themselves and then to eat what they have grown.  Above all, they need to learn to cook it.  This is the only way to educate children about healthy eating – about slow food, not fast food. 

How else can we possibly expect children to care about the food they eat unless they understand how it is grown?  If they don’t know that milk comes from a cow and carrots from the soil, how can they make judgements on what is good or bad for them?  That is why I was so pleased that my own Duchy Originals food company developed a programme with Garden Organic to encourage children to grow their own food.  Any school can do it.  As St John the Baptist school in Hackney – represented here today – has shown, even inner city schools on very restricted sites can find somewhere for pupils to grow food – all they need to do is tear up some of that endless, depressing black tarmac!

And if young people can begin to learn the skill and care which goes into producing food then perhaps we can begin to tackle the appalling waste of food in this country – £10 billion worth every year; that is over £600 a year for every household with children.  It is nothing short of criminal and obscene, but is a symptom of our “throwaway society”.  Some of it, at least, you might have thought, could be used to feed to pigs instead of importing hideously expensive grain and some to be anaerobically digested to provide a clean source of power and heat.

But I think we need to ask ourselves a more searching question, not least about the cause of some of the anti-social behaviour of some young people.  Many of you here today would attest to the clear link between the quality of food that young people eat and their behaviour.  I was interested to hear one of the headteachers here today say “The change in children’s behaviour when we changed the food from processed to freshly prepared and organic was incredible!  They’re much happier and more attentive in class now.” 

But I wonder if there is something deeper here?  Do you think, perhaps, that the disconnection from the land, from the natural world and from understanding the rhythms of Nature, is part of the cause too?  There was some research published at the beginning of the Year of Food and Farming, of which I was patron, by Dr Aric Sigman which showed that children who have contact with Nature score higher on tests of concentration and self-discipline; that exposure to natural environments improves children’s cognitive development and that schools with outdoor education programmes have better academic results and classroom behaviour. 

This, I can only say, is one of the reasons I have for so long been such a committed supporter of school farms.  For those that find academic studies more of a struggle, they learn practical skills and they also tend to respond extremely positively to working with farm animals.  The great thing is that every child can be a success at something and this gives an enormous sense of self-confidence and self-worth.  Incidentally, I don’t know how many of you know that a few years ago The Royal College of Physicians did a report on allergies.  I am sure you know that there is an epidemic of allergies and the Report found three causes: a lack of exposure to animals, chemicals in products and hermetically sealed buildings.

Now we are beginning to make progress with healthy eating in schools, we need to tackle – yes –  you have guessed it! – we need to tackle how we feed patients in our hospitals.  As we are what we eat and as we know that the sort of food we eat makes a difference to our health even when we are not ill, it would seem sensible that the food hospital patients are given helps, rather than risks hindering, the process of recovery.  So we need to encourage them to source locally, seasonally and, where possible, organically.

There are some shining examples already in existence, not least at the Royal Brompton Hospital here in London, which is sourcing its food from a local farmers’ hub thus bringing benefit to the patients through better quality food, to the farmers through a reliable and local market, and to the environment through lower food miles and less waste.

In the best tradition of meddling, it has occurred to me that if it could be organized – and I cannot see why it couldn’t – the ideal would be to create local hubs, not just of hospitals, but schools too which would buy local food from hubs of local farmers.  This would massively reduce transport costs and food miles, while contributing greatly to local economies and to patient and pupil health.  In other words, it would be possible to create a genuinely virtuous circle.

I know that there are caterers we are celebrating here today who are beginning to do just this.  “Local Food Links” is serving a “Food for Life” Gold menu to twenty-four schools in Dorset, and “Shire Services” has successfully launched a “Food for Life” Silver menu with seasonal, local and organic food to 130 primary schools in Shropshire.  This has to be the way forward and I do hope that others will be inspired to follow the lead you are giving.  Incidentally, the Home Farm at Highgrove has been supplying a local school in Gloucestershire with potatoes and carrots for the last four years.

Ladies and gentlemen, please be under no illusions about the importance of the mission in which you are engaged.  It is about rescuing today’s generation of over-industrialized children; about instilling in them a life-long appreciation of food and the way it is produced and reconnecting them with Nature so that they may have a better understanding of why it is so precious to the health and well-being of each and every one of us.  It is about transforming attitudes to food and farming and, in particular, the fortunes of Britain’s family farmers.  My warmest congratulations to all the winners.

Me too! The problem is, I haven’t been getting one recently….

Usually I sleep well. I enjoy sleeping. In fact, I love sleeping. Perhaps too much!

But in the past week or so I just can’t seem to nod off. These days, whenever I get into bed, I toss and I turn until I can’t stand it any longer and get back out of bed again. It’s probably got something to do with the fact that my body still has a few minor aches and pains following the accident. It probably needs time to heal itself.

So I’ve been spending a lot of time surfing the net and chatting with friends on skype.

Jessica, a good friend of mine from Austin, Texas, seems to have an herbal remedy for everything. She’s given me a sleeping remedy to try out. Actually, it’s a tea. I intend to give it a go tonight.

So, what should be the sleep-deprived persons tea of choice? According to Jessica, Rosemary and Lavender tea…

I have it on good authority that rosemary is energizing, yet calming, while lavender is known to be an effective, yet mild, anti-depressant. Sounds good so far.

So how does one go about making this wonder brew?

2 teaspoons chopped fresh (needless to say, organic) rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh lavender flower/leaf
2 cups of boiling water

Combine the rosemary and lavender in a warmed glass or ceramic teapot. Add the boiling water, cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain. Drink.

For best results, I should get this into me at least 3 times each day for 2 weeks. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Here are some resources for any fellow insomniacs…

National Sleep Foundation – pretty much everything you’d ever want to know about sleep – from why you need it to what to do if you’re not getting enough

Sleep Net – includes a sleep test that helps you determine if you’ve got a sleep disorder

Organic bedding boat that floats – a look at what happens to a bunch of organic mattress guys when they’re given a few hours and told to make a boat (for a worthy charity)

Good night…

Being of Italian extraction, pasta is never too far from my thoughts. Whenever I’m not feeling 100%, a good pasta dish always seems to pick me up. That’s why I’ve started wondering if it’s possible that pasta has medicinal qualities? I’m not sure if it does, but for me it seems to…

My medicine of choice is always a good, clean, tomato-based sauce served on a bed of homemade fettucine drizzled with olive oil. Whenever I make sauce – I guess like most of you – I do the normal things. I start with good quality tomatoes, onion, and a super healthy amount of garlic. But the secret of the sauce – for me anyway – is in the veal that I’ve pan-fried earlier. You see I like to cook the veal in the sauce. This brings out a colossal powerhouse of flavor that borders on unbeatable. It also brings something to the veal that is quite special.

The smell of garlic and veal wafting through my house always makes me feel super charged again…

Speaking of being super charged, I recently found a recipe for Pizzoccheri at OrganicFoodee.com. Pizzoccheri is a Northern Italian pasta made from a combination of buckwheat flour and durum wheat. According to Ysanne, the guru of organic cooking and the driving force behind OrganicFoodee.com, it’s easy to roll out using a wooden rolling pin. I’m going to give it a try.

It’s interesting, one of the first books I ever read on organic cooking was by Ysanne Spevack. There isn’t much she doesn’t know about organic food and its preparation, so I might ask Ysanne if pasta can act as a medicine…

Ciao – Tony

If you’re a farmer, why do you grow organic food? If you’re a consumer, why do you buy organic food?

I’m guessing that you do so because you feel confident that it’s a better option. If you’re a farmer, it probably gives you more opportunity, either directly or indirectly, to market and sell your produce. And if like me you’re a consumer, organic food provides you and your family with an opportunity to enjoy food the way it’s meant to be – free of GMOs, pesticides, hormones, and other nasties.

But where does our confidence in the organic industry come from? Is it something that’s intuitive? For some the answer to that is probably yes. But for most of us, myself included, our confidence in organics is gained through experiences, opportunities and, in no small part, through what the media tell us!

Unfortunately, in a world where bad news sells it’s often easier for mainstream media interests to throw stones than promote constructive discussion. This is best highlighted by the speed at which any bad news story concerning the organic industry travels.

That’s why the work performed by The Organic Center is so important. The Organic Center advances peer-reviewed, verifiable scientific research and information behind the human health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming. They then communicate these benefits to society. In doing so, they provide both growers and consumers alike with the confidence they need to continue their support for the organic industry.

I don’t believe it to be an overstatement to say that, without The Organic Center, the organic industry would not have grown anywhere near as quickly as it has. And it certainly wouldn’t be enjoying anything like the level of consumer support that it now does.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with The Organic Center’s site I strongly encourage you to pay it a visit. For those of you who are, there are some neat things going on there that are well worth checking out…

The Organic Center Blog – with some of the sharpest minds in the organic community contributing to it, including Dr. Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., this blog is set to become a really useful addition to the blogosphere.

Organic Essentials – a free pocket guide explaining how to reduce dietary exposure to toxic pesticides.

Serious Science, Serious Benefits – a new educational video providing a comprehensive overview of why living organically is so important.

Without confidence, there is no organic industry!

Local organic producers are receiving some wonderful support from colleges throughout the U.S. What am I talking about?

There’s a new blog out there called Organic on the Green. Its purpose is to support the development of organic food programs on colleges nationwide. The initiative, which has been brought to life by Nina Merrill, a senior at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, provides a wonderful insight into the hearts and minds of the organic industry’s future leaders. Whether it’s a personal account of involvement in the SAFE program or a discussion about the relative merits of organic certification for a large university dining service, the posts are well-written, thoughtful and interesting. Well worth checking out!

In other news, Bates College recently received a $2.5 million donation that is to be used to increase the college’s use of local, organic and natural food.

The gift, which was received from an anonymous alumni donor, carries with it the requirement that it be used to meet the additional costs associated with serving more local, natural and organic food at Bates. Since 1986 about 22 percent of the Bates annual food budget had been spent on local, natural and organic food.

The gift has allowed the College to increase that number to 28 percent in the past fiscal year. For context, the national student initiative “Real Food Challenge” has as its target to redirect 20 percent of all food purchased by colleges and universities (currently $4 billion) toward “real food” by 2020.

In remarks prepared for delivery at Convocation on Wednesday, Sept. 3, Bates President Elaine Tuttle Hansen said: “In their own characteristically ambitious yet modest way, so many Bates faculty, students, staff members and alumni are clearly part of a quiet movement — national and international — that is tackling the problems of our food system. By contemplating food, we want to celebrate and share even more widely many powerful stories about Bates and food.”

Besides celebrating and making visible what already occurs at Bates, the initiative has a second objective, Hansen explained.

“We want to add to the understanding and knowledge about food on campus — where our food comes from, the food system at Bates, the larger food system in which Bates is embedded. So we don’t want to forget in celebrating how we all eat, that there are growing social problems associated with the food system. We want to raise consciousness. We want to educate ourselves. We want to dispel our own ignorance and complacency by considering these issues. We want to explore why, for Bates, a strong and healthy food culture is so important to the educational mission.”

Bates’ focus on food has included a summer reading assignment for this fall’s incoming first-year students and plans for a variety of panels and presentations throughout the academic year.

Bates’ exploration of food took root last spring when President Hansen gathered a small number of students, faculty and staff who share an interest in food and eating to consider the concept.

The group, she said, was “overwhelmed by how much was already going on at Bates. We felt we should develop a kind of clearinghouse, making it all more visible. With food as the thread that connects us, to each other and to our larger community, we will spend the next year celebrating and contemplating more deeply the ways that gathering together around food enhances and supports the college’s mission,” she said.

Sometimes I get asked if I think organic certification and labeling laws have gone too far. Personally, I don’t think so. As a consumer I’m pretty happy knowing that anything I purchase – believing it to be organic – is in fact organic! I am of the firm belief that this can only come about through a robust third party certification system such as the one that’s currently in place. Perhaps you feel the same?

How do you react then when you hear about a company that’s been caught trying to fraudulently pass off their wares as organic? If you’re anything like me, you’re unimpressed. You may even feel somewhat disgusted. After all, this sort of behavior undermines the entire organic certification system. Perhaps worst of all, it plants seeds of doubt in the minds of would-be organic consumers. This ruins things for all of us.

So what sort of reaction would you have if a company were trying to pass off a cigarette as “organic”? Don’t laugh – I’m serious! Think about that for a minute – an organic cigarette…

A court in Germany wanted nothing to do with it.

U.S. company, Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), argued that its cigarettes were made with “100% organic tobacco” and biodegradable paper filters and therefore complied with European Union rules for organic production.

The German court didn’t accept that. Instead, they were of the view that “the concept ‘organic’ implies that such a cigarette is not harmful”. They found that the company’s use of the term “organic” was in violation of national tobacco and business competition laws.

I tend to agree. What do you think?

Hi – my name’s Tony. My good friend Alex has called on me to add some turbo charge to his blog. I hadn’t planned to get involved – it just happened! Truth be told, it’s probably my own fault. Originally, I had planned to concentrate on writing feature articles, such as the one I wrote recently on The Organic Answer to Climate Change. But last week I let Alex know that the Organic Guide blog was in need of a dash of pepper (and maybe a few other organic spices!) To my surprise he agreed. He asked me to start writing regularly. So, here I am.

Who am I? I’m basically just an Australian guy that loves to look after his physical, mental and spiritual health. As far as I can tell the best way of doing that is to ramp up on the organic side of life, increase your vitamin intake, minimize the nasty chemicals, get a moderate amount of exercise and practice your faith.

At the moment I live in Sydney but I also spend quite a bit of time in San Francisco, where I’m heavily involved in the music and entertainment industry.

I don’t profess to be the world’s leading expert on organic standards or anything. In fact, some of my friends might even question why I’m writing about organic living at all. You see after graduating as a Chemical Engineer from The University of Sydney I worked for a few of the big fellas (multinationals) that were churning out some of the least organic, most putrid, chemically-enhanced food products you’d ever care to look at. But no more! I’ve been on the dark side and vowed never to return. I’ve witnessed first hand just how ugly large-scale manufacturing can be. To be honest, I don’t know how I did it for the four years that I did.

I guess if you were to describe me in a nutshell you’d probably say that I was a social activist, neo-classical, anti-GMO, organic-living guy that loves music with all his heart!

By the way, if you’re wondering about the “I’m blogging here…” reference in the right hand sidebar, it wasn’t my idea. I’ve got to thank Alex for that one! Dustin Hoffman’s my favorite actor and I’ve been known to watch (and re-watch) Dustin’s movies like they’re going out of style. Marathon Man, Midnight Cowboy, and All The Presidents Men are probably the three greatest films ever made… according to me!

Ciao – Tony

How many elderly folk in the U.S. depend on Meals on Wheels each day? If you said somewhere between 1.3 and 1.4 million people you wouldn’t be far off the mark. That’s a lot of people who, without the help of Meals on Wheels, wouldn’t be eating a hot meal tonight.

Even though my family and I eat modestly, it’s hard for me to imagine what it must be like not to have something warm to eat each night. It must be tough, particularly when you’re older.

Unfortunately, things are becoming increasingly challenging for Meals on Wheels. Faced with a sharp upturn in demand for its services, coupled with a shortage in volunteer labor (as a result of record-high gas prices) their task seems almost overwhelming.

The good news is that there are companies out there willing to assist where they can. Aurora Organic Dairy, a leading organic dairy company, recently donated 920lb of high quality beef to the Dumas Meals on Wheels Association. The beef came from their newest organic dairy farm – the Coldwater farm – in Stratford, Texas.

That’s a lot of beef. And it makes me feel happy knowing that there’ll be a lot of good folk in Dumas who’ll be a lot less hungry tonight. Well done Aurora Organic Dairy!

Everyone here knows that China produces lead toys, flame attracting pyjamas and the odd gyoza (savoury dumpling) made from boiled cardboard. But who knew that pesticide tainted ginger would be added to the list???

Now I know a lot about China and I must say, having visited the place many times, consider myself a friend of China. But to tell the truth, I really don’t trust Chinese organic producers. I think that is because I know the country – money is king. Now, I don’t blame the people. Why if you were living on around a dollar and a half a day, you’d probably boil cardboard and sell it too. You may not even care for the environment, as the folk over at thenvironmentalblog.org point out often enough (check that link out – 460,000 Chinese a year die from pollution – aaaargh). But my cross-cultural understanding ends when it comes to this.

Basically, there are a lot of smart capitalists in China, and they know that organic produce is big over here – so beware. My tips are as ever – buy local organic first. Know your farmer and know what you’re eating!

You know it kind of makes me a little angry that the candidates can play to the image while doing as little as possible to support the cause. Probably unknown to them, the ‘Organic Food Bar’ is the only consumer brand name product that is available at both the Democrat and Republican conventions. Obviously this is a huge scoop for the makers of Organic Food Bar – and I congratulate them on that. It’s important that organic food reaches a wider consumer base, which will ultimately make access easier and cheaper for all of us.

But as for policies that support organic consumers and industry… well hold back – both parties have little or none! What I am really worried about is that the next administration will inevitably have to make some major policy decisions, which will have a huge impact on organic consumers. Will organics be in the hands of your local farmer or in the hands of the major corporations? Will there be regulations in place to ensure that both are protected? Will there be regulations that ensure that WE ARE PROTECTED?

We should all be aware of these choices. Over at the Organic Consumer’s Association (OCA) they are prepared for these choices. We as consumers should get behind them, or at least be aware of what they are saying. You don’t have to agree with them (and many don’t) but at least know what they are saying!

Ecological Internet, the group responsible for ClimateArk.org and Forests.org announced today their intention to publish a new ezine called New Earth Rising. They’re currently seeking submissions from established and new environmental writers, scholars and activists. Given the length of time Dr Glen Barry and his team has been involved in scholarly discussion on all matter relating to ecological sustainability this is sure to be a well-researched, thoughtful and timely publication. So, what exactly are Ecological Internet looking for in submissions? The following should assist…

New Earth Rising’s editorial tone will strongly favor truthful ecological writings regarding global eco-crises, identifying necessary and sufficient solutions, and organizing action for their implementation. Submissions should be personal essays of 2-4 pages in length, and need not be scholarly and footnoted, but must be well-researched, informed and passionate.

The publication will be grounded in the ethics of biocentrism, deep ecology and political ecology. It will emphasize the need for ecological science and rationalism in formulating environmental public policy; examination of the seriousness of ecological and related social issues; propose necessary, sufficient and workable solutions involving global citizens, society and governments; and be skeptical regarding secular and religious ideologies.

This is a good opportunity for the organic community to highlight the role organic agriculture can play in addressing climate change. To find out more, please check out ClimateArk.org.

The Soil Association today announced the appointment of Rob Haward, operations director at Riverford Organic Vegetables, as grower representative on its standards board, following an open recruitment process. This appointment completes the Soil Association’s new, independent standards board.

Rob Haward, operations director of Riverford Organic Vegetables, said “I am delighted to have been appointed. I hope my input will be of value to the Soil Association in enabling them to continue to lead the way on standards development. This process is essential in order to protect consumers, while balancing the technical constraints of growers.”

The Soil Association Standards Board is responsible for maintaining and developing all of the Association’s organic standards. Current issues under consideration include:

• airfreight and the possibility of linking this with ethical trade (to ensure airfreight really does benefit African, and other, farmers);
• the Soil Association’s response to the confusion likely to be caused by the new mandatory EU logo;
• the development of specific standards for glasshouse production;
• the creation of common international standards for health and beauty products.

Anna Bradley, chair of the Soil Association Standards Board, said “I welcome Rob to the standards board. With the new standards board complete, I hope all our stakeholders will be confident that their interests will be understood at the standards board table. We can now develop the Soil Association standards with the vigour, transparency and accountability expected of such an organisation and its public interest responsibilities.”

According to an article appearing in today’s Otago Daily Times, Stu Burt and Lyn Williamson, owners of Destination Organic – an organic superstore in Queenstown New Zealand – are so confident that organic food is cheaper than conventional food that they’re stumping up their own cash to prove it. Essentially, they’re asking the people of Queenstown to try organic food for themselves so that they can realise first hand the associated taste and health benefits.

They want to find two families to be an organic test case. They will track their shopping for four weeks, keeping note of their expenditure, and will then subsidise their shopping at Destination Organic by $150 a week for four weeks, to make a comparison between the costs and benefits of both organic and non-organic products.

Well done Stu and Lyn – we’d love to hear how it goes!

What do you call a vacation where you don’t go anywhere? According to JT from The Environmental Blog you call it a “staycation”. I like that idea – a stay at home vacation. Think about it for a minute – no rushing around in planes, trains or buses, no credit card bills to pay immediately following your vacation, and no long car journeys involving a repetitious series of questions starting with, “Are we there yet?” Yep – this is the only no aggravation, low carbon footprint, money saving vacation idea I’ve heard of. And what’s more, if approached sensibly, it has the potential to deliver a lot of fun for everyone in the family! JT, I take my hat off to you…

Okay, so what do you do on a “staycation”? Well, The Environmental Blog reckons that…

If you live on the west coast or the east coast, try visiting the ocean. The beach is always fun whether it is off the hot southern California coastline or the rocky tide pools off of Oregon’s coast, there is always some great summer adventures.

I’ve got a couple of additional ideas about what you might do during a staycation. I’d like to toss them out there…

Start an herb garden – Whether you’ve got a spare bit of yard that’s not being used, a few old tubs that no longer see the light of day, or simply a windowsill covered in pigeon poo, you’re in business. Starting an herb garden is good fun, relaxing, and provides you with a wonderful source of fresh food in the weeks and months to come. If you’ve got young children, get them involved. Children that can enjoy the simple pleasures to be had in growing an herb garden are probably going to do pretty well in life. With all the distractions and nonsense that they’re going to have to contend with in their later years, any time spent now enjoying life’s simple pleasures will likely generate positive outcomes.

Volunteer – A bit of social connection is always good for the soul. If you look around your local neighbourhood there’s bound to be projects and groups looking out for people to lend a hand. Does your neighbourhood have a community garden project? Is there a low cost housing precinct nearby requiring volunteers? How about your local school – do they need someone to lend a hand mending some items? Is there a local history group that’s in need of assistance? Getting involved in the community makes a difference to both your life and the lives of those around you. Helping other folks out is a pretty special feeling and one that’s not easily replicated during a traditional vacation.

Give it a try – having a “staycation” might just be a lot of fun!

Climate change has brought with it a raft of terms that, unless you’re involved in the field, are unlikely to be common knowledge. To co-incide with the release of The Organic Answer to Climate Change, I thought it might be useful to provide a glossary of commonly used climate change terms. Even though the list is by no means complete it does provide a decent lead into the topic. Like it or not, it looks like we’re all bound to hear a lot more about climate change in the years to come. If you’re keen to learn more right now, you might like to check out Dr Glen Barry’s Climate Ark Blog and also the Climate Change Action blog. Both of these are excellent resources. In the mean time, here are those terms…

Abatement – Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, or enhancement of greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere by sinks.

Afforestation – Planting of new forests on lands not recently forested.

Biosequestration – The removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide through biological processes, for example, photosynthesis in plants and trees.

Carbon capture and storage – Technology to capture and store greenhouse gas emissions from energy production or industrial processes. Captured greenhouse gases have the potential to be stored in a variety of geological sites.

Carbon – Carbon refers to the six major greenhouse gases.

Carbon dioxide – A naturally occurring gas; it is also a by-product of burning fossil fuels and biomass, other industrial processes and land-use changes. It is the principal anthropogenic greenhouse gas that affects the earth’s temperature.

Carbon dioxide equivalent – A standard measure that takes account of the different global warming potentials of greenhouse gases and expresses the cumulative effect in a common unit.

Carbon footprint – A measure of the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to an activity; it is commonly used at an individual, household or business level.

Carbon market – A generic term for a trading system in which countries, organizations and individuals buy or sell units of greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to meet limits on emissions.

Carbon offset – carbon offsets represent reductions in greenhouse gases relative to a business-as-usual baseline. Carbon offsets are tradeable and often used to negate (or offset) all or part of another entities emissions.

Carbon sequestration – The long-term storage of carbon dioxide in forests, soils, oceans or underground. Studies have found that organic farming has the capacity to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store as soil carbon.

Carbon sinks – Natural or man-made systems that absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, including trees, plants and the oceans.

Climate change – As defined by the UNFCCC, a change in climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition to natural climate variability over comparable time periods.

Cogeneration – The production of two useful forms of energy such as high temperature heat (for hot water or space heating) and electricity from the same process. Also known as combined heat and power.

Deforestation – The conversion of forested land to an alternative, non-forest use.

Emissions – The release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Greenhouse effect – The trapping of heat by naturally occurring heat-retaining atmospheric gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and ozone) that keeps the earth about 60 degrees farenheit warmer than if these gases did not exist.

Greenhouse gases – Gases that cause global warming and climate change. The major greenhouse gases (GHGs) are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons – Compounds containing hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms. Although ozone depleting substances, they are less potent at destroying stratospheric ozone than CFCs.

Hydrofluorocarbons – Compounds containing only hydrogen, fluorine and carbon atoms. They were introduced as alternatives to ozone-depleting substances in serving many industrial, commercial and personal needs. HFCs are emitted as by-products of industrial processes and are also used in manufacturing.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – Established in 1988, the IPCC surveys worldwide scientific and technical literature and publishes assessment reports that are widely recognised as the most credible existing sources of information on climate change. The IPCC also works on methodologies and responds to specific requests from the UNFCCC’s decision-making bodies.

Kyoto Protocol – An international treaty negotiated under the auspices of the UNFCCC. It enetered into force in 2005. Among other things, the Protocol sets binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by individual developed countries to be met within the first commitment period of 2008-12.

Low-emissions technology – Technology which produces a product with minimal greenhouse gas emissions. The term is commonly used to refer to power generation technologies (such as renewable, nuclear and clean coal generation), but applies equally to other sectors including transport and agriculture.

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) – A group of artificial chemicals comprising only carbon and fluorine. These chemicals were introduced as alternatives, along with hydrofluorocarbons, to the ozone-depleting substances. PFCs are also emitted as by-products of industrial processes and are also used in manufacturing.

Reforestation – Conversion of land used for purposes other than forestry to forested land.

Sequestration – The removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide, either through biological processes (for example, photosynthesis in plants and trees).

UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. An international treaty adopted after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and aimed at achieving the stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

This year’s Sydney Organic Expo was another great success. I hope everyone attending – organisers, exhibitors, presenters and visitors – enjoyed themselves and went away as inspired as I did. I found the Expo to be particularly beneficial. This was the first time I’ve attended the expo as a member of the Organic Guide team. While there were many familiar faces, I’d particularly like to thank those of you I hadn’t met before and who took the time to chat with me. As I said earlier, I left the expo feeling really impressed with every single one of the people I met. Everyone I talked to displayed tremendous passion for the organic products and services they were representing. You’re all wonderful! Congratulations and massive thanks to all of you. The future of Australian organics is in very safe hands!
 
You may have noticed that Jeff was busy taking photos during the expo. We’d like to share them with you. We’ve just set up an Organic Guide flickr account. If you have a website or blog that you’d like to use any of the images in, please feel free to download them. Additionally, if you’d like copies of any of them for promotional or other purposes please drop me a line and I’ll make sure we email you some higher resolution copies. In the meantime, please find a sample of what we were able to capture of the expo by checking out our new flickr sidebar (which appears toward the bottom right hand corner of this page). Cheers from Tony…

With just over one week until the start of the Organic World Congress in Modena, Italy, five finalists for the prestigious One World Award, which is sponsored by IFOAM, have been announced. The award aims to recognize people committed to permanently protecting and conserving the world we enjoy. The five finalists of the One World Award 2008 have all shown extraordinary commitment to protecting the viability of the planet for future generations. In doing so, they have demonstrated that the future of globalization is positive. The finalists are:

Harald Schützeichel started the foundation for solar energy in Ethiopia in 2004 with the aim of supplying the rural population of Africa with energy. He is consistently trying “to help people help themselves” by creating jobs to promote economic development and education.

Anil Rana, started the Janhit foundation in India in 1988, with the aim of providing cleaner drinking water and fighting water pollution. He also started an ecological cultivation program in 2002 to make a contribution to bio diversity.

Lal Emmanuel, started the Nagenahiru foundation in Sri Lanka in 1991, to campaign for the protection and the reforestation of Mangrove woods. To this day, about 15 hectares have been forested. He has also set up a teaching and training center, to educate teenagers about ecological issues.

Master Sheng Lyun, started the Fo Fa Shan foundation in Taiwan in 1995. Using ecological methods tea, vegetables and other agricultural products are cultivated on about 45 hactares of land. The aims of the foundation are the promotion of ecological farming, ecology and conservation, as well as cultural education.

Victor Ananias, opened his first bio store in Turkey about ten years ago and founded the organization Bugday to support the development of ecological farming and environmental protection.

The winner of this exciting competition will receive the first, hand manufactured One World Award statue and prize money of 25,000 euros made available by Rapunzel Naturkost AG. The jury members are: Joseph Wilhelm, founder of Rapunzel Naturkost AG, two previous Nobel Prize winners Vandana Shiva from India and Tewolde Egzeabher from Ethiopia, as well as the IFOAM vice-president Alberto Pipo Lernoud from Argentina.

As the patron of the OWA, IFOAM will lead the selection of the One World Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges pioneers and personalities who have played very active roles in the ecology movement and the winner will as well be announced in Modena during the Organic World Congress.

Australian scientists have found that fish exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of endosulfan and chlorpyrifos showed significant reductions in the ability to survive in warmer waters. Both endosulfan and chlorpyrifos are commonly used in cotton, horticulture and sugar cane production.

The study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry predicts that global warming will make fish more susceptible to dying from pesticide-contaminated water. According to the study affected fish displayed “erratic swimming…, uncoordinated movement with body quivering, rolling over on sides or back” and loss of the ability to swim upright.

Combine this with the strain already imposed on global fish stocks as a consequence of over-fishing by commercial operators and it’s not difficult to envisage a future without many popular fish varieties.

So, what exactly are endosulfan and chlorpyrifos?

According to the Pesticide Action Network of North America, endosulfan is an antiquated insecticide. Here are some facts about endosulfan:

• It is highly toxic and persistent
• It has been banned in the European Union
• It is used extensively throughout rural U.S., India, China, and many other countries.
• Studies indicate that it endangers the health and wellbeing of children, farmworkers, and those living proximate to affected areas
• Poisoning symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, seizures, and in extreme cases unconsciousness and even death
• It is a suspected endocrine disruptor, with low dose exposure while in the womb being linked to autism, male reproductive harm, and birth defects.

Much like endosulfan, chlorpyrifos is a dangerous yet widely used pesticide. Here are some facts about chlorpyrifos:

• It is a neurotoxic organophosphate insecticide, acaricide and miticide used to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests on a variety of food and feed crops.
• About 20 million pounds of chlorpyrifos are applied in the U.S. every year according to the EPA, with about half for agricultural uses and half for residential uses
• Until recently it was used extensively in homes for pest control (mostly as a termiticide and in pet flea collars)
• It causes cholinesterase inhibition in humans which can result in nausea, dizziness, confusion, respiratory paralysis and even death.

 
What can be done?
Studies such as this are an important reminder of the need to remove dangerous pesticides from our food chain. Apart from the obvious potentially adverse health consequences associated with pesticide use, their persistent nature means that many of them will continue to wreak environmental havoc long after their initial application. Here are some steps to take if you’re keen to remove pesticides from our food chain:

• Support organic agriculture
• Join PANNA.
• Write to your local politician requesting that endosulfan and chlorpyrifos be banned from use.

Last December I looked at some of the reasons motivating me to continue preparing fresh organic fruit and vegetable juices for my family. For those of you who are interested in making your own juice, I thought I’d take a look at the various technological options available to you.

There are many implements and appliances available for making your own juice. These range from the relatively inexpensive to the almost unbelievably overpriced. While the equipment you choose needs to suit your intended purpose, it’s also important for it to fit within the parameters of your household budget. There’s no point forking out money for equipment you’re not going to use after a few weeks. Unfortunately, people often spend good money on expensive juicing equipment only to see it gather dust at the back of their cupboards. One of the reasons many people give up on juicing is the time it takes to clean up afterwards. Therefore, ease of cleaning should be a major consideration when choosing a juicer.

To ensure you choose the most appropriate juicer for your needs, I’d encourage you to think about the following questions:

• What is the main purpose of your juicer?
• How frequently do you intend to make juice?
• How much kitchen bench space do you have?
• What sorts of juice do you want to make?
• How easily can the juicer be taken apart?
• How easy is it to reassemble the juicer?
• Is it possible to access all corners of the juicer to remove excess pulp?
• What is your budget?

Here are some of the more common options available:

Citrus juicers – Naturally enough, a citrus juicer can only be used with citrus (for example, lemons, grapefruits, limes). A simple citrus juicer is one of the least expensive and most commonly found juicing implements in any kitchen. If you intend to limit your juice making to the occasional squeeze of a few oranges and lemons, a simple citrus juicer may be all you require. However keep in mind the fact that, while citrus is a fabulous source of Vitamin C – and therefore extremely good for you – it also contains high levels of acidity. When taken in excess, the acidity in citrus juice can overwhelm the digestive system. Accordingly, if you intend to juice more frequently than say once or twice a week, I recommend moving beyond a citrus juicer.

Food Processors – Food processors are versatile. They are designed to perform a wide variety of roles in the kitchen. Although some of them can be used for making juice, they tend to be significantly less efficient than appliances specifically designed to extract juice. One thing that you’ll want to ensure is that you maximise the amount of juice you obtain from your organic produce. For this reason I do not recommend using a food processor as a juicer.

Centrifugal juicers – Centrifugal juicers work by applying the concept of centrifugal force. Centrifugal means “to move away from the center”. Centrifugal juicers spin at very high speeds. As their internal mechanism spins, pulp is separated from juice. The pulp, which is caught in a separate section of the juicer, can be used for a variety of other purposes. Centrifugal juicers are compact, widely available and relatively inexpensive. They are efficient at juicing both fruit and vegetables. Although certain brands tend to be somewhat noisy, centrifugal juicers are a fantastic option for those looking to get into some serious juicing.

Masticating juicers – Masticating juicers work by forcing fruit and vegetables through a mesh wire. The force used to push the fruit and vegetables through the juicer is immense. As a result they tend to produce large quantities of juice with little or no wastage. Masticating juicers work at lower speeds and are therefore more adept at juicing a wider range of fruit and vegetables than centrifugal juicers. They are particularly good at juicing greens such as spinach, lettuce, wheatgrass and parsley. Although masticating juicers are generally more expensive than their centrifugal counterparts, they tend to be more efficient at extracting juice than centrifugal juicers. Over time, this may save you money since by using a masticating juicer you’ll require fewer raw materials (organic fruit and vegetables) to generate similar quantities of juice than if you were using a centrifugal juicer.

What do I recommend? If you’re just getting started on your juicing odyssey and you’re on a budget, I recommend a centrifugal juicer. A good quality centrifugal juicer, although somewhat noisier and slightly more difficult to clean than a masticating juicer, is a relatively less expensive option and will enable you to make a wide range of wholesome fruit and vegetable juices. On the other hand, if you’ve decided that you’re really serious about juicing and have a little extra cash to spend, I recommend a good quality masticating juicer.