The Wicked Cool World of Organics - Edition 5 | Use Celsias.com

This week's roundup of organic headlines, updates, resources, goodies, and recipes courtesy of Doug Snodgrass...

Organic Kicks Monoculture Ass

Guess what? Those endless fields of corn, soybeans, or alfalfa are not the thriftiest way to farm. Not in dollar terms. Not in environmental terms. So why are continuous and no-till farming still such staples in American agriculture? Because you & I subsidize them with our tax dollars. Farm welfare for the corporate farm.

A 13-year study out of the University of Wisconsin assessed pastures planted with multiple crop species, as well as organic fields, and compared them to conventional alfalfa and corn farms at two sites in southern Wisconsin from 1993 to 2006.

The simple conclusion: Diversified systems were more profitable than monocropping and organic systems were more profitable than the Midwestern standards of continuous corn, no-till corn, no-till soybeans, and intensively managed alfalfa.

Organic Cotton Market Hits $3.2B in 2008

Global retail sales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products reached an estimated $3.2 billion in 2008, according to an industry report. This represents a 63% increase from the $1.9 billion market in 2007.

The report released by the non-profit organization Organic Exchange found that top ten organic cotton-using brands and retailers globally were Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) (USA), C&A (Belgium), Nike (NYSE:NKE) (USA), H&M (SE), Zara (Spain), Anvil (USA), Coop (Switzerland), Pottery Barn (USA), Greensource (USA), and Hess Natur (Germany).

Despite the global retail outlook, most brands and retailers selling organic cotton products remain committed to their sustainability plans, according to the "Organic Cotton Market Report 2007-2008."

UK organic food sales stabilise after Q4 slide

Sales of organic food in the UK have stabilised after falling sharply in the last quarter of 2008 when concern about recession led consumers to cut back purchases, the Soil Association said on Monday.

"There was a panic response both by the public and also by retailers and we did see some quite sharp dives in eggs, poultry and some horticultural produce at the back end of last year which seems to have stabilised now," Helen Browning, director of food and farming for the Soil Association, said.

"Retailers were removing (organic) product from the shelves to make way for other lines (in the fourth quarter)," she told a media briefing.

Organic Valley Reports Sales of $528M, Donates $1.2M

At its annual meeting in La Crosse, Wis., Organic Valley Family of Farms, the nation's largest cooperative of organic family farmers and one of the nation's leading organic brands, is reporting record sales of $528 million in 2008, a 22 percent increase over 2007.

The cooperative, with 1,332 farmers in 32 states and one Canadian province, expects 2009 sales to reach $549 million, a 4 percent increase. In 2007, sales increased 29 percent over 2006 to $432.5 million. During the past five years, Organic Valley's sales have grown nearly 153 percent.

Organic wines vs. wines made from organic grapes - what's the difference?

With Earth Day this month, I've been thinking a lot about where my food and wine comes from and the impact its production has on the earth. "Organic Wines" have been talked about with increasing frequency. However, it is important to distinguish the difference between organically produced grapes and organic wine.

Wines Made from Organic Grapes: This means that the wine is made from organic grapes but the additive, Sulfur Dioxide, is still used during production and bottling to prevent bacterial spoilage. A regulated system of viticulture must be followed in order for a producer to be certified organic, therefore producing organic grapes. These practices shun the use of manmade compounds such as fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides, as well as anything that has been genetically modified. The benefits of organic growing are far reaching and include soil health, water quality, protection of biodiversity and the reduction of chemical residues in the foods and beverages we consume. Organic growers need to be preventative in their approach in controlling pests, weeds, fungus, and ensure the proper nutrients for the plants.

Organic Wine, on the other hand, is made from organically grown grapes and does not allow for the addition of sulfur dioxide. It is rare to find a bottle labeled as "Organic Wine" (less than 1% of wine) due to the concern for rapid spoilage.

The Startling Effects of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:

● 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;

● 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;

● 70 million gallons of gas -- enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;

● 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;

● 33 tons of antibiotics.

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