Sunday, January 27, 2008

Harry and David sale - not much time left!

They don't have tons of organic stuff, but they do have some. Up to 30% OFF America's favorite gourmet gifts! Get delicious deals on Fresh Fruit, bountiful Gift Baskets and Towers, luxurious Chocolates, decadent desserts and more! The January Sale ends January 31st, 2008.

Sale at Sur la Table

All you gourmets - Sur la Table is having a big winter sale. Browse the deals here.

Monday, January 21, 2008

There's always another holiday, isn't there?

The Christmas and New Year's holidays have given way to another one that will be important for organic types: VaGotfruit.com (Alex R. Thomas & Co)lentine's Day! Whether it's for you or your sweetie, the Internet as usual offers a variety of possibilities for wine, chocolate, fruit, even flowers and more. Some of my favorites:

Organic Bouquet (U.S.)
Harry and David (U.S.)
CyberCucina (U.S.) - this month featuring gourmet chocolates and candies!
Chocolate Source (U.S. and Canada)
Wine Enthusiast (wine gifts, rather than wine itself - look for free shipping on wine cellars and a bunch of discount offers till Jan. 31)
Definitely Chocolate (Australia)
Rainbow Designs (Australia) - lots of fun goodies and gifts

Wherever you are...Amazon.com has all kinds of Valentine specials as well.

Of course, these and many more are on the web site:
Organic wine
Organic meat
Organic chocolate
Organic produce
Organic coffee

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Organic beef- farmers loose 40p a kilo

A new report from the Soil Association shows British organic beef producers are getting short-changed by their processors and some key supermarkets who are not paying enough to cover the costs of production, and choosing to import organic beef even though there could easily be enough supply in the UK.

Fierce responses to FDA cloning safety report

The FDA's scientific conclusion that meat and milk from cloned cows, pigs and goats and their offspring is safe has elicited a flurry of responses from both sides of the fence, raising issues such as financial gain, trade opportunities, and organic standards.

The organic age

Considering the plethora of websites on organic products, as well as the growth of organic shops and organic sections that have opened in supermarkets across the country, it would be fair to say that organic is the new food growth area of the 21st century.

Organic Wine Displays Dynamic Trends in Napa Valley

The mood barometer in the organic wine industry has never been so good. Importers and traders specializing in organic wines enjoyed two-figure growth rates again in 2006.

Organic becomes popular choice

More consumers are buying organic products than ever before, and the trend promises to continue well into the future, retailers say.

Supermarkets threaten Welsh organics industry

ORGANIC Welsh beef is being forced off the supermarket shelves by cheaper imports of organic meat flown half way around the world.

Despite growing concern about food miles and the impact food production has on the environment, the Soil Association claims that supermarkets are snubbing local produce because they are unwilling to pay the home-grown organic premium.

Call for poultry price rise to meet welfare demands

BRITISH poultry farmers will need to see prices increase if they are to meet the growing public demand for improved welfare standards, according to industry leaders.

Poultry boss urges new organic code

The managing director of Britain’s biggest kosher abattoir has called for a Jewish organisation to be given powers to certify organic poultry.

Stephen Grossman, who runs Lewcopak in Bedfordshire, has also challenged the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to break up what he called the “cartel” of 10 organisations that issue certification for organic produce and which refuse to certify organic kosher poultry and meat because they disapprove of shechitah.

Low prices seen threat to organic beef

Retailers must pay more for domestically produced organic beef because current prices are unfair and unsustainable, a leading organic food certification body said on Friday.

The Soil Association said in a report issued on Friday that some key supermarkets are not paying enough to cover production costs and choosing to import organic beef even though there could easily be enough supply in Britain.

The cost of cheap chicken

HUGH Fearnley-Whittingstall knows he is only scratching the surface with his "Chicken Out" campaign.

The celebrity chef's experiment divided opinion in the town of Axminster where he tried to raise awareness of the plight of the broiler chicken - reared without light and without space to provide British consumers with cheap meat. And it is likely to have the same impact across the the country.

Winemakers Take Their Green Practices Beyond the Vineyard Floor

Black isn't the only "color" being touted as the "new green" these days. Red, as in those precious Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that make up your favorite glass of vino, is seeing green too.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Thousands of tons of organic food produced using toxic chemicals

Thousands of tons of organic vegetables sold in British shops this year were produced using toxic chemical pesticides, it emerged yesterday.

Many shoppers - who pay premium prices for "naturally" grown veg - are unaware that any chemicals are allowed on any organic produce.

Studies Show Higher Antioxidant Levels in Organic and Spoiled Produce

As the organic vs. conventional battle rages on, a major new study awards yet another victory to organic produce and dairy. But oddly enough, organics may not be the only antioxidant heavyweight. Look deep within your produce bin to discover the ignored fruit and vegetables that are just a bit past their prime, and you may actually uncover a treasure trove of antioxidants.

Overseas threat to British organic meat farmers

Yes, we know we should be vegetarians, but we really do like a bit of British, organic meat now and then, and that's why we were gutted to learn from a report published today by the Soil Association that "supermarket pricing is holding back UK organic meat production".

Paraná is model in organic production

Paraná is considered a model in organic production in Brazil. Of the 42 Brazilian companies integrating OrganicsBrasil, a programme geared at promotion of the sector on the foreign market, 14 are from the state of Paraná. In all, there are around 100 industries and 4,000 farmers dedicated to the production of organic food in the state, which reaches 75,000 tonnes a year.

Organic farming gains momentum in India

Four-fold rise targetted to take area beyond 2 million hectares by 2012.
Organic agriculture movement is gaining in momentum in the country. The area under organic cultivation is likely to cross the 2 million hectare mark by 2012, according to National Centre for Organic Farming (NCOF), a body under the Union Ministry of Agriculture.

Where’s the beef? - report shows UK beef producers are getting short-changed

A new report from the Soil Association shows British organic beef producers are getting short-changed by their processors and some key supermarkets who are not paying enough to cover the costs of production, and choosing to import organic beef even though there could easily be enough supply in the UK. These factors are endangering the security and development of organic beef production in the UK and leading to unnecessary carbon emissions, says the Soil Association, the UK’s leading organic organisation.

Organic growth that leaves some farmers trailing

The organic vegetable box fast became a must-have accessory for 21st-century Britain.
Along with reusable shopping bags and a dogged commitment to recycling, having your weekly fruit and veg – still covered in the requisite amount of mud – delivered to your door from the nearest local farm is a clear sign that your ethical radar is pointing in the right direction and, according to the Soil Association, more and more of us are jumping on the bandwagon.