Put your cash where your principles are

Sales of organic products are soaring, and so is the performance of some of the "green" funds that invest people's money in these businesses. Organic food and drink sales in the UK nudged the £2bn mark for the first time in 2006, and more than half of us have bought organic fruit and vegetables within the past 12 months, according to a new report from the Soil Association.

Today's Specials and Recommendations

Those of you in the UK - did you know that September is Organic Harvest Month? Even better, the two weeks from 1 September to 16 September is the Soil Association Organic Fortnight. What better time to stock up on organic goodies!

Coffee drinkers: The latest from CoffeeAM is a 1/2 pound sample of its Chocolate Strawberry coffee, complimentary with an $15 purchase. It's not organic, but CoffeeAM has a number of good coffees that are.

More for coffee drinkers: Mother Earth is offering free shipping with the purchase of any three bags of their Conscientious Coffee. That's good through September.

Coffee for Less is another good source right now. Coffee for home, coffee for the office, tea, stuff that goes with it - they're showing quite a nice organic selection. Use coupon code CFL to get 5% off too.

Lake Champlain Chocolates has organic, fair trade hot chocolate as well.

Meat eaters: Save the Bacon in the UK has all kinds of specials running - more than I can comfortably put in this newsletter! They often run one-day specials, so if you're interested, I'd recommend subscribing to their email list.

Are you in San Francisco or New York City? Ideal Bite is starting local versions of its eco-tips newsletter later this month. Subscribe to their regular email tips and you'll be able to get local tips as well starting September 24 (San Fran) or September 25 (NYC.) Even for those of us who don't live in those local areas, the free newsletter is worth a look.

Found some great deals on kitchen items too. Wine Enthusiast is clearing out a lot of inventory and is highlighting its Vintage Chart Appetizer Plates - a $29.95 value now at just $5.00 Sur la Table is hitting the sales pretty hard too.

CyberCucina is always worth a look - organic olive oils, spices, all kinds of goodies.

If these don't pique your interest, I know something else will:
Organic wine
Organic coffee
Organic produce
Organic meat
Organic chocolate

Organic or conventional food? Choice hinges on your goals

Just in time for the celebration of September as Organic Harvest Month, a report by the British Nutrition Foundation catapults back into the spotlight the debate over whether organic foods are more nutritious than their conventional counterparts.

Growers label their crops organic ... sort of

A major fruit company has decided to convert 100 percent of its stone fruit trees to organic farming practices, part of the ongoing push to meet consumers' insatiable demand for healthier food.

But Stemilt Growers Inc., a bit player in the stone fruit industry but one of the nation's leading apple suppliers, isn't waiting two years to capitalize on the switch. The company has created a new label — Artisan Naturals — to sell its naturally-farmed fruit, an effort to get a higher price for the fruit even if it can't yet come with an "organic" sticker.

Organic a serious commercial option for NZ food industry

New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity Fisheries and Forestry Jim Anderton, gave full backing to the organic food sector at Organics Aotearoa New Zealand's national conference.

Future bright for organic farming

Sunday's Advertiser report on Certified Organic Operations verifies the slow but steady increase in organic farming in Louisiana. It also emphasizes the ongoing debate over whether organic food - produced in operations that avoid or largely exclude the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators and livestock feed additives - is actually healthier.

Change Your Entire Dietary Lifestyle with Organic Meats

Not everyone knows about the fact that you can get not only organic produce but also organic meats. This enables you to change your entire dietary lifestyle if you so wish, without having to compromise on such things as organic meats and organic dairy products, substituting the non-organic stuff instead.

Court finds egg packer substituted organic with conventional eggs

An egg packer and supplier has been found to have substituted and sold non-organically produced eggs as organic eggs over a two year period.

Fairtrade: Is It As Fair As It Sounds?

The term "Fairtrade" has been gaining steady acknowledgment since the 1940s - and justifiably so. After all, when consumers pay just a little more for products like organic coffee, bananas, chocolate and even clothes, farmers are guaranteed a fair price for their goods and labour. So, the fact that over 2,500 product lines in the UK now carry the Fairtrade mark - not to mention that Britain spent over £290 million on fair trade coffee, food, furniture and clothing last year (an increase of 46% on the previous year) - should seem like a good thing, right?

What it means to be organic

Organic isn’t just something we eat. It’s something we live. Organic means that you care enough about your health and the health of those around you, including insects, animals, plants, the earth, the air and water, to change the way you live in order to protect them. I suggest that Acton is in a position to be a model for how a small piece of the universe can wake up and make a difference in the health and well-being of its residents by more conscious consumption and disposal. Here are some examples.

Organic Farming: Growing Green

From Oregon-grown apples to snake fruit from Indo-nesia, supermarket shelves in the UAE overflow with fruits and vegetables from all over the world.

But do you really know what is in, or on, the food you eat?
With numerous pesticide-related horror stories popping up everywhere, it’s no wonder more farmers are switching to organic methods of farming, and consumers are noticing the difference.

Eco-friendly wines

Many consumers are seeking an organic alternative to conventional wines.

As a result, more and more wineries are discovering added benefits of catering to public demand for organic. Biodynamic growing methods produce healthier vines and, in some cases, the wines are less costly to make. And there’s more: the wines can be more flavourful and more distinctive to the specific region and vineyard.

(want to know where to find these eco-friendly wines? There are lots of places listed in the wine section.)

Organic tomatoes are healthier: US study

A United States study comparing organically-grown tomatoes with conventionally-grown tomatoes has found significant health benefits in the organic produce.

Peruvian coffee eyes international market

Peruvian coffee is seeking its place in the international market with a seal of quality backed by 10 years of sustained production.

Not a traditional part of the diet in this Andean nation, Peruvian coffee is grown in the tropical forest region, at altitudes of between 800 metres and 2,000 metres on the eastern slopes of the Andes, the Spanish news agency EFE said.

More Del. farmers putting their eggs in organic basket

A hen with a crooked beak and one good eye roams Carolyn Donald's front yard in Georgetown, foraging for stray bugs, grass and grain.

Donald, an artist turned organic farmer, has set aside her front yard as a respite for stressed hens such as 8-month-old Giggles, who got pecked too often by other hens. A few other hens who are molting hang out in the yard regaining strength before resuming egg production.

Save a few bucks on organic produce

Save $20 off $100+ order, $30 off $150+ order, and $50 off $200+ order. Expires September 1, 2007. Promotion Code 845608.

And...

Save up to 33% on Premium Pfaelzer Brothers Steaks and Gourmet Foods.

Organic Olympic vegetables growing in importance

Most of the organic vegetables to be delivered to the athletes' village and press center during the Beijing Olympic Games and ensuing Paralympics will be grown in the village of Donglongwan, about 100 kilometers northwest of Beijing.

Organic growers feel left out of green campaign

It's hard for many of us living in this clean green South Pacific paradise to fully comprehend. But in the industrialised nations of the northern hemisphere a consumer revolution is taking place – for an increasing number of those city dwellers the green values of the food they eat is more important than price.

Rethinking Organics

Few things make you feel better about your health than eating organic fruits and veggies. A diet high in produce is commendable enough, but organic produce? That's a double dose of virtue. What's less clear is how much good that virtue does you. Are there real benefits to going organic? If so, are some organic fruits and vegetables better than others? And how do you choose?

If you shop at Whole Foods...

If you have bought organic chocolate from Whole Foods Market, this message is for you. Whole Foods has issued a recall of their 365 Organic Everyday Value(TM) Swiss Dark Chocolate Bars because they may contain undeclared almonds. If you're sensitive to nuts, this could be very serious.

Read all about it here.