Price tag: Organic produce

Farmers market regulars could see higher prices for organic produce this spring, partly because demand is fueling an increase in the cost of certified plant food.

Passing On Some Organic Products Can Save You Money

When you compare apples to apples, organic products can cost consumers up to 30 percent more than their non-organic cousins.But there are some ways to save money while still eating healthy, reported NewsChannel5 consumer specialist Angie Lau.

China develops taste for organic produce

The Chinese population is developing a growing taste for organically grown food, figures from the Ministry of Commerce show.

According to the latest statistics, about 60 per cent of the country's estimated 550 million city dwellers are prepared to pay more for organic produce.

Income not always factor in buying organic produce

When organic produce flies off the grocery store shelf, it's not necessarily the upper class doing the picking. In fact, in a recent study, University of Georgia professor Chung-Liang Huang found that income seems to have little effect on organic produce purchases.

How Fairtrade really works

With the launch of Fairtrade Fortnight on Monday drawing attention to how our food is produced, poor farmers are urging more consumers in Britain to switch to Fairtrade to help them build better lives for themselves.

Organic food purchases are on the rise

Organically grown foods continue to increase in popularity. In 2002 the retail sales of organic foods totaled $9 billion. In the local area organic food products are available in most of the local grocery stores and can also be purchased directly from the farmer. While the demand and availability of organic foods is on the rise, confusion remains over what makes a food "organic."

Virtuous Vino

You've mastered the which-are-the-good-and-bad vintages, learned the difference between a Cabernet and a Merlot and can finally pronounce Gewürztraminer. But now the casual wine drinker has a new label to grapple with: biodynamic.

UK: Why going organic could cost the earth

Organic food could actually be worse for the environment than produce grown using pesticides and fertilisers, say scientists.

A government report claims that, despite its eco-friendly image, some organic farming creates greater pollution and contributes more to global warming.

Organicize Me

I've made more failed New Year's resolutions than Charlie Sheen and Courtney Love combined. Lose a dozen pounds, quit smoking, slow down, speed up, get organized, drink less, exercise more—all abandoned within hours of the drunken promise. But this year, my editors at Seattle Weekly came to me with an offer I couldn't refuse: Go the opposite of Super Size Me and eat only organic food 24/7 for the month of January—and be paid handsomely for it. No Doritos, Big Macs, Starburnt coffee, brewskies, Red Bull, or Frankenfoods of any kind. And, if by going organic, I help save the planet, all the better.

Keep it real: Stores jump on organic bandwagon

When Fox Farm Whole Foods started selling organic foods more than 10 years ago, it was considered a fringe market.

Now, retailers such as Wal-Mart and Food-4-Less have opened up their aisles to products made without pesticides, hormones or synthetics.

Natural/Organic Meats Rise Among Trends Identified In Survey

The steady rise of natural and organic meats and the continuing dominance of the conventional supermarket when it comes to meat purchases are just a couple of trends uncovered in a study released by the American Meat Institute and the Food Marketing Institute this morning at the 2007 Annual Meat Conference.

Organic growth

FASHION HAS its trends and, apparently, so does produce. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, buying organic is the latest craze among health-conscious individuals. According to the Massachusetts-based Organic Trade Organization, North America has nearly 3.7 million acres of farmland under organic management.

Since 1997, U.S. organic food sales have grown between 17 and 21 percent and represent about 2 percent of total food sales.

Imports crowding organic food market, conference told

Organic farmers and retailers say the market is filled with imported products, as few Canadian farmers are willing to convert their crops because of high costs and modest consumer demand.

Valentine's Vintages: Organic, Biodynamic and LIVE wines

Drinking wine is a sensuous experience, and paired with the right food, a fine red or white will light up with the subtle flavors of the earth that birthed its grapes while enhancing the tastes of your dishes. But like the well-prepared meals it accompanies, fine wine is about more than eating—it's to be savored during dinnertime conversation with our loved ones on Valentine's Day or any other. And in the dark of winter, fine wines will taste of the summer rain on the grapes, the sunlight that fell on the vines and the warm minerals in the soil. Scott Pactor, owner of Appellation Wines, a Manhattan store specializing in organic and biodynamic varietals, advises wine bibbers to seek out "products with a sense of place that use minimal or no inputs and let the vineyards speak for themselves." Biodynamic and organic vintages are particularly adept at bringing out this sense of place. Below are labels to look for.

Organic-food Opportunities Expand Fast, Nuremberg Fair Says

Opportunities to sell organic foods in Germany are expanding fast, with imports picking up practically all of the growth, according to organizers of the Biofach organic-food fair Wednesday in Nuremberg.

Bulgaria – Organic food for thought

The village of Aheloy on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria is perhaps best known for its fertile soils, healthy climate and flourishing pastures, orchards and vineyards. Tasty red and white wines are locally produced and farms grow organic fruit and vegetables.

Study: Organic not necessarily better option

Organic became the nation's fastest growing food segment largely on claims it's safer and healthier than conventional fare, but such conclusions are premature, according to a new report.

Going organic or even home-grown is easier than you may think

STEP into any major supermarket and you cannot fail to notice the marketing frenzy surrounding organic, fair-trade and eco-friendly products.

It's now big business, with environmental and health issues at the forefront of political and news agendas.

Organic may not be healthier

Organic became the nation's fastest growing food segment largely on claims that it's safer and healthier than conventional fare, but according to a new report such conclusions are premature.

Going Organic

When Kim Ripper's mother died seven years ago, it was a life changing experience for herself and her business.

Living through her mom's bout with environmental cancer taught Ripper to respect her health and body.

More Iowans go organic

Jule Dirksen has tunnel vision in the supermarket.

She doesn't see products in the "conventional'' food aisles.

When she shops at a Hy-Vee Food Store, Dirksen sees only what is on the shelves in the HealthMarket area.

Organic farming policy for Arunachal

Arunachal Pradesh will soon have a state policy on organic farming.

The decision to formulate the policy was taken at a cabinet meeting held recently. It was chaired by chief minister Gegong Apang and attended by officers from agriculture, horticulture and the forest department, water resources development minister Tako Dabi said yesterday.

Egon Ronay says consumers conned over organic food

ONE of the country's most respected food critics has called on the government to provide clearer information about organic food.

Egon Ronay said shops and producers were profiting from public confusion about the issues surrounding organic produce.

New-Age consumers striving to wear organic

Organic is the buzzword for the new age. From organic vegetables, meat and eggs to wheat, cotton, tea, coffee, cosmetics and more. It’s not back to the future but ahead into the past, as more and more agri products go for the no-pesticide, no chemical fertiliser approach. With New-Age consumers striving to wear organic, eat organic and, logically, drink organic, more and more companies are jumping onto the bandwagon.

End organic confusion, says Ronay

Restaurant critic Egon Ronay has called on the government to provide clearer information about organic food.

Shops and producers were profiting from public confusion about the issues, he told the BBC.

Catholics called to build a better world, one cup of coffee at a time

Catholics can build a better, more just world one cup of coffee at a time through helping ensure farmers earn a fair price for the labor, according to the U.S. Catholic Church’s official international relief and development agency.

£5 cost of going organic

Swapping a basket of supermarket own-brand groceries for organic adds around £5 to the cost, researchers found. It rises by nearly £10 when supermarket economy items are upgraded to pesticide free, according to Which? magazine.

Specials, specials, and more specials

My select group of tasters and I covered two categories for you: wine and chocolate. Not a bad way to to business, I'm thinking...The chocolate was Trader Joe's organic. We tried both dark and milk chocolate varieties. Have to say both were unimpressive, with little flavor. Have to find something better there.We had better luck with the wine, a shiraz called Natural Blonde. This is from Fetzer in Mendocino County. You might notice the screw top before anything else. (Not up on screw-top news? Here's an article to start with; you will probably be seeing more and more of them.) A downside of screw tops is they can result in a rotten-egg smell when you open them, which can be cured by decanting. No such problem with this wine, the nose was fine, and the wine was pleasant, kind of a lighter weight wine. This one I'd have again.

In Australia, check out Definitely Chocolate. They have several selections of gift packages of organic chocolate, in a range of prices.

Actually, if I were buying for someone in Australia, I'd look at Rainbow Designs. Sure they have chocolate, but they also have gift packages including stuffed animals, bubble bath, all kinds of things that last longer than flowers.

In the U.S., try Mission Orchards or Hickory Farms for fruits and nuts, if your Valentine isn't a choc-aholic. Hickory Farms is offering 15% off your entire purchase through February 28 - just use promotion code 15OFF.

Of course, whatever your heart desires, so to speak, Amazon.com is always a good place to look. If there's nothing you like in the storefront itself, follow the Search option or the Go to Amazon link on the top right to access everything Amazon has. Try Belgian chocolate truffles ($22) or a truffle assortment from Sjaak's Organic Truffles ($7.93.) I even found a dark chocolate heart filled with vegan chocolates!

Coffee drinkers: CoffeeAM has introduced two new coffees, Organic Fair Trade Bolivia and Organic Fair Trade Guatemala to their lineups. Both are lighter roasts. With every CoffeeAM order, you currently get a free half-pound of chocolate mint coffee too.

Meat eaters: In the UK, Save the Bacon is so confident that you'll like what they send you that they'll waive shipping charges on all orders placed by 9am next Monday, 5 February.

And in the US, Lindauer Farms will send $20 of tenderloin tips as a gift when you purchase any steak pack.

Accessories: International Wine Accessories is offering free shipping on any of their glasses or decanters, as well as 20% off their new Schott Zwiesel Tritan Diva line of glasses.

Wine Enthusiast is offering 75% off decanters and decanting accessories. Why decant? Decanting mature wines removes bitter sediments, while decanting young wines softens tannins and develops aromas. Hurry on this one - it's only till February 5. They have a lot of other items on big sale too.

KegWorks is offering $10 off its Deluxe Portable Bar Set and much more, through February 28. Check this one out if you're having a party - they have all the high-end bar items plus the little party goods.

Wherever you are, you always have a good source of organic tips and tricks in Ideal Bite. Check out their Web site for a sample tip and give their newsletter a try - it doesn't cost anything, and you just might like it!