Guest post by Becca Ozard

There are many reasons to eat organic or locally grown crops; however some people don’t know about the many dangers of consuming non-organic crops.

Pesticides are one of the main dangers of non-organic crops. These harmful chemicals used to ward off bugs can have serious long-term effects on one’s health. Some issues can be as harmful as respiratory problems, some Cancers and in some cases can lead to bleeding gums.

Non-Organic crops are also lacking in vitamins and minerals. They have lower levels of a person’s daily dose of nutrients, such as Vitamins A, B, and C. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce gum inflammation, promote healing and reduce the effects of bleeding gums, and the development of Gum Disease.  Gum bleeding can lead to Scurvy, a severe deficiency in vitamin C. Untreated, this disease can lead to teeth losing and eventual falling out. This can all be avoided by eating natural organic crops, which are packed full of vitamin C. (more…)

DeLoach Vineyards is cultivating an intimate relationship with the land. The small-lot winemaker maintains 17 acres of vineyards in the Russian River Valley and a 1-acre garden. And while both are certified organic, it is their biodynamic certification that makes them exceptional. Indeed, guided by a holistic approach based on biodynamic farming principles, DeLoach vintners make organic farming alone look like a half measure.

The farmers at DeLoach tend to their vineyards and garden as if they were a closed system. They seek at every turn to drastically limit if not altogether eliminate external inputs. Rather than a cycle of dependence based on the importation of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, through biodynamic farming practices they create a self-contained oasis of self-sustaining interconnected biodiversity, an eco-system where the land, plants and animals exist in harmony to create a thriving environment.

(more…)

Despite persistent questions by some about the health of eating genetically engineered (GE) crops or the food from animals that eat them, and concerns about their impact on the environment, the use of these new designer plants has risen sharply.

The USDA just released data on the increasing use of GE crops and the graphical trend is striking. According to the report: “U.S. farmers have adopted genetically engineered (GE) crops widely since their introduction in 1996, notwithstanding uncertainty about consumer acceptance and economic and environmental impacts.”

On a different front, this summer, as government and corporations continue to advance the use of GE crops, backyard tomato growers are busy as ever keeping old-time heirloom strains alive garden by garden. One perennially popular variety is called the Radiator Charlie Mortgage Lifter and here is its story.

(more…)