--> With considerable uncertainty persisting about the nature of both BSE and its link to vCJD in humans, it's worth noting that there has never been a case of BSE in an organically born and reared cow. organic farmers stopped the unnatural practice of feeding cows to cows long before the BSE epidemic began in the 1980s and are also prohibited from the conventional practice of pouring warble-fly insecticide along the animals' spines, which is also thought to make cattle more susceptible to BSE. |  What's really ironic is that it was the organic farmers themselves who asked Congress to write a law to regulate organic standards. The drafting process was a collaboration between lawmakers, consumers, environmentalists, and organic farmers. It was democracy at its best, until the usda lawyers ignored the board's recommendations and wrote in large loopholes that would allow conventional agribusiness to cash in on the organic craze with only minimal changes in the way it operates. Fortunately, Congress was overwhelmed with more than 2 million responses from concerned consumers. |  Even with Stossel's public apology, manv who had seen the original program were left confused, with the mistaken idea that since organic farmers favor manure over agrochemicals, organic produce might carry a heightened risk of E. coli infection. Avery and Stossel had said precisely that on the program. But in fact both organic and conventional farms use manure. The difference is that organic farmers are not allowed, by organic certification standards, to use raw manure. |  They tend to be smaller operations, usually selling vegetable and other specialty crops at local farmer's markets and to small groceries through cooperatives. organic farmers face higher costs because their natural fertilizers and pest-control efforts tend to be more expensive and they must hire more workers to replace the mechanization common in conventional farming.
ORGANOPHOSPHATES • Compounds containing phosphorus that belong to several groups including:
• Phospholipids or phosphatides, which are widely distributed in plants and animals. Lecithin is an example. |  Look for organic farmers in your area and support them, or ask your grocer to stock organic produce (or, if you can, grow your own!). Take the time to learn about preparing foods that are life enhancing—abundant in essential vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Optimum
Signs of
Daily
Vitamin
Function
Deficiency U.S. RDA
Intake Food Sources
FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Vitamin A/ Beta-carotene
Strengthens mucous membranes, the immune system, adrenal glands, and eyes. | | Some states already have certification programs governing organic farmers in place, and more states are following suit. If you don't know how your state stands on this important issue, call your state agriculture department and inquire. Whether your state provides official certification or not, almost every community has a number of markets where guaranteed organic produce, meats, eggs, and milk are sold. If you have difficulty finding a source of organic foods, ask your local grocery to carry certified organic produce and grains. | | It is currently best to look for certification from an organization such as the Organic Growers and Buyers Association, California Certified organic farmers, or the Texas or Washingon state Department of Agriculture.
The herbal treatments recommended in Part Two of this book include teas, baths, compresses, poultices, oils, and ointments. In some instances, you may need to start from scratch and preparing herbal treatments yourself (instructions on how to prepare your own herbal treatments are given in Part Three, Therapies and Procedures). |  Several natural neem-based pesticides are marketed in this country and used by organic farmers and gar-
Neem
Originally from India, neem is working its way into the United States as a natural cosmetic, dentifrice and insect repellent. deners. Turmeric has a long folk history for treating itchy skin problems.
A few years ago, Indian researcher S. X. Charles, Ph.D., used these two herbs to treat 814 people with scabies. He made a paste with four parts fresh neem leaves and one part turmeric root. The people in his study rubbed it all over themselves daily. | | High sperm density among members of organic farmers Association. Lancet 1994; 343: 1498
50. Sever LE, Hessol NA. Toxic effects of occupational and environmental chemicals on the testes. Endocrine toxicity. Raven Press 1985: p 211-248
51. Lundberg I, Hakansson M. Normal serum activities of liver enzymes in Swedish paint industry workers with heavy exposure to organic solvents. Br J Indust Med 1985; 42: 596-600
52. Simon TR. Brain SPECT and neurotoxicity. Presentation at 14th international symposium on man and his environment in health and disease. Dallas, TX. 1996
53. Jauman M. |  Their produce is certified 70 percent organic by the California Certified organic farmers.
Walnut Acres. Onions and other root crops available by mail. Walnut Acres Road, Penns Creek, PA, 17862. Phone: 800-433-3998 or 717-837-0601. Produce is 100 percent organic, and orders shipped within three days. One of the oldest organic farms in the country (1946), Walnut Acres is one of the top rated sources of chemical-free food of all kind.
Ginseng: The selection and preparation of ginseng is an art. The easiest way to take ginseng is in the little foil-based packets of "instant Korean ginseng tea. |  Bailey, since organic farmers generally take pains to protect the mineral content of their soil.
If you juice daily and find organic produce prohibitively expensive, you can still reduce your exposure to pesticides by choosing organic versions of just the
Ready, Set, Juice!
Once you've selected your produce, it's important to use it as quickly as possible. The following guidelines are suggested by Cherie Calbom, M.S., a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington, and coauthor ofJuicing for Life.
• Scrub produce thoroughly with a vegetable brush before juicing. |  Labels include "Farm-Verified Organics," "Organic Crop Improvement Association," "Organic Growers and Buyers Association" and "California Certified organic farmers." As this book goes to press, only California has a government-regulated organic certification program. The other certification labels are granted to members of voluntary associations who pledge to uphold certain voluntary standards. But any label is more trustworthy than a handwritten sign.
Buy your produce by mail. It's easier than you think. |  For example, organic farmers can no longer use genetic engineering, radiation, sewage sludge for fertilizer, or any synthetic pesticide or fertilizer. In addition, animals used for meat, milk, eggs, etc., cannot receive hormones or antibiotics.
Protects your heart
Combats cancer
Support© immune system
Fights fungus
Smoothes skin outside, it looks like a red cherry, but bite into it, and you're in for a surprise. Many people say it tastes like a tart apple, although its flesh is soft and juicy. And unlike an apple or a cherry, the acerola is bursting with vitamin C. |  However, said Brian Baker of California Certified organic farmers, "imagine what great PR it would be for the sewage sludge promoters to say that sludge is so clean it can even be certified organic—what a way to 'greenwash' sewage sludge!"82
CHAPTER NINE
SilENciNq SpmNq
The big corporations, our clients, are scared shitless of the environmental movement. . . . The corporations are wrong about that. I think the companies will have to give in only at insignificant levels. Because the companies are too strong, they're the establishment. | | California's Certified organic farmers Association has 32,000 acres in organic agriculture, a quadrupling in four years. According to their promotional literature, all 116 Stop and Shop stores now sell organic produce.
The demand for organic produce is high. But the supply is tight because switching back to organic farming methods means building up organic material in the soil and an indigenous population of beneficial insects—a process that takes one to five years. |  In certain parts of the country, farmers' markets are frequented by organic farmers selling their produce at prices extremely competitive with commercially grown produce. If one can find organic produce at local farmers' markets, it is worth talking to the organic farmer about how his or her soil is prepared. This way one develops a feeling for the meaning of organic produce and also gets to know the person who is producing the food. It is a way to personalize the process of food "gathering." The food and the food provider are no longer anonymous with this approach. | | The more organic farmers there are, the less the organic produce will cost, and the more the soil is brought back into balance. According to a study at Tufts University, organic produce has a nutrient content approximately 88% higher than commercially grown produce. This means that by buying organic produce we actually get more for our money and for our health. Another way to oppose pesticide madness is to stay abreast of legislative attempts to undermine protection. For example, we all need to support bills like the Pesticide Food Safety Act. | | While there appears to be a worldwide decline in the sperm levels of males,48 males who are organic farmers have very high sperm density.49 This gives rise to the supposition that exposure to environmental chemicals lowers sperm levels, and that avoidance of such chemicals may help to bring the levels back up. There have been multiple studies on one OCC that is used agriculturally - dibromochloropropane (DBCP) - looking at its effect on sperm levels. These studies have demonstrated that exposure to DBCP leads to azospermia, and severe oligospermia. | | Aside from increased rates of certain cancers, farmers in the Philippines who were not organic growers suffered nearly double the kidney and respiratory problems compared to organic farmers and were five times more likely to experience eye problems. Farmers who used pesticides had considerably more skin complaints, gastrointestinal problems, neurological problems, and hematological problems.
In 1986 the Indonesian government sponsored a plan to decrease the use of pesticides. |  Intercropping, as organic farmers elsewhere have confirmed, helps protect plants against disease and predators, and the Quechua long ago developed a number of sophisticated intercropping patterns. These have been passed down for centuries so that contemporary Quechua farmers distinguish at least four basic patterns and in any particular field may utilize them and variants of them in an almost infinite number of ways.
Like their counterparts in Mexico, Quechua families pop amaranth seeds, generally using a special clay pot, or tostador, which is also used for roasting quinoa. | | The drafting process was a collaboration between lawmakers, consumers, environmentalists, and organic farmers. It was democracy at its best, until the usda lawyers ignored the board's recommendations and wrote in large loopholes that would allow conventional agribusiness to cash in on the organic craze with only minimal changes in the way it operates. Fortunately, Congress was overwhelmed with more than 2 million responses from concerned consumers. We still don't know the final shape of this legislation, but it shows that we can make ourselves heard. | | Shopping at farmers' markets has the added benefit of helping support small, family farms and organic farmers. It also gives you the chance to talk to farmers directly about how they grow food and to try varieties that may not be available at the grocery store. And because there are no intermediaries and transportation costs are low, prices may be lower than at supermarkets.
þ Buy certified organic produce if you can—it is grown without synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and doesn't contain post-harvest fungicides. | | Although some states have had livestock and poultry standards, none of them has been fully developed and implemented because the USDA has actually prohibited the labeling and sale of meat as organic.
>• organic farmers, food handlers, and food processors will be required to maintain extensive records to demonstrate their compliance with the organic production standards, and farms will be subject to unannounced inspections, residue tests, and soil testing.
>• Food produced according to the organic standards will have state-approved "organically grown" labels identifying the certifying agent. | | After looking at some of the benefits of organic farming, the researchers concluded the report by saying, "the team feels strongly that research and education programs should be developed to address the needs and problems of organic farmers."19
Rave review for organic food
When you buy organic food, you're not just minimizing your own exposure to pesticide residues—you're also getting food that was raised without damaging the environment or threatening farmers' and farm workers' health. Organic aficionados also like to point out how simply delicious organic food can be. |  A lively market now exists and many people are acquiring the necessary technical know-how. organic farmers are already producing soybeans, wheat, barley, and rice; the koji starter and engineering skills are always available from Asia. As fermented soy foods play a larger role in American diets, we may start to develop and adapt our own distinctive varieties.
SALT: SOME ALTERNATIVE SOURCES A controversy continues about the virtues and dangers of salt. Some people consume large quantities of salt. | | Ninety-nine percent of the seeds used today by agribusiness, organic farmers, and home gardeners are hybrids. In addition to their inferior quality, many of these seeds are coated with fungicides that are so toxic that the yearly leftover packaged seeds cannot be burned because the emissions will not pass EPA requirements. Such seeds should not be handled by children (though you won't see this warning on the label). | | State governments could levy taxes on pesticides, conduct research on reducing pesticide use, support organic farmers, and help establish farmers' markets in low-income neighborhoods.
But not much will happen without your participation. The chemical and food manufacturers have thousands of employees and full-time lobbyists defending their interests. They contribute to politicians, advertise on television, and "rent" professors. You can bet that they are part of the political process. Lopsided though the battles sometimes seem, you can help tip the balance back in the consumer's favor. | | Green Machine planted three hundred acres of hemp in England with certified organic farmers. By growing hemp the farmers are able to work the land environmentally and profitably.
International Hemp Association (I HA) postbus 75007
1070 AA Amsterdam, the Netherlands Phone or fax: 31-20-618-8758
The IHA is a non-profit organization "Dedicated to the advancement of Cannabis through the dissemination of information." In light of the great economic potential of cannabis, the current legal restrictions hampering cannabis research and hemp cultivation should be considered. | | It is commercial growers, not organic farmers, who can, and do, use sewage sludge to amend the soil.
John Stossel, co-anchor of ABC's 20/20, and the host of the program that attacked organic food, publicly apologized on a subsequent episode of the national television show for falsifying evidence in the report and relying on fabricated laboratory tests.14 He was reprimanded by ABC, and the show's producer was suspended for a month. Many "accuracy in journalism" groups said Stossel should have been fired.
What had been Stossel's motive? |  The close alignment between organic and synthetic leads to the absurd but truthful concept that organic farmers are those who shun the use of (synthetic) organic chemicals.
Most synthetic organic compounds are derived from either petroleum or coal. Recognizing this fact brings the widely divergent definitions of the word organic together. To a biologist, organic substances are those that come from organisms—living or dead. | |
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