Category Archives: gmo

Peaches – What’s In That Can

by Miraadditives, gmo, ingredients, labeling, thanksgiving, Uncategorized

Thanksgiving is a very special time. It's become one of my favorite holidays. After all, what's not to like about spending time with people you love, eating your favorite foods, and having a little downtime. Of course shopping for the holiday feast comes to mind as one of those less-than-fun activities. Mostly because the stores are crowded, and if you didn't plan well you're in the thick of the fray looking for what you need.

This year I wasn't cooking. We were invited to spend Thanksgiving with our daughter, her fiance and his family. Our responsibility was to bring mashed potatoes, braised carrots, and homemade cranberry sauce. I also wanted to bring canned peaches. It's a tradition in our family started by my father-in-law. He likes canned peaches and he always wants them at the Thanksgiving table. Even though we weren't spending the holiday with him it's been adopted as a permanent part of our family tradition. One which we wanted to share.

I haven't made canned peaches in a while so we had none on hand. This meant buying them at the grocery store. Something I haven't done in a very long time. I was stunned by the sheer number of canned peaches available at the store. I was amazed at the ingredients in them. I thought I'd share the results of my canned peaches shopping expedition so you can see what's really in that food.

It's important to note that peaches are one of the dirty dozen foods (those foods highly contaminated by pesticides). I did not find any organic canned peaches at my local grocery store. Also, the notes about these containers do not include the issue of BPA which is often found in plastic containers, the linings of cans, and the lids of glass jars. Therefore all these containers are equal in respect to those issues.

Note: If you want to read the labels you'll need to click on the images to enlarge them.

Above you have the information you need to make the right choice for you depending on what's important to you. For those who want to take it one step further it is possible to make your own canned peaches. There are many recipes out there on how to do this, one of my favorites is the Ball Blue Book Honey Spiced Peaches recipe substituting evaporated cane juice crystals instead of white sugar.

Adventures In Australia

by Miragmo, Uncategorized

This article was contributed by my friend Cindi Hall. We've known each other since way back when, she was one of my first customers purchasing whole ground flours from me and learning how to use them in her kitchen. Over the years she's become a great local advocate for healthy eating and avoiding GMOs. I'm also grateful to say that she's been a huge supporter of the work and writing that I do. She and her family went to Australia earlier this year and she was kind enough to write this article and send these great photos. Sounds like the tucker is pretty good down there.

When my husband decided to attend a conference in Australia, it was the perfect opportunity for our family to travel with him and experience one of the most environmentally friendly places I have seen. As a woman who tries to eat healthy, cares about the environment, and still has the energy to sit through 36 hours of total travel time, it was the vacation of a lifetime.

We had arrived in Sydney early June 2013, the beginning of Aussie winter. The 70 degree temperatures were warmer than I had expected. Sydney seemed to be relatively clean for such a large city. There were recycle cans on the street with the garbage cans, not much graffiti, and a friendliness that I had not anticipated. Being used to the blank stares of New York people, the Aussies look at you and smile when walking the sidewalks of busy Sydney. This alone was such a pleasure.

As we walked in the city towards their famous Opera House and Botanical Garden, I started noticing all the runner/joggers along Circular Quay. It was a beautiful waterfront that had large areas for runners and people passing by or sightseeing as the ferries come in and out.

The Botanical Gardens, which is free for all visitors, was amazing. Among the beautiful trees and shrubs, there were many people walking and running along the paths. I noticed people sitting on the grass, relaxing and eating lunch. I observed their small coolers and brown bags, instead of the McDonald’s and Starbucks you typically see in the US when people dine in a park. I found this interesting. On the other hand, in Australia where a cheeseburger costs around $30, I think I would be brown-bagging my lunch, too.

My family and I did enjoy many meals out and paid dearly for them. However, it was worth every dime to eat such healthy meals. I realized that the menus would have small print by certain choices. Terms, such as “grass fed” and “non GMO,” were prevalent. I thought at first it was just the restaurants we chose or perhaps we were in trendy parts of town.

As we walked through the city and its shopping plazas and malls, I did take note of the food courts. There were smoothie/juice bars in all the malls. Also, they were not the kind of smoothie that is made with red liquid from a box (probably laced with chemicals). I watched as they cut up fresh fruit and placed it in a blender or juicer. As I walked through the food courts, which were much smaller than in the US, there were no fast foods being sold. There were fresh sandwiches, wraps, and salads. Yes, there was the usual Chinese food take-out, but not the usual choices of five fast food places, with their grease and carb-oriented meals.

At one mall, I even spotted a store that sold beautiful fresh fruit and veggies. It was then that I realized something pretty important regarding the Aussie philosophy about health and wellbeing. With their focus on fresh foods and exercise, the people of Sydney could actually eat all those chips (French fries to us here in the States) that are served with each restaurant meal and still not become obese.

We also had the opportunity to fly North to the Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. The first place I noticed in the Sydney airport was The Juice Bar. Again, fresh fruit cut up and put through a juicer. Can you imagine seeing that in an airport, of all places?!

Once we arrived at our final destination of Port Douglas where it is warm all year, similar to Florida, I thought it might be a different story. Port Douglas has beautiful, untouched beaches and gorgeous natural areas. The hotels are not allowed to clean, cut back, or trim the plant foliage and trees in any way. They are permitted to have one narrow path from the beachfront hotel to the beach itself, but everything else needs to remain as is.

While walking the beaches, I discovered that they look very much like those on that old TV show, Gilligan’s Island. Large coconuts fall from the trees and drop to the sand. Also, palm leaves and branches rest on the sand where they have landed from previous storms. Then, I began to notice the people in the area. As it was immediately before peak tourist season, it seemed that most of the people there were locals who were running/jogging along the water’s edge. It was a joy to see people out wind surfing, too. Not eating food sold from the beach concession stand, people were out being active as a part of their normal life style. Come to think of it, I never saw any beach concession stands anywhere. That’s a statement about the Aussie point of view in itself.

While in Port Douglas, we did have our share of treats. Being a major chocolate lover, with no apologies to Mira, I had to try their candy. I tried the same brands as we have in the US: Nestles, Cadbury, and M&M’s. However, I did notice the list of ingredients. In the US, we have High Fructose Corn Syrup and many other words I can’t pronounce or will I even try to spell them. Their candy listed natural ingredients: sugar, whole milk, and cocoa beans. Also, I noticed the menus of places we ate, which featured “Grass Fed,” “organic,” and “non-GMO.” I was happy to see these labels pop up and have the choice of eating foods that were not chemically created. What I really enjoyed most was ordering salad. Their salads were so fresh, crunchy, and beautiful . The Australians seem to take care preparing each meal, as if they have special pride in their healthy masterpiece.

Although I love our country, it was such a pleasure to visit the great country of Australia and to experience the Aussie approach to healthy life styles. I have no desire to continue that day and half total travel time on a regular basis, but I would advise anyone thinking of visiting: Save every dime you can and go to Australia. I hope each person who travels there comes home with a bit of that Aussie sense of preserving nature and a focus on getting real food back in our American menus.

Cool Food App – Ipiit

by Miraadditives, gmo, grocery, ingredients

I have written before about some of the great foodie apps I have on my phone that are food related. I've just recently discovered a new one that was so cool I had to tell you about it.* It's a free app called ipiit, available at the App Store and on Google Play.

Designed to make it easy for consumers to understand what's really in their food it has a scanner that you use on the bar code. Then depending on how you have configured your system it will tell you if you can eat that product or not.

When I downloaded the product I was able to go in and configure it for the things I wanted to avoid in food. They have a number of items and are increasing it all the time. In addition to covering major food allergies, they also cover a few additives. My current setup means that I can scan a food to avoid the following:

aspartame, cellulose, HFCS, gluten, milk protein, GMOs.

But the coolest thing, to me, was the ability to then go in to the Request New Preferences section. I'm hoping that they will add these as soon as possible as there are so many things in that section which I encourage people to avoid. Not only does this section lists artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners, it lists a wide variety of foods, health conditions and a good range of additives.

I couldn't wait to go grocery shopping the next day. At the grocery store I used the scanner to scan items and see what I got. Just on a whim I scanned a box of Hungry Jack pancake mix. I got a “Not for you!” warning that offered a number of alternatives that would meet my criteria. When I tapped the arrow next to the “Not for you!” I was taken to another page which explained why and listed all of the ingredients in the product which participated in that:

Corn Syrup HFCS – corn syrup solids
Gluten – enriched bleached flour, wheat flour, malted barley flour
MSG – sodium caseinate
Milk Protein – sodium caseinate
GMO – this is not a verified non-GMO product

It did list that the product was both aspartame and cellulose free.

Then when I scanned another product which was not listed I was taken to a page which allowed me to “be a helper” and take three pictures to send to them of the label, the ingredients list, and the nutrition panel. This is just great. They are trying to grow their database and allowing consumers to be active participants in understanding what they are eating. While there are a lot of things in our food that I believe need to be listed in this database, this is certainly a great and very promising start.

Of course having this app doesn't mean that you don't need to read the label. I believe you still really need to know what's in your food. To be able to read the label and make educated decisions. But if you're in a hurry or are unsure about something this may just be the tool you need.

I'm hoping that as more people use this app they'll be able to add more and more of the harmful ingredients found in our food and support people in eating well to be well.

*Disclaimer: I receive no compensation from ipiit for mentioning their product, I simply think it's a great product and want more people to use it.

Factory Farming And Gmo

by Mirabig-ag, farming, gmo, Uncategorized

Over the years farming has changed dramatically. Shifting from smaller, generational, family farms, that were often handed down and grew a number of different crops to corporate behemoths which grow only one crop, and that is often a commodity crop. Sadly one of the losses suffered from this shift in the agricultural system is that of a connection to our food.

Most people don't know who their farmer is anymore. And there is no accountability for the overuse of chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, and genetic modification. Corporate farming relies on these chemicals and other additives to increase their profits.

Even more disturbing is the challenges that face those farmers who want to produce organic or sustainable crops. The subsidies currently paid by the government are for commodity crops and tend to favor the large agribusiness corporations. These subsidies also make it more profitable as larger operations that focus on subsidy crops receive more funds. This makes the concept of the family farm more difficult as many small farmers appear to no longer be able to support themselves simply through farming.

It is a sad and startling thought (and I am far from the first person to say this) that organic food production used to be the ONLY form of farming. As chemical fertilizers, pesticides, larger scale operations, and mono-cropping have been developed they have become the norm. There is an unfortunate side effect of this with regard to our health and the health of future generations.

The time has come to educate ourselves about where our food really comes from. And to develop a relationship with those who produce it (to the best of our ability — admittedly this is not always possible in all areas for all types of food). Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to eat multiple meals in one day. Doesn't it make sense to feed ourselves well and support those who grow our food so that we can have the best food possible?

Farm to Fork: Our Toxic Food System infographic

Monsanto And Gmo: Taking Over Your Food

by Mirabig-ag, gmo, government

It appears that the rights of corporation have prevailed over the rights of people. HR 933 was approved and signed by President Obama. Tucked into a spending bill which was supposed to prevent government fiscal shutdown, most of those who voted for the bill were unaware of this “act” which was inserted by Missouri Senator Roy Blunt. With it's passage, the act effectively allows Monsanto the right to do whatever it wants.

In short this bill now gives Monsanto the right to plant Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) even if a federal court has ruled that the organism presents a danger to the environment. In other words, even if crops are clearly determined to be dangerous, they cannot be stopped because Monsanto has been given the authority to do as they wish. This legislation effectively gives Monsanto the right to override the government on this issue. I believe this is a very dangerous state of affairs and one which will have severe consequences.

(more…)

Gmo: What You Need To Know

by Miraenvironment, gmo, health

As election day draws nearer there is an enormous amount of attention being paid to what the voters will do at the polls. California is in the forefront of the move to label GMOs in food. Other states have considered it but as of yet none have actually passed such a bill. The general thinking is that if one state passes this legislation manufacturers will be forced to change all of their labeling nationwide in order to not have to create two forms of packaging.

The battle has been heated and intense with both sides contributing money to try to reach out to California voters and garner their support. The chain of food ownership has become startlingly clear as the Cornucopia Institute put together this infographic showing who contributed what to the campaign. Consumers were truly able to see that although companies like Cascadian Farms Organic, Larabar, and Kashi have a reputation as being consumer friendly and producing clean products, they are in fact owned by major corporation such as Kellogg and General Mills. These giant food producers have a vested interest in maintaining our state of ignorance and have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to convince consumers to vote against GMO labeling.

This is not just an issue that we face here in the US. All over the world governments and consumers are rethinking the use of GMO. Just last month Russia suspended the use of GMO corn after a controversial French study showed ill effects in lab animals. This study has since been brought into question however many of the issues it raised are valid and warrant further study.

This is not, however, the first time that there have been issues with GMO corn. Back in 2005 there was a German study which showed severe health effects and damage to the liver and kidneys causing the German government to call a halt to the use of the corn. A 2009 study done in Austria showed that there was a link between GMO crops and a decline in human fertility.

In August of this year two Australia farmers began to travel around New Zealand educating farmers against GMO crops. As is the case here in the US, those that do not want GMO crops have no recourse if their fields are “accidentally” contaminated. However there is no way for them to protect against wind, flood, and animals carrying seed. All of these are potential methods of contaminating crops. Monsanto has a known reputation for suing farmers for theft if their fields become contaminated, even if this contamination is against the wishes of the farmer. The only way to protect against GM is to keep it out of the country.

In this video (1.5 hours but worth watching) Jeffrey Smith, the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology talks about GMO crops and their effects.

You can also watch the movie The World According to Monsanto to learn more.

If you want to read further about GMOs consider the following books:

At this point it may be difficult to stop the spread of GMO crops. I believe it should be stopped and I believe it should be eradicated to the best of our ability. But even more importantly I believe that we should have the right to know what's really in our food. I will be watching the election to see what happens in California. I will be hoping that Californians lead the way in supporting our right to know what's in our food.

photo: faul

Organic Versus Conventional

by Mirafarming, gmo, organicnews debunk, organic

There has been much debate about the health benefits of organic food compared to conventional. The issue has become even more pressing in view of rising grocery costs. Many people wonder if organic is actually worth the higher price; let’s look a little deeper at this.

Nutritional content

The nutrient profile of any food has many variables which can vary from farm to farm and from year to year. The climate, cultivar, crop rotation, date of planting, date of harvesting, growing location, irrigation, and even the soil type will all affect the nutritional content of the crop whether it is grown by organic or conventional methods. Let’s look at several areas where conventional and organic can vary.

The first area in question is the nutritional content. There have been mixed results on whether there is a difference. A review done in 2010 found that organic varieties can have greater levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus compared to non-organic varieties of the same foods. Other studies have shown little to no difference.

Organic produce appears to be higher in antioxidants, particularly polyphenols. However antioxidant value may not be considered as part of the overall nutritional value in many studies. There are a growing number of studies which show that antioxidant value is highly beneficial for the body, especially when it comes to a wide number of diseases and health conditions.

The chemical difference

Many studies concentrate on the nutritional difference between organic and conventional produce, but what may be of more importance is what is NOT involved with organic farming. A large part of the reason people purchase organic food is because they don't want the chemicals that come along with conventional farming methods.

Each year The Environmental Working Group provides a list called the Dirty Dozen. The list is usually produced in March as it takes several months for the EWG to go through the data to determine which are the top twelve foods highly contaminated by pesticides.

Obviously, you don’t want to ingest these chemicals, but it goes deeper than that. It’s not just what you eat, it’s how it affects the soil, the plants, and the environment. When these chemicals are used the environment also suffers. Saturating the soil with pesticides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers and such is not healthy for the earth.

We also need to think about farm workers. According to Toxic Free NC “Agricultural families are at very high risk for exposure to pesticides. Workers can inadvertently take toxic pesticide residues home on contaminated clothes, hair, and skin. Because most workers also live very close to the fields, they are also subject to pesticide drift at home. Once in the home, pesticide residues are very easily picked up by small children, who are especially sensitive to health damage from pesticide exposure. Subjecting workers to hazardous pesticide exposure on the job puts both the workers and their families at risk for serious health consequences.”

One way to avoid these chemicals is to purchase organic. This is because the organic standard does not allow for the use of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides among other chemicals.

Genetic modification

Another important part of the organic standard is that food cannot be a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). Lately this term has been discarded in favor of Bioengineered (BE). According to the USDA, the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) defines BE as follows: “The Standard defines bioengineered foods as those that contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques and cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature.”

By this definition everything that is BE falls into the GMO category. However not everything that is GMO is BE. And while BE items are required to be identified, labeling is not required for all GMO products. Since the only way to ensure that something is not GMO is to purchase organic, the distinction between conventional and organic becomes an important one. Read this article by the Institute for Food and Development Policy to learn more about some of the concerns about GMO food.

Organic farming

Organic farming practices require more humane treatment of animals that are raised for food. You can read an article I wrote about organic milk. Humane treatment of animals should be part of our consciousness. Aren't we evolved enough to not want these animals to live in discomfort before they provide for us?

Meat and dairy products from organically raised animals often do have significant nutritional differences. With organic practices, animals are not allowed to be given added hormones, antibiotics, and be fed genetically modified or pesticide laden foods. The antibiotic issue is an important one for animal products. By eating continual low-level antibiotics, it is bad for our overall health and can encourage bacteria to become antibiotic resistant.

Eating organic animal food products has many health benefits. Organic dairy products are measurably higher in protein and beneficial fatty acids. Eggs have a better fatty acid profile. Studies show that organic meat is lower in fat and has a better overall fatty acid profile making it a healthier choice for consumption than conventionally raised animals and animal products.

In conclusion

Ultimately, the choice of what to eat and how to spend your grocery dollars is up to you. But before you make those choices make sure you evaluate all aspects of the organic versus conventional food debate.

My choices are based on more than just the nutrients in the food. It's about the choice for no sewage in the fields, no chemicals, more humane treatment of animals, what I believe is better tasting food, and especially my desire to limit my exposure to GMO food.

The Future Of Food – A Review

by Miragmo, reviews

The Future of Food
Written and Directed by Deborah Koons Garcia
Cinema Libre Studio

Released in 2004 the subject matter of The Future of Food is not only still relevant but increasingly important. The film presents a very sobering and disturbing look at how un-labelled, patented, genetically modified (GM) foods have invaded the shelves of our grocery stores. We literally are surrounded by GM without knowing it because unlike Europe, Canada, and other places, there is no labeling requirement for GM.

Focusing heavily on the persecution by Monsanto of Canadian farmers, whose crops were contaminated when GM seed drifted onto their property, the film brings to light the heavy-handed, threatening tactics Monsanto employs to prosecute farmers for theft of patent even though the circumstances were not of the farmer's choosing, were beyond their control, and represents an end to their livelihood as they know it. The film also reveals a truly disturbing picture of the “revolving door” that exists between major agriculture corporations (Big Ag) and the United States Government which virtually assures the hands-off policy that currently exists regarding GM crops. It also highlights the government's unwillingness to investigate and support bio-diversity and sustainable agriculture.

The film starkly points out “whoever owns the seed owns the food” while reminding us that these seeds are originally from nature. However their modification has created huge corporate profits (and greed) and a reduction in bio-diversity which could potentially lead to failures of epic proportions. Monsanto has even created a “suicide gene” which causes seed to terminate itself after one season, thereby blocking reproduction. Many environmental experts are shown expressing their concern should this terminator gene ever successfully cross-breed in the wild.

However it's not all bad news. The film also shows the resurgence of organic farmers and farmer's markets. Highlighting a a grass-roots grocery/consumer opposition to the attempts by Big Ag to control the food supply. After you watch it be sure to visit the Center for Food Safety, The Institute For Responsible Technology, and the Organic Consumers Association to learn more about what you can do to protect yourself and your family. Remember, your food choices are, and should be, up to you.

The trailer is available on YouTube.

I originally wrote this for a private client. They are no longer publishing their newsletter and I am now able to share this review with you.

disclaimer: cmp.ly/5

King Corn, A Review

by Miragmo, reviews

King Corn
Independent Lens
Written by Aaron Woolf, Curt Ellis, Ian Cheney, and Jeffrey K. Miller
Directed by Aaron Woolf

Did you know that more than 92,000,000 acres of corn were planted in 2007? Are you aware of the fact that in 2003 the USDA estimated that Americans ate an average of 73 pounds of corn sweetener per year? And it turns out an elemental isotope analysis of your hair may very well show that you are predominantly ingesting corn?

Corn has invaded our diet to startling levels. Aside from the obvious places like corn on the cob, corn syrup and corn starch, corn is also turned into fillers, modifiers, extenders and other ingredients that are used in everything from chips to cookies to beer and more. With almost 200 ingredients made from corn it's exceedingly difficult to avoid. Sadly this extends even further into our diet with cows, pigs, chickens, and now even farmed fish all being fed corn. What they eat becomes what you eat. Corn truly is pervasive in our diet.

This film, King Corn, was created by Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis in 2007. Recent college graduates motivated by America's bulging waistline they decided to try to grow an acre of corn and follow it all the way through it's process. Along the way they discovered just how much of what we eat comes from corn. Unfortunately corn has become a staple products of the American diet. Equally unfortunate it is a crop that brings with it numerous health problems. It is one of the most genetically modified crops, it is laden with pesticides, and it is a highly acidic food. Corn is also not a profitable crop; not, that is, unless our tax dollars are brought into the equation and used to subsidize greater and greater amounts of corn being grown across the country.

In 2005 corn subsidies totaled more than $5 billion, enough to keep the corn empire rolling on and on and on. These subsidies are what keep the junk food cheap, what keeps the corn coming in our diet. It's also what encourages more and more acreage to be turned over into corn crops every year.

The trailer is available on YouTube.

King Corn is an amusing yet eye-opening look at just how much corn impacts our food supply. If you look at the list of ingredients that corn is transformed into such as artificial flavorings, artificial sweeteners, crystalline fructose, potassium gluconate and more, you'll realize just how difficult it is to avoid. In order to understand the impact of corn on our country, our agriculture infrastructure and our waist-lines, King Corn is a movie that you don't want to miss.

I originally wrote this for a private client. They are no longer publishing their newsletter and I am now able to share this review with you.

disclaimer: cmp.ly/5

Do You Know What’s In Your Food?

by Miradairy, gmo, government

image from: gmo-journal.com

I've been writing more about Genetically Modified (GM – also referred to as GMO or GE) foods lately. Part of it is because the problem seems to be getting worse. I am concerned that there is still no labeling required in this country. According to this article from the San Francisco Chronicle 93 percent of Americans polled want their food labeled. They want the right to know. But it's still not happening. Why? Because it's bad for business.

I'm reminded of the fight over Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) when the dairy industry fought like mad to stop farmers from labeling their milk as free of this harmful additive hormone which is not healthy for cows or humans. The farmers prevailed in that they were allowed to label their products as being rBGH-free but were forced to put a statement on their product that there was no difference between dairy from cows treated with or without rBGH. Science has since proved them wrong and we now know that rBGH increases Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), decreases nutrition in the milk, increases mastitis in the cows (requiring antibiotics which we ingest because they don't stop milking the cows while they are giving them antibiotics), and decreased fertility in cows. That's obviously a problem for the cows, if they can't be bred, or “freshened” in dairy parlance, they can't be milked and therefore are no longer useful. If rBGH causes infertility in cows (apparently studies have showed a reduction of as much as 40%), what does it do to the people who drink the milk?

We are the only industrialized nation, to my knowledge, that still allows this harmful chemical in our food. Europe, Canada, Australia, and Japan, among others, have all banned it's use. Purchasing dairy products labeled rBGH-free or organic is the only way to avoid this chemical.

But with GM foods it's a completely different thing. Yes, purchasing organic is one way to avoid it, but no GM foods are labeled, not everything is available organic, and it's not financially feasible to purchase everything organic (at least not in our house). You would be amazed at how far GM products have crept into our food supply. We deserve the right to know what is in our food. I believe that corporate interests and profits should not supersede the right to choose clean food.

I also wonder what it says when the employees of the company that makes most of the GM foods, Monsanto, won't eat it, demanding GM free foods in their cafeteria? If they won't eat it why should you?

California is, potentially, about to become the first state to require mandatory GM labeling. With 80 percent of those polled in California supporting this initiative I am hopeful that they will win. Striking a blow against these modified foods and their manufacturers. I'm also hopeful that this will be the first of a steamroller effect across the country.

To stay informed about this issue you can follow along on the blog as well as at Organic Consumers.