Organic products

ORGANIC SKIN CARE
Thursday, July 24
SkinBotanica.com, the largest all natural and organic skin care provider in the U.S., has announced the introduction of its easy to use online shopping experience. SkinBotanica brings many of the finest top of the line skin care, body care, hair care and cosmetic product lines, representing over a thousand products, to consumers through its newly launched website.

'We are very selective regarding the product lines we carry and are careful to ensure that the products are effective and truly natural and organic. Not all of the product lines we evaluated have met our strict standards,' said Kristy Taylor, co founder of SkinBotanica.com. 'All Natural and Organic products aren't meant to replace traditional skin care technologies, but rather give consumers equally effective alternatives. Our carefully selected product lines are made from formulas that increase the skin's natural processes of protection, repair and renewal and benefit every skin type.'

The SkinBotanica collection features products formulated with ingredients from natural sources, such as plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables. The cosmopolitan array of product lines hail from France, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Unites States; with ingredients and recipes from such diverse places as Romania, Paraguay, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and China.

The product lines are available at SkinBotanica.com, which provides an innovative and easy shopping system that allows cross site shopping between sister sites SkinCareRX.com and AnneMichele.com, resulting in a combined selection of over 5,000 high end beauty products.

'Many of the SkinBotanica product lines are manufactured eco friendly to ensure the highest quality and the least impact on the environment," said Chris Taylor, co founder of SkinBotanica.com. 'Several product lines carry the USDA certified organic seal and provide a way, for example, to offer pregnant and nursing women high quality, natural and organic products that are free from detergents, chemical fragrances and other additives.'

Some of the more popular lines SkinBotanica.com carries are: 100% Pure, Akhassa, Alaska Glacial Mud Co.(TM), Aromafloria(R), Biologica, Colorescience(R), Deep Steep(R), Doll Face(TM), Eminence(C), Erbaviva, HAMADI(TM), Juice Beauty(R), Juniper Ridge, Kathleen Lewis, Naturopathica(R), Nufolia, Pangea Organics, Pharmacopia, Pure Fiji(C), Red Flower, Ren, Sircuit(R) Skin, Sophyto(TM), Stem(R) Organics and Sumbody.

By www.marketwatch.com

THE LATEST ORGANIC SKIN CARE NEWS, FROM THE ORGANIC HOME

ORGANIC CAFE CHAIN
Organic To Go, America's first organic fast casual cafe chain to be certified organic by the USDA, is launching its catering service today, to herald the grand opening of the innovative brand's premiere East Coast debut. The varied, full service, catering menu, created for groups of five to 1,000, offers the full range of hot and cold signature dishes all made without harmful additives, antibiotics, chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones or genetic modification.

'We pride ourselves on creating delicious high quality meals from farmers, ranchers and manufacturers dedicated to sustainable practices,' said Jason Brown, Chairman and CEO of Organic To Go. 'This translates successfully into catering for the educated and mindful consumers in this market with over 40% of our overall business coming from catering orders. Our customers simply want natural ingredients in delicious meals delivered to their offices. We make it easy for people to continue to eat the foods that are important to them, as well as provide the opportunity for a meeting planner to serve any size group a creative farm fresh breakfast, lunch or dinner that they can be proud of. It's what's inside that count.'

The company demonstrates its commitment to 'green' business practices through its use of biodegradable, compostable or recyclable lunch bags, plates, cups, salad containers, sandwich boxes and napkins. Catering orders are delivered via a fuel conscious fleet of hybrid Prius vehicles, gas sipping Scions and an assortment of refrigerated trucking for larger orders.

Organic To Go believes large groups and parties need not sacrifice their health and well being to feed the masses. That's why their DC based commissary offers an extensive catering menu perfect for large and small groups, offices and special events, any time of the day or evening.

Organic To Go offers breakfast items, sandwiches, wraps, salads and entrees as a catering bowl, platter or buffet. The Catering Service offers the full range of simple delivery drop off to full service catering with white linens (or green!) and skilled service staff. Experienced Catering Specialists are available to assist with planning events of all sizes, from small corporate meetings to company BBQs or a buffet dinner for thousands.

The first Capital area Organic To Go cafe opens Tuesday, July 29 at 1311 F Street, NW (Metro Center) in the heart of downtown Washington, DC. Four more are slated to open in the metro region in the next six weeks.

By www.marketwatch.com

THE LATEST ORGANIC CAFE NEWS, FROM THE ORGANIC HOME

SMALL ORGANIC FARMING
A simple sign for Dogwood Farms hangs outside the front of a brick two story house. The place is quiet, and it seems there's not a soul in sight but past the cars and around the corner out back, the landscape comes alive. 'My peace of mind come here, once I get out here, it's like your mind is so at ease, it's like taking a dose of nature,' says Nelson James.

The sprawling farm that tumbles off the back porch is Nelson and Mary James' paradise where chemicals are banned.

'There has not been any fertilizer, insecticide or anything to these peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, anything. Whenever I want a tomato I go out rub it on my shirt and eat it. And it's good,' says Mary James.

The couple has tapped into a rhythm to keep their farm organic.

Rabbits make the best compost that gets tilled into the garden soil. Spoiled vegetables from that garden get fed to the chickens. The chickens roam the farm pecking harmful bugs out of the ground so the fennel, corn and soy crops can grow and feed the pigs. The pigs live and play on a patch of land that becomes next year's pasture.

Purple Martins swoop into and out of the two huge birdhouses in the middle of the farm. They are Mary and Nelson's organic solution to bug spray, soaring in noisy circles over the chickens, ducks, and turkeys.

Everything has a purpose and it's how Nelson's family has worked this land for three generations.

Mary James considers most of her animals her babies, some more than others, such as Tom the turkey who glides back and forth like a parade float, keeping a his big black eye on Mary.

'Tom is protective, this is his house, he's got to protect us, he's a watch turkey, he sees everything.' 'I have to ask a city slicker questions, is it hard when you have a turkey like Tom to let it go?'

'Nope. In a way depends on the age. Right now I'm using Tom as a breeder, I don't get attach, nah un. Tom is fooling to build other fools, so for me and Tommy, I don't know I have to think about that, Tommy is attached to me, getting under my skin, he's my protector (he clucks) okay, I'm not to get rid of him (laughs).'

Mary's heart is with Tom the turkey and the infinitely soft baby bunnies. Nelson's heart can be found deeper into the farm with the pigs.

'Nelson says this is not his cup of tea, he'll stay with the pigs.'

'We love all of our animals, we're very protective, but that's our lifestyle and when it's time for the market, I love to take them to the market too.'

But while they're at Dogwood Farms, Mary knows the animals are feeling the love she and Nelson have for each other and their farm. And they share that love with the people who come to the farm for local, organic products.

By Catherine M. Welch

THE LATEST ORGANIC FARMING NEWS, FROM THE ORGANIC HOME

ORGANIC INCREASES
The market for organically grown food is booming, with the industry enjoying an 80 per cent increase in farm gate sales since 2004, according to a new study.
Organic farm gate values were estimated at $231 million in 2007, while retail value reached $578million.

The University of New England's Australian Organic Market Report, commissioned by Biological Farmers Australia, also revealed that even as farmers battled the drought, organic farming continued to grow.

Biological Farmers Australia director Andrew Monk said the boom in organic farming had been driven by consumer demand.

The study revealed a reduction in grain and broadacre livestock farming, brought on by the drought, but sales of fruit and vegetables soared.

Dr Monk suggested that organic farming techniques made soil more resilient to drought and flood.

'More organic matter in the soil means a more resilient soil structure. If you get a deluge you don't lose the topsoil and secondly you have water retention capacity during dry periods'.

'There is a focus on the biology of the soil, [whereas] non organic agriculture focuses on the chemistry of the soil. People are realising more and more that you can't ignore biology.'

He said the University of New England study was a 'benchmark document' that would help the industry plan for the future.

Standards Australia has issued a new draft Australian Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Products to bring different industry standards into line.

Smaller organic farmers such as Joyce Wilkie, from the Allsun Farm in Gundaroo, said organic certification was an expensive process with which her farm no longer bothered, although she said the standards were good.

'Loss of certification didn't affect our sales one bit. However, if you are going to do it on a larger scale from supermarkets you have to be certified,' she said.

'For a long time organics was considered a health issue, [but] finally consumers are also seeing it as a green issue.'

She said 'bigger operators' were entering the market as they saw the value of organic produce.

The report also found Australia accounted for the largest amount of certified organic farm land in the world, at nearly 12 million hectares, although much of the land was not intensively farmed, as it was in European countries.

BY JAMES MASSOLA

THE LATEST ORGANIC FOOD NEWS, FROM THE ORGANIC HOME