A similar story followed when Target used an image in a flyer from an organic Silk product when in fact it was selling the new ‘natural’ version, which was made from conventional soybeans.

An investigation by the USDA’s National Organic Program was triggered after The Cornucopia Institute filed a complaint. You can read the entire story about how Cornucopia brought this to light and helped to expose this deception.

But it goes even futher…the web site for WhiteWave, owned by Dean Foods just like Silk, identified products as organic that no longer were organic. Did such a big corporation just forget to update their website? It is also interesting that the Silk web site says that their parent company is WhiteWave.

I bring this up not to belabor an old issue, but to illustrate how important it is that we let our representatives, and individual companies, know that we demand protection for organic standards and organic labeling. It is exciting that the organic food industry is growing at a tremendous pace due to consumer demand but we need to be sure that the acquisitions by major corporations of what were initially, very committed, smaller scale organic businesses do not alter the standards we expect when we buy something labeled organic.

We are all busy and do not necessarily have time to investigate what corporation has taken over what other company in the corporations growing ‘family tree’ but it is important. The larger the corporation the more lobbyists they have protecting their interests, which unfortunately for many is just generating profits.

Not all businesses are engaged in trying to deceive the public. The Cornucopia story tells how Heinz helped fund tomato growers to switch to organic production when they began their organic label line. Also, when Stonyfield yogurt was acquired by group Danone of France many were worried about what would happen. Stonyfield has remained committed to buying all of their milk from family-scale organic farmers. This is in contrast to Horizon, also owned by Dean Foods, who relies on factory farms more and more for its milk, and many Horizon products are no longer organic as we have seen happen with Silk and WhiteWave.

There still exist independently owned companies that are doing well and growing, so maybe when you are shopping give their items a second look. Some of these are Eden Foods, Nature’s Path, Organic Valley, Lundberg Family Farms, Alvarado Street Bakery, Cedarlane, Golden Temple, and Newman’s Own. You can find really helpful charts of who owns what at Cornucopia’s web site I was surprised about many of them. Now, independently owned doesn’t necessarily mean that all of their products are organic and being part of a mega-corporation doesn’t mean that they are not organic, but I think that this is something important to many of us and surprising as well.

It is a challenging world out there to maneuver through but the more we stand up for organic the more our voices will be heard and real standards will be set and enforced. The next time you visit Whole Foods or any other so-called natural foods market, let the manager know that it matters to you that organics are available…not just ‘natural’, which means nothing. The market is responding to our demands, we just need to be sure it is done with integrity and not deception.

This is from the OCA’s web site:

Do you use Jason Pure, Natural & Organic, Avalon Organics, Kiss My Face ObsessivelyOrganic, Nature’s Gate Organics, Stella McCartney 100% Organic, Giovanni Organic, Head Organics, Eminence Organic, Physicians Formula Organic Wear, Good Stuff Organics, Desert Essence Organics, or any “organic cosmetic” certified by Ecocert?

Hate to break it to you, but these so-called “organic” personal care products aren’t really organic and actually contain hazardous ingredients that would never be allowed in products certified to USDA organic standards.

Yesterday, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), along with certified organic personal care brands Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, Intelligent Nutrients, and Organic Essence, filed a complaint with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), requesting an investigation into the widespread and blatantly deceptive labeling practices of leading so-called “Organic” personal care brands, in violation of USDA NOP regulations.

The complaint, filed on behalf of the estimated 50 million regular consumers of organic products, argues that products such as liquid soaps, body washes, facial cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizing lotions, lip balms, make-up and other cosmetic products produced by 12 different corporations have been advertised, labeled and marketed as “Organic” or “Organics” when, in fact, the products are not “Organic” as understood by the average health and environmental-minded organic consumer.

So here again, as with food products, we need to read labels. To be sure of what you are using check for USDA certified organic labeling, and remember that what you put on your body is absorbed by your body so this is really important. The OCA’s web site is full of very important information on much more than just body care products so when you can take a visit to learn more about what you might be putting not just in your body but on it as well.

The Hageman family of Rhode Island created this web site to share what they have designed, built and learned (and there is also a fair amount of publicity for their sponsors) demonstrating that you can have a very comfortable, and still sustainable lifestyle. They showcase “green building practices, reusable resources, smart energy consumption, eco-friendly landscaping, and clean, healthy-living environments in a traditional, New England setting.” The fruits of their labor and intensive research can be found on their website Green Life Smart Life

The web site shows us how using smart technology the Hagemans manage energy consumption, create healthy air and have a complete security and entertainment system. They also have information on LEED-Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. They just were awarded LEED Gold certification on their home, the only home in Rhode Island to attain Gold certification.

While some may argue that this is not really a truly sustainable way to build and live, I think that it shows a new way of thinking and that higher end home construction can do a lot to create more sustainable housing. By showing others what it looks like to build green, conserve water & energy and live in a way that is good for the environment and healthier they are sharing some of the steps for a more sustainable future for all of us.

The authors spent weeks in an apartment where the carpet and furniture had just been treated with a stain-resistant coating. They ate meals microwaved in plastic, drank coffee in polycarbonated cups. After two days of intensive use of personal care products  the amount of triclosan, which prevents bacteria from growing in cosmetics, shot up nearly 3,000 times. The book chronicles their ‘experiments’ on themselves and the effects.

Written by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie both of whom have a history with Environmental Defence, a Canadian organization dedicated to protecting the environment and human health. Rick Smith is the Executive Director and Bruce Lourie was a past president so they have been on the front lines researching solutions and going to court when needed to protect clean air, water and maintaining thriving ecosystems.

The authors hope that politicians will impose stricter rules on labeling but in the meantime they are hoping to inform the public how to protect themselves and easily cut down on chemical exposure. There are so many chemicals in our food, packaging, personal care  and cleaning products, as well as in our furniture and all through our homes that we did not come into contact with until the last decades. It is only with knowledge that we can stop being poisoned with chemicals that need not be in most of these products and there are alternatives.

Not that it is necessarily a bad thing if we think a brand is independently owned and it turns out that a mega-corporation actually owns it, but it is good to know.

When Silk (owned by Dean Foods) switched from organic soybeans to conventional in their soy milk without changing the packaging, except for removing the word ‘organic’, many cried deception. Just a reminder that we have to keep looking at labels to be sure of what we are buying. On the other hand, since Stonyfield was acquired by group Danone of France there original standards have been maintained, even down to where the milk is sourced.

Enjoy the quiz and remember knowledge is power!

This sort of creativity and out of the box thinking based on real-life situations is what originally propelled America to greatness and business ingenuity decades ago, and it is probably the only way to restore America’s economy and move us truly into the 21st century in a sustainable way…which is the only way that has a future.

Today I read an article in the NY Times with more encouraging news out of Detroit. Yes, good news for a change. It seems that there are quite a few businesses who have recognized that there are many assets still in this city and it is time to utilize them before they disappear. Detroit has been abandoned by half its population, but perhaps more significantly abandoned mentally and emotionally by most of the country since it has come to symbolize much of what has gone wrong in this country. Could it be that now Detroit will become a model for what can go right in the U.S.?

Here are just a few brief examples from the article of what is happening in Detroit that offer a glimpse of what could bring new life for this city, and as you will see many of these businesses are a part of the ‘alternative’ energy paradigm. Some of the new projects in Detroit have come from multinationals who are innovators in this field. It has taken the U.S. a while to catch on, many European countries are way ahead of us when it comes to clean, alternative energy, but at least we are finally beginning to move in this direction. Apparently in America the people will move this forward not the government, so support this in any way that you can.

A solar energy company base in Dublin, Ireland, NTR, awarded contracts to two auto suppliers to make components for solar dishes. NTR’s chief executive points out in this article that it should be no surprise that they came to Detroit because, “the standard of manufacturing in the automotive industry is extremely high, and that is the only place you can find such a concentration of skills.”

Maybe we need to ask ourselves why America is not in the forefront recognizing the skills that remain from our industrial base. Have we become so accustomed to just throwing things out, including people, that don’t seem to work anymore. We need to recognize something new is possible. NTR is installing the first 60 of its SunCatcher dishes in Phoenix, Arizona and if all goes well with its solar-plant deals they expect to sell 65,000 of them over the next couple of years. Now that is an opportunity if I have ever seen one, and that is just the beginning.

Global Wind Systems, based in a Detroit suburb, is working with local suppliers to design a new generation of turbines that will be assembled in the area.

General Electric is investing $100 million in a research and manufacturing facility for wind turbines that will employ 1,000 people.

One of the largest projects combines the vision of two investors, Extreme Power of Austin, Texas and Clairvoyant Energy of Santa Barbara, California. Just outside Detroit they are refurbishing a closed Ford plant and will hire 4,000 workers to make solar panels and battery systems for utility companies.

In spite of its many problems Detroit can turn designs into workable products quickly, and it still has a precision manufacturing base that can be a huge advantage for these new businesses. It just takes rethinking what is available and what is needed in this era that we have entered.

Dowding Industries, a family-owned company in Eaton Rapids, could prove to be a model company for recognizing what potential exists by moving forward. The company had provided parts for the auto, tractor and rail industries but faced a losing battle as work was shifted overseas. After learning about the growing wind-power industry Dowding shifted gears. An initial contract with a wind turbine company started something new for this company. You can read more about it in the NY Times article.

I will add, not all of the new ventures are part of this new sustainable future that we are slowly creating, but they are bringing jobs and new hope to the city and this is crucial as well. Do we have to wait for our cities to be emptied and businesses to collapse before we move in a new direction? Detroit may be showing us what is possible but lets support these changes in our own cities and towns now. There is much work to do to move to a sustainable future, but it is exciting and is really already happening in many ways, we just don’t hear enough about it. Help spread the word and be a part of it.

You would not expect anything less than the best ingredients since the Ferry Building is the location for three farmers markets every week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), and the co-owners of Boulette’s Larder Chef Amaryll Schwertner and business partner, Lori Regis have been a part of the local food scene in San Francisco for well over two decades.

When I spoke with Amaryl and Lori what I loved was their devotion and sense of adventure about what they do, and what they have created. They both admitted that they have a good time in their quest for the freshest, tastiest and sustainably produced ingredients.They search out growers and food artisans across the country, and across the world, who are producing the quality ingredients they insist upon.

Here is their definition of what Boulettes Larder is:

boulettes larder n. Glimpse into the heart of a working, professional kitchen framed by a retail counter where personal attention is offered by a skilled and responsive staff. A useful, compelling and charming epicerie with discriminatingly selected ingredients prepared to varying degrees of time-saving readiness.

The menu changes daily based on what is available, and where Amaryll’s inspiration leads her, which could be influenced by Eastern or Western Europe, North Africa, Turkey, Greece or Japan. You can be sure of one thing, you probably will have a difficult time deciding what to choose.

Breakfast and lunch are served Monday – Friday and brunch is served on Sunday. On Saturday there is no table service but the larder is open 8-2:30 for all of your take out needs.

In the evenings your “best friends” kitchen becomes a peaceful, intimate private restaurant. They can accommodate up to 24 guests and the ambiance quietly competes with the food. Expect crystal stemware, silver table service, handmade linens and candlelight….

There is a daily larder menu for take out and stocking your pantry and fridge. You will find everything from sweets, vegetables and side dishes, meats, cooking fats, spice blends, grains and pastas and even hand care products. You can even place your order ahead and If it is a busy farmers markets day they will bring your order out front for you. If you are not in San Francisco you can order many products online including boulettes larder spice blends, honey (a wonderful assortment is available), Japanese products, and larder basics.

Their commitment to locally produced ingredients is evident in every bite, plus on their web site you will even find a list of their suppliers.

With a communal kitchen just in front of the kitchen you can meet locals and visitors while you eat. Strike up a conversation and you may learn even more about the restaurant…I have a feeling that there is always someone at the table who is a regular. There is also outside seating so you can enjoy the fresh air and on Tuesday and Thursday you can people watch as they shop the farmers market…Be sure to check it out yourself and you will find some of the freshest produce around, as well as delicious prepared food. I must admit that San Francisco has some of the best farmers markets around and a few each day throughout the city.

If you are wondering who Boulette is you can solve the mystery here. It might feel as friendly and inviting as your best friend’s kitchen, but don’t worry you won’t be expected to wash your own dishes.

Boulettes Larder

1 Ferry Building Marketplace

San Francisco, CA 94111

phone (415) 399-1155

fax (415) 399-1177

web site: bouletteslarder.com

Breakfast

Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 10:30 am

Saturday Closed

Lunch

Monday – Friday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm

Beignets/Brunch

Sunday 10:00 am to 2:30 pm

We do not have table service on Saturdays

Larder Hours:

Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday 8:00 am to 2:30 pm

Sunday 10:00 am to 2:30 pm

And then in one moment I was really glad to be doing exactly what I was doing…I felt that I was at least doing something to reduce my footprint, at least a little. I looked at the couple of glass bottles and paper that I was also putting out on the road for the recyclers to pick up tomorrow morning…and then I imagined for one moment how great it would be if everyone recycled. Some cities are beginning to make it mandatory, which sadly may be the only way to have recycling happen on a large scale.

Somehow we Americans have become pretty lazy in quite a few areas and taking care of the environment seems to be one area where we have really been slacking off. In the end it comes down to each of us doing our part and letting our leaders know that this is of utmost importance to us.

I am often thinking about how I can reduce my impact on the earth. I am pretty good about turning off lights and other electrical equipment. I often use candles instead of lamps. I shop at farmers markets, recycle, I don’t buy bottled water unless I am traveling and it is the only way to get clean water-but I travel with my own water bottle so I can buy  one big container and fill up my bottle. I take public transportation when I travel if it is available…actually I love being able to take public transportation.

I am thinking even more about this footprint of mine since I recently had a chance to see the film No Impact Man. We were previewing it for the Santa Fe Farmers Market Film Series, which runs through May, and I loved it as did the rest of the committee who saw it. If you don’t know the story of No Impact Man, it is the story of a husband, wife and their two year old daughter and their year living without making an impact on the environment. What makes the film especially great is that they live in Manhattan and the wife is far from an environmentalist but she is a good sport who goes along with the project. They walk up stairs (they live on the 9th floor of their building), shop locally, stop buying new items, get rid of their tv, and sweetly discover just how good life can be living more consciously. The film and its stars, don’t advocate doing what they did or making such a drastic change in our lives, but they do show it is possible and it offers great ideas on how we can all begin to reduce our footprints…it is not that difficult in some areas, and it can bring huge rewards.

If you want to learn more about No Impact Man he still has an ongoing blog and you can read more here.

Can you imagine the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations committee has introduced a bill that calls for the creation of a Special Coordinator for Food Security (and authorizes $500 million in funding for 2010) that includes the clause that the U.S. must fund GMO’s and biotechnology. Don’t get me wrong I believe in helping to solve the issue of Global Hunger and Poverty, this is an something that we all need to be concerned with, but it has been shown that GM seed causes more hardship on small farmers than it does good. In fact quite often farmers in poorer countries (and in the U.S. as well) wind up losing their small farms since the costs escalate using these seeds….but this is another story.

The main point of the treehugger article is that other countries around the world from India to Egypt, as well as the EU have imposed strict rules on the use and labeling of GMO’s. The main reason is that there is not agreement among scientists on the effects, long or short term, on the safety of genetically modified food and they will not allow their citizens to be guinea pigs. To add insult to injury there is not even evidence that there is more productivity, or nutrition, with these seeds. In fact with Monsanto’s Roundup Ready corn crops more of their herbicide is used, since it kills everything else but the corn, and it has caused “soil erosion, nitrate leaching and water contamination”.

Here in the U.S. there is not even a mandate for labeling GMO products but here are some facts about how common they are from the treehugger.com article:

More than 9 out of 10 soybean seeds are genetically modified AND they come from Monsanto. So chances are good that if you are eating any product with soybeans and it is not organic, it is probably genetically modified.

The same holds true for corn with the numbers just a bit lower, but corn is in so many products in one form or another that if you are eating almost anything commercially processed it probably has corn in it.

Maybe it is time for us in the U.S. to insist on what is becoming commonplace in many countries around the world….Our Right To Know What is In Our Food. If it isn’t so bad why are these corporations afraid to have these products labeled? In the meantime to protect yourself buy local, and ask your farmer how they grow their food (they will appreciate your interest) and organic whenever you can.

But now it seems we have entered a new era, at last, where their viability and need has been once again recognized. From the film’s web site here are five key benefits of electric cars:

1. Electricity is cheaper than gas, and can come from renewable resources such as solar and wind power.

2. Electric cars pollute less than gas-powered cars (especially when renewable energy sources are used to generate the electricity).

3. Electric cars are much more reliable and require less maintenance than gas-powered cars. You don’t even need to get your quarterly oil change!

4. By using domestically-generated electricity rather than relying on foreign oil, we can achieve energy independence and will no longer need to engage in costly wars in the Middle East to secure an energy supply.

5. Electric cars can utilize the existing electric grid rather than require the development of a new, expensive energy infrastructure (as would be the case with hydrogen).

Today in the NY Times a story ran about how a few key cities are preparing themselves for the introduction of main stream electric cars later this year. There already are about 150 Tesla roadsters on the road and Mini-Cooper has a test lease program of 450 electric vehicles, but we are now talking about a much larger scale with the arrival of Nissan’s Leaf, which will be able to travel 100 miles on a charge, as well as the Chevy Volt.

The cities mentioned in the article are San Francisco, Portland, Ore., and San Diego, although several thousand Leafs will be delivered to California, Arizona, Washington state, Oregon and Tennessee. Since the cars need to be plugged in and charged there must be an appropriate infrastructure to make this work, which means cooperation between utilities, the automakers and of course the companies creating the charging stations.

How big could this be? Well in San Francisco the building code will be revised to require that new structures be wired for car chargers.

As mentioned above there are many benefits to electric vehicles. Battery powered motors are more efficient than gasoline engines and of course produce far less emissions, but we also have to consider the source of the electricity to see the whole picture. But the exciting news is that electricity is easily created from renewable energy sources like wind and solar. In fact at Google’s Mountain View Headquarters they have  a solar powered charging station (this is such an amazing concept) that accommodates 100 cars.

So another benefit of the rebirth of electric vehicles is that they could be a spark for more interest in these clean sources of energy to power them. If anyone wonders if there will be a demand for these new EV’s take note, in Berkeley one out of five cars sold today is a hybrid Prius, so obviously the public definitely wants choices that are good for the environment.