Author: Greg Koenig

The organic foods we buy are often more expensive than their conventionally grown counterparts but that may be changing.  For more, visit the SJ Mercury News article here – http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25793529/organic-goes-mainstream-consumers-can-expect-price-breaks

As the ink was drying on the bill Governor Shumlin signed into law last Thursday, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) threatened to sue the State of Vermont.  This has been expected and Vermont has planned for this; for more on the story please see – http://www.reformer.com/state/ci_25757028/trade-group-vows-sue-over-vermonts-gmo-labeling

SunRidge Farms supports the labeling of GMO’s and is already labeling verified Non-GMO items currently.

SunRidge Farms wishes to congratulate the citizens of Vermont for their efforts in getting their government leader to take seriously the labeling of GMO’s and for passing Bill H.112.

Visit http://www.vtrighttoknowgmos.org/ to find out more and witness the historic signing.

SunRidge Farms believes you should know exactly what is in your food.  You then have the choice to buy or not buy based on your own understanding and values.   Thank you for purchasing SunRidge Farms foods.

Where can you enjoy SunRidge Farms foods?  Send us your photos from your adventures with SunRidge Farms!

The standards board for the organic industry is meeting now.   They have to weigh the growth of the industry and the consumers demands for the organic industry and set policy.  It’s important for consumers of organic foods to be aware of the actual regulations and practices of the various players in the organic industry so that they know the reality of what they could be buying.  From Food Safety News, here’s more – http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/04/consumers-might-read-organic-label-differently-than-organic-standards-board/#.U1_KpcdRcve

Something that we all need to be aware of in organic foods is the exemption list of artificial ingredients or antibiotics that can used under a review process.  For more information, see this article – http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deliberations-begin-on-approving-artificial-ingredients-in-organic-production-consumer-reports-survey-show-7-out-of-10-americans-want-as-few-approved-as-possible-257124811.html

The governor of Vermont is expected to sign a new law in Vermont that requires the labeling of genetically modified foods (GMO’s).  This is the first state in the nation to make this a requirement and, hopefully, the first of many.  The industry lawsuits to fight this law are expected and this article from the Washington Post explains the State’s defense position.   http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/04/29/how-vermont-plans-to-defend-the-nations-first-gmo-law/

Thanks to Outdoor Guide Magazine for their inclusion of SunRidge Farms Hit the Trail Mix and other items in their ‘Great Gear’ section in April.  Check out SunRidge Farms and other ‘Great Gear’ on their site – http://outdoorguidemagazine.com/2014/04/14/hit-the-trail-with-healthy-snacks/

Whether GMO foods are safe to eat is one question.  Put that question aside and look at what we do know now regarding one crop, Bt Corn – designed to eliminate the need for pesticides to control rootworm, a destructive beetle like insect, that feeds on the roots of corn.  This damage to the corn plants roots is tremendously costly for the farmer and on up the chain.   Bt Corn changed this by having the toxin that kills rootworm introduced in the species transgenically.  In the short term it worked, crop yields improved and losses due to rootworm dropped dramatically.   All along, a variety of scientists had warned that natural selection could dramatically offset these gains and these warnings were ignored.  Lobbying by the manufacturers resulted in relaxed rules environmentally by the EPA and even farmers ignored guidelines of the seed manufacturers themselves resulting in what they face now – a rootworm that is resistant to the toxin designed to kill them.  There are many links online to this information but here’s a well written article that also provides a backdrop to the issue.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/03/rootworm-resistance-bt-corn/

This story published at WallStCheatSheet.com is an excellent overview of the concerns that GMO products raise.  There are simply too many questions and very few answers.  Should we be concerned or not?  If not, let’s prove it…

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/life/10-problems-with-genetically-modified-foods.html/?ref=YF