Category: SunRidge News

The fight for and against the labeling of GMO food is now being looked at on a Federal level.  Advocates for State’s rights are concerned.  Here’s the latest – http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2014/07/10/ben-jerrys-co-founder-would-rather-fight-gmo-battle-in-the-states

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and whether or not an item package discloses this is often a concern for the consumer.  We see news reports of food contamination, heavy metals, excessive pesticides, etc. and often the finger is pointed at items from other countries outside of the USA.  Based on this, shouldn’t every item have a country of origin so we, as consumers, can easily identify foods that are safe to eat simply by where they come from?  Unfortunately it’s not that easy and it’s certainly unfair to scapegoat a country or region of the world simply because we’ve been manipulated into thinking something by the news.  In addition, when sourcing items globally how do you keep packaging current if there are multiple sources of an item depending on the season, yields, weather related issues, and political upheaval?   What about an item that’s grown in Russia but is roasted here in the USA.  What is the Country of Origin?  What does it say on the label?  Would it surprise you to know that, technically, that item is a product of the USA?  Pine Nuts from China but roasted and salted here?  That also is an item that can list it’s Country of Origin as the USA. 

From our perspective at SunRidge Farms, this can be misleading to the consumer so we choose to only label the Country of Origin on items that the USDA has mandated.  Of the items we sell, these products are Peanuts, Pecans, and Macadamias.   Here’s a link to the USDA website that defines COOL and the food items that require mandatory labeling.   http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/COOL  We hope that this information will help you understand food industry labeling and help make more informed decisions about the foods you choose to buy and consume.   We all need to be more aware of food safety and food marketing so we’re not mislead by ‘feel good’ statements because we’ve been conditioned to believe that only foods from regions we’re comfortable with are safe to eat.

We’re enjoying the beautiful city of New York while attending the Fancy Food Show.  Here’s a photo that shows our booth with a variety of our items and the bulk bins you see at your favorite grocer.

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This story details the concerns of farming with GM seeds and the impact of resistance traits forming in other crops and/or weeds on all farm land.  Read more here – http://news.yahoo.com/cousin-quinoa-could-spell-ruin-american-farms-225940769.html

Europeans have made it clear that they do not want GMO’s in their foods.  Several major companies are developing Non-GMO items for their European customers while still spending significant amounts of money fighting GMO labeling and the production of GM products here in the USA.  For more on this story click here – http://finance.yahoo.com/news/research-markets-non-gmo-foods-135700638.html;_ylt=AwrTWf0zZaRTP3wAaTrQtDMD

Thanks to Parenting Healthy for this feedback – http://www.parentinghealthy.com/2014/06/organic-natural-snacks-made-by-sun.html

Give our trail mixes, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, and delicious confections a try!

Are we seeing the end of the monarch butterfly migration?  Huge declines in their natural food due to heavy GM cotton and GM soybean planting in the USA is leading to a precipitous decline in the monarch population and their annual migration.  One of those migration routes is right here in Santa Cruz County at Natural Bridges State Park.  This is but another reason for us to reconsider GM crops and their purported ‘value’.  From the Christian Science Monitor comes this story – http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2014/0129/Is-the-annual-Monarch-butterfly-migration-coming-to-an-end

We hope to see you at the Fancy Food Show® in New York City, June 29-July 1 2014.  Come by our booth and sample some new items and some regular favorites!  For more visit the Fancy Food Show website here – http://www.specialtyfood.com/fancy-food-show/summer-fancy-food-show/

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.