Technology for Organic Produce

Wednesday Aug 6, 2008

Organic Alliance announced that it has agreed to implement the GS1 System to track its produce in order to improve traceability and consumer safety.  The GS1 System can play a vital role in product recalls, it enables product traceability and GS1 standards make traceability system possible on a global scale across the supply chain.  The GS1 System enables global tracing and accountability of organic produce pinpointing the farm.  GS1 is a global organization with an integrated system of standards that provides accurate identification of products and location through the use of standards, barcodes and electronic product code/radio frequency identification tag.

Tom Morrison said the chief executive officer of Organic Alliance, Inc. that “Utilizing the GS1 System, we have the ability to not only track our produce back to the farm of origin, but all the way down to the actual row on which it was grown.  The rapid growth of the organic industry makes an effective tracking system on the produce a necessity and we are pleased to take this leadership role through our initial agreement with GS1.”

Organic Alliance will only source top quality; safe tested and certified organic produce, prior to customer shipments, utilizing USDA certification in conjunction with the in house OAI Quality Team.  The Organic Alliance plans is to be one of the world’s leading providers of USDA certified organic crops to many of the country’s leading consumer package goods manufacturers, grocery, retail restaurant and food processors.


Organic Fish-Based Fertilizer

Wednesday Aug 6, 2008

It is all natural fertilizer and environmental friendly for organic growers.  Converted Organic Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) has receive certification from the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) Organic Food Program for its Pacific Choice(TM) Hydrolyzed Fish fertilizer use for organic agriculture.  Converted Organics developed the product in partnership with Pacific Choice Seafood it is a Pacific Seafood Group company.

Pacific Choice(TM) Hydrolyzed Fish is an all natural fertilizer whose nutrients is from the by-product of oceangoing fish and stabilized with phosphoric acid.  Converted Organic is very pleased that they receive the WSDA’s organic certification for their Pacific Choice(TM) Hydrolyzed Fish.  The product has been specially formulated to provide organic growers with a high quality, natural liquid fish fertilizer, suitable on variety of crops.

The Converted Organics (NASDAQ:COIN) is based in Boston, MA, is dedicated to producing valuable all natural organic soil amendment or fertilizer products through food waste recycling.  The company plans to sell and distribute its fertilizer products in agribusiness markets, turf management, and in the retail.  The Converted Organics uses state-of-the-art technologies to create a product that helps grow healthier food and improve the environment.  The company’s product have been tested in numerous trials for more than a dozen crops, the result is on average, the net value of the farmer’s crop increased to 11% to 16% depending on the particular crop.  Increased use of nitrogen in commercial agriculture turf grass applications has lower the soil’s ability to absorb nitrogen and other nutrient, by using the products produced by Converted Organics helps restore the soil.  It reduces the amount of nitrogen required in a virtuous cycle that benefits from long term use.  Converted Organics’ fertilizer products will be produced in both a dry pellet and liquid concentrate.


China goes organic

Tuesday Aug 5, 2008

China is going for organic food product.
A farm called Fruit Garden, Fragrant Pig an organic farm about 15 miles south of the city of Chengdu, and in China’s southern part of Sichuan province. Lou Yu is a 37 year old and owner of Fruit Garden, Fragrant Pig farm, he used to be a stockbroker earning several thousand U.S. dollars a month. When he heard about organic farming from Taiwanese friends and was intrigued by reading some books about organic farming. He spent six months driving around China, looking at conventional farms.
Luo is running his own organic farm with fruit trees, vegetables and pigs. In his farm you see plastic bottles hanging of peach and plum trees, they each have hole cut out and filled with sugar water to attract and trap bugs and insect. He expects to lose one third of his crops to bugs and another third to birds, leaving him just one third for him to sell Luo said. Luo also said that “Those bugs have the right to stay here. They are part of the food chain. If we kill them, then there will be no birds of the farm.” “Eventually, there will be only human beings on the planet and it will be a silent spring.”

Luo’s parents were surprised when he told them that he was leaving the job and going “back to the land” his parents said he was “crazy” and “going back to ancient time,” but Luo sees it differently. The economics of organic food in China don’t work in Luo Yu’s favor, there is the lower yield and in the market, organic food costs two to three times more than a conventional food which is hard to sell. Luo has about 50 buyers for his weekly market baskets. Luo used to make most of his money serving organic lunches to visitors. After the May earthquake his business plummeted and same with the restaurant who buys organic food from him. He sells about 10 percent of what he used to sell to them and even before the earthquake. Luo Yu managed to stay afloat with the help of some local investors. Luo is still committed to bring more farmers into organic and promoting organic food to the public.


Organic farming

Monday Aug 4, 2008

Organic farming is a way of cultivation and growing of organic food in which there is no use of chemical substances. In organic farming, actually not just the consumers that benefit from the food but there are also benefits of organic farming for the farmers, these benefits are focused more on the farmers and their workers needs.

These benefits are great for the farmers and their workers who don’t wish to succumb to death or sickness. Benefits focus on the safety and health of the farmers and their workers. Organic farming does not promote the use of chemicals and other harmful substances, so there is no bad effect to the person’s health.

Another benefit of organic farming is focused on the consumers of the organic products; these benefits are for the health and safety of the consumers. Eating organic food can be greatly appreciated by the consumers when they experience less allergic reactions and lower the risk of contracting diseases caused by the chemicals. Organic farming also helps saving our environment and preventing harmful elements that can destroy the ozone layer. Farming organic food means that the soil is taken care of and the local wildlife and plant life are also taken care. No chemical in to the soil will yield a healthier soil that yield healthier crops.


Organic Vegetable Fertilizing and Insect Control

Friday Aug 1, 2008

In fertilizing your garden, first you know or determine the nutrients need to be added to the garden, soil testing is suggested to that.  Non-organic fertilizer is forbidden in any organic production system but it doesn’t mean that the nutrients the plant need cannot be supplied.  In fertilizing the garden, too much nitrogen can harm the garden; you must know what levels of nitrogen exist before applying and this is a gardener’s note.

Here is a nutrient content you want to know and be sure the manure sources are well composted to maximize the weed seed kill and residual disease carryover.

Manure Source         Actual Nitrogen            Actual Phosphorus          Actual Potassium

Poultry                      20 lbs.                                   7 lbs.                                      8 lbs.

 Hog                          10 lbs.                                   7 lbs.                                      8 lbs.

Beef                          14 lbs.                                   9 lbs.                                      11 lbs.

Sheep                        18 lbs.                                   11 lbs.                                   20 lbs.

 

In organic insect control, rotation is the first and best way to prevent insect problems and the next option is hand removal of old plant residue.  Use organic insecticides as a last option or last resort, but first check with you certifier to see if they are acceptable.  Sabadilla is certified acceptable to OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) as a restricted use organic product.  This means it can be use only if no other alternatives are feasible.  Using an insecticidal soup can control a wide range of plant destructive insects.  This is not a household soup, this insecticidal soup is intended for insect especially aphids.  Another insect control is bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) it is acceptable product but cannot contain petroleum distillates in the formulation.  Bacillus thuringensis can control cabbage worms and hand picking is also an alternative.


Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips

Thursday Jul 31, 2008

Vegetable seeds used in organic production must be free of chemical treatments. If a crop is unavailable in non-treated form, authorization from certifiers is necessary before making purchase.
Choose varieties with the best insect and disease resistance and select early maturing cultivars. Late maturing vegetables are more prone to disease and insect problems. Earlier plants mature the less time insects and diseases have to compete for the vegetables. Vegetable rotations that have been used by organic growers in Northeastern United States are:
Sweet corn before potatoes, cabbage family before sweet corn, tomatoes before peas, beans before tomatoes, root crop after cucurbits and potatoes before root crops. Remember, vegetables from the same plant family usually have the same problems. Beans-potatoes, peas-carrots, cabbage-beets, peas-turnips, kohlrabi-beets, spinach-eggplant, corn-cucumbers, corn-beans, and spinach-cauliflowers are vegetables that do well when they are planted together.
There are some ways to repel insect in your garden; one is repellents, sage repels cabbage moths and black flea beetles but don’t count on sage working under pressure from these insects. But it might be worth awhile to plant a little sage with cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli and chives have some repellant properties for aphids. And another is attractants, dill attracts the tomato hornworm, plant the dill on the opposite side of the garden from the tomatoes.


Organic growers

Wednesday Jul 23, 2008

New report that has found that organic producer has experienced an 80 percent growth in farm gate sales and over the last four years, locally the organic market seems to be thriving. Despite the widespread drought, an organic food craze has sent business in Dubbo.  An organic farm at Elong Elong named ‘Glenbye’ Organic Farm and run by the O’Leary family.  It appears to be an average farm with cattle and sheep but it is completely chemical free and produces top quality organic meat.
Julie O’Leary said “We sell meats domestically and we also export overseas to Japan and Korea, and we are now in talks with Canada and the United Arab Emirates to export our meat there”.  The Biological Farmers of Australia found that as most farmers’ battle with drought and low sales, the organic market is showing significant growth, the report that they release.
According to Healthy Life, the drought has not affected the organic food sales.  A Healthy Life spokesperson said that “A lot more people are concerned about what they eat these days”.  The O’Leary’s who started their farm in 1987 and are pioneers in the organic product game said that there was about a 20 percent premium on organic produce than conventional produce.  Organic food is becoming popular with people who suffer from cancer.  Now Australia accounted as one of the largest amount of organic farmland in the world.


Organic certifier celebrates

Thursday Jul 17, 2008

The New Zealand’s founding organic certifier celebrates its 25 years.  This year BioGro, the New Zealand’s leading organic certifier is greatly proud to be celebrating its 25 years anniversary. 
Dr. Michelle Gloga, BioGro’s CEO says “Turning 25 is a significant milestone not only for BioGro but the whole organics sector.  The industry has evolved from a grassroots cottage industry into a sophisticated, consumer focused production and distribution industry and that’s worth celebrating”.  In New Zealand, BioGro has been instrumental in steering organics.  The Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association of New Zealand, the Henry Doubleday Research Association, and the Soil and Health Association formed the New Zealand Biological Producers and Consumers Council (trading as BioGro).  The primary objective was to develop and maintain a credible and internationally respected organic standard and certification process, to safeguard the interests of producers and consumers.  Objective and founding philosophy are as fundamental to its success of BioGro’s.
Bob Crowder one of the founder and life members of BioGro’s recalls, that “ I would say that BioGro was born out of the first energy crisis in 1974 that’s what stimulated the revival of the organic movement around the world.  We had a big scare back then, which was basically the catalyst I think for it all”
BioGro’s ambition saw it develop the highest organic standards of international repute to audit and certify the processes carried out by producers.  Organic certification is currently voluntary in New Zealand but this may change if labeling regulations such as those in countries like the U.K.
Today New Zealand’s largest organic certifier BioGro with 600 licensees and over 900 certified operations.  It issues certificates to primary producers, food processors, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.


Organic Option

Tuesday Jul 15, 2008

There are a few companies that you want to become more familiar in natural organic food.  Natural organic food offers an array of health benefits, and if you decide that you are interested in making a change from a conventional food to organic health food.   One of the best organic health food companies that their mission is to promote the overall concept of sustainable living and an organic lifestyle is the Natural Organic.  Provide the public with the highest organic meat and poultry product.

In Natural Organic they have a wide selection of organic foods, including chicken breast, boneless skinless chicken breasts, hot dogs, and more.  They believe in implementing small fundamental changes in your everyday food purchasing habits, and making sure that you know when to choose to purchase organic products.

Another company that you can check out for organic health food, here you will find delicious organic gourmet groceries and fresh produce, and at affordable price.  This is one of the top organic health food companies out there, and they sell organic food because they want to contribute to the personal well being of their consumers, and make eating a joyous event.

More people are becoming aware of all organic foods have to offer and are making the switch,  learn at  least more about organic foods and what they have to offer.  Organic food is no more expensive than regular food and offers more nutrition and taste better.  Regardless of the brand of organic food, the important thing is that you are taking the step to do more for yourself.


Healthy lifestyle

Thursday Jul 3, 2008

If you want to have a healthy lifestyle, one to be consideration should be eating organic food. Natural food process without chemicals or pesticide would seem like a no brainer.  Nowadays people have to make choices. Product at your local grocery store is much cheaper than that purchased at a health food store or organic food stores.
Many proponents of organic food are looking to buy foods that are produced locally to boost the local economy.  While some organic food producers share these ideals.
Organic products also have some problems; the organic foods have made it more difficult to find foods that are produced locally.  Production has necessitated the use of some ingredients that may not be available enough quantities in local.  Some so-called organic products those are not really safer.  Certain vegetables or fruits contain significant amounts of pesticides in their conventional grown.  Processed foods that claim to be with organic ingredients often contain inorganic ones.
The prices for organic foods are substantially. The payment is about from 10 percent more, twice as much for an organic product.  Producers of organic products tend to incur higher costs in an effort to keep the ingredients pure.  Determining an organic product is worth the cost, it is important to know as much about it.  People make mistake of assuming the organic food are equal.