Proposal in Federal Budget Aims to Boost Organic Food Labels

"WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's record $3.8 trillion budget proposal includes a $3.1 million boost in a program important to Vermont's organic farming industry.

Obama's budget, which must be approved by Congress, would increase spending for the National Organic Program by 44 percent, to $10.1 million. The program certifies that organically produced foods meet national standards. The increase includes $2.1 million for regulatory review and enforcement and to forge agreements with other countries to help expand exports."

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New USDA Data Offers In-Depth Look at Organic Farming

"WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2010 – The nation’s organic farms and ranches have higher average sales and higher average production expenses than U.S. farms overall, according to results of the 2008 Organic Production Survey released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“This was USDA’s first wide-scale survey of organic producers, and it was undertaken in direct response to the growing interest in organics among consumers, farmers, businesses, policymakers and others,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “The information being released today will be an important building block for future program and policy development.” "

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Healthy Food Mall Expands LIne

"Bozeman, MT (PRWEB) April 12, 2009 -- According to an article by the Associated Press, the majority of adults in the United States are overweight and unhealthy. The report - based from a two year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and the National Center for Health Statistics - addresses a growing trend that Americans are eating worse and exercising less.

Part of the problem is the dietary choices that people make. Fried foods and sugary snacks are consumed on a daily basis for many Americans, thus increasing their chances of Type-2 diabetes and obesity. Luckily, buying healthy food is no more than a few clicks away."

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Pesticide Lobbyists Interested in the White House Garden

"The pesticide peddlers are not happy with Michelle Obama.

We support organic gardening.
Tell the board members of MACA (virtually all of them big chemical executives) that we don't appreciate their telling Michelle Obama (or any of us) to use pesticides in our gardens.

The Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) represents chemical companies that produce pesticides, and they are angry that — wait for it — Michelle Obama isn't using chemicals in her organic garden at the White House.

We are not making this up."

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The Soil Association Warns of Difficult Times Ahead

AT LEAST eight organic farmers are leaving the sector every month as consumer demand for premium food stagnates and costs rise, according the industry's two biggest certification bodies.

The Soil Association and the Organic Farmers and Growers has warned the sector faces difficult times and the organic revolution faces stalling in the face of rising food prices and job uncertainty.

The National Farmers' Union has also said that "a small number at breaking point" wanted to leave farming but could not, because they had converted from standard farming less than five years ago and would have to pay back all the subsidies they had received.

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Fresh Harvest Products Acquires Organic Chef

"Fresh Harvest Products, a US-based distributor of organic food products and beverages, has signed a letter of intent to acquire the assets, including the intellectual property, of Organic Chef, a supplier of organic and natural beverages in Brooklyn, New York.

The letter of intent, which is subject to completion of due diligence by the parties and their execution of a definitive acquisition agreement, contemplates Fresh Harvest issuing common stock only as consideration for the acquisition."

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Recall: Stonyfield Farm 32-ounce Fat Free Plain May Contain Food Grade Sanitizer

"Stonyfield Farm is recalling about 44,000 quarts of fat-free plain organic yogurt in Stonyfield Farm branded containers because the yogurt products might contain sanitizer that's normally used in food plants. The company said it hasn't received any reports of illnesses, but it has received several reports from people noticing an off-taste or off-smell. Stonyfield Farm said the issue resulted from human error in not following the company's standard operating procedures.

The recalled products are limited to Stonyfield Farm 32-ounce Fat Free Plain yogurt with the UPC code 52159 00006. It carries one of these product codes printed along the cup bottom that start with the following date codes:

_ May 06 09: Time stamped 22:17 through 23:59 (limited to these specific time stamps only).

_ May 07 09: All time stamps."

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For more information, please visit Stonyfield.