Organic Vegetables marked "Product of China." Woodstock Farms!

[KoKo]

I've started purchasing frozen organic vegetables but was shocked to pick up a package of Woodstock Farms Organic frozen brocolli. The package shows a homey Farm Logo and says "Caring about the Land." There were three different "organic certified seals," on the front. I looked on the back to see where Woodstock farms was and it said Connecticut. Down in the right hand corner to my shock was in black letters..."Product of China."

Since when did we start importing organic brocolli from China? Who certified it with three labels "organic?" How does it pay to ship brocolli all the way from China and truck it across the US to a grocery store here in NC? Why should I believe this product is "organic" given the melamine and banned antibiotics in wheat and catfish. Why are we importing catfish from China when we have our own farms who grow organic? How many other vegetables are being imported from China and sold fresh?

What is going on? :grr:

On Edit:

Here's the link to their website and they have lots of so called "organic" products that they will deliver to your home! Sheesh! Even Soy Gluten!

http://shop.deliciousorganics.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=85

[Vinca]

1. Does "Woodstock Farms" have a web site????

That's amazing. I wouldn't trust anything from China to be safe to eat at this point, much less organic. Do you have a farmer's market in your area? If you don't grow your own, that's probably the only way to be sure you're getting decent produce.

[KoKo]

9. I do buy locally but one is limited to what's in season. n/t

[Neoma]

More to the point.

Where is our own organic food going?

[Dr.Phool]

2. I'm going to start checking labels on everything I buy.

As far as I'm concerned, no food from China is safe.

I was told at a meeting last week, but I haven't confirmed it yet, that all of our vitamins are made in China also.

[cosmicdot]

22. knr

"checking labels on everything I buy" --- yep

[Shallah Kali]

24. 80% VitaminC is from China w/most vitamins from there - some have LEAD in them

I can't find any numbers on what is the total vitamins made in China. {sigh} it is hard enough finding vitamins that don't have the stuff I am allergic too in 'em that also have the actual vitamins they are supposed to have. Now I have to write companies to make sure they aren't from China and to please please please buy as much US product as possible instead!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/22/AR2007042201163.html

Earlier this spring, Europe narrowly averted disaster when a batch of vitamin A from China was found to be contaminated with Enterobacter sakazakii, which has been proved to cause infant deaths. Thankfully, the defective vitamin A had not yet been incorporated into infant formula. Next time we may not be so fortunate.

Currently, most of the world's vitamins are manufactured in China. Unable to compete, the last U.S. plant making vitamin C closed a year ago. One of Europe's largest citric acid plants shut last winter, and only one vitamin C manufacturer operates in the West. Given China's cheap labor, artificially low prices and the unfair competitive climate it has foisted on the industry, few Western producers of food ingredients can survive much longer.

Western companies have had to invest heavily in Chinese facilities. These Western-owned plants follow strict standards and are generally better managed than their locally owned counterparts. Nevertheless, 80 percent of the world's vitamin C is now manufactured in China -- much of it unregulated and some of it of questionable quality.

[kath]

54. Good luck with that, since the vast majority of foods and ingredients are NOT labelled as

to country of origin. The Repugs have been fighting country-of-origin labeling laws for a long, long time.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Here's a list of products titled 'Woodstock Farms' at a Community

Market in Maine:

http://www.risingtide.coop/search_results.asp?ct=All&site_search_qu=woodstock&storeID=619D777AC6FD4BF6868E21701B44FA3B

[Wiley50]

6. I sense a "Rising Tide" of Pure Outrage n/t

[KoKo]

7. I found their website and apparently they deliver all kinds of frozen veggies and other products to

your home! They also sell "soy gluten." (I guess we can figure where their soy gluten comes from):eyes:

http://shop.deliciousorganics.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=85

Then I found that someone has accused their organic Milk products of being mislabled on a website.

Woodstock Farms

Products: Milk

Labels, Web pages, advertisements, in-store displays and all marketing materials associated with specific food products must meet federal and state government regulations for truthful and non-misleading claims in all particulars. Independent research, government guidelines, and other government regulatory actions finds that the absence and/or other production-related claims found on these food label or marketing materials may be false or misleading. False and misleading food marketing claims are illegal and harm both consumers and producers. We urge all retailers and food packagers to protect consumers and farmers by fully complying with truthful and non-misleading food marketing rules.


EXAMPLES OF PRODUCT, ADVERTISING OR RELATED MARKETING*

Woodstock Farms Milk

Click Here to view more Woodstock Farms misleading labels.


EXAMPLES OF FALSE OR MISLEADING CLAIMS TYPICALLY FOUND*

The TRUTH about "No Antibiotics" Claims[]/b]

Antibiotics are never added to milk. All milk is tested to ensure that antibiotics used to treat cows are not present in milk. Antibiotic-free and no-Antibiotic claims are not allowed in animal agriculture. Read the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Information Service guidelines at www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/larc/Claims/RaisingClaims.pdf


The TRUTH about "No Pesticide" Claims

There are no pesticides added to any milk or dairy products. The Federal Trade Commission has rules that “no pesticide” claims by food marketers are not truthful and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published that organic and similar production marketing claims do not mean pesticide-free or that no pesticides were used – often only certain marketing standard prohibited pesticides. Find more information at www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=529619 and http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/environ-cases.htm


The TRUTH about "No Hormone" Claims

All milk produced by cows contains hormones as part of the normal biology of reproduction and lactation. There is no such thing as hormone-free milk.

Read the FDA “No Hormones” Claims Press Release at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fprbst.html


* If you know about a false or misleading label or related marketing claim contact us at [e-mail]. Examples found here have been collected over the past several years dating back to 2001. They are from various stores and different regions of the country. Some examples may have changed or differ from region-to-region or in different stores. All examples found are presented here, including some which may no longer be available, to provide both the context and history of false or misleading marketing. Different labels and corresponding marketing materials may not contain all of the false or misleading claims noted; they are presented as sold and/or marketed at the time of purchase or discovery. If this page concerns your product and you’ve made changes to your marketing materials please contact us – we’ll add and promote any verifiable changes to labels, advertisements or marketing materials which are provided to us.


http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:VZYq7EX9R_cJ:www.stoplabelinglies.com/gallery/Woodstock.html+Woodstock+Farms,+organic+vegetables&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

[greiner3]

63. Kosher?

I find it hard to believe that there are THAT many Jews in China in order to certify kosher. That's funny!

[robinlynne]

80. Website selling in Florida.....They know what they do...

[Drops_not_Dope]

4. Contact

United Natural Brands
(Manufacturer)

Shannon Wojcik, Marketing Associate
260 Lake Rd
Dayville, CT 06241 USA
Phone: [phone], ext. 54335
E-mail: [e-mail]

http://www.theorganicpages.com/topo/searchresultbrand.html?brandlist=1&brandName=Woodstock%20Farms&search_submitted=&txtBrandName=&alpha=

Not a "Farm" at all.

[KoKo]

10. United National Brands? Probably a Chinese outfit... Thanks I'll do some research! n/t

[bahrbearian]

5. Why do you even have to question it ? Trust them the FDA is on top of it.

[dave_p]

8. 1300m Chinese are alive ...

... against only 300m Americans. Precautions are fine, but the panic's getting rather silly.

[bahrbearian]

11. Maybe 1300m Chinese are alive due to their exports rather than

having to consume the exports.

[dave_p]

17. They feed Chinese workers the best and export the rubbish?

Are you serious??

[Raksha]

27. Accidental poisonings of school children and others

are quite common in China. There was a thread about this on DU about a week ago, but unfortunately I forgot to bookmark it.

[KoKo]

12. Do you know the population of China? Millions could die and it wouldn't

even make a blip in their population. I think they are up to 2 Billion people...(just heard the statistic the other day)

[dave_p]

19. Then you heard the statistic wrong.

It's 1320m. Blips like that do get noticed these days.

[KoKo]

29. Here's what I could find about Current China Population:

China Population statistics

Current China's population is 1,313,973,713 (2006 est.) . By the late 2010s, China's population is expected to reach 1.4 billion. Around 2030, China's population is anticipated to peak and then slowly start dropping. China's capital city is Beijing, Beijing is China's second largest city in terms of population, after Shanghai. The population of the Shanghai Metropolitan Area including the city, some of its suburbs and the surrounding area is approximately 18 million.

Population Density

General 73 / km² ( 190 / sq mile)
Beijing 1,023 / km² ( 2,650 / sq mile)
Izmir 194 / km² ( 502 / sq mile)
Shanghai 108 / km² (280 / sq mile)

Major cities of China and their approximate populations:
City Population


The total number of Chinese cities is 666.
11 cities with population over 2 million;
23 cities with population between 1 millions and 2 million;
44 cities with population between 500,000 and 1 million;
159 cities with population between 200,000 and 500,000;
393 cities with population less than 200,000.
Metropolitan area Population
Shanghai 17,420,000
Beijing 14,930,000
Chongqing 12,057,000
Guangzhou 10,150,000
Taipei 7,400,000
Hong Kong 7,041,000
Changsha 5,955,000
Tianjin 5,750,000

[dave_p]

73. That's what I said

That's 1 July 2006. Add 10 months 12 days at 0.6% annual growth and it's just under 1320.8 million today. I was rounding.

[Junkdrawer]

20. Seen this?

From China to Panama, a Trail of Poisoned Medicine

The kidneys fail first. Then the central nervous system begins to misfire. Paralysis spreads, making breathing difficult, then often impossible without assistance. In the end, most victims die.

...

Forty-six barrels of the toxic syrup arrived via a poison pipeline stretching halfway around the world. Through shipping records and interviews with government officials, The New York Times traced this pipeline from the Panamanian port of Colón, back through trading companies in Barcelona, Spain, and Beijing, to its beginning near the Yangtze Delta in a place local people call “chemical country.”

The counterfeit glycerin passed through three trading companies on three continents, yet not one of them tested the syrup to confirm what was on the label. Along the way, a certificate falsely attesting to the purity of the shipment was repeatedly altered, eliminating the name of the manufacturer and previous owner. As a result, traders bought the syrup without knowing where it came from, or who made it. With this information, the traders might have discovered — as The Times did — that the manufacturer was not certified to make pharmaceutical ingredients.

....



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/world/americas/06poison.html

[dave_p]

21. Yes indeed

that's why I said precautions. Not panic.

[Junkdrawer]

23. The Chinese government is stonewalling investigations on the Panama incident...

and the factories that added melamine to the gluten are boarded up...

Until the Chinese government opens up and shows they are cooperating with those that want to make sure our food/drug supply is safe, I'd say that a boycott/trade blockage is in order.

[dave_p]

75. All that's needed is for US food & drug regulatory bodies to do their job

... and the culprits will be boycotted, whatever their country of origin.

Getting China's own authorities to do theirs is also important. That's a different matter to exploiting a few scares for backward-looking anti-trade isolationism.

[brentspeak]

77. "backward-looking anti-trade isolationism"

Translation: "My own job is immune to being outsourced and/or I make a ton of money through investments which exploit cheap labor. I've got mine -- screw you."

[dave_p]

"I make a ton of money through investments which exploit cheap labor"?

Haha... if only you knew... let's just say you're about as far from the truth in my case as it's possible to be.

But I do know that a leading economy that clings to a protectionist comfort-blanket isn't the kind that offers opportunity and rewards creativity or that contributes to world growth. It's a recipe for corporations to keep US consumers bottled in a closed market where bosses can charge what they please.

You seem to find my allegation of "backward-looking anti-trade isolationism" objectionable. But why? Isn't it a fair description?

[KoKo]

40. It's subtle and insideous...and you don't know you are sick or why..

You go to the "Emergency Room" and they tell you it's "Your Lifestyle" and Maybe it is....OR MAYBE it's what you ate that was IMPORTED! and YOU PAY and our Faulty HEALTH SYSTEM PAYS...when, in the end, it COULD BE...GLOBALIZED FOOD THAT'S MAKING YOU SICK!

HOW ARE WE (the People) to KNOW....THE TRUTH??

[robinlynne]

81. Jesus. Time for us to take "back' the governing of our country, and change all the laws.

This is so wrong in so many ways.

[brentspeak]

28. Thank you for that daily dose of DLC/GOP free trade propaganda B.S.

[dave_p]

74. Very profound

That's what I love about the Little Americans. If it isn't paranoid "the world's out to get us" BushSpeak or bargain-bucket populism, it must be satanically-inspired.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

13. K&R

[musette_sf]

14. from their FAQ:

From where do you get the fruits and vegetables?

We do not grow these ourselves; we do not live on a farm. We order from the same places as the grocery stores. We get fruits and vegetables directly from farms and from distributors we trust. We choose our produce based upon price, quality and selection. We like to order locally from organic Florida farms whenever possible, or as close to Florida as possible. However, certain farms, Cal Organic Farms, for example, always supply the most gorgeous produce and quality is important to us so we may choose a farm that is further away over another because of known quality. There is beautiful produce around the country and around the world including from Peru, Argentina, New Zealand, Zambia, and Central America. Oftentimes we will list the origin in the detail sheet but if you ever have a question as to where something is from, please ask and we’ll let you know.

gee, i wonder how the Delicious Organics Tour Guide happened to miss beautiful China in the list of "beautiful produce" provenance?

[WinkyDink]

18. Don't bother your beautiful mind about all that!

[KoKo]

30. Doing research I'm finding more about United Natrual Foods.....

United Natural Foods
As the healthy-food trend sprouts, so does United Natural Foods, a distributor of 35,000 natural and organic products. It picked good partners to ally with. United Natural of Dayville, Conn. is the primary distributor to Whole Foods and Wild Oats Markets, the nation's first- and second-largest hyperhealthy chains. United Natural also has 18,000 other customers to round out its base.

Its profits have more than doubled since 2001. In October United Natural reported fiscal 2004 revenue of $1.7 billion and earnings of $32 million. It had five-year sales growth of 14.5% and three-year earnings growth of 28.4%.

United Natural has worked with Whole Foods for a decade. That chain represents 26% of sales, and new, bigger stores mean more bins and shelves for United Natural to fill. Wild Oats dropped United Natural as a primary distributor in 2002 and went with Tree of Life, a subsidiary of the Netherlands' Royal Wessanen. But that was short-lived. A Wild Oats spokeswoman won't knock Tree of Life, still a distributor, but praises United Natural's improved service--now a stellar 97%, defined as items delivered on time. Wild Oats and United Natural signed a five-year primary distribution agreement last year.

Table
Food Markets
Cozying up to big customers works well, but United Natural has to stay on top of new products and trends. The company evaluates 3,500 potential products annually, and it tests some in its 12 retail stores. "Every day United Natural loses some business as products they specialize in become mainstream," says Adams Harkness analyst Scott Van Winkle. But United Natural Chief Executive Steven Townsend sees mainstreaming as "an endorsement of our industry."

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0110/144_print.html

[bananas]

15. some pictures of the label

http://scrubberbum.typepad.com/moth_heaven/2006/09/truth_in_packag.html

[KoKo]

46. Many Thanks! You Captured it...I'm trying to post a "jpg" so that folks can see one shot of it..:

[formercia]

67. Quality Assurance International

Notice the words: timely,immediately,streamlined and expeditious.

No wonder, with 33 people World wide. I wonder how many Mandarin speakers they have, let alone the numerous other dialects.

http://www.qai-inc.com/1_0_0_0.php

Mission Statement

Verifying organic integrity to meet strict standards.
Certifying organic growers, processors, traders and distributors in
an efficient, timely manner.
Certifying immediately to new federal standard under the National
Organic Program (NOP).
Ease of client certification through a streamlined step-by-step
application process.
Providing superior, professional assistance and support for
expeditious certification renewal.
Fostering sustainable agriculture.
Promoting a healthy planet.

The QAI Staff:

David Abney, Matthew Boll, Diana Chamot, Tom Chapman,
Chandrappa Gangaiah, Carrie Howard, Ann Hourigan, John Joseph, Rebecca Kewley, Kasey Moctezuma, Albert Moscona, Alexis Randolph, Joshua Rollins, Aaron Turner, Jake van den Akker, Natalie Velazquez, Allison Wolff



Not Pictured: Anna David, Erin Babich, Sue Baird, Rachel Borgatti, Andrea Castellanos, Maria DeVincenzo, Kathleen Downey, Stephen Grealy, Kristen Holt, Meghan Kuhn, Susan McCarthy, Holly Owen, Joe Smillie, Natalie Smith, Miki Takada, Jessica Walden

[KoKo]

99. Probably a bunch of graduates from Regent University or

perhaps some kids from the Heritage Foundation with famous parents like what was sent to "rebuild Iraq."

:-(

[formercia]

101. Send them a big wad of cash and fill out their expidited form

and become instantly Organic cerified.

I'd bet none of these people have even visited farms in China.

[WinkyDink]

16. "Organic" with chicken and/or human feces.

[formercia]

25. Chicken feces contaminated with bird flu?

now there's a healthy thought.

especially something like broccoli with plenty of nooks and crannies to trap pathogens and toxic waste.

[brentspeak]

26. This is sick. I'm tired of all this Chinese junk infiltrating this nation.

Politicians have sold themselves like whores to allow it to happen, too.

[KoKo]

31. Huff Post does Expose on "Cheap Organic Foods!"

* China's Hair-Raising Condiments, & Other Agribiz Atrocities
By Kerry Trueman
The Huffington Post, May 1, 2007
Straight to the Source

When we welded our wagon to China's economic engine, did we sign on to an environmental train wreck?
And Chinese officials recognize the need to tackle the problems their overheated economy poses for the planet. In fact, while we fume about all the greenhouse gases China's spewing, they may actually leave us in the dust when it comes to cutting carbon emissions.

But while the Chinese government may be leaning green, its business sector has been caught red-handed pumping up its profits by dumping chemicals into our food supply. The confirmation that melamine has been routinely added to animal feed to cut costs makes you wonder what else they might be putting in the food they're shipping to our shores.

The other day we asked our friend Sue, who's been to China several times, whether she would trust Chinese produce that's labeled organic. "No way!" was her emphatic response.

And yet, more and more of the organic food we buy in the U.S. is coming from China. Supposedly, our food manufacturers have to rely on imports because American farmers simply can't grow enough organic produce to meet the ever-growing demand.

I accepted this notion at face value until my friend and fellow NYC Food Systems Network colleague Christina Grace, a farmers' market maven, pointed out that it really comes down to the fact that Big Food would rather cut corners and buy cheap from China than support America's small family farms.

After all, it's a terrific boon to the corporate bottom line to be able to do business with suppliers who can manufacture their products without the added expense of such niceties as worker safety or environmental protection.

Of course, here at home, the agencies entrusted to protect us aren't doing such a bang-up job of things, either. It doesn't help that the FDA's budget keeps shrinking even as food imports rise. Welcome to Small Government, a wholly owned subsidiary of Big Food.

The USDA's going to compensate the pork producers for the millions of dollars they'll lose when they euthanize those 6,000 melamine-tainted hogs. Bereaved pet owners, on the other hand, will get nothing.

So taxpayers get stuck with the bill for Big Ag's habit of salvaging substandard pet food and feeding it to the pigs. The dead dogs and cats? Just collateral damage. You know, like all those Iraqi civilians.

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:FV3cChEJd-oJ:www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5019.cfm+Cheap+Organic+Foods,+Huffington+Post&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a


http://us.rd.yahoo.com/finance/badge/chart/*http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=UNFI

[Venus Dog]

32. Perhaps we should ask Henry Kissinger & Bill Richardson about this

Trade-wise, everything going in or out of China to or from the US goes through Kissinger McLarty Associates (yes, that's Matt McLarty, Clinton's chief of staff) whose directorship has included such names as Bill Richardson and L. Paul Bremer. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kissinger_Associates%2C_Inc.


I would suspect they know quite a bit about the "organic" food which ends up in our supermarkets (as well as the tainted pet food). Just saying....
:nuke:

[MonkeyFunk]

59. LOL

umm.... no, I don't see how that's true.

[NYC]

33. Thanks. We must read the fine print.

Always read the fine print. I do not buy food until I find out its source.

Thanks for pointing out to us that "organic" can be a meaningless word.

[pnwmom]

35. But produce doesn't have usually have ANY print on it, in the bins. n/t

[KoKo]

38. You Nailed it for those who buy FRESH...there's nothing that identifies

WHERE the Product is coming from...unless you can view the "bin" under the product. And most food stores just put the produce out there in "top bin" and you don't know.

How the hell can it be COST EFFECTIVE to send produce on a BARGE across the Pacific and Truck It from West Coast to East and make a Profit? HUH????????

Just doesn't make Economic sense given the cost of GAS and Diesel Fuel for this to be POSSIBLE!!!!!

[NYC]

52. Government subsidies.

Many, many years ago, I saw Israeli oranges in the store, and they were cheaper than Florida oranges. That seemed impossible.

Answer: The Israeli government had subsidized the oranges so that the growers could EXPORT (create new markets) the oranges at a cost that enabled them to pay shipping, and still come out at a cheaper retail price than the closer Florida oranges.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Chinese government subsidized exports.

Or, it could just be that melamine scrap is so much cheaper than FOOD that when you add the price of shipping to melamine scrap, it still comes out cheaper.

[Shallah Kali]

56. Dumping under pricing products exported products to ruin the importee's home industry

I remember this from history class as a kid. Either before or after the American revolution British companies sold stuff for less than it was worth to drive US manufactures out of business. Then they would raise the prices back up. I *think* I have read of walmart doing a similar thing by going into communities, driving local business under with extra low prices and once the competition is gone raising 'em back up.

{rampant speculation early in the AM} As well as a way to establish business couldn't this be a form of warfare by indirectly weaking one's enemy. If China keeps undercutting US business we will be increasingly dependent upon them for goods including food because we don't have the means to support our nation's needs for food and basic necessities. why go to war when you can accomplish basically the same thing though business? {/rampant speculation}

[NYC]

57. Makes sense to me.

Not only is it plausible, it is easier to gain and maintain control by undercutting, then monopolizing business than to try to control through violence (war, occupation).

I think we've been sold out by the greedy few. Certainly, the entire country did not want to become dependent on China for food and other items (too numerous to name).

I hope the pet food poisoning is a wake up call. People should demand that we make our own food and our own products.

Will it happen?

[NYC]

48. Sometimes, yes.

Sometimes, it is still in a box that will say "product of ____". Look for that.

Sometimes, the lettuce is tied with a large twist tie. Look for writing on that.

Celery and carrots are in plastic bags saying product of California. Romaine hearts in plastic bags: California.

I have found that street vendors often have the fruit still in a box with the top removed. I bought California cherries that way.

If you can't identify it, I think you should avoid it.

Idaho potatoes can be bought in a bag that says Idaho. I bought some today.

Keep trying.

[Shallah Kali]

60. I wonder if it would work to get individual states to require Country of Origin Labeling?

as well as agitating to get COOL on the national level? I think it unlikely to pass with enough votes to over come a veto at the national level but some states might have enough folks pushing for this to get it passed. People worried about Chinese businesses poisoning their pets and family will be for it. People concerned about the environmental costs of shipping food half way around the world will be for it like with the 100 mile diet ( http://100milediet.org ). People who want to support local or at least American farmers will be for it. American orgs representing American farmers will be for this.

also think about state of origin labeling to promote your state's agricultural product.

[NYC]

62. We probably have a better chance with state labeling.

However, I think that would inspire the feds to come up with a federal rule that would obliterate any good done by the states.

Still, it's worth a shot. Promoting your own state's agriculture is a good approach.

[Shallah Kali]

95. Some states have at least partial Country of Origin Labeling

Country-of-Origin Labeling
http://www.newrules.org/agri/coo.html

# Florida
All producers, growers, and shippers of fresh fruits and vegetables and bee pollen and honey in Florida shall be permitted to mark each package to indicate to an ultimate purchaser that the product was produced in Florida. More...

# Idaho
The Idaho labeling statute requires all foreign meat, poultry, eggs and butter to be marked with the country of origin. While the law has been on the books since 1965, it is currently not enforced by the Idaho Department of Agriculture. More...

# Maine
The original Maine country-of-origin law passed in 1989 and required labeling of fresh produce "in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of Maine citizens from the dangers of pesticides used or applied in a manner or at a rate disallowed in the United States". More...

# Mississippi
Mandates "Country of Origin" labeling on beef products sold in retail stores. The labeling will provide three distinctions for labeling retail beef products: "American," "Imported," and "Blend." More...

State of Origin Labeling

Studies show that consumers overwhelmingly favor country-of-origin labeling (such as the 1996 national study by Charlton Research Company of San Francisco, which showed that 74 percent support the labeling for fresh produce). Many growers feel this logic can be extended to state-of-origin. Indeed, country- and state-of-origin labeling may be a first step towards relocalizing our food supply.

State-of-origin labeling allows consumers to support their state's agricultural economy. It also allows them to factor the impact of transporting food long distances into their purchasing decisions.

Minnesota's rules covering its Minnesota Grown program can be duplicated around the country

I got the idea of promoting local produce from a grocery chain who has a grocery section for state products. Going this route would get the local agriculture groups to support the labeling at least for state products. It would have the same effects on State legislators who's districts's wealth is agricultural.

[josewelder]

34. China is only a little worse tha other countries

I work in the area of international food trading. We have bought 100s if not 1000s of loads out of China, we have also sold them an equivalent amount of USA and other Western country products). The trick to wroking well in China is to inspect evrything you buy. We send our own people to look at the goods. It is also a good idea to have Chinese employees as your people to overcome language and cultural barriers. About 12 years ago we did not use this practice and for every 10 containers that you make money on you lose everything you made on one that comes in bad that you have to dump, so we stopped.
As we now have people that personally inspect the loads test data etc we have been alright. Also by doing this we know that we are selling safe eadible product.
The problem with many trading companies is that they hear a really low price and just buy. They seem to forget that you get what you pay for. The Chinese are also ruthless business people. They do not have the same business ethics that Westerners are taught(in some cases, there are both crooks and angels all over the world) so if they send you a sample that has nothing to do with the actual product shipped and you were foolish enough to have bought it and not protected yourself, to bad.
However to state that you will not buy anything else from China seems exagerated to me. Will you still eat vegetables from California after the two issues involving toxic crops? Will you eat Chilean fruit after the grape scare a few years back? Will you stop eating nuts from Turkey due to aflotoxin concerns? China is just recently in the press but it happens all over the world even in the USA this is one of the downfalls of large scale agriculture. But without it prices would be insane and quality issues would still exist.
Personally I do try to avoid eating products, or buying hard goods, from China because I do not like the way they do business, their internal and external politics, and I do not like the GOv. funded crop programs they plant with subsidies that wipe out whole segments of US(and other countries) production(examples of this would be the murder of the California Garlic Business, The slow death of the apple juice concentrate market, although I hear this is rebounding, Apricot conc. market, the begininning on canned peaches, wlanuts, tomato paste, etc). I would rather buy local(even if this means my hemisphere)and support my community.
If you buy organic garlic or any garlic there is a very high probability that it is Chinese. So everytime you eat at a restaurant you are eating Chinese ingredients. At this moment in time I do not think it is possible to avoid Chinese food products if you live in the USA. I think it is a joke that China is in the WTO and I think the US GOv. needs to have some kind of protective tariffs to combat cheap Chinese products and make it worthwhile to grow in the USA.
Excuse any grammar mistakes I am watching 4 little girls play and need to make sure they do not destroy my house or their health.

[KoKo]

36. I hear you! And know that the Chinese Culture is "Traders" and

"Options" people before the Westerners got hold of the concept.

BUT......Chinese have a HUGE POPULATION where "some folks" can be "expendable, Wiped Out..Off the Radar" and that's JUST NOT what our LOW Population WESTERN CULTURES are ABOUT...(Or, what we were about before the two Bushies Grabbed Power!)

That I should eat stuff from that country that's tainted and passed by our FDA/USDA as "safe" is NOT the CULTURE that I grew up in when we fought for FOOD SAFTY for YEARS!

Let the Chinese feed their CRAP to their population or to other people...but WE IN USA worked TOO HARD to TAKE THIS STUFF that's NOT INSPECTED FROM THEM!

When our FDA/USDA is OWNED BY CHINA or ANY OTHER FOREIGN COUNTRY...is a LOW POINT and there are THOSE OF US WHO WILL FIGHT THIS TO OUR LAST DYING BREATH!!!!

[josewelder]

39. FDA, ATO, Underfunded

THe FDA and ATO are severley underfunded and cannot keep up with the amount of products being imported. Thye continue to have their budgets cut every year. In this aspect the US Gov. is not serving its purpose by not figuring out a way to inspect everything. Another problem is the consumer, if people continue to buy the cheapest products, crap in a can as we refer to it, then the crap will continue to roll in, crap is not alwasy toxic just low grade.
People in the USA want the cheapest product, and are not willing to pay a little extra for something that says made in the USA so they get what they want. Until people in the US stop buying this crap and stand up for one another the battle is lost.

[KoKo]

42. Most of you here are too young to remember USA Breadbasket of the World

We grew EVERYTHING HERE. We are a HUGE COUNTRY...yet NOW we need to IMPORT from a Country that always says it doesn't have enought FOOD TO FEED IT'S OWN POPULATION?

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!! (Excuse My Full Caps...but OMG...what do I do to get attention to the fact that we are now IMPORTING FOOD (Tainted and laden with Chemicals and Pesticides and who knows what else from a Third World Country that can't even feed it's OWN PEOPLE!)

WHAT IS GOING ON????

[Shallah Kali]

58. Why avoid China? It put my family in danger, abuses it's own people, & increases pollution

It increase pollution by my food traveling half way around the world on top of supporting dangerous agricultural practices including use of chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, dyes, antibiotics) banned in the USA. This poisoning of pet and human food just made me more determined to buy my food as locally as possible. and also try to garden without my black thumb killing off everything but the tomatoes!

[Wiley50]

37. I'm Really Really Poor and stocked up on Cheap Ramen

main ingredient: rice, corn, wheat and soy GLUTEN

My back at kidney level hurts real fucking bad

Oh SHIT!

[juno jones]

43. The huge amount of MSG in the Ramen packets

isn't good for you either. That stuff has absolutely no real food value. Better to buy inexpensive 100% semolina pasta from US or Italy and cook/season with miso or canned chicken stock (or a bulk non-MSG powdered stock from a heath-food store). It's marginally more expensive than ramen and you have to figure out your own portions, but it's much safer and somewhat more nutritious.

[juno jones]

44. dupe! sorry.

[Sanctified]

41. I love Edamame but had to stop eating them...

because I can't find a single brand that is not product of China. This year I am growing soybeans in my vegetable garden just so I can eat them again.

[KoKo]

45. Yep...I checked them out in "frozen Organic" section of supermarket and they are ALL

grown in China. I don't want to eat their imported crap.

[donco6]

68. It's beginning to be the only place you can trust.

Your own backyard. Very sad.

[KoKo]

84. Try growing veggies in "red clay" though....not easy..when one lives on a Hill

and your garden of mulched soil washes away in the rain and you are left with the hardpacked red clay underneath.

I had a better time growing veggies in NY and CT...when I had to pull out rocks out of the soil than here in NC on my Hill of Red Clay where it all washes downstream even from my "raised beds." :cry:

[formercia]

103. Try adding calcium to the soil

it will help loosen the clay.

[KoKo]

47. More Research shows they are listed on NASDAQ and took a Dive when Pet Food Scandal hit the Market!

Here's link to how their Stock Did during Pet Food Scandal where it TANKED...Coincidence? I haven't found a link to the Pet Food Supplier yet...but I think it's out there .....

Forbes Magazine (Bush Bot Supply Sider Trash Publication for Globalists) named them one of their Top 100 Companies in '05...where their stock took a run up. They've only been "on the scene" as a Global Stock since BUSHIES TOOK OVER. Suspicious...but I'm not ready to trash them yet...even though they are not smelling good right now. :-(

Check out how their Stock Tanked during Pet Food Scandal ...(AND...Yes...they do supply stuff to Organic Pet Food Companies) NASDAQ CHART:

http://chart.finance.yahoo.com/c/6m/u/unfi




--------------------------


Best Managed Companies in America
Natural Selection
Emily Lambert, 01.10.05

Food Markets
United Natural Foods
As the healthy-food trend sprouts, so does United Natural Foods, a distributor of 35,000 natural and organic products. It picked good partners to ally with. United Natural of Dayville, Conn. is the primary distributor to Whole Foods and Wild Oats Markets, the nation's first- and second-largest hyperhealthy chains. United Natural also has 18,000 other customers to round out its base.

Its profits have more than doubled since 2001. In October United Natural reported fiscal 2004 revenue of $1.7 billion and earnings of $32 million. It had five-year sales growth of 14.5% and three-year earnings growth of 28.4%.

United Natural has worked with Whole Foods for a decade. That chain represents 26% of sales, and new, bigger stores mean more bins and shelves for United Natural to fill. Wild Oats dropped United Natural as a primary distributor in 2002 and went with Tree of Life, a subsidiary of the Netherlands' Royal Wessanen. But that was short-lived. A Wild Oats spokeswoman won't knock Tree of Life, still a distributor, but praises United Natural's improved service--now a stellar 97%, defined as items delivered on time. Wild Oats and United Natural signed a five-year primary distribution agreement last year.

Table
Food Markets
Cozying up to big customers works well, but United Natural has to stay on top of new products and trends. The company evaluates 3,500 potential products annually, and it tests some in its 12 retail stores. "Every day United Natural loses some business as products they specialize in become mainstream," says Adams Harkness analyst Scott Van Winkle. But United Natural Chief Executive Steven Townsend sees mainstreaming as "an endorsement of our industry."

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0110/144_print.html

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

49. kick nt

[Nikki Stone1]

50. Yeah, some Trader Joe's organic veggies are of Chinese origin too

Will stop buying them ASAP

[KoKo]

51. Trader Joe's? We just got them here in NC...and folks were so excited to

have them come in. Do you know if they were from "Woodstock Farm?" Or, is there another company we should be wary of with veggies marked on back right..."Product of China?"

We need to keep track of this here on DU because lots of folks here buy organic for health reasons or other and if they are now bringing veggies and stuff in from China after the Melamine and banned Anti-Biotics in their food and fish then we are all at risk.

WHY ARE WE IMPORTING FOOD and FISH from CHINA? They have a huge population that we are always hearing they can't feed! How does it pay to ship that stuff across the Pacific and across the US when our own small farmers are going out of business for years because they couldn't AFFORD to keep up their farms?

How can this work out economically? The fuel costs alone must be enormous and even if the Chinese farmers make pennies...what about the shipping and middleman plus the grocers costs? It just doesn't add up!

[Nikki Stone1]

82. Check all the frozen mixed veggies. There were several from China

I've got a couple in my freezer, dammit.

[roody]

53. My natural food coop sells organic fruit and vegies

from South America. It is not in season here. I will not buy it. We should eat what is in season fresh.

[krispos42]

55. Don't worry, the rage will go away

We used to be upset that Japanese cars were made in Japan. Then Japan opened up factories here, non union factories, and Japanese cars became as American as apple pie.

We used to be upset that our electronics were all made in Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and China. Now, nobody cares.

We used to be upset that all of our kid's toys were made in China. Now, nobody cares.

Where are all of our clothes made? Why is my Old Navy flag tee-shirt make in Latin America?

What's left? Food and drinking water, and it looks like the food part is fading already. Foreign-based countries already own the majority of our cement factories, steel plants, mines, ports management and operations, interstate highways...

It all fades away.

We as a nation will keep not caring until we collapse, and take the world economy with us. Those that think borders are silly hopefully are learning different.

What do we, as a nation, produce well? Food, bullshit (advertising and marketing), advanced military weapons (heavily dependent on foreign parts, though), financial management... am I missing anything? We also make pretty nice guns and knives, and our cars are fairly decent.

I look around my house for things made in America. What do I see? Some aluminum soda cans. Money. Magazines. Books. My shotgun and pistol. My Buck and Benchmade knives. Most but not all of the tools in my toolbox. My Oldsmobile. Toiletries. My son. Medicines.

Sad, isn't it?

<edit: spelling>

[donco6]

69. Well . . . maybe not.

I mean, if Japanese cars turned out to have periodic spontaneous brake failure, it might not have faded away. And that's what we're seeing with this Chinese crap. We frankly don't know WHAT'S in the food we buy from there. It makes me think twice before shopping.

[demobabe]

61. "Organic" is only a certification process, and some of the packaging verbiage is really messed up

You fill out some forms, get some inspections done, and voila, you're organic. I have a friend who does organic certification of crops.

Here is the info on how foreign veggies become organic certified for the USDA:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/FactSheets/AccreditationE.html

Additionally, a product can be called "organic" by USDA standards if it is 95% organic. Different packaging verbiage is confusing as well... "Made from Organic ingredients" can be claimed if the contents are 70% organic.

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,696097,00.html

"Organic" fish aren't necessarily organic at all:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/28/FDG136AE4I1.DTL

Just as "free-range" doesn't mean anything either - a chicken coop could be open for five minutes a day, and the chickens still qualify to be "free-range."

[KoKo]

64. Thanks for the Links...very interesting and about the Salmon...

We've been buying Salmon from Ireland that's supposedly raised in inlets and eats naturally...but I didn't see them on the list, so who knows.

It does seem that paying more for organic doesn't mean it's what we think from reading these links. :-(

[KoKo]

66. From your link it would seem that Foreign Certification for Organic is very weak....

Reading this from your link...I can shake my head wondering at the crookedness of Bush FDA if they aren't just paying for this certification. It's so loosly written.

------------------------------------------------
Equivalency of imported products

The OFPA requires USDA to review the certification programs under which imported organic products are produced to ensure that they meet the requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP). Certifying agents operating in foreign countries may apply for USDA accreditation. Foreign applicants will be evaluated based on the same criteria as domestic certifying agents.

In lieu of USDA accreditation, a foreign certifying agent may:

Receive recognition when USDA has determined, upon the request of a foreign government, that the foreign certifying agent's government authority is able to assess and accredit certifying agents as meeting the requirements of the NOP; or

Receive recognition as meeting requirements equivalent to the requirements of the NOP under an equivalency agreement negotiated between the United States and the foreign government.

Once accreditation or recognition is granted, organic product produced under the oversight of the certifying agent or foreign government will be eligible to be imported into this country and labeled as organic.

[leftchick]

65. I only buy Cascaian Farms organic

http://www.cascadianfarm.com/products/homefarm.aspx

grown here in the USA

[donco6]

71. Not so sure about that.

From the site:

In 1972, we started farming organically on a few acres of gorgeous land in the Upper Skagit Valley of Washington's North Cascade Mountains. With the help of a small group of dedicated supporters, Cascadian Farm® soon became a thriving organic food company, preserving and selling the bounty of their harvests as jams, frozen fruits and vegetables.

(SO FAR SO GOOD)

By the late 1980s, demand for Cascadian Farm® products had grown so much that the company began contracting with other organic growers in the Pacific Northwest, just to keep up. In subsequent years, Cascadian Farm® worked hard to recruit and train hundreds of other organic growers, ensuring that the company's products would include only the finest organic ingredients.

(OK)

In 1998, with the addition of Muir Glen® tomatoes, Cascadian Farm® became part of Small Planet Foods. In 2000, Small Planet Foods was purchased by General Mills, giving Cascadian Farm® the opportunity to bring quality products to even more people around the country.

(OOH. And where does General Mills get *their* food to supplement their organic supply chain and keep up with nationwide demand?)

Today, Cascadian Farm® has become a leading grower, manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of delicious organic products, from frozen fruit to breakfast cereal. The company's products are sold throughout the U.S. in natural food stores and select supermarkets.

(Bottom line, yes, they have a working farm, but it's doubtful that all their produce is grown in the US, and I can't see that claim anywhere on the site).

[Atman]

78. Cascadian is NOT any sort of "small" company

It is just a brand name of General Mills. Be careful. Nothing necessarily good or wholesome about Cascadian...just another mega-agri-biz.

.

[madeline_con]

70. Does Chinese organic mean human feces fertilizer is o.k.? n/t

[blueworld]

72. Organic is a USDA relative term these days

Here's an article addressing some of the concerns you listed, and there are reams of additional info about organic "certification" now that the USDA has revamped the standards.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_3962.cfm

Food can be labeled organic and not contain 100% organically grown ingredients. If any imported products are included in processed foods, all that's required is that the certifying foreign agency is USDA "approved".

[in_cog_ni_to]

76. Could it be the bag or box the veggies are packed in is 'made in China' and not the food itself?

Is the origin listed on the DETAIL SHEET? They DO buy organics from Peru, Argentina, Zambia and Central America....I don't see China listed, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me.:(

Here's the contact info with a phone number. Call them and ask them if they REALLY buy 'organics' from China. I honestly can't see ANY Organic food coming from China.:grr:

305-655-3344

fax: [phone]

20815 NE 16th Avenue , Suite B39
N. Miami Beach, FL 33179


from their site:


From where do you get the fruits and vegetables?

We do not grow these ourselves; we do not live on a farm. We order from the same places as the grocery stores. We get fruits and vegetables directly from farms and from distributors we trust. We choose our produce based upon price, quality and selection. We like to order locally from organic Florida farms whenever possible, or as close to Florida as possible. However, certain farms, Cal Organic Farms, for example, always supply the most gorgeous produce and quality is important to us so we may choose a farm that is further away over another because of known quality. There is beautiful produce around the country and around the world including from Peru, Argentina, New Zealand, Zambia, and Central America. Oftentimes we will list the origin in the detail sheet but if you ever have a question as to where something is from, please ask and we’ll let you know.

CAL Organic Farms is in California....
Our headquarters are located in Lamont California at the southern most end of the pristine San Joaquin Valley, 15 miles southeast of the city of Bakersfield. The San Joaquin Valley is known as one of the world's premier agricultural growing regions. The bounty of sun and good weather in Lamont allows us to continue the tradition of quality that we are known for.

[KoKo]

79. "Product of China" on the plastic package means "contents" product

of China. :-( Like when buying "Birds Eye" or "Green Giant" non organic veggies the package will sometimes say "product of Mexico."

We have to read all the labels and look on the lower right hand corner of the box or package of veggies to see the country of origin. If it isn't listed then it should mean it's a product of US. But, who knows with all the lying going on with these corporations if that's even reliable.

[KoKo]

83. Oh DAMMIT! Just checked my Freezer and Whole Foods Spinach is from China!

I went through my freezer to find all the organic frozen veggies I'd bought and I have two brands of frozen spinach. One from Whole Foods (365 Brand Organic) says on the back right corner.."Product of China." My other packages of frozen Spinach from my local Grocery Chain, Harris-Teeter, here in NC's organic brand doesn't list "country of origin" meaning it's grown HERE in USA!

When I checked out "United Foods" they said they had a contract with "Whole Foods" to distribute organics. So "Whole Foods" is having "United Foods" distributing NOT ONLY BROCOLLI BUT SPINACH from CHINA!

I'm marching back to "Whole Foods" and getting my money back...in the meantime I'm now checking through every corner of my freezer for "country of origin." :-( I trusted Whole Foods...didn't think I had to look...but now I know I need to look and read EVERYTHING!

[Nikki Stone1]

85. Whole Foods has bought out so many little stores that were good

I think they're a scam

[KoKo]

106. kick.....was back at Whole Foods today and it's really a "mixed bag"

of their "organics" with crap from China and Guatemala and what many of us here might consider..."ORGANIC!"

[marions ghost]

86. this is the thing that is really shocking people

..."organic" usually means more expensive, but higher quality...but now that assumption cannot be trusted. So consumers of organic foods have just as much risk as anyone else. Money to buy more expensive foods cannot reduce worries about the origins of food.

We need to buy more locally--I'm going to the farmer's market this week.

[MonkeyFunk]

87. I don't understand the problem

What is it about the word "organic" that precludes China as a country of origin?

[Nikki Stone1]

89. The problem is that China doesn't seem to be playing by the rules when it comes to food production

We're looking at pet food, poultry and other food items being processed in ways that are killing pets and are dangerous to humans as well.

[MonkeyFunk]

90. but what does that have to do with

"organic"?

If you don't want to buy food from China, don't buy food from China. But the so-called "organic-ness" of the food in question seemed to be an issue in the OP.

BTW, you know you can die from food grown right here in the US, too? Remember spinach a few months ago?

[Nikki Stone1]

92. Yup. I think it's what qualifies as organic that is starting to worry people as well

Our own FDA is being cut off at the knees and can't enforce diddly.

[MonkeyFunk]

93. Well

frankly, if it's just starting to worry them, then I don't have much sympathy. "Organic" has never meant "clean" or "safe" or even "healthy", and if people thought it did, they were just jumping on a bandwagon without knowing anything about it.

People die every day from "organic" food.

[Nikki Stone1]

100. Another reason for the panic over Chinese products:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2842263&mesg_id=2842263

[gravity]

88. Food is food

It doesn't matter what country it comes from, as long as it's produced organically.

Also if you want to have fresh vegetables, then don't buy them frozen.

[Sanctified]

94. There is no guarantee that something is Organic just because there is a Label.

And a country that is notorious for counterfeiting Organic food should be on the watch list.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/15/content_424824.htm

[Shallah Kali]

96. From the above - about 10% of Organic Foods Fake

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/15/content_424824.htm

Food producers in China have to follow a stricter rule to use the word "fresh" when advertising their products.
Beijing Consumers Association, which has conducted a survey into organic food, discovered much food labelled organic on sale in the city was fake.

The association released the report on the eve of this year's International Consumer Rights and Interests Day, which is today.

The survey found that, in a random selection of 268 goods labelled organic, including rice, oil, eggs, vegetables and drinks, 25 samples were counterfeit.

Some of the fake food is produced by companies that do not have organic certifications, such as milk produced by a Heilongjiang-based company and rice from a Hebei-based plant.

Some enterprises pasted "organic food" labels on food that looks similar to genuine organic products, the association claimed.

I wonder if the US importers of Chinese organics are checking their products in any way or are taking the word of those who might be among that 10%.

[donco6]

98. But that's the point.

Who can you trust? Anyone can slap "organic" on a label and even command a higher price. But how do we know it's organic? How do we even know it's not unhealthy? Is anyone checking? Anywhere?

[Gloria]

91. I saw something similar and nearly choked.....

It was the "organic chicken" from China......I grow some of my own veggies, but not enough to be totally self-sustaining....sigh. Used to have a huge garden and canned tomatoes and pickles, etc.

[Shallah Kali]

97. IHT w/some info on rate of food related illness in China - 1/2million sickend by pesticides per year

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/13/bloomberg/sxfood.php

The Health Ministry declared 144 instances of food poisoning involving 4,922 people in October through December, a 42 percent increase in those affected from a year earlier.

In the past three months, state media reported a government crackdown on meat processed from sick animals, a ban on duck eggs found to contain a cancer-causing dye and the arrest of a factory manager, who was accused of making lard from sewage and recycled industrial oil.

snip

Food-related diseases cost China, the world's most populous nation, as much as $14 billion a year in medical treatment and lost productivity, the Asian Development Bank estimates.

Pesticide poisoning already affects half a million Chinese a year, causing more than 500 fatalities, according to government research. The World Bank blames the country's air pollution for more than 400,000 premature deaths annually.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-04/23/content_856803.htm

About 12.3 million hectares, or more than 10 percent of China's arable land, is contaminated by pollution and the situation is getting worse, the Ministry of Land and Resources said.

snip

The ministry announced this month that the country's arable land area had shrunk to 121.8 million hectares by the end of last October, with the loss of 306,800 hectares in the first 10 months of 2006.

Contaminated land suffered from polluted water, excessive fertilizer, heavy metals and solid wastes, the official said.

The ministry acknowledged that heavy metals alone had contaminated 12 million tons of grain and caused losses of 20 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) each year, adding that polluted grain would ultimately be a health hazard, Xinhua reported.

Now this does not mean that organic food from China is not organic. I don't know. I do know they have alot more food problems that we do in America even with our lax laws that won't even let the FDA do recalls for anything except for baby formula. It is just hard for me to trust a country that treats it's own people so badly. Add to that the environmental cost of food transported so far and what the loss of sales by US agriculture to US citizens it makes me want to buy food as close to home as possible.

[eagler]

102. all part of the big lie

[rucky]

104. How come nobody questions organic coffee from Peru?

just sayin'...

people in China were growing organic for thousands of years before chemicals were invented.

[mainegreen]

105. Time for me to plug CSAs: if you know your farmers name, you know your food is good.

I also know my farmer is a grumpy old crank but that's another matter entirely.