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1. Organic products meet stringent standards -- Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs.

2. Organic food tastes great! -- It’s common sense – well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals.

3. Organic production reduces health risks -- Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.

4. Organic farms respect our water resources -- The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.

5. Organic farmers build healthy soil -- Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils.

6. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature -- Organic agriculture respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.

7. Organic producers are leaders in innovative research -- Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment.

8. Organic producers strive to preserve diversity -- The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.

9. Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy -- USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.

10. Organic abundance – Foods and non-foods alike! -- Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically – even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way.

Watch this cool video

What is hydroponics gardening?
Derived from the Latin Hydro, meaning water and Geoponics, meaning the study of agriculture, hydroponics is the science of growing plants using a solution of suitable nutrients instead of soil. Most types of plant can be grown very successfully using hydroponics.

In conventional gardening the plants are grown in soil and take their nourishment from the chemical compounds contained within that soil. The hydroponic gardener replaces the soil with a balanced, nutrient rich, solution that the plant can absorb with ease. Because the plant does not have to work so hard to absorb the available nutrients it saves energy which can then be utilised for stronger growth.

Because of this energy saving, plants grown using hydroponic methods outperform conventionally produced plants in both growth and fruit production. Due to the consistent results and good profit margins, more and more commercial growers are turning to hydroponic production. Totally organic production is possible using specially designed organic nutrients, giving excellent, inexpensive, vegetables and herbs.

There are several different types of hydroponic system, but all share the same basic principle of supplying the plants with nutrients and water. The most common systems are:

Water Culture, Aquaculture, or Nutriculture
This is a Hydroponics system in which the plant roots are immersed in water containing a complex mixture of dissolved nutrients. A simple example of water culture is the Hyacinth bulb growing in a wine goblet shaped glass, its roots growing down into the hollow goblet stem.

Aggregate Culture
In this system a material such as sand, gravel, or marbles supports the plant roots. It is important to note that the support material, unlike soil, does not absorb nutrient. It merely traps it in the spaces between the grains or stones allowing the plant roots to freely take up the liquid.

Continuous Flow Hydroponics Systems
In these types of system the nutrient solution flows constantly over the plant roots. This is the most commonly used system for commercial production.

Aeroponics
This system is one in which the plant roots hang in the air and are misted regularly with a nutrient solution.

There are a number of pre-packaged hydroponics systems available for both the commercial grower and hobbyist. Individuals, who lack building skills, or are inexperienced plant growers, should consider one of these kits as an introduction to hydroponics, a fascinating and challenging hobby. Similar systems can be built at lower cost, however, by those of you who have the expertise.

The requirements for healthy, strong, disease-free plants are covered in my next article entitled — What do your plants need?

I will give you a quick rundown of what organic really means, and why I think people should only drink organic coffee.

1) No synthetic fertilizers or herbicides may be used to grow certified organic crops.

2) Certified organic foods may not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

3) To be labeled 100% organic items may only contain organic ingredients (excluding water and salt).

4) Products baring the organic label must contain at least 95% organic certified ingredients, and the remaining 5% must be components
otherwise not available in an organic form.

5) The USDA organic logo is allowed to be be printed on any 100% organic or “Organic” item.

6) Agricultural products labeled “100 percent organic” and “organic” cannot be produced using forbidden methods, sewage sludge, or ionizing radiation.

I’m not trying to belabor this issue with boring organic labeling information, but you need to understand what you’re getting into with “organic” products. I know you may be wondering when we’re going to get to the organic coffee, we’ll here we go. According to the definition of “organic”, organic coffee must be at least 95% organic.

You may be thinking, “who cares if my coffee was grown organically?” well here’s a few reasons:

1) Synthetic herbicides are awful enough, but just consider, sewage sludge!

2) There’s the , I’m going to play mad scientist with your food, issue. I don’t want my cup of Joe to have wombat genes mixed in just so the beans can have less bitterness.

3) For you decaffeinated coffee drinkers, organic coffee is your best friend. Conventional decaffeinated coffees are decaffeinated using toxic organic solvents such as methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. Organic decaffeinated coffee is processed using hot water, and NO chemicals. There is epidemiological evidence to suggest that drinking conventional decaffeinated coffees is associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

4) Chemicals are not good for the farmers. A lot of coffee farmers in 3rd world countries can’t read sufficiently, which may result in improper mixing of chemicals and inadequate protective clothing.

I could go on and on about why you should only purchase organic coffee. I haven’t even got into all the environmental damage that is caused by just manufacturing the pesticides and herbicides.

Lastly, one must think about the utter love and attention that comes from growing coffee organically. The farmers inspect and baby their crops, resulting in perfectly developed organic coffee. It’s never too late to start buying organic coffee. So give it a try, you may be surprised.

Just one 320-acre farm going organic equals 117 cars taken off of the road or 1,462,500 miles not driven!” That’s the conclusion of Chris Hill and Greg Bowman, contributors to the Rodale Institute’s NewFarm.org website which has been heavily involved in researching the impacts of conventional and organic farming.

Seems that buying organic food—be it oranges, carrots, soybeans, or lentils—can be an effective way of shrinking your carbon footprint and living green. That’s because organic farming is a powerful atmospheric scrubber. By cultivating diverse crops, organic crops are better able to sequester carbon. In otherwise, they serve as a carbon sink.

But why is growing organic food better at carbon sequestration than growing food conventionally with fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides? Over their 23-year comparison of organic and conventional corn-soybean farming systems, these were the conclusions gathered:

• Retention of organic matter: A general rule of thumb in farming is that the more organic matter is retained in the soil, the more carbon is sequestered. Organic farming generally makes use of animal manure and cover crops as a means of amending the soil; conventional farming on the other hand uses chemicals which deplete the organic matter found in soil. Pound for pound, organic farming adds rather than takes away soil organic matter and therefore helps to sequester carbon.

• Lower fuel consumption: Organic farming systems use about one third less fossil fuels compared to conventional cropping systems because of a lower dependence on heavy machinery. This lower dependence in fossil fuels results in fewer greenhouse gases expended to grow the same amount of food.

These two factors make for a great climate solution. In fact, if the US were to participate in the Kyoto protocol, it could meet 73% of its proposed targets by converting all 160 million acres of corn and soybean farmland to organic farming methods! That would be like taking nearly 60 million cars off the road.

So in addition to organic foods’ better flavor and higher nutrient content, organic food can help you lower your greenhouse gas emissions! Buying organic from the grocery store, therefore, is a great way to shrink your carbon footprint.

If you want to further enhance your environmental impact, grow your own organic food using, compost, natural fertilizers and soil amendments! This is a cost-effective way to get your daily nutrients and a fun activity for the whole family.

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• Does Organic Mean Healthier? (blisstree.com)
• The organic shopping list (telegraph.co.uk)

It’s like clockwork. Every few days a new organic natural body care product hits the market with promises of a soft, youthful skin. Sucked in by the slick marketing for the product, many people buy it only to find out its just like the other ones they have used before, without any results.

To find out an effective organic natural body care product, you need not try each and every product in the market. Just a few simple checks are enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. Here’s a small checklist that will help you do that quickly – Check the product ingredients for any chemicals inside.
The problem with most common skin products is – they contain harsh chemicals which negate any positive effect of the cream. Chemicals like parabens – which can cause cancer in the long run. Mineral oil, although used for moisturizing the skin, actually makes it even drier and dependent on the oil.

You should avoid such products completely. There are natural products out there which provide much better results without the risk of any side effects.

- Check if its 100% natural
This is really important. Use only a natural body care product. Not only will it be devoid from side effects, but natural products are typically more effective and provide long lasting results too.

- What all does it do for your skin?
A good organic natural body care product should provide a complete solution for the skin. Ingredients like Phytessence Wakame can do exactly that.

This Japanese sea kelp refreshes and rejuvenates the skin in many ways. It provides a multitude of vitamins and minerals to the skin to keep it healthy. It also helps keep the skin smooth and firm by preventing the breakdown of hyraluronic acid in it. To top it off, it protects the skin from the damage caused by the UV rays of the sun also.

Cynergy TK is a very effective anti aging ingredient. It enhances Collagen and Elastin production in the body. This helps in keeping the skin firm, elastic, and wrinkle free.

Grapeseed Oil moisturizes the skin deeply and is a strong anti oxidant too. It is really effective at healing the skin around the eyes also.

- Are there any satisfied customers?
The presence of testimonials from past customers is a good indicator of a quality product. Check for this on the vendor’s website.

So there you have it. A few basic checks, and you will have an effective, organic natural body care product in your hands. That’s all that is needed for a fresh young skin.