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and more people are choosing organic food for themselves and their families
because they are concerned with the food they eat. We at Walnut Acres
have been producing organic food since the company was established in
1946. You may already know that food grown organically is produced without
any synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. But there's much more to it
than that. We believe in organic farming and organic food, and we want
to share all of its benefits with you.
Here you'll find some of the reasons that keep us committed to eating organic and hopefully a few ways you and your family can, too.
Your Health Benefits
The US Department of Agriculture standards of
organic food production and labeling, effective October 21, 2002, are
among the most stringent in the world. They prohibit many of the practices
and substances common in conventional agriculture, such as genetically
modified organisms (GMOs), and chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
The risks of GMOs are still unknown, which is why the Europeans have
shunned them, and the European Union has demanded labeling of all GMO
products.
Organic certification prohibits the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides used in conventional agriculture, because organic farmers
have proved that they can grow just as much nutritious and delicious
food without them. This is good news for you and the environment. There
is already too much exposure to chemicals in our lives -- we don't need
to eat and drink them also. Pesticide residues seem to pose an extra
hazard to our children due to their higher metabolism, low body weight,
and higher relative fruit consumption. Choosing organic food is one
of the best ways to reduce the amount of pesticide residues in your
family's diet.
In addition to fewer pesticides, studies show that there are substantially
more nutrients in organic food. Dr. Virginia Worthington, PhD has published
a study that reviews 41 published scientific studies comparing the nutritional
quality of organic food. She found that organic food contained 27% more
vitamin C, 21% more iron, 29% more magnesium, and 13% more phosphorous.1
These results were astounding to many, but organic farmers have always
known that healthy soil produces healthy food.
Click here to learn more about the
Principles of Organic Farming
Your Environmental Benefits
The environmental benefits of choosing organic
are truly too long to list here. Scientists, farmers, academics and
even governments have been demonstrating the environmental benefits
of organic agriculture for decades. It's a wonder that organic agriculture
hasn't caught on sooner. Those same chemicals that we don't want in
our diet are devastating our countryside. Conventional broad-spectrum
pesticides don't just kill agricultural pests, they kill just about
everything in their path.
The chemical fertilizers and toxic persistent pesticides used in conventional
agriculture are notorious for running off into our streams and permeating
watersheds. They leach into our ground water and are responsible for
the so-called "Dead Zone" at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Too
many healthy waterways, fisheries and tracts of land have been damaged
due to chemical fertilizers and pesticides infiltrating our watersheds.
The goal of organic agriculture is to work with nature to preserve the
vitality and sustainability of our natural resources for future generations.
Instead of relying on destructive chemicals, organic farmers use sophisticated
techniques to improve and protect the soil's health and promote biodiversity.
By rotating crops, farmers are able to suppress pest populations. By
inter-planting and rotating legumes and forage crops organic farmers
rest and replenish the soil. Compost and other natural nutrients are
applied to the earth so that nothing goes to waste and the soil is even
more enriched. To fight pests organic farmers encourage natural predators
like ladybugs, spiders, birds and other natural predators. Woodlots
are preserved and prairie grasses are planted to provide critical habitat
to these species and other wildlife.
Your Community Benefits
Organic farmers are stewards of the land.
They are proud of what they do, and we are proud of them. Every day
more farmers are learning about organic. Once they switch, they nearly
never go back. And this helps rural communities everywhere. Organic
farmers invest in the long-term health of their land, and this benefits
them and their neighbors. They've earned our support.
At Walnut Acres we know that healthy soil leads to healthy food, healthy
people and healthy communities.
1"Nutritional Quality of Organic Versus Conventional Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains," Worthington, V, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2001, pp. 161-173. (Dr. Worthington earned her Masters of Science in Nutritional Science from the University of Maryland, and PhD in Science from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health).
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What is the difference between 'organic' and 'natural'? |
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'Natural' often is misrepresented in product labeling to imply 'healthful,' but 'natural' only means that the product has undergone minimal ... |
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