Monsanto has a pretty scary track record. Nuclear weapons, DDT, agent orange, PCB contamination & recombinant bovine growth hormone.

Now, by default, we are trusting Monsanto to provide us with allegedly safe, genetically modified food. Have a look at the infographic below and then decide for yourself.

  But our choice to eat organic food will soon be gone, as GM crops slowly invade their organic neighbors. So we need to put a stop to this now before its too late.

Steve Marsh is an organic farmer in Western Australia. He’s been certified organic for 8 years. Recently, seeds from a neighboring farm have contaminated his property. 70% of his farm is now contaminated with genetically modified seed and cannot be certified organic anymore.

Steve is taking Monsanto to court in what is set to be a David and Goliath battle. Monsanto is covering all legal costs the neighboring farmer incurs, so its up to all of us to help make it a fair battle.

You can help Steve Marsh win against Monsanto by donating here: http://www.nasaa-wa.com.au/NASAA_WA/Home.html

You can also help Steve Marsh fight for what’s right by Purchasing the song written for Steve by the Hussy Hicks. The royalties go to the GM Contamination Fund: http://www.hussyhicks.com

You can sign the petition to Hold Monsanto accountable for organic seed contamination and protect the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) from wrongful and harassing lawsuits from Monsanto in the future, here: http://forcechange.com/4662/protect-organic-seeds-and-farmers-from-monsanto/

Related articles

• WA farmer sues over GM contamination (news.theage.com.au)
• Case Update: 270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsant (angelbabe432.wordpress.com)
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• 270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto (reddit.com)
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• Monsanto Nation: Taking Down Goliath (misbehavedwoman.wordpress.com)
• Monsanto’s Agent Orange Being Used to Clear Brazil’s Rainforest (reddit.com)

Now this isn’t exactly organic news but it is eco friendly & innovative. It brightened my day and made me smile.

Millions of soft drink bottles are thrown away every day. Watch this video to see how these plastic bottles are being converted into light bulbs for some of the poorest people on earth.

Love & light

We’ve known for a while now that it’s important to eat organic food and use organic products, but for the first time this year, London fashion week will include a showcase for fashion and accessories that are sustainable, responsibly made, upcycled, recycled, and where possible, organic.

Called ‘Estethica’, this fashion showcase will start tomorrow, Sunday 17th September 2011 with a champagne brunch in celebration.

Orla Kiely Prom Dress by People Tree. Sleeveless prom dress with gathered skirt and bow. Designed by Orla Kiely. Made in 100% organic Fairtrade certified cotton in India.

There will be a Soil Association stand during fashion week, presenting Soil Association certified fashion for spring/summer 12, courtesy of People Tree (with some designs by Orla Kiely), a great range of coloured jeans by Monkee Jeans and the best quality organic T-shirts by Continental Clothing.

Sales for certified organic textiles grew by 35 per cent last year and the global organic cotton market is predicted to grow by 20 per cent next year.

For clothes to be certified organic, 95 per cent of the fibre used must be certified organic. For more information visit the Soil Association website.

Read the original article here: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/tamsin-blanchard/TMG8769324/Dont-just-eat-organic-wear-it.html

Organic dress by People Tree

Are you a miessence associate yet? Global Financial crisis is threatening millions with unemployment. The US dollar is losing value by the day & people are worried sick. But in every crisis lies opportunity if you look for it.

In a world filled with turmoil, Miessence offers its associates a stable and legitimate business. With even more money going to associates than ever before!  Check it out- -

A higher % of profits is now paid to Miessence associates. 40% of the company profits are paid to our associates which is higher than its ever been. And the bigger miessence grows, the more money goes back to the associates!

Have you noticed how the cost of most things is going up? Well at Miessence, we’re going against the trend. We have reduced the price of our products to make going organic more affordable for you.

They’re not just a pretty face: Aussie dollars are one of the most stable currencies in the world. Miessence now pays associates in Australian Dollars as opposed to US dollars (from wherever you are in the world). So you can live in India or the US (or virtually anywhere) and still earn Aussie dollars from the comfort of your home.

Does your boss send you on international holidays? At Miessence we get rewarded for doing great work. For the first time ever Miessence is sending their higher level associates on a leadership getaway.  So September 2012 is Hawaii time!

Customers, you’re not left out. You can now join Miessence as a Lifestyle member and get 20% off your initial order and 20% off forever! If thats not amazing enough, you can now join miessence as a Fast Start associate and get up to 40% discount on the entire Miessence range. >Click here to join now<

Congratulations to Narelle, owner of Atharmony Consulting who has just joined as a Fast Start Associate. Narelle is a Building Biologist from Victoria, Australia.

Related Pages

• Learning From Experience – Anne McCasland Pexton
• Miessence Business
• How Can I Make Money with Miessence Products?

This little video does a great job of explaining what happened to the way we farm. It shows a farmer going back to the start; to a more natural and sustainable method. As you’re watching, you’ll also get to hear Coldplay’s haunting classic ‘The Scientist’ performed by country music legend Willie Nelson for the soundtrack of this short film entitled, “Back to the Start.”

Enjoy & share!

I was listening to Eva Cassidy’s cover of “Field’s of Gold ” and I thought it would be a perfect title for this post.

When governments spend money to stimulate the economy it creates an economic bubble which eventually pops. It pops because giving out free money causes unnatural growth which can then only be sustained by more spending.

So when I look at the world’s food supply problems in the same way as the money supply problem, I saw a very similar pattern which made the solution stand out like a sore thumb.

Economy – “1. Activities related to the production and distribution of goods and services in a particular geographic region.”

A free market is an economy’s natural state – when a few bankers & governments interfere by increasing the money supply there is artificial economic growth until everyone realizes – no one actually has any money.
Ecology - “Ecological science: the science concerned with the interactions of living organisms with each other and with their environment, also called bionomics. “

Organic & natural is the environment’s natural state – when a few agricultural & biotech companies interfere by genetically modifying seeds so they give higher yields per crop there is artificial expansion of the food supply.

So the people of the world knew food was plentiful and so they had more kids.  But now we are back where we started. We need more food again.

Except now the huge monoculture farms solely dedicated to producing these high yielding crops have destroyed the surrounding fragile eco-systems.

The balance of nutrients in the soils is gone, there’s no biodiversity of microorganisms that naturally make the soil fertile, salinity has become a problem caused by extensive clearing and the soil & water is poisoned with chemical contaminants from fertilizers and pesticides.

So when the world’s economy (food supply) is in trouble now, it seems the thing to do (according to our allegedly intelligent & responsible leaders) is to just keep lending and printing money (using GM crops to feed a growing population) , instead of facing the reality of needing to make dramatic changes in spending (consumption) behavior.

The further we remove something from nature,  the greater side effects you see.

The solution is to educate people to take control of their finance and food. People who can create value will be self sufficient. The time is rapidly approaching when those who have invested in themselves, in their own financial & food security will be the ones who prosper.

“Ecology” || “Economy”

Learn how to grow organic food from seeds || Learn how to run a business

Start a community garden || Connect with other business people

Grow local organic food so your family is food secure || Grow your business so your family is financially secure

Water & care for your garden while it does the complicated work of growing food || Work on your business every day and then watch the systems you’ve established pay you   over and over again.

Take action now

Related articles

• Hungary Destroys All Monsanto GMO Maize Fields (reddit.com)
• 270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto (reddit.com)
• Food Bubble About to Pop (certifiedorganicskins.com)
• Why Organic (certifiedorganicskins.com)

Where does your food come from? Well last night we had takeaway Thai food from Thai Corner (It was delicious). Well, after dinner my family and I watched a documentary called “The Future of Food“. It was a fantastic look at our coming food crisis and what we can do now to prepare.

Amongst all the doom and gloom, one section of the documentary had what I believe to be the answer.

Cuba is food secure now. They had no choice. How did they do it without having to rely on anyone else? They converted any space available in the populated areas into little organic farming plots. And this cut down on transport costs too. 

When we are in control of our food we are safer. Why have we given away our food security? Its time we took food back into our own hands. Not just for our own good, but for the environment too – if we want our grandchildren to be able to eat.

Related articles

• Organic farming can be more profitable (chimalaya.org)
• The future of food – the global south shows the way | James O’Nions (guardian.co.uk)
• The Death Rate Due to Hunger in The World: One People for Five Seconds (socyberty.com)
• Planet Cuba: Complex, complicated but sustainable!

Image via Wikipedia

Generally, caterpillars are small but surely they seem to eat a lot. They are one of the most difficult pests to eliminate organically. Handpicking them off your plants is most probably the environmentally friendly way of removing caterpillars but it is not always effective. Whenever you do it this way its easy to miss one or two.

Another choice with caterpillars is to just leave them alone. Allow them to eat freely and take the remaining produce. This can work with plants such as broccoli and cauliflower. The caterpillars may tend to eat the outer leaves and then leave the remaining leaves. If you are happy to share your vegetables, then go ahead.

Getting rid of caterpillars is somewhat a trial and error. However, what works effectively will depend on the type of caterpillar and the plant being affected. Try to include:

• Picking off caterpillars by hand
• Placing sticky bands around the plant base
• Spraying with organic pesticide
• Do nothing

Another way to eliminate caterpillars is to introduce predatory pests into your garden such as lizards, frogs and wasps.

If you want to spray, there are some non-toxic pesticides. These may be organic or biodegradable but it’s best to carefully read the label before using them.

• Chilli and garlic spray
• Eco Oil
• Biodegradable soap spray, e.g. NatraSoap
• Pest Oil

The best way to prevent damage by caterpillars is to practice better organic gardening methods which will give you healthy and strong plants, thus can naturally fight off pests. The methods will help to accompany plant, rotate your crops, encourage predatory birds and insects, and build up the soil by adding mulch and compost.

Related articles

• Organic Techniques Workshop To Control Pests (certifiedorganicskins.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Organic vegetables and fruits have several benefits over conventional varieties but it is not always possible to purchase organics. A problem could be the availability and a deterrent could be prices. If you do decide to buy conventional produce then you may expect to avoid certain products which could possibly contain harmful pesticide residues. In general, the worst offenders are those with thin skins or those which get sprayed for many times during the growing period.

The Environmental Working Group has identified 12 vegetables and fruits which are specifically susceptible to pesticide contamination. If possible, try to avoid the following conventionally grown vegetables and fruits:

• capsicum
• apples
• celery
• grapes
• cherries
• nectarines
• pears
• peaches
• potatoes
• spinach
• strawberries
• raspberries

These are especially dangerous for young children and pregnant women. Pesticides might passed on to an unborn child through the placenta and children under age of 2 years are less able to eliminate or remove pesticides from their bodies.

The most safer option is to buy vegetables and fruits having thick skins in which you can peel off before eating such as corn, bananas, mangos, onions, pineapples and oranges.

Related articles

• The Benefits Of Organic Food (certifiedorganicskins.com)
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Image by IITA Image Library via Flickr

Along with potassium and nitrogen, phosphorus is one of the main macro-nutrients needed by most types of plant life. You can use a wide range of organic fertilizers to enhance your soil’s phosphorus content. Providing your plants with lots of phosphorus will help them to transfer and store energy for different life functions, to develop leaves, roots and fruits and to mature more quickly.

Mineral-Based Fertilizer

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