The Organic View

Liberia has been through a brutal 14 year civil war which has devastated the country’s infrastructure and business institutions. Approximately 250,000 people were killed, many executed mercilessly, leaving families torn apart with little options for survival. Liberia’s unemployment and poverty rates soared to 80 percent. The women of Liberia especially had it tough because they were excluded from the most productive sectors of the economy, including rubber and timber production. There were very little options for them much less hope for a future. So, what do you do when your home land has been destroyed and is in a dire state of poverty? This was the very question that Chid Liberty was faced with before he and his partner, Adam Butlein founded Liberty & Justice. The women of Liberia have come together to work in a business environment that really makes sense for all. The company was built post-conflict with women from both sides working together. In addition, they not only work at the company together but actually own it. These women work together as a team, taking pride in their work as they skillfully meet the demands other businesses around the world face regarding deadlines, productivity and consistency in quality. Liberty & Justice is committed to a future in which the farmers, manufacturers, transporters, distributors, retailers, and consumers are completely aligned in making choices that result in the eradication of poverty, the responsible stewardship of the environment, and the empowerment of workers. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will talk to Chid Liberty, CEO, and Adam Butlein, President of Liberty & Justice (http://www.libertyandjustice.com/) Stay tuned!

Ever wonder why there is so much confusion with organics? Consumers are being told that they should buy organic, then are told to buy local without emphasizing the fact that it should be locally grown organic. Even the definition of organic is still very loose. There is so much confusion that most people still have no idea what they should buy and why. With the leadership in the organic industry succumbing to the intense pressures by the Big Agro Chemical companies to find a way to co-exist, agricultural activists, organic purists and farmers have been up in arms. There is a great need to reclaim the integrity of organics, while also insuring that the farmers are actually paid a decent wage. This also lends a hand to the importance of how fair trade intersects with organics. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jason Freeman who is a founding member and General Manager of Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. Farmer Direct Co-operative is a farmer owned business of 63 Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade family farms with a land base 120,000 acres of farmland. FDC produces high quality, Organic and Fair Trade grains, oilseeds, pulses and meats for food manufacturers, distributors, and food service providers in Canada, the United States, the European Union and Japan. FDC is a bulk supplier of organic grains specializing in containers, truckloads, rail cars and 25lb bags of grain for retailers' bulk bins. In March of 2010 Farmer Direct Co-op became the first organization in North America to receive domestic fair trade certification. At ExpoWest this March FDC launched the first Farmer-Owned, Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade food brand. FDC is a founding member of the domestic fair trade association. Stay tuned!

Recently, the USDA deregulated genetically engineered alfalfa. Although many organic advocates and activists are in an uproar, most of the general population still does not understand how or why this will affect them much less the organic industry. Unfortunately, until people are faced with a health crisis or have a loved one affected, people will continue to remain ignorant of this disastrous decision. Barbara Peterson is an activist and also the host of the hit internet radio show called Farmwars (http://www.Farmwars.info) Barbara has devoted her life to protecting our environment and the creatures we share it with. Being an activist can be tough but this woman is truly a crusader for organic. Barbara is actually retired from the California Department of Corrections, where she worked as a Correctional Officer at Folsom Prison. She was one of the first females to work at the facility in this classification. Barbara lives on a small ranch in Oregon where she raises geese, chickens, horses, her dog Oggie, a variety of cats and an opinionated Macaw named Rita. Her rural lifestyle is being threatened by a combination of increasing federal regulations and corporate shenanigans such as NAIS and Monsanto’s invasive GMO technology designed to make it next to impossible to raise animals and organic food. Barbara’s motto is “It is time to step up to the plate and fight or lose it all without a whimper. Choose to make a stand and fight. We can make a difference!” In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Barbara Peterson, about the dangers of genetic modification, organic contamination, how the technology use agreement entraps farmers and what you can do about it.

According to Dr. Tennekes’s extensive research, the damage neonicotinoids cause to the central nervous system of insects has been shown to be irreversible and cumulative. The effects may actually occur several months after first exposure. Neonicotinoids have been shown to weaken the immune system, rendering bees far more susceptible to pathogens. The adverse effects occur at infinitesimally small doses. Dr. Henk Tennekes has been involved with cancer research for most of his career. His work regarding bees began after reading an official report to the Dutch Minister of Agriculture on the decline of bees. He was amazed at the lack of information on insecticides as a possible factor in the bee decline. Dr. Tennekes then began to research the impact of neonicotinoid insecticides such as imidacloprid and clothianidin. He discovered that they were identical to those of genotoxic carcinogens. These chemicals are not only affecting the honeybees but other species that are not closely monitored such as butterflies and other insects. He began to study the food habits of declining bird species and discovered that they depended on invertebrates. Dr. Tennekes is convinced that there is a link between the use of neonics and the decline of insects and birds. Some countries such as Germany have already banned the use of these chemicals. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to esteemed Toxicologist and author, Dr. Henk Tennekes, about his research and discuss this monumental devastation that will affect us on a global scale. Stay tuned!

The National Milk Producers Federation has come up with “Foundation For The Future,” which is the proposed legislation to change the milk price paid to dairy farmers in the United States. Exactly what does this mean to the small dairy farmer? Will the deregulation of milk prices mean the further consolidation of the nation’s dairy farms? Will this be the end of family owned dairy farms? Just how much control will this grant the large industrial style conglomerates? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Joaquin Contente, President of the California Farmers Union about this. Stay tuned!

Clothianidin has been widely used as a seed treatment on many of the USA’s key crops (which include canola, soy, sunflowers, wheat and sugar beet crops) for eight growing seasons under a conditional registration granted while EPA waited for Bayer Crop Science, the pesticide’s maker, to conduct a field study assessing the insecticide’s threat to bee colony health. The EPA has moved from granting a conditional registration to full registration of this chemical just in time for the spring planting. Tom Theobald is the Colorado beekeeper that slammed the EPA for granting full registration to the Bayer Corporation for Clothianidin. He has been relentlessly trying to raise awareness about this chemical and has been working towards environmental reform regarding the EPA’s process to grant registration. Graham White is a beekeeper and environmental author who lives in Scotland, near Scotland's greatest salmon-river, the River Tweed. He began keeping bees about 15 years ago and first noticed severe environmental changes to his bees, to butterflies and other wildlife, around 2002, which he soon linked to the introduction of neonicotinoid pesticides. He is the author and editor of a number of environmental books including: The Nature of Scotland and several collections of John Muir's writings. He served for 20 years as the Director of the Edinburgh Environment Centre, providing over 200 local schools with outdoor education and environmental programs. His message is that we are in danger of creating an agricultural environmental that is toxic to wildlife of every kind. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Tom Theobald and Graham White about the negative impact Clothianidin has and their efforts to raise awareness. Stay tuned!

When it comes to sweeteners, people are constantly trying to find substitutions to avoid consuming artificial sweeteners. Agave syrup is a very popular sweetener that is plant based. Agave is actually a succulent that is indigenous to Mexico, the Southern and Western United States and is also found in Central and Tropical South America. It is the same plant that tequila is derived from.

There has been some recent controversy about agave. Some say that it is a processed sugar and is no better than high fructose corn syrup. However, according to the Madhava Honey Company, agave nectar has a relatively low glycemic index compared to other sugars and sweeteners. Just what are the nutritional benefits of agave? Is it still a preferred sweetener? Is it safe for diabetics?

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Craig Gerbore, from Madhava Honey Company to talk about this sweetener and explore some of the controversy involved. Stay tuned!

Last Saturday organizations such as the American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association (ARMPPA) Family Farm Defenders, the Wisconsin Farmers Union and many others drove their tractors to Madison, Wisconsin in protest of Governor Walker’s budget bill. For the first time in Madison’s history, Democrats, Republicans, Communists, independents, Libertarians, Socialists, etc marched together to the state capitol in protest of the attack of the collective bargaining rights of workers. This bill will affect the farmer’s ability to generate a fair wage which is already diminished thanks to Big Ag. The legislation gave Walker authority over Badger Care which is the primary healthcare plan used by over 11,000 Wisconsin farm families. All of the nation’s co-ops use collective bargaining rights to establish prices for their farmers. An attack on workers bargaining rights is an attack on farmers’ rights. This in turn will affect the cost of milk and dairy products for consumers here in the United States. Before this bill, Walker had stripped any support for organics, community gardens, community supported agriculture (CSA) and even recycling programs. This is a huge step backwards. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Joel Greeno, a leader in the American Dairy industry to talk about the impact not only on the dairy farmers but why and how this bill will affect all people right down to the consumer. Stay tuned! About Joel Greeno: He is the President of the American Raw Milk Producers Pricing Association (ARMPPA) and Vice-President of Family Farm Defenders.

The battle cry has been sounded and Spring has sprung! It is almost as if fleas, ticks and mosquitoes have been building their armies, as they prepare to attack. Oddly enough some have actually adapted to the weapons that have been used against them. Others have mutated so they are stronger and bigger. There are now so many new flea and tick medications on the market that it seems like an easy problem to solve. However, no one really thinks about the danger of these chemicals to our animal companions! If you live in a warm climate, year round, there is no relief from the cold weather that generally kills these parasites. They are a problem all year long. This also means that our animal companions require year long protection. Just how safe are these chemicals? What are the implications of the animals being given drugs that are often poisonous? How are they being administered? Could some of the diseases and behavior issues be related to these products? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to animal and wildlife advocate, Laura Lluellyn-Lassiter from Soul Be It (http://www.Soul-Be-It.com ). Laura will provide some new products that are not only organic but explain the use of electro-magnetic energy fields to eliminate these insects. She will also discuss the top ten flea myths, why the flea is such a fierce enemy, natural defensive strategies for animals in addition to defending the home environment, inside and out. Stay tuned!

Percy Schmeiser is a canola farmer from Saskatchewan, Canada. He was the first farmer to win a law suit against Monsanto. This landmark case, which went before the Federal Court of Canada, has attracted international attention because it could help determine how much control a handful of powerful biotech companies can exert over farmers. Schmeiser believes this precedent setting agreement ensures that farmers will be entitled to reimbursement when their fields become contaminated with unwanted Roundup Ready canola or any other unwanted GMO plants. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Percy Schmeiser about his battle with this agro-chemical giant. c