The Washington Post had an interesting piece that served to underscore for me the importance of being able to know the people growing the food I eat and eating more whole, unprocessed  foods as labels never tell the full story: [1] Integrity of Federal ‘Organic’ Label Questioned

Three years ago, U.S. Department of Agriculture employees determined that synthetic additives in organic baby formula violated federal standards and should be banned from a product carrying the federal organic label. Today the same additives, purported to boost brainpower and vision, can be found in 90 percent of organic baby formula.

The government’s turnaround, from prohibition to permission, came after a USDA program manager was lobbied by the formula makers and overruled her staff. That decision and others by a handful of USDA employees, along with an advisory board’s approval of a growing list of non-organic ingredients, have helped numerous companies win a coveted green-and-white “USDA Organic” seal on an array of products.

Grated organic cheese, for example, contains wood starch to prevent clumping. Organic beer can be made from non-organic hops. Organic mock duck contains a synthetic ingredient that gives it an authentic, stringy texture.

Relaxation of the federal standards, and an explosion of consumer demand, have helped push the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business, the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Half of the country’s adults say they buy organic food often or sometimes, according to a survey last year by the Harvard School of Public Health.

But the USDA program’s shortcomings mean that consumers, who at times must pay twice as much for organic products, are not always getting what they expect: foods without pesticides and other chemicals, produced in a way that is gentle to the environment.

[2] read the full article >

Rachel Forrest interviewed Carla Snow about her new book out with [3] Blue Tree Press called Wine & Dine With New Hampshire, featuring New Hampshire wines and paired recipes from area chefs.

Carla Snow, New Hampshire’s first female certified specialist of wine, did tons of research to present seven New Hampshire wineries paired with recipes from local chefs. Add to that some gorgeous photography from Brian Smestad and the book is not just a reference for N.H. wines, but a coffee table book to savor — while sipping some great N.H. wine of course.

[4] read the full article >

Also from Rachel Forrest, her Top Ten Reasons to visit the new Rye Farmers’ Market (including fish, chicken, and cheese!) [5] read the article >