organic

A new report from Consumer Reports has found pesticide residue at levels that posed significant risks on about 20% of the foods analyzed. Among the foods with the highest risks are popular produce like strawberries, green beans and potatoes. Consumer Reports evaluated 59 common produce items using seven years’ worth of data from the U.S. […]

After a plant suffers an injury, metabolites called terpenoids are released to enhance its defenses. A new study led by scientists from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) has found that rose essential oil (REO) has the ability to stimulate defense genes in the leaves of tomato plants. REO also attracts herbivore predators that protect plants […]

In November I reported on a newly launched product from King Arthur Baking Company, a company that sells flours and other baking products. The product in question? Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend, a whole wheat flour product that is supposed to be more sustainable than conventionally grown or even organic flours. As an avid baker, I was […]

Organic farming methods mean less pesticides in our soil and food. They ensure agricultural runoff won’t contain toxic chemicals that can make their way into our waterways, polluting the water supply and potentially harming wildlife and ecosystems. They also consider animal welfare. So why do farmers continue to use synthetic pesticides? The answer is simple: […]

Faced with a wall of egg cartons at the grocery store, all plastered with different labels and phrases, it’s hard to know what to choose. Which is better: cage-free, free range or pasture-raised? What does “farm-fresh” mean? What lies behind the USDA Organic label? Are vegetarian-fed hens healthier and happier? Without uniform regulation of these […]

U.S. grocery shoppers take note, it’s that time of year again. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released on Wednesday its 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, with its annual Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists of the conventional fruits and vegetables most and least likely to be contaminated with pesticides, and this year’s lists […]

If you’ve ever bitten into a juicy, red strawberry only to find that it was watery and somewhat flavorless, certain pesticides could be to blame. In a recent study, scientists found that two common fungicides used on strawberries — boscalid (BOS) and difenoconazole (DIF) — can affect the fruit’s cellular mechanisms and mute its sweetness […]

What Is the Local Food Movement?  The local food movement is the push to eat food that is grown and harvested nearby to where it is purchased. It is often contrasted with the contemporary mainstream food system, in which avocados from Mexico are purchased in January from a big-box grocery store in New England. It […]