June 30, 2004
New report "Putting Polluters First" examines Bush environmental record
Hot off the press. Download Environment 2004’s report on the Bush administration’s environmental record. I guess you can get a hint of the contents from the title: "Putting Polluters First: The Bush Administration's Environmental Record.”
--Nancy, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obsession: Whole Milk Plain and YoBaby Apple
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June 29, 2004
New York youth visit the farm and teach us a lesson
A group of youth from the 92nd Street Y in New York City paid us a visit here at the Yogurt Works today. The group is on a 6-week organic tour, learning about organic farming practices and organic food. Here, Lisa, from our Natural Resources staff, speaks to the group in our Visitor's Center. We always serve yogurt samples to our visitors, but we usually offer them plastic spoons (we don't have kitchen facilities in that building). Today, however, the youth taught us a lesson--they brought their own spoons, which they proceeded to wash afterwards in our visitor restrooms!
Lisa told the group how organic practices begin with healthy soil free of toxic pesticides and then center around healthy animals. Cows on an organic farm may live nearly twice as long as cows from large commercial operations where they spend much of their time indoors.
Happy trails to the 92nd Street Y tour participants!
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June 23, 2004
Lick the lid, then send it in during July and August
The lids of our yogurt cups always carry a message about something near and dear to our hearts. In July and August, you might start noticing your Stonyfield Farm yogurt cup telling you to “Bid with Your Lid!” We’re asking our yogurt eaters to tell us how we should allocate $100,000 between three environmental groups. The more “lids” for one group, the more money that group will receive.
This is all part of our Profits for the Planet program. The three environmental groups are:
The National Wildlife Federation
The American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day
Each of the three participating organizations will receive a minimum of $20,000 from us, but the remaining $40,000 will be distributed entirely based on consumer voting. Sending in 10 lids equals 10 votes. Or, you can log on to Stonyfield.com and cast your votes. Not only do the organizations get the funding, but you the voter will be eligible for prizes just for sending in the lids. Watch these blogs for more details throughout July and August.
Go ahead. Bid with your lid!
June 22, 2004
Paris streets may turn a little greener
The city council of Paris has urged the City of Lights mayor, Bertran Delanoe, to ban Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) from city streets during peak pollution times and to disallow their owners from buying parking permits. Of course, the gas-guzzling behemoths aren’t quite as popular on narrow European streets as they are in the United States—they account for only 5 percent of all car ownership—but the ban is one of a series of city council initiatives to green up the town.
June 21, 2004
Undo Global Warming
We've teamed up with the Undo It Campaign to end global warming, a message that you'll see on our yogurt cup lids at the moment. In return, the Undo It folks were kind enough to make us a little video, where CE'Yo Gary explains Stonyfield Farm's mission to end global warming. In it, you'll see that our mascot dairy cow Gurt is really a great big ham.
June 18, 2004
Little internet movie making a big impact
Just in case you’ve missed it, check out The Meatrix. Creativity is alive and well! Over 4.5 million downloads since this video was launched in the fall of 2003. You don’t want to miss what Salon called “The hottest online hit.” The L.A. Times said “We swear you’ll never look at pigs the same.” Have I tempted you enough? Check it out!
--Nancy, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obsession: Whole Milk Plain and YoBaby Apple
June 17, 2004
Actions speak louder than words
While the “politicos” in the U.S. still argue about whether human-induced climate change is happening, the insurance industry clearly has no doubts- and a lot of concerns! In a report issued June 8 by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the value of claims may triple because of increased extreme weather caused by climate change. John Parker, head of general insurance at the ABI, said, "Managing the impact of climate change is a major challenge for society - we already live with its effects every day. Insurance is in the front line of climate change. Managing risk is central to our industry, and insurers must be equipped to analyze the new risks arising from climate change, and to help customers protect against them.”
Learn more about Climate Change and what you can do.
--Nancy, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obession: Whole Milk Plain and YoBaby Apple
June 16, 2004
New Hampshire Ag School may go organic
Ce’Yo Gary and I met yesterday with two representatives from the University of New Hampshire (UNH). They have a long-term commitment to implementing more sustainable practices. The agriculture school there has recently had some of the land certified organic, and is looking to convert some of its dairy to organic! GO WILDCATS!!!!
This may not sound like a lot to most people, but to those in the organic industry, this is very exciting news. For decades, organic farmers have had to go it largely alone without the benefit of the scientific research from our nation’s Land Grant Universities or USDA Cooperative Extension Agents with organic expertise. In fact, according to the Organic Farming Research Foundation , in 1997 with 1% of U.S. agriculture under organic management, less than 1/10 of 1% of the USDA research budget went to organic research. In recent years, the USDA has greatly increased that number, but there’s a lot of catching up to do!
We’re absolutely thrilled that the visionaries at UNH see a bright future with organic farming. My guess is that it will become a magnet for students….
--Nancy, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obession: Whole Milk Plain and YoBaby Apple
June 14, 2004
Go pesticide-free in your home and garden this summer
We were pleased to get a report from the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) yesterday. They said that some 800 Stonyfield "Moos from the Farm" newsletter subscribers had signed up with the organization, taking a pledge not to use pesticides in their homes and gardens. We realize we didn't make this offer known to the rest of our Stonyfield.com readers, so here it is:
Interested in trying pesticide-free solutions for your pest and weed problems, but not sure how to do it? The people at the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) want to help. The Coalition just launched its Healthier Homes and Gardens program and is asking people to take the following pledge:
“I want a healthier home and garden. I'll try pesticide-free solutions for my pest and weed problems."
When you sign the pledge, you’ll receive:
• Monthly e-mail tips about pesticide-free solutions for common pest
problems.
• NCAP’s toll-free number to call with pest and weed questions.
• Information about NCAP, with action alerts on government policies relating to pesticides and announcements about events in your area.
Visit NCAP and take the Healthier Homes and Gardens pledge. Or e-mail the coalition at info@pesticide.org. Plus, you can help the NCAP reach its goal of over 10,000 pledgers by e-mailing this notice to all your friends and family!
June 11, 2004
We join a Community Supported Agriculture project
About 10 Stonyfield Farm employees have signed up for memberships to a new, local CSA or Community Supported Agriculture. It costs $435 for a single share in an organic farm, which works out to about $24 a week. That’s pretty reasonable for a grocery bag full of fresh, certified organic produce every week for 18 weeks! We have worked out an arrangement so that a group of us will share pick-up duties each week, since the pick-up site is a little farther north than most of us live.
Maybe there is a CSA in your community? Or a Farmer’s Market in your area? We’ve got some links on our website that might help you find one.
June 10, 2004
Support Community Supported Agriculture and eat well!
Last week we told you about how Stonyfield Farm employees are enrolling in a new CSA nearby--A Community Supported Agriculture project that lets us buy a share of the farm in exchange for a season's worth of organic vegetables. CSAs have been around for a long time, but this is a new opportunity for us to get involved. Here are some benefits to CSAs, in case you're considering joining one:
For you...
* You’ll have farm fresh, high quality produce all summer and into the fall.
* You’ll receive a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables that are ripe, delicious and nutritious.
* You'll know where your food comes from and you can even visit the farms.
* It’s cheaper than buying produce at supermarkets.
For the farmer...
* More money goes directly to the farmer when you buy this way.
* Money gets to farmers early in the growing season, enabling the purchase of seeds, supplies, etc.
For the planet...
* CSAs preserve local open space by supporting local farms.
* Buying locally grown food means fewer fuels are used for transportation of your food
* Buying from an organic CSA means you’ve bought food grown in healthy soils, with no toxic and persistent pesticides.
June 08, 2004
Businesses must play a role, but consumers can lead the way toward environmentally sound practices
I recently gave a talk on “Sustainable Business” at Tufts University. The conference was designed by an organization called StartingBloc to inspire students to help create a more environmentally sustainable society. I spoke about our company’s efforts to implement more environmentally preferable practices, the business value that they have, and our vision of sustainability, which is really our mission.
I wanted to emphasize with these students that business has a very important role in creating a sustainable future, but consumers can lead the way by demanding environmentally preferable products from businesses…whether that’s organic food or otherwise. So there’s a role for them as business leaders AND as consumers!
We try to take the time out of our busy schedules to get out and speak to students, whether that’s our employees talking at Career Day in our local schools, or our CE’Yo Gary speaking to world-class business schools, because, in the words of Whitney Houston :-), “We believe the children are our future,” and getting them to think in terms of sustainability is a challenge, but really our greatest hope.
--Lisa, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obession: Whole Milk French Vanilla (with fresh fruit)
June 07, 2004
CA school kids collect a whopping 18,000 pounds of recyclables!
Congratulations to the middle school students at Wilson Middle School in Glendale, California for collecting over 18,000 pounds of plastic bottles, cardboard, computer paper, aluminum cans and textbooks in one month. According to the Los Angeles Times, They won the sixth annual Battle of the Schools, a waste-reduction and recycling competition organized by Generation Earth, which is an educational recycling program for students sponsored by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
Start ’em young!! These are the youth that will be solving the environmental challenges of tomorrow…
--Nancy, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obsession: Whole Milk Plain and YoBaby Apple
June 04, 2004
Can we achieve sustainability within a generation?
Geneticist, environmentalist, and dynamic speaker David Suzuki spoke recently at the All Things Organic Conference and Trade Show. He is an inspirational speaker- like Sandra Steingraber I've mentioned earlier -- and he has a gift for taking highly technical information and translating it into very understandable language. He brilliantly walked us through the water cycle and how an environmental contaminant (like a pesticide) moves through the ecosystem and can end up in our bodies. He made it easy to understand how what we do to the air and the water, we do to our bodies…
He urged the audience to take action and think big…sustainability within a generation!
--Nancy, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obsession: Whole Milk Plain and YoBaby Apple
June 03, 2004
Buy a share of fresh, local produce
Today I found out about a great opportunity for our employees here at Stonyfield Farm to buy fresh, local, organic produce this summer! There is a cooperative of farmers that have joined forces to start a new organic CSA. CSA means Community Supported Agriculture. CSAs have been around for a long time, but this is a new opportunity for us to get involved. This is how it works - -you buy a "share" of their crop for the season and every week throughout the growing season, you get the bounty of their yield of farm fresh vegetables. Yummy! In this case, it's certified organic produce from certified organic farms. All the better!! Read more about CSAs in the upcoming days.
--Lisa, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obsession: Vanilla Smoothie
June 02, 2004
Speaker addresses "contamination without consent" in pesticide use
I heard ecologist and writer Sandra Steingraber speak recently in Chicago at the All Things Organic trade show and conference. She was as moving as ever… A Ph.D biologist, writer, mother and cancer survivor, she eloquently illustrates how our health is connected to the planet’s health.
One point she made in her talk was the injustice of pesticide use and industrial pollution as “contamination without consent,” a phrase coined by Rachel Carson (author of the ground-breaking book Silent Spring) in the early 1960s. We can relate to that phrase as it applies to second-hand cigarette smoke and the rights of non-smokers to breathe clean air. Dr. Steingraber made the point that the contamination of our water and air with pesticides and other chemicals is a similar injustice.
--Nancy, Natural Resources
Current yogurt obsession: Whole Milk Plain and Apple YoBaby
June 01, 2004
The organic industry wins one!
There is reason to celebrate as a HUGE victory was won this week for democracy and those who believe in organic agriculture! Several weeks ago the U.S.D.A. National Organic Program (NOP) issued guidance documents clarifying its interpretation of the organic standards. If allowed to stand, these would have severely weakened organic standards by allowing for the use of antibiotics in livestock, potentially toxic fish meal for livestock feed, and a host of other ills. In developing the guidance documents, the NOP did not take input from the organic advisory group the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) or from the public.
On Thursday, May 27, U.S.D.A. Secretary Ann Veneman announced that she had directed the staff to withdraw the clarification documents and to work with the NOSB and the industry to “determine the best solutions to the issues that have been raised.”
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!
--Nancy, Stonyfield Farm Natural Resources
You can send an electronic thank you to Secretary Veneman for preserving the integrity of organic. Or, write her a letter:
The Hon. Ann M. Veneman, Secretary
United States Department of Agriculture
14th St. & Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250