Wal-Mart, others hope to cash in on growing market niche; critics fear standards will drop By KAREN ROBINSON-JACOBS The Dallas Morning News A NATURAL QUESTION When Wal-Mart Stores recently promised to boost the number of organic foods it stocks, the announcement sent shock waves rolling among producers and distributors...
By Andrew Martin Chicago Tribune – Washington Bureau (link no longer available) KENNEDYVILLE, Md. — With its neat white barns and lush green pastures, the Horizon Organic dairy farm on the outskirts of this tiny town on Maryland’s picturesque Eastern Shore would seem to fit the organic ideal. But...
The New York Times By ANDREW POLLACK An unapproved type of genetically engineered grass has been found growing in the wild in what scientists say could be the first instance in the United States in which a biotechnology plant has established itself outside a farm. Ecologists at the Environmental...
Legal Complaint Filed by The Cornucopia Institute at USDA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Kastel, 608.625.2000 WASHINGTON: One of the nation’s most aggressive organic watchdogs filed a formal legal complaint today (8/10/06) against the country’s leading organic brand, Horizon, alleging a well-financed campaign to greenwash milk produced at factory...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Kastel, 608-625-2000 CORNUCOPIA, WISCONSIN: The Cornucopia Institute has filed a formal legal complaint with the USDA requesting a full investigation into allegations of multiple violations of federal organic regulations at the Aurora Organic Dairy, located near Dublin, Texas. With a herd of 3000—5000 animals,...
The USDA has strict rules regulating who can use the label, but a Dallas Morning News analysis found those standards aren’t always enforced. By PAULA LAVIGNE The Dallas Morning News (this link is no longer available) More and more shoppers are forking out extra money for organic foods to avoid...
Now Available!—“Maintaining the Integrity of Organic Milk,” The Cornucopia Institute’s national survey of organic products in the dairy case. The report and scorecard showcase ethical family farm producers and expose factory farm producers and brands that threaten to take over organic dairying. See which brands and dairy products are...
By LESTER ALDRICH Wall Street Journal Natural and organic beef is gaining in popularity among U.S. consumers, even though such beef costs more and university meat scientists say there is little evidence to prove it is healthier or safer. The philosophy behind organic beef is “to provide conditions that...
Alfalfa is a prime forage crop for organic livestock farmers. It’s drought resistant, has a high nutritional value, and grows well in areas of the U.S. where dairy and beef livestock are important. Alfalfa is the third most valuable and fourth most widely grown crop in the U.S. A...
By Steve Karnowski Associated Press Lansing State Journal JORDAN, Minn. – The cows on Pam and Jeff Riesgraf’s farm chomped happily on lush green grass on a sunny afternoon. Their milk would soon find its way to grocery stores, where organic dairy products are a hot item. The Riesgraf...
From August 23-25, 2006, the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus will be the international epicenter for organic livestock producers and researchers, when the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) holds the first-ever international conference on organic livestock. Leading organic livestock researchers and producers from throughout the world...
Boston Globe By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff TROY, Vt. — For the first time in decades, dairy farmer Dexter Randall could pay all his bills on time. Wooed by signing bonuses and the prospect of doubling his earnings, the burly 60-year-old switched to organic milk over the past year....
The Cornucopia Institute, through research and investigations on agriculture and food issues, provides needed information to family farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the good food movement and to the media.
