On August 27th, on the eve of the Slow Food USA National Congress and Slow Food Nation, the Slow Food USA Ark Committee held its annual meeting in Mill Valley, CA to review, taste and “board” new foods to the Ark of Taste (you know, like the animals, two by two…).
The Ark of Taste—a catalog of foods threatened by industrial standardization, the regulations of large-scale distribution and environmental damage—is a tool that helps farmers, ranchers, fishers,
chefs, retail grocers, educators and consumers celebrate our country’s diverse biological, cultural and culinary heritage. In an effort to cultivate consumer demand—key to agricultural conservation—only the best tasting endangered foods make it onto the Ark.
Yesterday’s newly boarded foods include the …

Many of us still wonder when we walk down the supermarket aisle which is the best food for the family-organic or conventional. Going organic has now become more of a trend.
Most health magazines have been quoting their experts who firmly believe that eating organic food is healthier, more nutritious and taste better. Fruits and vegetables are not laden with harmful chemicals which in turn seem to increase the incidence of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and certain birth defects.
Conventional foods are sprayed with pesticides that could contain chemicals that have been long banned. The fertilizers added are chemical based and synthetic herbicides are used to curb weed growth. These foods when consumed regularly can have a detrimental …

Connecting young people with their food is the most important step we can take to ensure a future full of good, clean, and fair food. Slow Food nurtures this future through our Slow Food in Schools program. Working with our convivia across the country, our Garden to Table projects provide meaningful, hands-on food experiences and education to K-12 students.
Slow Food in Schools works through our Garden to Table Projects to create meaningful relationships between youth and food. By placing emphasis on hands-on experiences, community interaction, and the pleasures of the table, Slow Food in Schools helps to strengthen the food communities of tomorrow by engaging youth today.
Slow Food USA supports local Garden to Table …

Background
On October 21, 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Organic Program (NOP) standards for food labeled organic went into effect. This standard applies to food grown in the United States or imported from other countries.
When you buy food labeled “organic,” you can be sure that it was produced using the strictest organic production and handling standards in the world and certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
The National Organic Standards offer a national definition for the term organic, providing clear and consistent labeling requirements for use of the word. They detail the methods, practices, and substances that can be used in producing and handling organic crops. The standards establish clear criteria for organic labeling, …

KOLKATA: The Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has mounted efforts to increase the production of organic tea so that the majority of the champagne of teas is organically produced by 2010.
Industry sources say that at present about 37 per cent of the total crop grown on the slopes of the eastern Himalayas is organic tea, as per certifications given by European and Japanese agencies.
“Efforts are on now to cover at least two more gardens that contribute 13 per cent of the total yield under the organic cultivation norms,” a source at the DTA, the apex industry body, told The Hindu.
Given the fact that the annual Darjeeling tea crop averages at about 9.5 to 10 million kg …

Food can have a lasting effect on behaviour and certainly the better the quality of food the better the effect on our health.
All of the organic foods to help depression listed below are in fact, ordinary foods.  The essential factor is they do not contain additives and pesticides, known to poison the human body.
Could We Be Eating Our Way To Insanity? By John Johnson
Recent studies released in the British press have come to the conclusion that many of today’s mental illnesses may be due to our diet.
The rise in these conditions over the last 50 years coincides with our increased consumption of junk foods, chemical additives and processed meals.  We need to eat organic foods …

Newcastle University . (Source)
A new study by Newcastle University proves that organic farmers who let their cows graze as nature intended are producing better quality milk.
The Nafferton Ecological Farming Group study found that grazing cows on organic farms in the UK produce milk which contains significantly higher beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins than their conventional ‘high input’ counterparts.
During the summer months, one of the beneficial fats in particular – conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA9 – was found to be 60% higher.
The results of this study into UK dairy production are published online in the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture.
‘We have known for some time that what cows are fed has a big …

New Upscale Casual Concept will be the First LEED Gold-designed and Certified Green Restaurant to Open in the United States Capital
From recycling to choosing fuel-efficient vehicles, being “green” is quickly becoming a focus in every part of our lives. So it’s no surprise that when surveyed for the new 2009 Zagat Dining Guide, 62% of Washington, DC area residents reported that they are willing to “pay more” for sustainably-raised food. Finding such “green” fare is about to become much easier for Washingtonians, with the mid-September opening of Founding Farmers.
Now undergoing finishing touches at 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue NW – just blocks from the White House – Founding Farmers is an innovative, eco-friendly restaurant that will give …