Thursday, March 02, 2006

PANNA: Pesticides Linked to Frog Mutations: Here's a big surprise. Pesticides are linked to frog mutations. Wow.

Look, my wife and I are big fans of frogs. We even have a web site with frog posters, books, toys, and other frog related stuff. We think these amphibians are our canaries in the coal mines. These mutations are proving that the pesticides we dump on our farm land and yards are running off into our water supply, which the new big-business controlled Supreme Court will soon make easier to do by changing the reach of the clean water act.

It is quickly becoming clear that the only way to combat these global corporate polluters and suburban lawn junkies is to go organic. Make your yard organic. Encourage organic agriculture by purchasing organic food and products whenever you can. Since our government and big business community care more about short term profit than the long term viability of our land and agriculture, then we have to change things from the ground up. Literally.

Monday, February 20, 2006

If I was eating dinner in a certain southern Maine restaurant right now, not only would I be eating some of the freshest, local, often organic food, I'd be talking to my good friend and organic gardening guru Mort Mather (who's son, Joshua, runs Joshua's Bar and Grill in Wells). Instead, I'll be taking my son to baseball practice this week, where I'll try to avoid the Fox News brainwash victim, who I wish would just read this. But the organic news I wanted to report is more little thing we can all do to increase awareness of, and demand for, organic food.

When you go in a restaurant, like, oh, I don't know, a certain fine dining establishment near Cooperstown New York, ask what they have that's organic or local (or both). Any food service operation should have to answer that question everyday. If you're going to be hiring, oh, just off the top of my head, say, southern California caterers or Hudson Valley caterers, you should ask them to plan your event using as much fresh, local, organic food as they possibly can. Be willing to pay extra. Make sure other dining patrons or party goers hear you when you ask if they have anything organic on the menu.

If more people did this, you'd start seeing the word "organic" on the menu, or catering choices. Even in the ritziest places in Hawaii or California.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

PANNA: Share the Love with Flower Workers

I've been a big supporter of pesticide-free and organic flower production for years. One of my Search Engineering clients, Hana Flowers, an on-line florist in Hawaii, grows pesticide free in Hawaii. Each flower is hand-picked, hand-washed in a bio-degradeable solution, and hand-packed in wet paper before being shipped anywhere in the world.

If you'd like to go even further, I recommend you read this article about flower workers and what you can do to help them. The Pesticide Action Network of North America has a program to help you purchase fair trade chocolate and organically grown flowers.