The Organic View

Is salt actually good for you or bad for you? It is a fact that the human body is made up of 72% Salt Water and 28% Minerals. It is also very interesting that when you are hospitalized and given an “I.V.” which consists of saline solution (sodium chloride NaCl) So, why do so many people suffer from high blood pressure? To the average consumer, deciphering the label is not easy. What exactly is the difference between unrefined salt and refined salt? Does Kosher salt have any benefits? Can salt be organic? What about the size of each granule? Does it make a difference? Did you know that manufacturers can produce the same exact product into different packages with different labels?  All salts can actually be called “Sea Salt”. How very clever indeed! Then there are the preservatives in salt such as dextrose (which is a sugar), other  chemicals such as sodium ferro cyanide (yes, cyanide!) and aluminum ( silicoaluminate) which are used also as anti-caking agents.  How is all of this possible and legal? Can consumers taste the difference? What are the impacts on our health? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Darryl Bosshardt from Redmond Real Salt. Stay tuned!  

Herbicides were created to kill weeds with the idea that it would benefit agriculture. Unfortunately, many of these agro-chemicals negatively impact everything else that is exposed to them. “Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been devastating honeybee colonies across much of the country and world during the past few years.  There have been many theories about the cause of this calamity.  More and more the research is leaning toward insecticides as the cause.  Perhaps this is not quite in the right direction to which we should be looking.  Perhaps we should be looking at Round-Up, which presently is the most commonly used herbicide in the world. “ Terrence Ingram Terrance Ingram has been working to raise awareness about the devastating impact of these agro-chemicals on bees as well as other beings such as the Bald Eagle. He has been monitoring the impact and decline for many years. Terrance Ingram is a well-educated farmer who holds degrees in physics and math, with minors in history, biology and education. He has been farming for over 50 years, has been a beekeeper, apiary instructor and bee researcher for over 56 years. He was also a columnist with the prestigious American Bee Journal. Terrance has been the Executive Director and President of the Eagle Nature Foundation since its inception in 1995. He has studied bald eagles for various businesses and organizations for close to 50 years. He also received the Sol Feinstone Environmental Award amongst many others for his efforts on behalf of the Bald Eagle. Terrance also is the author of the book, “Eagle” published by Friedman Publishers. Terrance is also an expert on eagles and has edited more material about the bald eagle than anyone else. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Terrence Ingram about his work. Stay tuned!  

Many people often dream about leaving their jobs in the big city to venture out in the country and start their own organic farm. It is not as easy as most people find out. However, organic farming is very rewarding and in addition to being able to grow what you eat, you can build communities as you help others to learn and enjoy the healthful benefits of organic food. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Author, Kristin Kimball, author of the best seller, The Dirty Life. If you have wanted to know what it would be like to make the transition and if it is for you, stay tuned!  

It is that time of the year again in New York as well as other parts of the world where spring has sprung and the grass is beginning to grow. In garden centers and nurseries, there are a myriad of products that are being pushed on the consumer that are not necessarily needed in order to keep your lawn healthy all summer long. There are also products that contain harsh chemicals that are dangerous to all beings. Chemicals, such as Imidacloprid, which are part of the neonicotinoid family, will wipe out any chance that a butterfly or bumblebee will visit your home to pollinate the vegetables in your garden much less any flowers. Many of these products, subsequently, are very expensive and completely unnecessary. Thanks to clever marketers, people are buying them without having any idea as to how much damage they are doing to their own lawns.  To top it off, there are certain times of the year when specific products should be used but are marketed to be used all year round. When it comes to alternatives to these chemicals, they are never even mentioned because this would prevent the chemical companies from enjoying their healthy profits while your lawn becomes unhealthy. Unfortunately, the public only knows what they learn from clever commercials and ads as they spend dollar after dollar buying products that are a complete waste and are contributing to Colony Collapse Disorder. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Tom Kelly, CEO of Firebelly Organic Lawn Care about what consumers should know in order to have a healthy lawn. Stay tuned!

Just how much bottled water do you drink? Have you ever given it any thought that water is something that is free and plentiful; or is it? Is bottled water safer than tap water? Why is it that the giant beverage corporations are buying up land that host precious springs? What exactly is this doing to our environment? Is the surrounding eco-system being destroyed in the sake of capitalizing and exploiting this natural resource? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to author, Elizabeth Royte about the evolution of bottled water in our society and the politics of marketing something that is our birth right. Stay tuned!

When it comes to beverages, there are so many products available from all over the world, that it can be overwhelming. However, the average consumer simply makes the decision to purchase something based upon price and clever ads that market the product. The quality and healthful benefits or risks, unfortunately are not always paramount. However, there is a great resource for learning about the latest trends, healthy options, newest technology and quality of all fine beverages (with an emphasis on wine, beer and spirits), called Mutineer Magazine.  Alan Kropf, who is the Editor and publisher, is a leader amongst the next generation of beverage professionals. He has extensive knowledge and experience with a range of beverages. Alan is a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, holds an Advanced Certificate with Merit through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, is a Certified Beer Server through the Cicerone Certification Program, and holds a Bartending/Mixology Certificate through National Bartenders Bartending School. Alan has worked as a Sommelier at some of the world's more prestigious properties, including the Beverly Hills Hotel with its legendary celebrity clientele, and he helped Gordon Ramsay open his signature restaurant in the London West Hollywood in 2008. Alan also has industry experience as a mixologist/bartender and as a barista. Before founding Mutineer Magazine in 2008, Alan contributed to magazines including Sante, The Tasting Panel, and SommSelections, and currently contributes beverage content to newspapers and online publications. Alan is constantly traveling to speak at events, judge competitions, and raise awareness about water relief in developing countries. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to author, Alan Kropf, Editor in Chief of Mutineer Magazine. Stay tuned!

Last year, NYC lifted the ban on beekeeping. So many beekeepers were delighted to be able to share their love of nature with others that more and more people have since taken up backyard beekeeping. With the worldwide concern about Colony Collapse Disorder, it is critical now, more than ever, to disseminate to the public information about the importance of the honeybee and how delicate these beings are. Too many people still fear the honeybee and do not understand their critical role in nature. Honeybees are responsible for pollinating ¾ of all of our agricultural crops. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to author, Lela Nargi about her new book, “The Honeybee Man.”   This is actually a book written for children but provides a wonderful opportunity to experience the love that many beekeepers enjoy with their bees. Ms. Lela Nargi was inspired to write “The Honeybee Man” by two Brooklyn apiarists, one of whom has been beekeeping in Fort Greene for over a decade. The book was beautifully illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker who depicts the growing trend of urban beekeeping with enchanting mixed-media art that emphasizes the rich cultural setting. Her illustrations of the bee as well as the parts of the Langstroth beehive are a great tool for teaching children and adults about beekeeping. It really is a marvelous book for new beekeepers! There is also a delightful afterword with beekeeping facts and end papers including diagrams of bee stingers, hives and more make this a perfect choice for the classroom. To learn more about The Honeybee Man, stay tuned!  

There is an old expression “the way to reach a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Mass produced processed foods changed that as people became completely disconnected with how their food is grown, where it comes from and how food connects to their mind, body and soul. However, thanks to the organic movement and mankind’s reconnection with nature, people have once again become aware of the harmony found in our food. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Dr. Will Tuttle about his new book, “The World Peace Diet, Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony.”    Dr. Tuttle will be discussing the main ideas in his best-selling book, which has been called one of the most important books of the 21st century. It provides the foundation of a new society based on the truth of the interconnectedness of all life. Dr. Tuttle will make explicit the invisible connections between our culture, our food, and the source of our broad range of problems—and the way to a positive transformation in our individual and collective lives. Anyone wishing to understand the big picture of our culture and why we have the unyielding dilemmas we face, and how we can solve them, will be fascinated by these provocative, challenging, and ultimately inspiring ideas. Stay tuned! For more information, please visit: http://worldpeacediet.org, http://worldpeacediet.com and http://willtuttle.com

When you are not feeling well, at some point, you usually will go to the doctor. What if the doctor cannot find anything wrong with you? What if there is no “pill” to cure what ails you? Have we become, as a society, that dependent upon drugs? Jenny Pao addresses these very issues. She practices Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) in San Francisco. Jenny is a certified Quantum Energetics Practitioner through the Western Institute of Natural Healing and has been helping people of all ages return to their youthful, balanced state with energy medicine, Functional Medicine diagnostic testing, flower essence therapy and holistic nutrition.  She offers comprehensive wellness care for all ages *even newborns - issues ranging from brain and head injury, weakened immunity, adrenal fatigue to emotional challenges. Her mind- body approach has been described as “effective and non-invasive”, scientific and intuitive. Throughout her 10 years in practice, she's witnessed clients who are overloaded with emotional, mental, physical pain and stress make a complete change to become healthy again. Jenny’s biggest message is “deep physical healing is set into motion only when the emotions and spirit are addressed and balanced. “ Jenny felt that many others would benefit by her work and launched a company called Nectar Essences, in 2008. Her mission is to provide healing remedies that will soothe the emotions of children and adults. She feels that “Nectar Essences” are like vitamins for the soul. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jenny Pao, Founder of Nectar Essences. Stay tuned!  

With the rapid decline of the honeybee population, there are many speculations as to the actual cause. Beekeepers know firsthand that the exposure to neonicotinoids is the enabling factor. As a consequence, the honeybee becomes vulnerable to a whole host of diseases and pathogens such as Nosema Ceranae. As a result, millions of colonies are lost every year.   These problems are clear to everyone except for those who stand to profit from their use.  Unfortunately, most of the science is commissioned by the agro-chemical industry. So, just how do we differentiate science from politics and why is independent scientific research suppressed and ignored? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Professor Stefano Maini from the University of Bologna, Italy.  Stay tuned!  

With the rapid decline of the honeybee population, there are many speculations as to the actual cause. Beekeepers know firsthand that the exposure to neonicotinoids is the enabling factor. As a consequence, the honeybee becomes vulnerable to a whole host of diseases and pathogens such as Nosema Ceranae. As a result, millions of colonies are lost every year. These problems are clear to everyone except for those who stand to profit from their use.  Unfortunately, most of the science is commissioned by the agro-chemical industry. So, just how do we differentiate science from politics and why is independent scientific research suppressed and ignored? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Professor Stefano Maini from the University of Bologna, Italy.  Stay tuned!  

Just about every other commercial talks about weight loss or some kind of food that promotes weight loss. What exactly is the risk that you are taking with your health when you consume these kinds of foods? Most every diet food, which has been cleverly changed by the marketers to “low calorie” and “reduced calorie” food item contains an artificial sweetener. The artificial sweetener is usually saccharin or aspartame. Controversy continues to swirl around these fake sugars thirty years after FDA approval but are they really safe? One woman adamantly says, "No." She should know! Award winning journalist and food safety expert, Mary Nash Stoddard, has, for the past 24 years, spearheaded the campaign to have aspartame recalled and retested as a drug. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Mary Nash Stoddard, the founder: Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline to talk about this deadly sweetener. Stay tuned!

There are a myriad of theories about the actual cause of Colony Collapse Disorder. Each cause is beginning to fit nicely under the effects of a new family of pesticides. For the past 3 decades, an organization called Beyond Pesticides (formerly National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides), has been diligently addressing the impact of these chemicals and the process by which they are allowed registration. The organization's primary goal is to effect change through local action, assisting individuals and community-based organizations to stimulate discussion on the hazards of toxic pesticides, while providing information of safe alternatives. Jay Feldman, the Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides, has a 30-year history of working with communities nationwide on toxics, organic policies, and agricultural practices that maintain ecological balance, biodiversity and avoid reliance on toxic chemicals. Jay dedicated himself to finding solutions to pesticide problems after working with farm workers and small farmers, who suffered adverse health effects and property damage associated with pesticide use, through an EPA grant in 1978 to the national organization Rural America. Since that time, he has helped to build Beyond Pesticides' capacity to assist local groups and impact national pesticide and organic policy. He has tracked specific chemical effects, regulatory actions, and pesticide and organic law. Jay has served on EPA advisory panels, spoken to groups across the country and worldwide, contributed to the development of federal policy advancing chemical restrictions and green technologies, and was appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture in 2009 to a five-year term on the National Organic Standards Board. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jay Feldman, the Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides (http://www.beyondpesticides.org) to talk about this controversial subject. Stay tuned!

Johnny Appleseed (aka: John Chapman, 1774 – 1845) was a legendary American who planted and supplied apple trees to much of the United States of America. He was famous for his love of the environment, nature, good health and God. He wandered about American planting trees from apple seeds and encouraged the consumption of apples to promote good health. His tale lives on as a lesson for children to introduce the concept of environmental conservation and preservation. Now in the town of Hotchkiss, Colorado, there is modern day apple farmer that you could say is the modern day version of Johnny Appleseed! His name is Edward Tuft. His passion in life has been organics. He has been an organic farmer, consumer, advocate and purist for many years even before most people even knew what organic meant. He is extremely passionate about eating and living organically and is on a mission to educate the children of the world about the importance of organic through his apple farm. Edward is the President of The Wacky Apple Company, which is a family-owned and operated company in the state of Colorado. Wacky Apple is dedicated to getting delicious organic apple snacks into the hands of children. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Edward Tuft about his passions for organics and promoting organic good foods to children everywhere! Stay tuned!

The Mexican gray wolf is considered the most endangered land mammal in North America. It once roamed throughout southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, western Texas and northern Mexico, but throughout the 1900’s “El Lobo” was trapped, poisoned and hunted to near extinction due to conflicts with livestock and aggressive predator control. From just seven survivors, Mexican wolves are trying to make their way toward recovery. Its restoration is an opportunity to bring a natural balance back to the wild lands of the Southwest. The Endangered Species Act helped prevent the extinction of the unique and ecologically important animal. Released back into the wild in 1998, Mexican wolves have been doing their part ever since – forming packs, killing elk, finding mates and raising pups. But today, just 50 Mexican wolves now course the landscape in the American Southwest, fewer than half of what biologist had hoped for at the onset of the reintroduction. Strong anti-wolf interests in Congress and the states are aggressively working to eliminate the very protections necessary to ensure a future for these critically endangered wolves. Up-to-date info on attempts to strip endangered species protections for rare Mexican wolves can be found here: http://www.defenders.org/resources/publications/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/wolf/southwest_wolf/esa_and_mexican_wolves.pdf In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Craig Miller from Defenders.org about the efforts to save the Mexican Gray Wolf. Stay tuned!