The Organic View

When it comes to the Christmas season, people look forward to specialty traditional dishes, desserts and delicacies that require a lot of time, energy, and effort. As always, everything is prepared with careful attention to all of the ingredients used in anticipation of outdoing the efforts of the previous years. However, one of the most common concerns about holiday feasting is the over indulgence of too many artery clogging foods. What if this year, you decided to incorporate other options into your Christmas fare? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, we will talk about how easy it is to make organic dishes, how inexpensive it is and talk about some loved recipes which we will post on our site. Stay tuned!

The fashion industry in the USA is a multi-billion dollar industry. It is highly competitive and a hard industry to break into. Yet, in the middle of one of the worst recessions ever, in the heart of Detroit where the unemployment rate seems to be as high as the number of people losing their homes, two young women, Fotoula Lambros and Emily Thornhill, followed their hearts and decided to pursue their dream of creating a company that produces zero waste, uses certified organic fabric and very proud to proclaim that all of their garments are “Made In the USA!” Fotoula Lambros and Emily Thornhill are the owners of Femilia Couture. They use 100% Natural and Certified Organic Fibers (Organic Cotton, Bamboo, Silk, Viscose, Soy, Hemp and many varieties of blends). They decided that it was time to follow their passion for fashion and take a stand against the cheap, environmentally hazardous garments that are being dumped on Americans by companies that exploit cheap Chinese labor overseas. Femilia Couture is making great strides and is rapidly becoming a highly sought after name by fashionistas who demand quality, fine stitching, and Made in the USA! So, what is it like to create a business in a very bad economy when most small business owners cannot get a loan much less keep their doors open? Just how difficult is it to find your niche in an overly saturated market and still succeed? How is it even possible to afford certified organic fibers much less create a zero waste business environment? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Fatoula Lambros, CEO of Femilia Couture will talk about her success as well as the struggles she has faced as she pursues her American Dream. Stay tuned!

Every region is different. The people are different, the environment is different and so are the animals that dwell in the natural habitats of each region. What if there was a way to create animal welfare awareness for regional issues as well as global issues? That is exactly what Michelle Buckalew did when she founded AnimalWorldUSA.org (http://www.animalworldusa.org/) Throughout the year, different states and countries are being celebrated with events that are organized and promoted for an entire weeklong celebration. This week happens to be Hawaii Week. Hawaii Week for the Animals is scheduled to run this year from December 4-12. The special governor-proclaimed week will highlight the importance that animals play in our lives and bring communities together on behalf of the animals throughout the great state of Hawaii. This statewide event is designed to celebrate and build awareness on behalf of all animals, as well as recognize the organizations and citizens who support them. The exciting week will feature pet adoption festivals, wildlife activities, educational events and an exciting variety of community events statewide. All of these events will shine the spotlight on the amazing animals, beauty & history of the islands and compassionate people of Hawaii. The week presents a unique opportunity to change the history for the animals by collectively coming together through goodwill. IF you are an animal lover and also love to learn about animals in different regions all over the globe, stay tuned to find out about how you can participate in this wonderful initiative.

After enduring a brutal 14 year civil war, Liberia's infrastructure and business institutions are left devastated. Approximately 250,000 people were killed, many executed mercilessly, leaving families torn apart with little options for survival. Liberia’s unemployment and poverty rates soared to 80 percent. The women of Liberia especially had it tough because they were excluded from the most productive sectors of the economy, including rubber and timber production. There were very little options for them much less hope for a future. So, what do you do when your home land has been destroyed and is in a dire state of poverty? This was the very question that Chid Liberty was faced with before he and his partner, Adam Butlein founded Liberty & Justice. The women of Liberia have come together to work in a business environment that makes sense for all. The company was built post-conflict with women from both sides working together. In addition, they not only work at the company together but actually own it. These women work together as a team, taking pride in their work as they skillfully meet the demands other businesses around the world face regarding deadlines, productivity and consistency in quality. Liberty & Justice is committed to a future in which the farmers, manufacturers, transporters, distributors, retailers, and consumers are completely aligned in making choices that result in the eradication of poverty, the responsible stewardship of the environment, and the empowerment of workers. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Chid Liberty, CEO, Liberty & Justice, Adam Butlein, President of Liberty & Justice and the Liberian Women’s Sewing Project, and Tierra Forte, Business Development Manager for Fair Trade USA will talk about what it is like to truly empower and uplift people in despair while offering the promise of prosperity by launching a ground-breaking air Trade Certified™ apparel program in Africa. Stay tuned!

Everyone loves chocolate! However, there are so many issues with the conventional chocolate industry that range from child labor factories, quality of resources for ingredients to the myriad of pesticides that are used to grow the crops. It seems hopeless to find a good old fashioned candy bar that isn’t going to poison you, isn’t going to exploit someone else’s kid or cost you an arm and a leg just to buy it. To top it off, what if you have allergies or special dietary requirements and can only eat gluten free or vegan foods? It is a nightmare just finding foods that haven’t been contaminated with wheat or dairy and actually don’t taste like cardboard much less finding a decent candy bar. This is exactly what Christopher Angell and his wife Suzanne thought about when they decided to make their own candy bars. With all of the “greenwashing” out there, they wanted to start off on the right foot and decided that the candy had to be not only Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified but also had to be affordable! But how could they do this without actually losing their house over it while so many other companies were dropping like flies during a very weak economy? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Christopher Angell, CEO of Angell Bars (http://www.angellbar.com) will talk about: his experience with the Organic Certification and Fair Trade Certification process, finding a high quality source for chocolate, turning something that he and his family loved into something that is affordable enough for everyone to love. Stay tuned!

The holidays are constantly evolving when it comes to how we incorporate nature into our celebrations. Long ago holiday celebrations included such bizarre things as the use of parasitic plants, the seasonal celebration for Saturn and lighting the darkness around the solstice to name a few of the traditions which color our holiday landscapes. If you walk into any local grocery store, discount merchandise retailer, hardware or nursery, you will be greeted by the red vibrant color of the poinsettias. Did you know that the Poinsettia is also called the Secretary of War? Just where did it come from and how has did it evolve into a core component for our holiday dinner table arrangement? With the popularity of mixing cultures, we are now finding blue and white Hanukkah plants, ostentatious naked ladies (aka: Amaryllis belladonna) with confusing names are just a few of the seasonal flowers that we associated with this festive time of the year. In this segment of The Organic View, horticultural expert, John Peter Thompson, who is President of The National Agricultural Research Alliance (http://www.NARA-B.org ) will my guest to talk about the origin, selection and care for some of our favorite holiday plants, trees and flowers and how you can get the most value for your money. We will also discuss how to pick and care for a “live” cut tree and how to properly care for it throughout the Christmas season. Stay tuned!

Joseph Augusto has been a dairy farmer for the past 30 years. Joseph is the president of the California Dairy Campaign, which represents over 250 dairy farmers. The organization lobbies dairy farming issues and is currently focused on raising awareness for the milk pricing manipulation by Dairy Processors as well as special interest groups. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Dairy Farmers of America, which is the largest dairy cooperative in the United States. So, what is the real value of milk? There seems to be a huge gap between the actual value and what the producers are being paid. At one time, the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) had the confidence of dairy producers in that it had a real value. Today, things have changed. We have record milk prices at the supermarket, record profits for the milk processors and the worst in record losses for dairy farmers with no hope for recovery. The CME is supposed to mimic a market and there is a handful of entities that have no interest in seeing the price of milk go up. The CDC maintains that there is a conflict of interest with the CME in that the entities trading on the CME have no interest in seeing higher milk prices but do have an interest in futures contracts and/or over the counter contracts. This is unregulated and is destroying the dairy industry. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Joseph Augusto will talk candidly about the crisis dairy farmers are facing and the monopoly destroying the dairy industry. Stay tuned!

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude! So, we asked our friends and colleagues to call in to answer the question, “What are YOU grateful for?” Throughout the entire show, previously featured guests will be calling in to offer inspiration and talk about what they are thankful for. This first time charity event is going to be covered LIVE from Coast to Coast! June Stoyer, the host of The Organic View Radio Show will be in New York on the East Coast and will be joined by her “GFF” (Good Food Friend) Dennis Weaver, on the West Coast. Many of you will remember Dennis, Founder and Good Food Guide for Change Your Food - Change Your Life!™. Also featured will be our Good Food Ambassadors, Organic Jazz Singer, Ellen Livesay and Teen Sensation, Keely Clark who will perform LIVE! We will also kick off our charity auction! Listeners can bid on an assortment of gifts that have been donated so generously by companies such as: * Maggie’s Organics, * Nature’s Path, Inc. * The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, * OrganicUniverse.com, * Uncle Matt's Organic, Inc., * Laura Lassiter * TruthAboutPetFood.com * DrHarveys.com * Melodylealamb.com * Diamondsbymarie.com The proceeds from these gifts will be auctioned off on EBAY/TheOrganicView and the proceeds will be going to 3 deserving charities. So far, our team has selected FamilyFarmDefenders.org and TruthAboutPetFood.com. We want YOU to select the 3rd lucky charity! Because there are so many great causes, we want YOU to vote for your favorite charity by leaving a comment on TheOrganicView.com. State the full name of the charity you would like to win 1/3 of the total proceeds. The charity can be located any where in the world! All of the votes will be tallied up and the winner will be announced on our December 15th segment. Good luck to all! Please also tell us what YOU are thankful for and spread the good news!

Imagine if all of a sudden your furry best friend and family member gets very sick from eating a bowl of kibble or a snack you bought as a special treat. You panic and call the vet as your poor dog or cat lays down in agony as you watch helplessly. You walk through the door of the vet and before you know it, have a $2000 vet bill. You are now forced to take off work and try to help this poor animal recover while the pet food manufacturer is completely not interested in hearing about your tales of woe. As unfair and heartbreaking as it is, pets get sick and often die from a pet food, a pet treat, or other pet product that is NOT related to any recall. When the panic subsides, the madness begins. Are other pets getting sick? What do I do now? Who do I call? Will I be reimbursed for my vet bills? Will my pet survive? And about a million more questions. The FDA has established a new 'Safety Reporting Portal', but the FDA does not provide pet owners with the number of adverse events reported directly related to pet food or pet treats, nor do we know which pet products are being reported on to the Federal agency. Where can you turn to advocate for your pet and be reimbursed for expenses? In this segment of The Organic View, pet food advocate and expert, Susan Thixton who is the founder of www.TruthAboutPetFood.com, will my guest to talk about the steps you need to take to deal with this crisis. Stay tuned!

Horticultural expert, John Peter Thompson just returned from the North West Region of Cameroon. Sent by the Prince George’s County Africa Trade Office to assess the agricultural and business challenges and opportunities of Cameroonian Arabica coffee production and export from farm to port, he spent ten days in country speaking with officials and farmers. Visiting eight small farmers in the highlands around Bamenda, he observed the weed, insect and diseases that face the 1 to 7 hectare farms as well as the lack of basic farm tools such as pruners and wheelbarrows and equipment such as hand-pulpers. Heavy rains made some additional farm visits impossible due to road closures as many of the roads are unpaved. Standard coffee yields should produce 1000 kilos of beans per 1000 trees, but poor intercropping, lack of integrated pest management strategies, inaccessible chemical control, and lack of agronomic extension support reduced the farm yield to a mere 200 kilos per 1000 trees. Many Arabica beans fermented before processing adding to the farmers’ problems. Biting ants and stinging leaf caterpillars as well as stem borers, root fungus, rust and disease completed the list of immediate obstacles to successful harvests of the great tasting coffee which the farmers hope to sell in the US under the Kola Coffee brand. In this segment of The Organic View, John Peter Thompson, will my guest to talk about this coffee crisis and how it is going to impact our Cup of Joe! Stay tuned!

Remember that little tag inside your jeans that said “Made in the USA”? Try finding a pair today. You can’t! Factories moved offshore where labor could be exploited to make cheaper products. Cheaper, is the KEY word. Jeans today are no longer made for quality but to simply satisfy the public’s demand. Quality isn’t what it used to be. We are paying top dollar for low quality products. When you take this into consideration, think about our food. Could you trust the very same foreign government officials, responsible for the numerous product recalls to insure the quality of your food? Most people don’t even trust our own government. So, what will people do when they can’t buy milk and other food grown on American soil? The race is on to wipe out all domestic agriculture and force us to import all food. This is a crisis we need to take seriously. The future of American dairy farms is in serious jeopardy due to the severe repercussions of the 2009 pricing collapse. Recently, prices paid to dairy farmers have dropped below the national average cost of production, putting the future of dairy farms in even greater peril. The majority of consumers, clueless about this crisis, will be forced to purchase imported milk once the remaining dairy farms permanently cease operations. Farmers need to receive a fair price that covers their cost of production in order to thrive. Most farmers are losing their farms to banks because they cannot afford to live on sub-standard wages, an 80 hour work week and no benefits. The solution to the crisis lies in the reform of our domestic dairy pricing system, enabling it to be invulnerable to manipulation by a few powerful interests. Dairy farmers and consumers are hurt by the current system and must work together in order to sustain our future domestic dairy supply. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Joaquin Contente, President of the California Farmers Union will talk about this crisis.

Tonight, we are going to have a LIVE jam session with pop singer Keely Clark, jazz singer, Ellen Livesay and the best Good Food Guide around town, Mr. Dennis Weaver! So, come listen to our jam session as we prepare for the upcoming BIG 2 hour, Gobble Till You Wobble, What are YOU Thankful For Charity segment on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at 12pm. EST!

For most people, winter means cold weather and snow. In sunny Florida, it means the start of the citrus season! Many people eagerly search for the first pick of the citrus crop to share with friends and family. After all, there is nothing like the taste of a freshly picked organic Navel Orange or organic Ruby Red grapefruit from Florida! However, many people will often find citrus that has been imported from far away places such as South Africa or even China. This just does not make sense, especially when the state of Florida produces some of the finest organic citrus in the world! There is actually a whole world of citrus that most people never even explore. Did you know that there are many different varieties of citrus? Most people have absolutely no idea what the difference is between a Valencia orange and a tangerine! There is a huge difference! Some citrus are used to make juice while others are meant to be peeled or used for cooking and baking. So, how do you know which ones to pick and the best way to use them? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Matt McLean, CEO & Founder, Uncle Matt’s Organic, Inc. (http://www.UncleMatts.com) will be my guest. Matt McLean ventured into the organic juice business in 1999 with a passion for healthy living as well as a long family history of growing citrus in Florida. Matt’s goal was, and still is, to produce the highest quality juice, using only premium 100% organically-grown fruit that is free from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Matt will talk about what kind of citrus is grown in Florida during the winter, what it takes to produce organic fruit that is consistently sweet and juicy and how the citrus industry in Florida has evolved to produce the finest citrus in the world! If you want the juicy scoop about citrus and to learn what makes Florida citrus so different from other areas, stay tuned!

Millions of physically fit and healthy animal companions are unnecessarily put to death every year to give their human companions peace and quiet from their behavior and emotional issues which can include aggression, excessive noisiness from barking, unruliness, incontinence, inability to get along with other family pets, possessiveness, jealousy, spraying and separation anxiety. Unresolved behavior issues are one of the main reasons animals are surrendered to the SPCA, Humane Society or Animal Services. They find themselves homeless, and the consequent price of animal suffering, cost of human regrets and welfare services are incalculable. Euthanasia for behavior problems is considered a treatment for many people and happens countless times a day. Fortunately, there is an inexpensive solution that can correct the behavior issue and reduce the overall suffering. In all parts of the world since the earliest times, flowering trees, shrubs and herbs have been used for healing purposes. All parts of the plant have been used. Flowers, the crowning glory of plants, have been considered to embody the fundamental nature or essential character of the plant and to have particular healing powers. They are very important in the treatment of animals because they can restore the balance and harmony of an animal’s true nature. They are safe, non-toxic and can be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment. They are gentle and inexpensive to use. But how do they work? Are they effective? Is it permanent? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, wildlife advocate and expert, Laura Lassiter will discuss how flower essences can help heal behavior issues, emotions in animals and their influence on behavior, the principles of flower remedies and their suitability for use in the treatment of animals and recommended flower essences for specific behavior patterns.

Ask the average person what they know about pasta. A typical response is it's spaghetti, ziti or some commercial Italian dish. In New York and other areas with large Italian communities, pasta is traditionally served on Sunday afternoons when friends gather with the family. Did you know that many fad diets discourage the consumption of pasta? This is because most pasta is made from highly processed flour and contains preservatives that are not very good for you. Many people are also finding that they have a low or zero tolerance of gluten. However, pasta that is made from whole grains IS very good for you! Spelt, Triticum spelta, is a non-hybridized ancient grain and a distant relative of modern wheat. Cultivated over 9,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, it was the staple bread wheat of Europe and the Middle East until replaced by modern wheat. The 12th century healer, St. Hildegard von Bingen, said “Spelt is the best of grains. It produces a strong body and healthy blood for those who eat it and it makes the spirit of man light and cheerful.” She believed that it was “the easiest to digest of all grain.” Recent research has found spelt’s highly water soluble gluten is easy to digest and can often be enjoyed by those intolerant to modern hybrid wheat. Eden Foods has turned making pasta into an art. They have not only created a whole line of certified organic and verified non-gmo pastas but have done so using whole grains. Their Kamut pasta is actually made from grain that is known as King Tut’s wheat! Even the boxes are fully compostable! In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Michael J. Potter, President and Chairman of Eden Foods, Inc.,(http://www.edenfoods.com) will my guest. Is it possible that pasta made from other grains can taste really good? Will it make you fall asleep right after you eat it? Is whole grain better than white wheat pasta? Is there such a thing as low-carb pasta? Stay tuned!