FALL 2006. From the Organic Trade Association:

Encouraging more farmers to produce organic ingredients.

A terrific piece by the OTA that explains why organic products, organic bedding and textiles in particular, can be not only a bit more expensive, but also sometimes in short supply! Here's an abstract:

"As sales of organic products continue to grow at a steady pace in the United States, manufacturers, growers and marketing cooperatives, and others, are recognizing the need for additional farmers to get on board.

According to the Organic Trade Association's 2006 Manufacturer Survey released in June, U.S. sales of organic products grew 17 percent overall in 2005. Even so, fifty-two percent of respondents reported that a lack of dependable supply of organic raw materials has restricted their company from generating more sales of organic products..." read the entire article visit http://www.ota.com/news/whatsnews.html

We've said it again and again...it's always disappointing when occasionally organic bedding pieces become unavailable, and it's hard to tell our customers they must wait.

The lack of dependable supply is a feature of the organic textiles market, and an ongoing problem for all of us in the organic bedding business. Rest assured we absolutely support the efforts of the OTA and all partners in encouraging the growth and development of certified organic farms in the United States.

It could help if more interested people encouraged Washington to end the assinine programs that pay obscene sums to farmers to retain idle land, and instead convert that idle land to organic cotton and wool, and organic food, production.

While this is a unique business right now, so too are our customers and friends who love and appreciate organics as much as we do. Together, perhaps we can be part of bringing health and balance back to our fragile ecosystems.




Onward, Susan

Organic Shopping. Going for the Cheap? Please Don't.

I honestly think the world of people who have made the commitment to vegan and/or organic changes in their lives, and like most, am beginning to reflect a more relaxed attitude that seems to come with that lifestyle.

What is most exciting, and a big reason I got into the business of organic bedding and textiles, is the deep connection to Fair Trade practices that promise living wages, health care and dignity to farm workers around the world. As Fair Trade products become more popular here, more and more families around the globe are now living in decent housing and eating better.

Talk about an obvious solution to global hunger! Fair Trade, and organic certification, of course, do add to the cost, which is difficult for some consumers to understand. It is unfortunate that some organic retailers respond by taking the Wal-Mart approach, and cheapening organic products to attract customers. That's not easy to do, because organic cotton and organic wool are not nearly as plentiful as those online hawkers would suggest!

("LOWEST PRICES!", "HUGE SELECTION", "LOWEST PRICES ON THE WEB!", etc. Ugh.)

Of course the most helpless will lose. In the business world, it's now trendy to strip wages and fire employees in order to undercut prices. (I'll save my opinions about offshoring American jobs for another day.)

We must find it particularly egregious to do this to an organic industry that has always been deeply committed to humane Fair Trade initiatives. On organic farms and cooperatives overseas, the tactic repeatedly devastates the lives of innocent farm workers.

Ethical organic retailers gladly walk that difficult line between responsibility to the industry and Fair Trade initiatives, and offering our customers competitive pricing whenever possible. Those same ethical retailers (at least in my clique) are appalled at the cheapening of an organic industry we truly support.

I would wish that savvy organic consumers everywhere would boycott, shun, or do whatever is their style, to denounce that behavior. Sadly though, there will be a few who won't pay attention and will continue trying to buy organic bedding and organic cotton products on the cheap.

Please don't.

A good article raised the point. Ask anybody if they are including organics into a healthier lifestyle, and they immediately connect with organic food. Ask about organic cotton, organic wool, organic bedding and organic clothes, and most people will just blink at you, or not really understand what you're talking about.
It isn't widely advertised, but conventional cotton takes more chemicals than any other crop from seed, through a huge cocktail of pesticides, fungicides, defoliants, and chemical washes, into cotton mills and manufacturing facilities, making it the most environmentally destructive corporate crop on earth.
The Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP) located in Davis, California says, "The simple act of growing and harvesting the one pound of cotton needed to make a T-shirt (or any other conventional cotton product) takes an enormous toll on the earth's air, water and soil, and significantly affects the health of people living in cotton growing areas".
And I'll bet most people don't know that most of that chemically soaked cotton is everywhere in our food supply, in the form of cottonseed oil. Go up and down the aisles and read those labels. And, cottonseed, including hulls, are an ingredient in livestock feed, exposing dairy products, eggs, meats, poultry, etc. to a host of toxic chemicals that threaten the safety of the entire food supply and food chain.
The article by Daniel Sanders continues with: "The SCP states in its "Care what You Wear" campaign that "Possible bans on the most toxic agricultural chemicals, as well as potential regulations about labeling on genetically engineered products, point to the need to develop sustainable, practical solutions for cotton." This implies that the onus is on the manufacturers that produce the brands we wear to effect the necessary changes. However, it is the choices and preferences of the consumer, thinking from a holistic and sustainable perspective, that will ultimately drive the market."

LIST OF SUSTAINABLE FIBERS:

Organic Cotton--Cotton grown without pesticides and third party certified.

Organic Wool--Produced with chemical and cruelty free animal husbandry.

Hemp--Hardy, extremely versatile, low input, industrial grade crop.

Tencel--Properties of rayon and made from renewable plant resources.

Ingeo--Derived from corn with the properties and feel of a micro-fiber.

Soy--Renewable by-product of food manufacturing exhibiting luxurious softness.

Ecospun--Polyester that is derived from recycled soda bottles.

Bamboo--Made from the pulp of the plant and displaying silk-like properties.

Check out organic textiles. It's the same cloth our ancestors never thought twice about.

Susan
Kushtush Organics
http://www.kushtush.com

Thought this factoid was cute: when genetically modified cotton was first introduced, the cotton bolls just fell to the ground, useless. It took years for industry to create a genetic model that would enable the enormous frankencrops that dominate our lives to this day. This isn't so cute: globally 76% of the world's cotton, 40% of our corn, and 85% of the soy dumped into almost ALL processed food, is now GE.

We can print up "Go Organic" tee shirts until...well... Armageddon... but corporations will never give up the behemoth global profit machine that is genetically modified crops and residual products unless it stops being profitable. The organic movement is not wasted though; it's sending a consumer message that translates into serious dollars that over time that can be powerful. Modern American citizens are in stealth mode, not inclined to burning flags and screaming slogans in the streets any more. If enough of us want organic bedding, organic foods etc., corporations will notice, grab every bit of it and sell it to us.

-Susan

I like organic food and herbs, but "Zesty Spring Sorrel?" Eeeeew.

-Susan

I really enjoy organic textiles, and experimenting with organic food choices. You'll find tons of articles and lists on how to be more eco-friendly, and they're all great. I still believe that going organic in our average lives should be a pleasurable adventure, like taste-testing, not a social or political statement.

Organic food:

On a pretty autumn Saturday, swing into a local organic farm stand and browse. Nothing is better than locally grown produce that's grown exclusively for flavor and color, compared with supermarket veggies grown to withstand harsh cross country shipments.

Visit local pumpkin farms at harvest time. In many areas of the country, families annually enjoy autumn weekend outings to pumpkin farms that are a riot of color, and absolutely packed with incredible organic vegetables at great prices. Try organic apple orchards and berry farms where you can pick your own baskets.

Try organic coffee. Yum! More stores are carrying organic java now, which may cost more but has rich flavors that cannot be matched by chemically processed coffees. Look for the Fair Trade label which means beans grown and harvested by organic farms and coops around the world, who get a fairer price. Organic coffee farmers are better able to feed their families, provide education for the children, and provide community services we take for granted.

Absolutely plant some herbs. There's nothing like clipping some basil and oregano from your own garden patch or patio pots, for your favorite sauce recipe. Most herbs don't require much babying and come back year after year.

Go Vegetarian?

That's a very personal decision. If your family is accustomed to meats, I suggest initially just cutting back on the burgers and introducing more fish, and more vegetable based entrees with cheese. Some restaurant chains are introducing vegetarian appetizers and entrees that are so good, being meatless is more of a bonus. Try some vegetarian dishes. If you and your family like them, add them to the menu.

Is an Organic Home too high-end?

No, not at all. While organic bedding and organic cottons for bed and bath are typically considered luxury items, they are for EVERYBODY. No need to strip your bedrooms and go nuts, unless you want to. In the range of around $100, you can pick up a few organic cotton bathtowels, an organic cotton bathrobe, or some basic organic cotton sheets.

Organic cotton blankets and throws are also around the $100 range, and the quality is amazing. Organic cotton and wool comforters are a bit more expensive, but will last years longer than conventional comforters. Gradually replace old pummeled bed pillows with organic cotton or wool fill pillows, that range between $50 and $100 apiece, depending on size.

Organic cotton underwear is very affordable. You can replace a bunch of undies for around $100.00, and good local or web-based stores are easy to find.

Organic foods and home products are to be enjoyed, and integration into our normal lives should be natural, pleasurable, and easy.