People buy organic foods for many reasons: their health, better taste, a desire to keep pesticides and herbicides out of our air, water and soil and a conviction that buying organic is one way to eat GMO-free.

One of the big problems with GMOs is that non-GMO crops can be contaminated through pollen drift. The fact that the organic field of soybeans used to make your organic soymilk could contain genetically modified material from a neighboring farm hasn’t been a possibility that most organic food producers …

Tags: GMO foods , GMO free , GMO seeds , non-GMO seeds , organic benefits , organic farming , organic foods

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Mint. Rosemary. Thyme. Clove. They are all well-known spices used in the kitchen. But for organic farmers,  they are also becoming known as key weapons to help combat insect pests attracted to fruit and vegetables.

Studies by scientists in Canada have established the potential for these spices to be used as environmentally-friendly pesticides. Posing less risk to human and animal health, the “killer spices”, when mixed together and diluted with water, become natural insecticides that either kill insects outright or simple repel them.

Some spice-based commercial products exist already, used primarily …

Tags: clove , environmentally friendly pesticides , killer spices , kitchen spices as natural insecticides , mint , organic farming , rosemary , thyme

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WWOOF! It might sound like a dog barking but it stands for “worldwide opportunities on organic farms”.

For travellers, the WWOOF organisation lets you travel the world and experience local culture on a budget. For hosts, the deal is you provide room and board in exchange for free labour.

You might be working on an organic mushroom farm in Brazil or a Buddhist community on the East Coast of Australia. This is not a jolly day out – you are expected to work hard. Yet many travellers find it very rewarding. For some, the …

Tags: eco tourism , exchange , organic farming , travel , work , wwoof , wwoofing

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Not everyone has the space or budget for a large thermal wine cooler in their pad. Here’s a practical way to chill that organic vino and rescue the dying cork stopper industry at the same time.

The Cork Bark Wine Chiller from Bitters Co. is from and features unglazed terracotta wrapped with an outer layer of natural cork bark ($46). It cools your bottle by insulating it with these layers and lends some earthy style at the same time.

The way of life for Mediterranean cork harvesters has become …

Tags: cork , drink , gift , lifestyle , medicine , organic , organic farming , reduce , wine

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