Post Script

AUG takes GoodGuide to the next level - the local level

Know your farmer, know your food. Those were President Obama's words, and many of us took it to mean that we should shop at natural foods co-ops or farmer's markets, and join CSA's so that we can get information on the farmer who grew our potatoes. And that's a wonderful, organic, local, warm-fuzzy thing.

But it gets even better. Smart mobile technology is making it even easier to know your farmer - and the impact of your purchase, economically and environmentally.

Imagine being able to use your smart phone to scan a bar code on a crate of broccoli and immediately know where it was grown (with a map showing miles traveled from farm to store), whether it's currently in season, what its price history has been, and get data about the local economic and environmental impact of the product.

The people behind the AUG - Augmented Living Goods - Program imagined all of that and designed it. The system they came up with was crowned winner at the Greener Gadgets 2010 contest held in New York City this week.

Hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association, the competition rounded up 18 entrants with designs ranging from a solar tent to a computer mouse made of cork, and the AUG bar code system.

Judges liked the system because it uses existing technology and takes the popular GoodGuide one step further by encouraging people to shop local. 

We can't wait for this to become available! While we wait, we can learn more about the design at the Greener Gadgets web site.

Vote for Tosa farmer's market logo!

The final designs for the Tosa farmer's market logo contest are in, online, and taking votes. Our votes are in, but we won't influence your decision. Thank you to our graphic designer friend who reminded us to imagine the logo on small letterhead, medium-sized tote bags and large street signs before making a decision. Good advice.

Now go vote!

Wal-Mart tries to make it difficult for us to hate them

Wal-mart used to be the ultimate bad guy... but a few recent initiatives have got editors and writers at green and sustainable web sites talking. Of note was 2009's sustainability index, and today, Wal-Mart execs announced a program to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2015 to a level equivalent to a year's output for the corporate giant. In other words, 22 million U.S. tons.

It makes brilliant business sense for the giant corporation, and as far as PR goes, it's equally bright. Skeptics will be happy to note that the program will be overseen by ClearCarbon, Inc.

Via Treehugger.

First Lady talks about "food deserts"

Over at the White House blog, you watch a video of Michelle Obama talking about inner city neighborhoods with little or no access to fresh, wholesome food. 

These areas exist in major U.S. cities, including Milwaukee, and are labeled "food deserts" because residents are forced to buy their food at convenience stores and fast food outlets because there are no grocery stores within reach. Obesity and diabetes thrive in food deserts.

As part of her "Let's Move" campaign to end childhood obesity, Mrs Obama is taking on this vital issue. Watch the video here.

That was quick. GoodGuide makes Fast Company's top 50 list

Counting down the top 50 most innovative companies, the editorial staff at Fast Company magazine gives a much-deserved nod to Good Guide - the web site (and smart phone app) that helps conscientious consumers sort the green from the green-washed, the terrific from the toxic, and the organic from the 'orrible.

*applause*

There's good news, and there's bad news...

We'll start with the bad news, because it's always good to end on an upbeat note.

The bad news, according to the Organic Consumer's Association, is that the Obama administration is poised to approve Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa. This is bad because ... well, do you you want to eat genetically engineered food? Alfalfa seeds are carried on the wind, and the Roundup Ready alfalfa WILL contaminate organic fields.

Learn more about how this threatens organic farming here.

So far, 16,099 OCA activists have sent letters. You can add your voice to the chorus here. Or you can click the Call To Action link at the top right corner of this blog.

OK. Some good news.

We love cows. Cows love pasture. We love the USDA's new rule that bans intensive confinement feedlots and "requires that organic cows get at least 30% of their feed from grazing for at least four months out of the year."

Moo-velous.

USDA: The future is organic

That was the message at the USDA's annual outlook conference held last week in Arlington, VA.

Philip Brasher at the Des Moines Register blogs about the event and the turn it has taken in theme - reflective of a shift in public demand when it comes to food. 

The gathering "has traditionally focused on conventional agriculture," Brasher writes. "The theme of this year's conference (was) 'Sustainable Agriculture: The key to health and prosperity.' It's not often that conference attendees are treated to criticism of the way food is conventionally produced."

Walter Robb, co-president of giant chain Whole Foods Market, told the audience that sales of organic food were up 2.1 percent in 2009, despite the recession. He emphasized that the public values organic and will continue to invest dollars in that market. He added that there is growing demand from consumers for food that is free of biotech corn or soy.

A subsequent blog post by Brasher reveals discontent among conventional farmers attending the forum. According to Brasher: "Tim Burrack, an Arlington, Ia., corn and soybean grower and chairman of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, stood up at the end of a session (...) on locally grown foods and said, 'This is not the USDA that I've known.' The lead speaker at the session was Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, who has directed the department's shift in emphasis toward local and organic foods."

Cynical in the UK

"The proportion of adults who believe climate change is 'definitely' a reality dropped by 30% over the last year, from 44% to 31%, in the latest survey by Ipsos Mori." 

That's the news out of the UK, reported by The Guardian's Eco desk. It's going to be an uphill battle to convince skeptics to watch their energy use and/or reduce, reuse, recycle. We wonder how much of this is due to the unusually cold winter the Brits experienced this year. The poll was taken at the end of January.

Getting smart about the grid

The writers at Inhabitat.com have a brief, comprehensive editorial about President Obama's efforts to invest in our aging power grid. It's good to see funds set aside for this; how else are we supposed to charge all those electric cars we're going to buy?

A wolf in sheep's clothing?

At Outpost, we obsess over food ingredients. And we mean OBSESS! Outpost customers and owners rely on us to sort the organic from the faux-natural, and the gluten-free from the wheat-based.

We balance this with a concern for the local economy. In an ideal world, every product on our shelf would be organic AND locally grown, but we sometimes have to choose one or the other. In a nutshell, we want organic food to be readily available, we want organic farmers to thrive, and we want local farmers to thrive, too.

Giant corporations that adopt green washing marketing tactics are a direct threat to all of that. Their "natural" claims muddy the waters and mislead conscientious consumers, and their GMO grains corrupt the food supply.

And we get frustrated by that. 

We would love to know what our customers think about products that carry "natural" labels, even though they may contain genetically modified ingredients. 

If you have a moment, we would love for you to read an editorial we wrote about a new "100% Natural" product making its way into grocery stores, and send us your feedback. 

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