Tip! Processed organic foods contain more of organic ingredients but are subjected to manufacturing processes unlike the fresh organic food. They are not prepared with artificial flavors and artificial methods such as chemical ripening and food irradiation.

Water is arguably our most precious resource. All living things need water to survive. But we don’t just want our productive organic food gardens to survive, we want them to thrive! And a growing plant uses a lot more water than one that is just surviving. Every part of the plant growing process uses water.

When plants start to become dehydrated they stop photosynthesising, close their stomata, stop taking in nutrients and stop growing. It can take a few days for some plants to recover even if there has been no tissue damage. So it is vitally important not to let your plants become dehydrated (just like yourself).

Tip! I have definitely noticed a difference in the way I feel after switching to eating mostly organic food. I have more energy.

Not enough water can kill or stunt your plants. Sometimes mild water stress can be a good thing, as it encourages plants to send their roots down deeper into the soil, making them more drought tolerant. The aim is to use as little water as possible without causing stress.

Ways to use less water

1. Create soils that are made up of humus and organic matter. These soils can hold lots of water and plants can easily draw it up. It has great water-holding capacity as well as having a high nutrient content.

2. Mulch the soil surface. This reduces evaporation, keeping the underlying soil moist for longer. Any mulch is better than no mulch, even if it’s underfelt (the older kinds are safer) or newspaper. This also prevents soil erosion.

3. Use drip irrigation - preferably under the mulch or soil surface. There are purpose made recycled hoses available now that are perfect for the job. You can save up to 90% by using drip irrigation rather than a sprinkler.

Tip! In general food grown free of pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms (GMO) is organic to some extent. Certified organic food is that which meets the strict criteria of the USDA as described above.

4. Only water when it is needed and as much as is needed. If you’re not sure, try the finger test. Yes - poke your finger into the soil to see if it is moist or dry. Make sure the water penetrates as deep as the roots, but it’s a waste to water any deeper than that.

5. If you live where summers are really hot, plant crops under partial shade. It could be shade from a pergola or tall plants such as sweet corn.

These are simple methods to reduce your water consumption. You could also consider collecting your own water. If we all had rain-water tanks attached to our houses it would not only give us clean, free water, but would reduce the amount of water that ends up in our storm water drains. It is also much better for food gardens as mains water is often high in salts, chlorine and fluoride.

Re-use of “grey” water is also another way to reduce how much water we consume. It can be used on lawns and other plants in the garden that are not for food production.

Tip! The advantages of organic food for the consumer include higher nutritional levels, and over the long term studies have found the health benefits to be substantial. It is perhaps for this reason that organic baby food has become very popular.

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Tip! If you don’t believe it, try it. When I first began learning about organic food and the differences between it and conventional food, I went to a health food store and bought a bunch or organic produce.

The new Plum Baby product is made from organic mango, banana and quinoa grain from South America. Many mums want to feed their babies organic and healthier food as a pure organic diet can be more beneficial during the first few months of life than at any other time. Babies have immature systems and need the very purest and safest foods.

Organic produce is one of the fastest growing food retail sectors in the country. Health scares such as BSE and foot-and-mouth, plus fears of GM crops/food and synthetic dyes and ingredients such as Sudan1 have led to considerable growth in the organic and the healthy food market as worried consumers seek out more healthy and natural products for both adults and children. This has lead to Organic baby foods becoming increasingly popular. Once only available in health shops or via online, organic baby foods are becoming much more widely available and you can now find them in local conveneice shops. Sales of organic food now account for half of the entire baby food market. Organic baby foods are not necessarily an improvement on organic home cooking, but are more convenient. It is worth noting that descriptions on products — such as natural, traditional, or environmentally friendly — do not mean they are organic.

Tip! Even processed organic food is better for you as manufacturers are banned from using many of the most harmful additives such as hydrogenated fat, MSG and artificial flavourings and colourings.

How do I know its Organic or Fairtrade?

The term organic is defined by law - all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Look for symbols such as the Soil Association symbol for your guarantee of the highest organic standards. The Soil Association organic symbol is the UK’s largest and most recognizable trademark for organic produce. Wherever you see it you can be sure that the food you have purchased has been produced and processed to strict and rigorous animal welfare and environmental standards. Other symbols to look out for include the Organic Food Federation and Certified Organic Ingredients.

Tip! There are two broad categories of organic food.

The Fairtrade Foundation exists to ensure that producers are guaranteed a minimum price for their goods irrespective of world prices. This means that Fairtrade goods are often more expensive in the UK than those without the Fairtrade logo. Although people are now arguing that supermarkets are fuelling their excessive profits by adding large mark-ups to these products This premium that the producer charges covers the basic food, housing, health and education needs of the local communities in countries such as India and Brazil. The Foundation awards a consumer label, the Fairtrade Mark, to products which meet internationally recognized standards of Fairtrade. It is the only such certification in the UK. The fairtrade label is often a black box with a half yellow, half blue circle with the text Guarantees a Better Deal for Third World Producers. Look at the Fairtrade Mark
Most people dont have enough time to read the labels of all the different food products that they buy to check for organic or fairtrade ingredients. So look for the various symbols.

Tip! The advantages of organic food for the consumer include higher nutritional levels, and over the long term studies have found the health benefits to be substantial. It is perhaps for this reason that organic baby food has become very popular.

The use of such symbols is entirely optional and a product can still be organic or fairly traded even though it doesnt carry the symbol of a certifying body. That means if you want to be 100% satisfied that what you are eating or using is organic or fairtrade, always read the label or speak to the vendor.

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Veggie-Lasagna
Are you sick and tired of trying to find healthy dinner recipes that your family will eat? Do your kids refer to the healthy food you cook them as ’seaweed?’ Well, you should know that there are tons of great recipes that are healthy and delicious. Here’s one that the whole family will love.
What you’ll need -
* 2 26 ounce jars of organic pasta sauce
* 1 8oz package of whole wheat lasagna noodles
* 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 large eggplant, chopped up
* 2 zucchini, sliced thinly
* 1 cup chopped mushrooms
* 3 Tbsp chopped oregano
* 1 12oz tub of low fat cottage cheese
* 1 8oz package of shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
You want to try and use organic foods as much as possible in your healthy dinner recipes. Organic foods are free of pesticides, hormones and harmful toxins. Here’s how you make this delicious lasagna.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, drizzle your olive oil, and allow it to heat up. Then place your garlic in to saute a bit. After it’s sizzling pretty well, you want to add your eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and place your […]

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