The organic food market in the United States hit $49.4 billion in sales in 2017- a record. Organic food in 2017 accounted for 5.5 percent of the food sold in retail channels in the United States. Total organic sales in 2017 were $49.4 billion, also up 6.4%, as sales of organic non-food products rose 7.4 percent to $4.2 billion. I know you see the Facebook posts and hear the television teasers, “are you truly buying organic? Stay tuned for our in-depth report!” I wanted my own garden to be ORGANIC, but it is not. I had to use man-made fertilizer to stimulate my tomatoes. Inception of the Organic Label In…
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What is a Community Supported Agriculture System?
Autumn has almost passed us by, here in Upstate, South Carolina. That means many fruits and vegetables stopped producing and local farmers are moving to their winter crops. However, you – the consumer- can still support your local farmers and obtain good, healthy food through CSA’s or Community Supported Agriculture programs. What are CSA’s? These are partnerships between local consumers and their local farmers. Consumers pay a fee ahead of a growing season, as an investment into the farm. Each week during a growing season, the customer receives a box or a bag of what crops were harvested that week. Crop production can be unpredictable, therefore, customers are not always…
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Helping New Farmers
America’s Young Farmers: We Want Student Loan Relief A nonprofit with bipartisan support is arguing for measures that encourage new farmers to get and stay in the business. http://www.fastcompany.com/3057663/food-week/americas-young-farmers-we-want-student-loan-relief Article by Neal Ungerleider of Fast Company
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National Agricultural Day! Thank a farmer…
March 15 is National Agricultural Day! Below is a link I found interesting – 10 reasons to thank a farmer. http://pin.it/w2FmnBM 10. American’s spend only 10% of their incomes on food. The lowest percentage of any country. 9. The world’s population will grow from 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050. Farmers will need to DOUBLE food production to keep pace. 8. Only 210,000 full time U.S. farmers produce 80% of our food and fiber. 7. Most farms are family-owned enterprises. These families brave exceptional risk and tight margins. 6. For every $1 spent on food, farmers receive less than 12 cents for the raw products. 5. The average U.S.…
