Acorn

Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Kelsi Bitgood

In 1924, Alvin Kelly was one of the hippest guys in Hollywood.  On a dare, he climbed a flagpole and sat at the very top, where he remained for 13 hours and 13 minutes.  This exciting event inspired a nation, and soon scores of Americans scrambled to claim the proud title of "King of the Pole."

 After a series of copycats endured formidable lengths of time in the air, Kelly himself, not to be put to shame, spent 49 days hanging out above the Atlantic City boardwalk in 1929.  The whirlwind craze culminated in 1930, when an Iowa man lasted just under 52 days on a flagpole in a place called Strawberry Point.  

Of course, by that time, America was in the middle of the Great Depression, and looking for a job must have become a bit cooler than perching on tall metal rods.

Some trends are just ridiculous.  However, sometimes we get lucky, and responsibility and fashion intersect.

The market for organic products has exploded in the past few years, which seems to signal an environmental awakening among Americans?at least those who can afford to buy organic.

 However, the number of Hummers in the Whole Foods parking lot and fur coats in the store suggests that maybe some people don't really get the concept of the organic movement.

If a product is labeled as USDA Organic Certified, at least 95 percent of its ingredients are produced using sustainable farming practices.

Organic farmers do not use pesticides on their crops because pesticides generally degrade the quality of the soil over time.  Organic farming can also produce crops with higher nutrient content and higher yields than conventional methods. Genetically-modified organisms are prohibited under USDA organic standards and animals raised for organic meat cannot be given feed with GMOs.  

The feed must be organic as well, and free of any animal parts, which can cause bovine encephalopathy.

Don't be fooled into thinking that a "natural" label implies that product is organic.  The term "natural" is not regulated by the USDA, except regarding meat and poultry.  "Natural" meat is considered minimally processed, meaning it must not contain any artificial ingredients or preservatives. The regulation has no bearing on feed or hormone use.

Organic practices generally encourage environmental stewardship, and increased concerns about climate change might to be motivating the movement back to traditional farming practices.  

Continued...

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