Hi Lee - Thanks for the note. I too am concerned about marketing efforts that are total greenwash or BS. Trust me I'm trying my best to use the findthefarmer.com site to showcase the American family farmer - if it helps sell some flour, of course that's a bonus! We are a small company trying to compete in the grocery world dominated by companies 100X, 500X, 10000X our size.....
-josh.
[...] 6 years ago. The new website allows people who buy Stone-Buhr all-purpose whole wheat flour in Wal-mart, Safeway, and other grocery chains to enter a code and get information about where the flour comes [...]
Yes, yes, yes! But there's also a fear that the meanings of the words are changing along with the labels. Does organic equal organic, whether it's from a local co-op or a far away conglomerate? What exactly do we think we're getting when we buy organic? Is that what we're truly getting? Is that what we really want? I keep going back to the idea of knowing where the food comes from, as opposed to what's on the label...
Tomorrow's post will be about a company called Find the Farmer, and about how they're addressing both issues. Same theme, different approach.
(I'm also taking a Whole Foods tour in the next few weeks with a store manager who I challenged recently. I'm looking forward to that, and to writing about it too.)
And I'm ESPECIALLY looking forward to our in-person discussion. In the meantime, thanks for writing!
There will always be room for a small retailer who caters to a self-selected clientele with more discriminate tastes...if they build a better experience, their prices won't matter that much.
There is a positive to Wal-Mart's foray into a broader organic selection. I think Wal-Mart is like the largest supplier of organic milk in the country (or was at one time). I personally see their low-prices on organic foods-- which beat out places like Whole Foods, another giant corporation that has been criticized for misrepresenting the farmers they supposedly stand behind-- as a way to bring the organic food movement to the mainstream public. It means organics aren't just for the foreign car driving, 5 dollar designer coffee drinking, yuppie anymore. For those who believe that organics = better health, this would be good from a public health perspective, too.
And doesn't a greater demand for organic food, drive the market overall? The small farmer may not benefit from this, but someone is sure making money off it as the number of organic products has exploded in the marketplace in the last 5 years.
We'll have to discuss in person some time...I can't write it all ;)
.
You should not forget to mention that Common Roots has the best bagels in Minnesota! I am married to a New Yorker, and I don't make this claim lightly. (Plus in New York, you'd never find a bagel served with a compostible napkin.)
[...] was a short article in the Star Tribune last week about Common Roots Cafe (whose terrific local, sustainable food I featured last week) and the support they give Whittier [...]
We're the only pet-less house in the neighborhood, so we are much loved by rabbits. We draw the line at mice though (hopefully). :-) Thanks for stopping by!
Awesome!! What a great idea for a blog.
Also, happy composting! As long as your compost is contained outdoors you shouldn't have any problem with mice. I never have, but then again I also have a cat who likes to hunt :)
Thanks, Simple, Good, and Tasty for the kind reference to Every Kitchen Table. As a new blogger, your feedback and support has been most appreciated.
As for Obamafoodorama, it is hard to beat what they put out: interesting, informative, colorful, fun to read, etc.
Cheers,
Rob Smart
Hi Lee - Thanks for the note.
[...] 6 years ago. The new
Yes, yes, yes! But there's
There will always be room for
You should not forget to
[...] was a short article in
We're the only pet-less house
Awesome!! What a great idea
Same to you, Rob. Looking
Thanks, Simple, Good, and