Organic Food

Understanding the Farm Bill: What's Organic Got to Do With It?

We’ve learned a bit about how Farm Bill programs affect producers of commodity crops, but what about organic farmers? Before we dive into that, let’s review just what “organic” farming really means.

What is Organic?

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Food Tastes Better With Care and Company

“Pesto only tastes good when my friends are here!”

That’s what my daughter said one night when she turned up her nose at a plate of pesto spaghetti -- the same food she and her friend each ate two helpings of the night before. Our visiting friends had just left, and while I argued that the pesto still tasted good, I couldn’t argue with the feeling behind my daughter’s words.

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Celebrate Earth Day by Winning a Free Organic Valley Product Every Week for a Year

If you read this website semi-frequently, you already know that I'm a big fan of Organic Valley's products, philosophy, and people. So when the good folks in LaFarge asked me if I'd host an Earth Day giveaway this week, they didn't have to twist my arm too much to get me to say yes.

For a few years now, Organic Valley has been hosting what they call Earth Dinners, events scheduled to coincide with Earth Day on April 22. Here's the explanation on the Earth Dinner website:

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Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and How I Miss the Ranch

It’s strange to say that it was only six months ago that I ventured out from my beautiful ranch in Montana to the southern side of California and made a swap from rural to urban, country to city, ranch to condo and garden to supermarket. Super, emphasized. It feels like it’s been forever. It feels like I haven’t seen or felt real, solid dirt in too long. I miss driving along the dirt road and waving to farmers in their Carhartt bibs. I miss knowing that if I ever got a flat tire, the guy down the way would fix it. I miss walking a mile in any direction from my front yard without seeing anything but the great Big Sky.

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The Switch to a Cleaner Dirty Dozen

As the mother of two small children (age 2 ½ and 6 months), I try my best to make healthy eating choices every day. I make my own baby food (lots easier than it sounds and very cost-effective), use as little pre-packaged/processed foods to make meals as I can, and avoid sugar and junk food whenever possible. That being said, I will admit that I used to roll my eyes at the word organic. I looked at the prices and didn’t really understand why I was paying sometimes more than twice the price for the “same” foods.

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Vote for Your Favorite Good Food Resolution and Help Someone Win a Year of Free Organic Milk

Last week, I published a post about our new school lunch contest, asking parents and other concerned adults to make a school year resolution on behalf of their children and families. If we're serious about making change in our lives, I reasoned, we should be willing to share our thoughts broadly, to make public commitments, and to reach high. In less than a week, nearly 50 of you did.

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Earnest Eats Offer Minimally Processed Snacks for Those On the Go

When I received a package from the folks at Earnest Eats, I was mostly ambivalent. I'd read a bit about the company on their website, and they seemed philosophically aligned with Simple, Good, and Tasty, but much of our work is about getting people in the kitchen rather than feeding them on the go. If you're taking a car trip, for example, we're much more likely to write about how to make your own granola than what to buy when you stop at McDonald's.

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What is Humane Food?

A few weeks ago, I got a text from my brother-in-law Jeff. He'd just discovered a restaurant he thought I'd love, and the message said, "it was awesome. Put it on your highly recommended list." Jeff has great taste -- I can't think of a time he's steered me wrong -- and I take his recommendations seriously. But Jeff doesn't get all hung up on how his food is sourced the way I do, and I didn't assume that his "it was awesome" meant that I'd feel good about it. I needed to ask.

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Is It a Good Thing When Big-Box Retailers Sell Local Food?

A recent story on National Pubic Radio (NPR) entitled Wal-Mart Helps Small Farms Supply Local Food got me thinking. On the surface, the idea of Wal-Mart -- or any retailer, big or small -- making a public commitment to sourcing better food strikes me as a positive thing. According to the article:

The company wants to revitalize small and midsize farms in the U.S. and has begun a program to increase the amount of local produce sold in Walmart stores. The program also benefits consumers, who have access to fresher food, as well as Wal-Mart itself.

That sounds pretty good, right? The article goes on to say that:

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A Small Sampling of Spots to Get Local and Organic in Washington, D.C.

For the first time Simple, Good and Tasty is exploring the local, organic food scene in our nation's capital and the surrounding area. There’s a lot to savor in both restaurants and farmers markets; here’s just a small sampling of notable spots to get a hungry visitor started.

Washington restaurants that offer local, organic meals span the range from formal to casual. Some are good for a special celebration or date night; others are family- and budget-friendly. I’ve included one to fit every pocket and occasion. They’re located in various neighborhoods in and around Washington, and each is accessible by the city’s Metro system.

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