As health care investment, organic food advocates offer ideas to stay bountiful on a budget

Examiner
Heidi Fuller
Saturday, August 15, 2009

Lean economic times may tempt some consumers to steer their shopping carts past organic food choices and opt for lower-priced groceries even if it means increasing their exposure to toxic pesticides. But Bay Area organic food advocates urge shoppers to stay the course, offering a bounty of smart ideas to stretch their organic grocery dollar along with advice not to be misled by straight price comparisons.

“The cost of organic food averages about 20 percent more than non-organic, but the average household throws away about 20 percent of its food budget in the form of spoiled or unused food,” said Helge Hellberg, executive director of Marin Organic, an association of organic food producers in Marin County, California. “Financially, you can live organically on about a dollar a day – especially if you do a good job with resource management – just as you can with a non-organic diet. It requires that people calculate the health value of organic food and not just the straight cost of the item on the shelf,” he said.

According to Jessica Prentice, author of Full Moon Feast, Bay Area professional chef, and blogger, cooking with organic food does not have to be a luxury. But even if purchasing pesticide-free foods adds to the cost of the food bill, she wants consumers to think about it as an investment in improved wellbeing that will save on health care expenses in the long run.

Organic foods aren’t just a grocery list item, according to Prentice, who coined the term “locavore” (someone who goes out of her way to shop from local sources), which the Oxford University Press voted 2007’s “Word of the Year.” “They are a health care choice, the basis of wellbeing,” she said. “So it’s not where we should skimp.”

Hellberg agrees, explaining that one major difference between organic and non-organic food is in the amount of nourishment per serving. Because non-organic foods are grown more aggressively with synthetic fertilizers to create high-yields faster, they tend to absorb more water in the process.

Organic foods also are grown in nutrient rich soil, Helge explained. “Organic farmers add nutrients to the soil with nitrogen rich cover crops and natural fertilizers, whereas in non-organic farming, the synthetic fertilizer are added directly to the crop; the soil is neglected and therefore can’t contribute nutrients to the food.

“You end up paying for more water and less nutrition in non-organic foods,” Helge said, adding that Americans could eat less and spend less on an organic diet and still end up healthier with leaner and more highly nourished bodies.

For practical cost-cutting choices, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), suggests consumers on tighter budgets can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% simply by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and purchasing non-organic foods on their cleanest list. The group’s “Dirty Dozen” includes produce with thin skins that allow pesticides to penetrate, such as apples, grapes, strawberries, celery, and coffee beans. It recommends consumers pinching pennies can avoid pesticides on non-organic items like avocados, onions, pineapple, corn and mango whose thicker skin protects edible portions of the food from chemical exposure.

Prentice’s advices the easiest way to cut organic food bills is to incorporate into meals low cost staples, such as organic rice and beans, which costs just pennies a serving, and adding one higher-priced fresh organic item on top of that.

Resource Management Number One
Hellberg, who also hosts a radio show called a Organic Conversation and writes a blog with the same name, recommends resource management as the number one way to maximize a shrinking organic grocery budget.

“We only use a fraction of the foods we buy,” he said. Hellberg advocates buying whole foods, which are less expensive than packaged products anyway, and instead of throwing away the chopped off parts, make use of them in creative ways. Not only do we pay extra for the labor it takes to peel, chop, and package vegetables prepared before getting to the grocery store shelves, he explained, we are missing some remarkable and satisfying nutritional options.

Hellberg offers his favorite tips for resource management to reduce waste and stretch the organic food dollar:

* Broccoli stems often are discarded, but they can be thinly sliced and roasted with olive oil and salt for a snack.
* Beet and carrot tops can be prepared the same way or simply added to soups for a boost of superior nutrition.Revive limp vegetables with an overnight water bath. Better yet, make a soup.
* To avoid spoilage in the refrigerator, cook foods for more than one meal, store and reheat.
* Like peas from the farmers’ market? A willing farmer might sell you the shoots if you ask for them, and she might give you a great price.

“These are simply news ways of relating to your vegetables and adding to your diet things you’ve never experience before,” Hellberg said.

Meats and Proteins
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that meat contains less pesticide residue than plant foods. However, the EWG lists it as number one on its “Dirty Dozen” group for the hormones and antibiotics it contains in addition to the pesticides used in the grains fed to animals.

Soups and stews are common in meat-eating parts of the world where people economize by using the whole animal product. “They don’t get boneless, skinless chicken breasts or a single cut of steak on the plate in these places.” Prentice said.

For cost conscious organic meat eaters, Prentice suggests braising cheaper cuts of meat, such as bottom round and brisket, then making a broth with the left over bones.

“The gelatin in a bone broth maximizes protein and can be used for cooking rice or soups for a boost of nutrition,” she said. “Boil the stripped bones in water and a splash of vinegar, which takes more calcium out of the bone.

For serious organic meat buyers, Hellberg recommends forming a coop to purchase a quarter or half cow directly from the meat farmer, who will offer significantly lower prices than the same amount of meat sold at a market.

For low-cost protein powerhouse meals, Prentice advices eating eggs more often. “If you splurge on anything, eat pastured eggs. They cost about 75 cents each, but pastured organic eggs are still the best value when a two-egg breakfast cost only $1.50.”

Healthy Fats
Fat has made its way back into favor with nutritionists in the form of heart healthy Omega 3s and 6s that show up in olive oil and fish for example. Prentice considers herself a “believer in fat” and recommends eating most protein alongside a fat item.Good fats are not only healthy, Prentice explains, but they offer a clever strategy for reducing food bills. “Fat is a much more sustaining food than sugars and carbohydrates for energy,” she said. “They burn more slowly, so the body doesn’t require as much food to stay satisfied and energized.”

Rethink Nourishment
As a Buddhist teacher, Hellberg suggest participating in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to gain nourishment as much from the connection to the source of the food as the nutrients in it.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, CSAs consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation and share with the farmer the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, CSA members pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production.”

“Nourishment comes from your relationship with food on many different levels,” explains Hellberg. “It’s knowing the farmer who produces your food. It’s about feeling safe because you know what went into it. It’s from enjoying more taste. And, above all, it’s about building a better future for children and animals. All that for one price.”

Turmeric Fights Body Fat

Natural News
David Gutierrez
Friday, August 14, 2009

A diet high in turmeric may help reduce weight gain by suppressing the growth of new fat tissue, according to a study conducted by researchers from Tufts University and published in the Journal of Nutrition.

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a grant from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

“Weight gain is the result of the growth and expansion of fat tissue, which cannot happen unless new blood vessels form, a process known as angiogenesis,” senior author Mohsen Meydani said. “Based on our data, curcumin appears to suppress angiogenic activity in the fat tissue of mice fed high fat diets.”

Curcumin is an antioxidant chemical in the polyphenol family that naturally occurs in turmeric. In contrast to some phytochemicals, it is easily absorbed by the body.

Researchers fed two groups of mice identical high-fat diets, supplementing the diets of the half the mice with 500 milligrams of curcumin per kilogram of body weight per day. They found that mice in the curcumin group had significantly lower blood cholesterol and significantly less microvessel density in fat tissue than the mice in the control group, implying less blood vessel growth and thus less overall growth of fat tissue. The livers of mice in the curcumin group also contained significantly less fat than those of the mice in the control group.

“In general, angiogenesis and an accumulation of lipids in fat cells contribute to fat tissue growth,” Meydani said.

The researcher also noted that “curcumin appeared to be responsible for total lower body fat in the group that received supplementation.”

In a similar study conducted on cells rather than animals, the researchers also found curcumin to suppress angiogenesis. The chemical also appeared to suppress the expression of two genes linked to angiogenesis in both the mouse and cell experiments.

U.S. court blocks plan to curb mountaintop mining

Reuters
Ayesha Rascoe
Thursday, August 13, 2009

A U.S. court on Wednesday blocked an attempt by the Obama administration to overturn a Bush administration rule that made it easier for coal mining companies to dump mountaintop debris into valley streams.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said that the Interior Department’s request to vacate the regulation would have allowed the federal government to wrongfully bypass “established statutory procedures for repealing an agency rule.”

Federal agencies have to follow certain procedures, including collecting public comments, before repealing government regulations, the ruling said.

Raising environmental concerns, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called on the courts in April to withdraw the rule that allowed coal mine operators to dispose of excess mountaintop debris in and within 100 feet of nearby streams whenever alternative options are deemed “not reasonably possible.”

The Bush regulation replaced a 1983 rule that allowed dumping within 100 feet of a stream if it would not “adversely affect the water quantity or quality or other environmental resources of the stream.”

Interior spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said the department is examining the court’s decision.

“This administration has shown it is determined to improve mining practices and we will do so within the context of the court’s ruling, which we are reviewing,” Barkoff said.

The National Mining Association applauded the ruling.

“The court has preserved an open and transparent regulatory process that provides for notice and protects the rights of all interested parties to comment,” association president Hal Quinn said in a statement.

More than half of U.S. electricity is generated from coal. U.S. surface coal mining is mostly done in the steep mountains of Appalachia, across Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky and accounts for about 10 percent of U.S. coal production.

Major energy companies, such as Arch Coal Inc and Consol Energy, participate in mountaintop mining, which involves scraping the surface of mountains and pushing the crumbled mountaintop debris into adjoining valleys.

Raising the Prairie: The Nation’s First Organic Roof Farm Rises in Chicago

Solve Climate
Jeanne Roberts
Wednesday, Aug 12th, 2009

In Chicago, where green-roof culture has gone from a fad to a standard, a restaurant roof on Chicago’s north side has acquired the nation’s first designation, by the Midwest Organic Services Association (M.O.S.A.), as an organic rooftop farm.

It started as a passion for sustainability on the part of Uncommon Ground restaurateurs Helen and Michael Cameron, who for 17 years built enduring relationships with regional organic farmers, and then – when scouting a new location for their restaurant in 2007 – decided to try organic farming themselves.

Their 2,500-square-foot rooftop farm, thirty feet above the pavement at 1401 W. Devon Ave., is ably managed by Farm Director Natalie Pfister, a graduate of Chicago’s Art Institute, where she obtained a degree in sculpture.

The career change, from art to farming, is not as big a leap as one might imagine, according to Pfister.

“In fact, they’re pretty darn close, in terms of creativity. I’m faced with problems every day in relation to the farm, and the solutions I devise require a kind of creativity that bridges very nicely.”

In addition to the rooftop farm, Uncommon Ground also has a roughly 400 square-foot, street-level garden and a parking lot where, on Fridays, a farmer’s market features eggs, produce and fruit from an organic farm in Wisconsin, certified organic lamb from Illinois-based Mint Creek Farms, and organic berries from pick-your-own Kismet Farm in southwestern Michigan. Oh, and did we mention the live entertainment, local artist’s displays, or the beer tastings?

Uncommon Ground sponsors the farmer’s market, but doesn’t sell its own produce. That is reserved for restaurant use, including not only the 17 varieties of tomato grown for summer menus, but the peas, beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, herbs and edible flowers used to garnish drinks, hors d’oeuvres and entrées.
In winter, expect to find hearty, wholesome menu items like pumpkin soup or potatoes au gratin, because Uncommon Ground, in keeping with its philosophy of sustainable food, doesn’t serve vegetables out of season. When a specific item is needed, but not available from the rooftop organic garden (which has no greenhouse yet), it is purchased from local organic farms, or the Green City Farmer’s Market, Chicago’s only year-round market promoting locally-grown produce.

This farm-to-table mentality extends beyond the restaurant, into partnerships with city schools, whose students tour the organic rooftop garden, learn about sustainable urban agriculture and – after getting their hands dirty planting a few vegetables – suddenly understand that mangoes, in Chicago, in winter, is not a sustainable food practice.

Some of the students, inspired by Pfister’s passion, may go back and create their own mini-gardens, on rooftops or balconies or even fire escapes.

“We promote the idea that everyone should be growing their own food, and that it’s possible even in the city.”

In another measure aimed to support that sustainability, Uncommon Ground uses heirloom seeds. These seeds, from varieties that have been in continuous cultivation for over 100 years, are in danger of becoming extinct as hybridization and genetically modified organisms increasingly dominate agriculture. Their loss, should it ever occur, would result in a limited and potentially devastating loss of biodiversity for food crops – a loss of diversity that already threatens to overwhelm banana culture worldwide.

Pfister, who acquired much of her horticultural experience from her mother, Ginny Thomsen – who farmed their Colorado property extensively – also did a lot of educational outreach in college, as well as volunteering on organic farms and working in sustainable restaurants.

“I have a really deep love of food.” Pfister admits, laughing – a love demonstrated in her almost painstaking care of, and familiarity with, the Uncommon Ground organic rooftop farm.

It’s more than a full-time job; Pfister also cares for four rooftop hives of honeybees, along with owner Helen. Fortunately, she has about seven interns, mostly from Chicago’s world-famous Loyola University.

Sustainability also extends beyond food production into the restaurant itself, where custom-built benches, created by local craftsman from reharvested wood (i.e., wood salvaged from old buildings and furnishings), offer customer seating. The rooftop garden also uses five solar panels that heat almost 70 percent of the water used in the restaurant, and recycles water from rooftop cultivation through drain pipes and into rain barrels around the building’s perimeter. However, the organic designation prohibits using water from the restaurant operations themselves.

The organic rooftop garden, made possible by a $100,000 investment and heavy-duty steel beams sunk five feet below basement level – the first step in the process – is, according to Pfister, a work-in-progress.

“Because it’s so unique, there is very little information we can go on. We’re trying to create more enthusiasm among urban agriculturalists, so that we can, eventually, learn from one another.”

Accordingly, once a month, Uncommon Ground holds an “eco-mixer” sponsored by the restaurant and local green organizations to promote a community of like-minded individuals through networking and support.

It’s an uncommon concept, but one that is catching on around the nation (and particularly in places like unemployment-plagued Detroit, cash-strapped California, and North Carolina.) Of course, most of these gardens are at ground level, but rooftops are just as good – if not better, in terms of sunlight – for growing food.

“What we all need to remember is that Chicago is part of the Great Plains, one of the most fertile and productive areas in the nation, in terms of food. When we built Chicago, all we did was raise the plains.”

Customers notice the fresh-picked flavor of the vegetables and herbs immediately, especially with items like arugula, which goes limp and tasteless after a week of transit and a few days on grocer’s shelves. Tomatoes are another taste sensation, according to Pfister.

Chicago, with its roughly 4,000 green roofs, leads the nation in upward greening, and Uncommon Ground clearly leads in making that green bounty edible.

Uncommon Ground has so far won Chicago Magazine’s 2008 award as Best New Restaurant; Time Out Chicago’s 2008 award as Best New Breakfast Spot; the U.S. Green Building Council’s 2009 Enviromotion award; and the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce’s 2009 Green Business of the Year award. So, yes, I think I can safely say that Uncommon Ground is really and truly “green” in every sense of the word.

Tomato Pill Found to Reverse Heart Disease

Natural News
David Gutierrez
Tuesday, August 11, 2009

A pill made from tomatoes may do more to help treat heart disease and high cholesterol than many pharmaceutical products currently on the market, according to preliminary trials carried out by researchers from Cambridge University.

The pill, known as Ateronon, contains a version of the tomato phytonutrient lycopene, which gives the fruits their bright red color. Lycopene has been shown in a number of studies to help relieve the symptoms of heart disease and to help prevent cancer

The chemical is poorly absorbed by the human body, however, so researchers from a Cambridge spinoff company have refined it into a more accessible form. In preliminary trials, Ateronon reduced the oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to zero after only eight weeks of treatment in 150 people, a more significant result than that observed in statin drugs.

The preliminary study results were announced at the pill’s launch, at a meeting of the British Cardiovascular Society.

“If you think that this can reduce the damage to the arteries, which is the damage that ends up causing heart attacks and strokes — this can potentially extend life but also saves lives on a global basis,” TV doctor Rob Hicks said. “The potential impact is enormous — we might see a fall in the number of people suffering heart attacks, strokes and other problems relating to arterial damage and the clogging up of the arteries. That has to be welcomed.”

Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation noted that it could be some time before Ateronon undergoes enough studies to be considered clinically proven. Until then, he advised patients to “aim to get the benefits of the Mediterranean diet by eating plenty of fresh fruits and [vegetables].”

The Mediterranean diet, which has been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts, light on meat, and uses olive oil as its primary fat source.

Popular Insect Repellent Deet Is Neurotoxic

Science Daily

Monday, August 10, 2009

The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or dismiss any potential neurotoxicity to humans, especially when deet-based repellents are used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides.

Vincent Corbel from the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement in Montpellier, and Bruno Lapied from the University of Angers, France, led a team of researchers who investigated the mode of action and toxicity of deet (N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). Corbel said, “We’ve found that deet is not simply a behavior-modifying chemical but also inhibits the activity of a key central nervous system enzyme, acetycholinesterase, in both insects and mammals”.

Discovered in 1953, deet is still the most common ingredient in insect repellent preparations. It is effective against a broad spectrum of medically important pests, including mosquitoes. Despite its widespread use, controversies remain concerning both the identification of its target sites at the molecular level and its mechanism of action in insects. In a series of experiments, Corbel and his colleagues found that deet inhibits the acetylcholinesterase enzyme – the same mode of action used by organophosphate and carbamate insecticides.

These insecticides are often used in combination with deet, and the researchers also found that deet interacts with carbamate insecticides to increase their toxicity. Corbel concludes, “These findings question the safety of deet, particularly in combination with other chemicals, and they highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the development of safer insect repellents for use in public health”.

Researchers Convert Textile Waste to Compost

Earth 911
Lori Brown
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A new report published in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution finds that waste from the textiles industry could be transformed into rich, agricultural compost, with the use of earthworms and animal manure.

Indian researchers Vinod Gard, Renuka Gupta and Priya Kaushik of the Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology have found a particular species of earthworm to be productive in converting the huge volumes of solid sludge produced by the textiles industry into compost.

The earthworm, known as Eisenia foetida, tends to thrive in rotting vegetation, animal waste and compost, making it a commercially grown species for composting.

Solid textile mill sludge is difficult to dispose of, as landfilling and incineration are not viable options given the expense and environmental concerns. Indian textiles industries are under pressure to find sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to the disposal of this industrial waste.

Textile manufacturing produces large amounts of wastewater which, when treated, creates a sludge as the water is removed and the pollutants are concentrated.

Earthworms are added to the sludge mixture, along with urine-free cow and horse dung, beginning a process that changes the physical and chemical properties of the mixture significantly.

The researchers found the vermicompost process created a compost-like, homogeneous mixture after 180 days.

The earthworms thrive in the manure-enhanced textile sludge, lowering the pH of the alkaline sludge, decreasing the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the material and increasing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous available for aided plant growth.

The successful tests with vermicompost in textile sludge can prove extremely useful in countries like India which manufacture large amounts of textiles for export. Research has shown other means of treating post-industrial textile waste, including anaerobic digestion, to be successful as well, often producing gases that can be used as fuel.

Top 15 organic foods to buy and eat

Practically Green
Supriya Doshi
Tuesday, August 4, 2009

For starters, not all un-organic food has as high a pesticide contamination as others. What does that mean? It means that you don’t have to buy everything organic. Phew! Thank goodness, because our wallets would be hurting–and empty–if we did that.

Here’s are lists of the “dirtiest” and “cleanest” fruits and veggies out there, according to the Environmental Working Group:

Highest pesticide levels:
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Sweet bell pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes–imported
11. Carrot
12. Pear
13. Collard Greens
14. Spinach
15. Potato

Lowest pesticide levels:
47. Onion
46. Avocado
45. Sweet corn–frozen
44. Pineapple
43. Mango
42. Asparagus
41. Sweet peas–frozen
40. Kiwi
39. Cabbage
38. Eggplant
37. Papaya
36. Watermelon
35. Broccoli
34. Tomato
33. Sweet potato

In addition to produce, buying organic meat, milk and coffee is recommended.

Omega-3s From Fish Oil Protect Against Prostate Cancer

Natural News
David Gutierrez
Monday, August 3, 2009

A higher dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids may protect men from prostate cancer even if they have a genetic predisposition to the disease, researchers have found.

“We detected strong protective associations between increasing intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and more advanced prostate cancer,” said lead researcher John S. Witte. “These fatty acids are primarily from dark fish such as salmon.”

“And the decrease in risk may be even more pronounced if one has a high-risk genetic variant,” he said.

In a study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, Witte and colleagues compared the diets and genetic profiles of 466 men suffering from aggressive prostate cancer with those of 478 healthy men of similar age and ethnic distribution. Average participant age was 65, and cancer patients were recruited an average of 4.7 months after diagnosis. Healthy controls were recruited from among men undergoing standard annual health checkups.

The researchers focused only on aggressive tumors because these represent the most dangerous form of the disease. Many men with non-aggressive, slow-growing tumors die of other causes before ever experiencing any cancer symptoms.

Researchers had all participants fill out food frequency questionnaires, classifying their intake of various kinds of fish as “never,” “one to three times per month,” or “one or more times per week.” All men were screened for nine different mutations of the cox-2 gene. These variables were then analyzed for their relationship with prostate cancer, adjusting for other known risk factors such as smoking, obesity, family cancer history and prior prostate screening results.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Institute for Human Genetics, University of California and University of Southern California, and funded by the National Institute of Health and a dean’s grant from Laval University McLaughlin.

The researchers found that men with cancer had a significantly higher intake of calories, fat and linoleic acid (an omega-6) than healthy men. They had a significantly lower intake of omega-3s, shellfish and dark fish.

Men who ate dark fish one to three times a month had a 36 percent lower chance of developing an aggressive prostate cancer than those who ate it rarely or never, while those who ate such fish once a week or more had a 63 percent lower risk.

“The strongest effect was seen from eating dark fish such as salmon one or more times per week,” Witte said.

The researchers found that men with a particular cox-2 gene variant, rs4647310, had 5.5-times the risk of aggressive prostate cancer as men without that variant. This elevated risk was not seen, however, among men with a high omega-3 intake.

“Men with low intake of dark fish and the high-risk variant had a substantially increased risk of more advanced prostate cancer,” Witte said.

Omega-3s are believed to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders, and to improve cognitive health. The mechanisms for these benefits are not well understood, but are believed, in some cases, to be linked to reduced inflammation.

The cox-2 gene is known to play a role in prostate inflammation, a risk factor for prostate cancer.

Farmer insists health benefits of organic food production are clear

UK Times Online
Valerie Elliott
Thursday, July 30, 2009

Rob Wallrond, who runs Glebe Farm, a 40-hectare (100-acre) estate in Pitney, near Taunton, Somerset, switched to organic farming eight years ago.

He keeps Saddleworth pigs, Dorset sheep, Black Rock hens and Angus and Hereford-cross cattle, and grows 80 different vegetables, all to organic standards. While he never expected to be creating “a superfood” he is convinced there are benefits for anyone eating organic meat, milk and eggs.

“There are obvious health benefits to our diets if livestock are fed on grass and forage. There are higher levels of omega-3 and beneficial fatty acids in milk, meat and eggs. We don’t use pesticides but I am convinced their use could be storing up trouble for the future. I don’t think we as a society really yet know the long-term effects of pesticide residues.”

Despite his belief in the nutritional benefits of the food he produces, he was not angry about the findings from the Food Standards Agency as the watchdog has never endorsed the health benefits of organic over conventional food. His main worry was that some people might be put off eating organic food.

“I think the timing is insensitive when we have got this recession and it is hard for us to maintain our premiums. But on the plus side for us, people who buy organic don’t just do it for nutritional content. They buy it because of the care in which the food is produced, the stricter welfare rules, the environment and wildlife.

“We’ve noticed an increase in farmland birds here such as skylarks. We have more birds of prey, lots of voles and butterflies and we are even getting orchids on our grassland because we don’t use fertiliser and graze fewer animals. I wish more people did take an interest in food production and what they put in their bodies and maybe we would sell even more, but sadly we are a fast, cheap-food nation. I’m not sure what the FSA says will make a difference.”

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