Sad, but inevitable

In a well researched article in today's Washington Post, Purity of Federal "Organic" Label Is Questioned, Kimberly Kindy and Lyndsey Layton confirm long circulating rumors that the USDA's 2002 organic certification program's "shortcomings mean that consumers, who at times must pay twice as much for organic products, are not always getting what they expect."

In support of their argument, Kindy and Layton offer a barn-full of evidence, including:

• USDA provides exceptions for "organic" foods to contain "245 non-organic substances"
• USDA never implemented its mandate for annual pesticide testing
• Dairy farms sell "organic" milk from cows that spend little or no time grazing outside
• Farmers feed "organic" livestock "non-organic fish meal, which can contain mercury and PCBs"

This simply must change. Now! And I don't want to hear fellow liberals blaming the Bush administration—even though it did eviscerate the USDA, the FDA, and the EPA. Shrub and his cronies are discredited and gone. Our Democrat Executive and Congress should act immediately to protect our food supply, our health, and the environment from the excesses of agro-conglomerates.

But this isn't only about the government. We must take responsibility for ourselves and our children. You can play a major role by:

• Visiting local farmer's markets
• Getting to know the people who grow our food
• Asking them about their practices
• Supporting their work

Learn more from Farmer's Market Online, read its blog, and heed its byline: "Shop Smart. Buy Responsibly. Buy Direct from the Producer."

Read the full article in the Washington Post. Or read it at msnbc.com.

Shabbat shalom. Good shabbos.