The Whole Foods/Organic Craze

As a new Whole Food store opened in our area I was not at all surprised with the crowd that it attracted. 

Granted it was the grand opening day, but the store was wall to wall with people filling their carts with a look and touch of each selection as if this is something really special for their family.

People are clearly concerned with the recent events in the safety breaches within our food chain.  They are also concerned with the health risk of pesticides and genetics being used to manipulate foods.

Even when the food leaves the farm it still may go through more alterations to preserve and doctor it up so that is looks fresh at the market, even when it may not be so fresh.

These are the reasons why people are going after whole and organic foods.  While both terms are widely used, organic seems to be more and more termed “Whole Foods”.

Both terms have different meanings, and foods sold as Whole Food, is not necessarily organically grown.

Whole Food is such a new term that it is not even regulated, leaving it wide open for marketing association without fact. Whole Food should be grown as naturally as possible without, synthetic chemicals and pesticides.

Organic on the other hand is regulated by the USDA and must meet rigid standards to be sold as organic.

Organic foods certified and displayed with the USDA Organic Green Seal is currently the Gold Standard in Organic Foods.

Probably the most proficient organic growers are Amish farmers.  An early spring trip through the Amish country will be fragrant as they clean out their barns with fresh manure to add to the organic fertilizer base on their fields and gardens.

The Amish Stutzman Family has grown organic grains in the Ohio rolling hills of Holmes County for over 60 years.  Long before organic certification ever existed the Stutzman family has practiced organic soil management to obtain rich fertile soil and high quality grains throughout their Amish heritage.

Stutzman Farms is organic certified through the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (OEFFA).  The Stutzman family processes a variety of natural organic grains.

Food processing from the organic grains is completed on the Stutzman Farms.  These facilities are routinely inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Stutzman Farms specializes in growing and harvesting Spelt, Wheat, Oats, Rye, and Corn on Ohio Amish Farms using the old time planting and harvesting methods.

Pictures are courtesy of Cottage Craft Works .com, the only online supplier of the Amish Stutzman Farms grains and flours.