Who Owns Organic!? According to the Cornucopia Institute.

If you look closely at this chart below, you will see for example that Kellogs owns Kashi.
http://www.cornucopia.org/who-owns-organic/

Kellogs uses GMO corn and sugar beet for all their cereal products, an does not label them as such.

Kashi on the other hand, is a strictly Organic and GMO-free company.

Would you consider this a conflict of interest!?

Defending Almonds Article in LA Times (Provided by Jim D.)

Defending almonds: Farmers are harvesting almonds in the San Joaquin Valley. The nut was the poster child for water waste in the drought until urban dwellers realized just how much water they had been wasting themselves, columnist Robin Abcarian writes. "Almonds aren't giant, water-hogging things.

They are a good crop, and good food," one nut farmer said. 

Read the entire article here:
http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-0911-abcarian-almond-harvest-20150911-column.html

Nature's Path purchases its own clean, organic farms to keep up with demand for food free of GMOs and chemicals

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/049648_Natures_Path_organic_food_farmland.html#ixzz3lON1IGvE

Almond Derivatives

Source: http://www.almonds.com/consumers/about-almonds/almond-forms

The Almond, Summit of California Agronomy

Brothers and sisters, I would like to say a few words about almonds and the drought. California is entering the fourth year of a serious drought; Much of the state of California was once a barren desert  and now, thanks to the worst drought in modern American history, much of the state is turning back into one.  Scientists tell us that the 20th century was the wettest century that the state of California had seen in 1000 years.  Weather patterns are reverting back to historical norms, and California is rapidly running out of water.  January was the driest in California since record-keeping began in 1895. Groundwater and snowpack levels are at all-time lows. Indeed some say that whole of the Southwestern United States is at great risk of experiencing a significant megadrought that might last for over 35 years before the end of the 21st century. 

 This is a crisis for all of us, because an enormous amount of our fresh produce is grown in the state:

- two-thirds of carrots

- half of bell peppers

- 89 percent of cauliflower

- 94 percent of broccoli

- 95 percent of celery

- 90 percent of the leaf lettuce

- 83 percent of fresh spinach

- a third of the fresh tomatoes

- 86 percent of lemons

- 90 percent of avocados

- 84 percent of peaches

- 88 percent of fresh strawberries

- 97 percent of fresh plums

Without the fruits and vegetables of California, we would be in a food crisis. Some have tried  to put the blame upon agriculture and almonds in particular. Let’s take a look.

Agriculture uses 41 percent of California's total water supply – not 80 percent as often quoted. 

Almonds make up less than 12 percent of the state's total irrigated farmland and use only eight percent of the state's agricultural (not total) water. That means that about 90 percent of the state's farmland is planted with  many other crops.  If we accept the frequent claim that one almond takes one gallon of water to grow, about 23 gallons per ounce.

Look at how that compares to other sources of protein, for example: an ounce of peas takes 45 gallons, an ounce of lentils takes 71 gallons, and an ounce of beef takes 106 gallons. Its a tough time to be a farmer.

The state government is providing farmers with a 20 percent water allocation this year and the federal government is providing zero allocation. In 2014 alone, the drought cost farmers $1.5 billion and caused the loss of more than 17,000 jobs related to agriculture. Almond growers up and down the state are making difficult decisions, including pulling out orchards, or are simply providing just enough water to keep their trees alive. Total agricultural water use is not increasing. Many have suggested in recent days and weeks that the shift in crops towards higher value crops like nuts and wine grapes have led to an increase in agricultural water use. But according to the Department of Water Resources, the total amount of agricultural water has held steady since 2000 and actually declined over a longer period. Meanwhile, the value per gallon has increased.

 have adopted efficiency measures. 70 percent of almond growers use micro-irrigation systems and more than 80 percent use demand-based irrigation scheduling. We expect those numbers to continue to grow over time. Over the past two decades, they've reduced the amount of water it takes to grow a pound of almonds by 33 percent, thanks in part to these advancements. So how much water does it take to grow almonds? According to data collected from growers, they apply an average of 35.58 inches or 2.97 acre-feet per acre. This is in line with the per-acre needs of many other California crops. With the average acre producing 2,390 pounds of kernel per acre, that would come out to about 400 gallons per pound. Depending on the size of the kernels, that comes out somewhere between half of a gallon and a gallon per kernel, including its shell and hull. Note that the water used to grow almond trees produces two crops. First, there's the kernel, which is the nut we eat. Second, there are the hulls, which are sold as livestock feed, reducing the amount of water needed to grow other feed crops. The hulls supplant hay or alfalfa, which then does not need to be grown. 

So even the 400 gallons per pound overstates how much water goes get used to grow kernels themselves. In fact, the hulls make up about 50% of the weight of the almond fruit in a conservative estimate, so to consider how much water is actually going into the kernel, its closer to 200 gallons per pound.

Of the foods produced in the Golden State, the thirstiest by far are those that are derived from animals. A flood of water is needed to produce meat, dairy, and eggs, especially when compared to plant foods. A pound of beef in California takes from 2,500 to 8,000 gallons of water to produce. Alfalfa is a superfood of sorts for cows. By far, the most water used for a single agricultural product in California is used to grow alfalfa. About 15 percent, maybe more.  and it's in high demand in the Golden State, which leads the country in dairy production and is also a major beef producer. (Fun fact: It takes nearly 700 gallons of water to grow the alfalfa necessary to produce one gallon of milk, and 425 gallons of water to produce 4 ounces of beef.) 

Nowadays much of the alfalfa is exported to Asia.The equivalent of 100 billion gallons of water per year is packaged up in shipping containers and floated over the Pacific Ocean. These countries don’t have the water or the space to grow alfalfa, and California is sacrificing both to feed their growing appetite for beef and milk. Effectively they have outsourced their own droughts to California. Growing  alfalfa for China is by far the poorest use of our resources no matter which way you slice it.  Then there is Big Oil. It guzzles our  water and contaminates what little clean water we do have:

1. The oil industry uses at least 80 billion gallons of fresh water in  California each year. That's enough to supply a year's worth of water to the cities of San Diego and San Francisco combined.

2. The oil industry produces about 130 billion gallons of toxic wastewater a year. What happens with this chemical-laced, toxic water? Recent reports have unveiled that oil companies have been pumping this toxic sludge into our protected aquifers for years! And just this week, the Los Angeles Times revealed that Chevron has actually been selling its wastewater to farmers to irrigate their crops. This water goes through minimal testing so we have no idea if this wastewater is actually clean and safe enough to touch our food. Some testing of the water has shown it to have acetone, methylene chloride (a potential carcinogen) and oil.          

That’s right, Oil companies are selling their waste water to farmers who are using it to irrigate crops. (http://www.activistpost.com/2015/05/fracking-companies-selling-their-waste.html)

The scarcity of water in California is more a political and social problem as it  a natural one.Don’t blame the almond without taking a good look at the meat and oil industries. Indeed the almond is the crown jewel of California agriculture. High in monounsaturated good fat,an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin E. Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble antioxidant that plays a key role in protecting the body against free radical damage. It can also prevent inflammation and reduce signs of aging. New research conducted at Oregon State University has found that vitamin E deficiency might put people at a higher risk of brain damage. Some  believe that vitamin E could be the answer to combat mental imbalances such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.  

Just 1 ounce of almonds offers half of your recommended daily intake of vitamin E. There are 6 grams of protein in an ounce of almonds. A handful of almonds has as much protein as an egg. Ounce for ounce, almonds are the tree nut highest in protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin . They’re also an excellent source of magnesium.They are also good sources of important minerals like calcium and potassium. Please bear in mind that  most organic California almonds are grown by family farmers. Yes water and manure are essential but ultimately the intentionality they bring to bear is decisive.They are the true husbandmen of their soil,trees and animals. When you buy a California almond you are saying yes! to healing this California Earth. 

Jesse Schwartz, May 11, 2015

May Victory Garden Sale 20% off this month's featured items

May Victory Garden Sale  20% off this month's featured items

Golden Turmeric Butter	Golden Turmeric Butter Beginning with turmeric, we have added raisins, honey, sesame and spices to bring you a delightful spreadable. We urge you to research what people are saying about the qualities of turmeric. Created by Live Food Master Chef Demaio in conjunction with Living Tree Community Foods. We exhibited our Golden Turmeric Butter in the Natural Products Expo. It aroused considerable interest. This is a unique product. There is nothing like it.
Pumpkin Seed Butter	American Pumpkin Seed Butter A delightful pumpkin seed spread made from American pumpkin seeds. Very nourishing and energizing. A balanced source of good protein.
Black Sesame Tahini	Alive, Organic Black Sesame Tahini Our Organic Raw Black Sesame Tahini is a glorious, shining black. Made from organic UNHULLED black sesame seeds.The taste is profoundly sesame - robust and enlivening. People call it "caviar"!
Cashew Butter 16oz	Organic Cashew Butter 16oz It's really sweet. It's perfect with cucumbers and celery and even peppers! It's really creamy! Incredible! Made from organic cashews. A great topping for fruits and desserts. Try it on apple slices or carrot sticks. Also be sure to try our cashews. What a delightful addition to school lunches! We have added a small amount of our Alive, Organic Almond Oil for spreadibility and magnificence.

Recipe: Quinoa and Honey, Two Power Foods to Beat a Hangover!

We all have experience the after drinking feelings of a variety of maladies that may include drowsiness, headache, concentration problems, dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, gastrointestinal complaints, fatigue, sweating,  hyper-excitability, anxiety and a feeling of general discomfort that may last more than a day Some symptoms such as changes in sleep pattern and gastrointestinal distress are attributed to direct effects of the alcohol intoxication, or withdrawal symptoms, drowsiness and impaired cognitive functions. Providing immediately remedy minimizes the length of these symptoms and a quick recovery. 

We have found foods with two powerful body healing ingredients to restore the body balance and provide what the body needs; Quinoa and Honey. We have found a recipe that also includes sea salts and raisins, providing electrolyte nutriants. 

Quinoa makes a great choice after a night of heavy imbibing because it’s rich in hangover-fighting minerals like protein and magnesium. Magnesium helps fight fatigue and loss of appetite, and also helps keep your heart healthy and nerve and muscle cells in good shape. Quinoa is full of proteins and balances your amino acid deficit. 

Honey works as an antioxidant and chases the remaining alcohol in your body. Honey is rich in potassium and antioxidant staple boasts numerous hangover-helping qualities. Ingest it by itself or, better yet, spread it over a piece of dry toast or a cracker, since you do need to eat something during a hangover (even if your appetite tells you otherwise). In fact, the Royal Society of Chemistry believes eating a breakfast of honey-on-toast is one of the best ways to beat a hangover.

Quinoa and Honey Recipe

http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/7279/Honey-Quinoa-with-Strawberries-Blackberries-and-Almonds

Organic Quinoa: http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/store2/product.asp?id=245&catid=21

Organic Honey: http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/store2/product.asp?id=322&catid=20

Celtic Sea Salt with Minerals: http://www.livingtreecommunity.com/store2/product.asp?id=269&catid=45