(Photo courtesy of José Andrés)

When you’re running an organic gazpacho company and dream about the people you’d like involved in your company, there is pretty much only one name at the top of this list: José Andrés. The most widely acclaimed Spanish chef here in the U.S., José Andrés was also named “Outstanding Chef” by the James Beard Foundation in 2011 and recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

For Austin Allan, founder of Tío Gazpacho, who used to eat at José Andrés’ restaurants in Washington, D.C. all of the time, this dream became a reality right before Thanksgiving.

And it all began in April when Austin Allan was in a meeting and received a surprise email from this star chef that said the following:

I am a Spanish chef and am watching you from a distance. I would love to talk.

Needless to say, Austin bolted out of the meeting and got on the phone with him immediately. Six months of conversations and negotiations ultimately led to a partnership between Tío Gazpacho and José Andrés, where he and his restaurant company, ThinkFoodGroup, will help with distribution, sourcing, marketing, PR, social media and product development. Read more »

While in St. Louis last week attending the National Organic Standards Board meeting, I spent an inordinate amount of time at Seedz Cafe, a plant-based organic restaurant located in Clayton’s DeMun neighborhood.

Founded by a former buyer at Whole Foods Market and built with many reclaimed and recycled materials, Seedz Cafe is dishing out some truly delicious cuisine. Read more »

Last week, I was in St. Louis to attend the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting, and I’d say we walked away with one big win, one big loss, and one win that shouldn’t really be considered a win.

For those who are unfamiliar with the NOSB, it is a 15-person board that is supposed to represent various interests of the organic industry, with each member appointed by the USDA secretary for a 5-year term. More than anything, the NOSB makes recommendations to the USDA regarding rules and regulations for all aspects of organic, including allowed and prohibited substances. The NOSB, which meets twice per year, is arguably the most important committee when it comes to deciding the fate and future of organic. Read more »

If you were under the impression that our government is here to protect us, now is the time that we demand that they do so.

A blockbuster new report by Food Democracy Now! and The Detox Project shows that our health is in serious jeopardy because of the most widely used chemical in the world: glyphosate.

Glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp, was was called a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization. This means that it probably causes cancer in humans.

Even more alarming is that 250 million pounds of it are used in the U.S. each year — on farms, lawns, parks and schools, among many other places.

New scientific evidence shows that probable harm to human health could begin at ultra-low levels of glyphosate at 0.1 parts per billions (ppb). This is 1,750 times lower than what the EPA currently claims is safe. Read more »

(Photo courtesy of Donald J. Trump)

With Donald Trump now officially moving into the White House in January, I wanted to take a look at how his presidency would impact organic food.

First off, whatever Trump does, it will not be worse than President Obama. While many people may assume that Obama has been a friend to organic, nothing could be further than the truth. He has been an absolute and unmitigated disaster for organic. Read more »

As many of you know, I have been a long-time fan of Temple Turmeric and believe that the company is synonymous with organic turmeric drinks.

Since its inception, the company has rolled out many different flavors, many of which I have enjoyed and some that I didn’t.

When founder Daniel Sullivan would ask me over the years which one was my favorite, my response was always the same: the original one. Read more »

Here is a compilation of some of the most important and compelling organic food news stories as of late.

There is probably nothing more must-read than the article in The New York Times about the failure of GMOs. The NYT accurately said that GMOs have not resulted in increased yields or decreased amount of pesticides, and this piece was validation to those of us in the organic community who have long believed that GMOs are nothing but failed promises.

While the federal government and President Obama continue to defend GMOs, Germany has taken an opposite approach. Its cabinet has approved a draft law banning GMOs. Meanwhile, Sonoma County is trying to create a 13,734 square mile GMO-free zone in Northern California.

Big Food’s lobbying group, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, was hit with an $18M campaign financing fine over their action during Washington’s GMO-labeling measure a few years ago. Read more »