According to an article published by CNN, John Mackey (the CEO of Whole Foods) feels singled out by the FTC's attempt to block the Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger.

Whole Foods is the largest seller of organic and natural food, and it had planned to acquire Wild Oats, until the planned merger was blocked by the FTC (for anti-competitive reasons). Mackey says:

Look at the track record of the FTC in the last six years. They have approved 96 oil and gas mergers. They approved Smithfield buying the No. 2 pork producer, giving them around 30% market share in the U.S. [In 1999], they approved Exxon and Mobil merging. It's ludicrous to single [Whole Foods] out for anticompetitive reasons. [The rules] are obviously being selectively enforced.

Mackey has a good point. It seems odd that the FTC would block the merger of two natural foods companies, when they have approved the merger of large oil and gas companies, and other special interests. In the CNN article, Mackey goes on to say that Whole Foods will focus on opening new stores in the future, instead of acquiring them. This will prevent entanglements with the FTC. He is quoted as saying:

You can open as many stores as you want without permission form the FTC, but if you try to buy stores, that requires permission. The solution is obvious: We won't be buying stores, we'll be opening them. You don't see Wal-Mart acquiring anyone in the U.S. anymore. It's easier for them and us to just open stores.

Other interesting points from the article:

• If the merger succeeds, Wild Oats prices will be lowered.
• Whole Foods adapts certain stores to fit the culture. For example, in London, Whole Foods has an organic pub where customers can buy organic draft beer and wines.
• When considering where to open new stores, Whole Foods looks at the density of college grads. Mackey says Whole Foods "caters to the well-educated [because] for people to change their dietary habits requires that they be well-informed."
• Whole Foods has tripled its supply of local food in the past year, and is loaning up to $10 million a year to local producers. 13 loans to local producers have already been made this year.
• Whole Foods has a positive effect on real estate property values. When Whole Foods opened in Chelsea [in New York City], condos above the store went up 10% in price on opening day. This has caused some real estate investors to buy up property in neighborhoods where a Whole Foods store is slated to open.
• Whole Foods is seen as a highly-desirable tenant by property developers because of its effect on real estate prices.

I hope the merger succeeds. It's sad to see the FTC apply rules selectively. I think it comes down to lobbying, and unfortunately, Whole Foods doesn't have the same lobbying power that the oil and gas industries have.

In my earlier post, I mentioned how I was growing some organic vegetables.

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble keeping the deer away. They are eating the young plants. The zucchini is doing well, though. For some reason, the deer don't find zucchini too appealing. :-)

I am really starting to sympathize with farmers who deal with pests on an everyday basis.

A friend of mine told me that placing human hair around the plants should keep the deer away. So, it looks like I will be buying deer netting or putting uncolored (non-chemically treated) hair around the plants. I'm going to try the hair trick first. If that doesn't work, then I guess I won't have home-grown vegetables this year.

In other news – I've been dealing with some spammers (RSS/Feedburner, and of course the usual blog comment spam, most of which Akismet catches). So, if you see anything odd coming from this blog, now you know why. It seems spam is becoming more of a problem online.

Local Produce – I've been eating some great produce from the CSA that I belong to. Last week, I received some excellent (but very small!) watermelons. I've included a photo below. These are the some of the smallest watermelons I have seen (they tasted great, though).

I've come across an amazing story — a family in Pasadena, CA has created a self-sufficient urban homestead where they grow over 350 varieties of edible and useful plants on 1/10 acre. They are in the middle of Pasadena, surrounded by neighbors—and yet they produce more crops than most small family farms!

The Dervaes family chronicles their journey online (their website is nicely designed with beautiful graphics) with articles, newsletters, outreach campaigns and information for people interested in organic gardening and eco-living.

According to the website, their organic garden produces over 6,000 pounds (3 tons) of produce annually. This provides fresh vegetables and fruit for the family’s vegetarian diet and a source of income.

This is really quite amazing, and very impressive.

According to the Pew Initiative on Food & Biotechnology, most Americans don't realize they're eating genetically engineered foods.

89% of soybeans and 61% of corn acreage in the U.S. is currently genetically engineered (and soy lecithin and corn syrup are found in many mainstream food products). Despite this, 75% of people surveyed don't think they've ever eaten food with genetically engineered ingredients.

• The survey—currently in its fifth year—also found that 51% of those polled are opposed to animal cloning.
• Only 29% said they trust the FDA, which is a strong drop from 41% in 2001.

Just like past years, the survey results show that most Americans have very little knowledge about how widespread genetically engineered ingredients are in foods.

At 10:00 a.m. this morning, I drove to the state farmers' market in the city (approx. 25 minutes from my house) in search of fresh, organic produce. The search proved very interesting.

I questioned (nicely and politely) five different farmers. "Do you use pesticides on your crops?" All five said yes–they HAD to spray the crops. There was no other way to keep the bugs off.

Or so I was told.

"But what about farmers who grow organic produce?" I asked. "How do they keep the bugs off their crops?"

"I don't know, honey," said an old farmer with a strong southern accent, white hair, and yellow, crooked teeth. "I been farmin' for twenty-FAHV years and everyone I know of sprays. If ya don't spray, the bugs'll eat up everything."

"Is there anyone here who sells organic produce?" I asked.

"Not that I know of," he replied.

There were only five farmers selling vegetables such as zucchini, squash, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, etc. The rest were selling fresh flowers, baked goods, honey, plants (azaleas, marigolds, herbs) or strawberries. It seemed nearly everyone was selling strawberries. There were pints of strawberries everywhere I turned. I asked about spraying the berries with pesticides, and everyone I asked said that they sprayed…they said they HAD to spray.

The Specifics of Spraying Strawberries

I learned that the spraying is typically done to the strawberry plant in March and this keeps the bugs from eating the plant and destroying the fruit. Here's an interesting fact for you: Strawberries and bell peppers contain some of the highest concentrations of pesticides. So, knowing this, I avoided buying the pesticide-laden strawberries. According to the EPA, over 70 pesticides now in use are probable cancer-causing agents. (See my earlier post on pesticides.)

I was surprised that not a single farmer I talked with knew how to farm WITHOUT spraying. Organic farming was a mystery to the local farmers. It was something that they could not explain.

It's amazing how much knowledge our civilization has lost. Ironically, our "modern" lifestyle is contributing to our illnesses and our problems. Ironically, cancer rates are higher in "developed" countries than third-world countries. Ironically, ancient civilizations knew more about organic farming practices (and sustainable agriculture) than the majority of "modern" farmers.

My experience today makes me want to learn the basics of organic farming methods. Are organic farmers working miracles? In the eyes of conventional farmers, they are. In the eyes of conventional farmers, these organic farmers are doing the "impossible."

It reminds me of an old Chinese proverb…"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it."

This morning I went to the local farmers' market in the town I live in. I met the owners of an organic farm. They're not certified organic because they're too small and it costs $500 every year plus scheduled inspections by state agents, but the owners use organic farming methods and they do NOT use synthetic fungicides, pesticides or herbicides on the crops. The husband and wife seemed to be very aware, and I enjoyed talking with them.

Thus far in my life, I've never had the opportunity to talk with (or meet) the people who grow the food I eat. That's pretty sad, but I guess it highlights the modern, disconnected society we live in. The owners encouraged me to come visit the farm, as they give free tours. While I don't have the time (or inclination) to visit the farm, it's good to know that if I wanted to, I could have a look at how the food is grown.

With the sole exception of talking to the owners of the farm mentioned above, I found my town's farmer's market to be rather disappointing. The organic farm mentioned above offered only lettuce and cabbage for sale, along with lots of antibiotic free meat. (They raise free-range, grass-fed poultry and cattle). Since I wasn't interested in buying meat or eggs, that left cabbage and lettuce, which were also for sale. So, I ended up buying two bags of locally grown, pesticide-free lettuce.

The owners of the farm told me that they'd have sweet bell peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes within the next five weeks. So, I'll head back down to the town farmers' market in five weeks for the veggies. But I won't be going back until then. There's just not enough organically raised produce there.

Next Saturday, I'll be heading down to the state farmers' market in the city, which is a LOT bigger, and should have some organic produce. (Let's hope so, at least.) I want to buy produce in bulk/volume.

I have considered moving to Winter Park, FL (right outside of Orlando), partly because the organic produce at the Winter Park Whole Foods store is spectacular. According to the Whole Foods website, the Winter Park store has "the most abundant organic produce selection in Central Florida, with a minimum of 80 organic fresh fruits and vegetables daily." Now, that's a great selection! Plus, there's no state income tax in Florida, which is always nice! :-) Right now, moving is not an option, but eventually I would like to live in another area of the country.

Several people have told me that they believe it's more important to eat organic foods than it is to eat raw. I believe that the best health comes from organic produce eaten in a raw state. However, if you're struggling with the "raw" element, AT LEAST make sure you're eating organic fruits and vegetables. The following article briefly highlights the dangers of pesticides.

Pesticides

The E.P.A, the Environmental Protection Agency, reports that approximately 70 pesticides now in use are 'probable' or 'possible' cancer-causing agents. In addition to being sprayed on fruits and vegetables, they're also used on grains that are fed to cattle, chickens, and other livestock. These chemicals may lodge in the animals' tissues and milk, which are ingested by humans. Some studies have suggested that exposure to low levels of pesticides for long periods of time can cause breast cancer. Women who avoid eating animal products altogether have been shown to have much smaller concentrations of pesticides in their breast milk.

Another way to avoid pesticides or limit your exposure to them is to purchase organic produce. Once available only at 'health food' stores and markets, many big supermarket chains now carry organic produce, grains, and processed foods, such as breads, which are made with organic products. Laws vary from state to state as to what can be labeled 'organic,' so check to find out what your local laws are. To avoid pesticide contamination, peel and wash all fruits and vegetables, although some chemicals can't be washed away. Use a vegetable scrub brush on foods whose outer peel you're going to eat. Even though the U.S. doesn't ban the use of pesticides in agriculture, it does have the highest standards concerning their use, so you may want to limit or avoid consuming produce brought in from other countries.

I just recently found out about CSA's, otherwise known as Community Supported Agriculture projects. As a member of a CSA, you will receive fresh produce harvested from a local farm each week.

Benefits of Joining a CSA

• CSA's are a great source of fresh weekly produce from local farmers (make sure you find an organic farm, if possible).
• By joining a CSA, you will be supporting sustainable agriculture and family farming.
• Buying produce from a CSA is usually cheaper than buying produce from the health food store.

Here's where to find fresh raw food and organic produce in your local area.