Newsletter - November 7, 2023

My dear brothers and sisters,

We are privileged to interview Dave Chapman. He co-founded the Real Organic  Project. This is a grass roots coalition dedicated to preserving the integrity of organic produce. It seems that the challenges are unending as corporate agriculture moves in.

Consider, for example, those “organic” strawberries, black berries and raspberries that have been available all winter long.They  are grown hydroponically, that is, without soil. A fundament of regenerative agriculture, the building up of the fertility of the soil has been sidestepped. And yet…and yet… those berries, grown in chemical soup, are certified organic.

Consider also those “organic “eggs that have been produced in overcrowded conditions of filth and stench. Ponder that “organic” beef  produced from livestock that have been injected with GMO vaccines.

That the Real Organic Project now encompasses over 1000 farms is a tribute to the life at the grass roots of America and Dave Chapman’s dedication and devotion.

Our sale item this week is our Cashew Butter, Organic. 16 ounces.Luxuriously creamy and rich. Please try it on a slice of apple.

Then Ben, our favorite gardener, ebullient and erudite as always, tells us what to sow in November.

Our pleasure to include with your order of $150 or more two pomegranates grown by Judith and her colleagues with Full Belly Farm. Theirs is one of the finest organic farms. We invite you to savor their intentionality.

Our Victory Garden Sale, this November, includes  Lake Baikal Siberian Pine Nut Butter, Brazil Nut Butter and our Red Quinoa.We offer these at a 10% discount.
Remember you receive an additional 10% off when you purchase 3 jars or more.

Ziziphus is back! Ziziphus jujuba, Chinese date apples grown for you by the outstanding family farmers with Full Belly Farms here  in California. Jujubes are red outside with a crispy texture, edible skin, and a sweet-tart flavor. Experience their refreshingly pleasant flavor.

Finally, we are delighted to bring you news of the wonderful work being done toward the restoration of the American chestnut, a magnificent tree. This exemplifies the living energy at the grassroots of this great land. It will pull us through.

We take heart that despite all the challenges, you, in your wisdom, will flourish and thrive.

Please accept our best wishes  for good health and vitality, to you and family,

Jesse Schwartz PhD
President
Living Tree Community Foods

by Beyond Pesticides

In a typical move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to greenlight a type of genetic engineering to solve a problem created by the industrial paradigm for pest control, i.e. vast acreages of monoculture treated with millions of tons of toxic pesticides leading to rapid resistance among crop pests.

In this case, EPA wants to approve using a nucleic acid — double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) called “interfering RNA,” or RNAi — to silence a gene crucial to the survival of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), the scourge of potato farmers around the world. But EPA has skipped over important steps in its decision-making process and rushed to judgment.

Like chemical pesticides, genetically based pesticides are regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. In 2020, Massachusetts-based GreenLight Biosciences applied for registration of its RNAi active ingredient, Ledprona, and its end-use product, Calantha. The company executive heading the effort is an alumnus of Monsanto and several other major chemical companies.

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