February, 2011

Stellar Organic: The Art of Producing the 1st Organic, Fair Trade and Sulphur Free Wine in Africa - Feb 04,2011

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People assume that the finest wines in the world are produce with very strict standards for purity. That is not the case as the demand for sulphur free wines has exploded, especially in the organic wine industry. In the organic debate, the USA reserves the label of organic wine for wine made from organically grown grapes and without any added SO2 and where the SO2 level is below 10ppm. The majority of wines made from organically grown grapes have added SO2 but are referred to as organic wines. The majority of organic consumers are under the impression that organic wines contain no preservatives and are surprised to discover that this is not generally the case. Stellar receives constant queries from the public regarding the availability of SO2 free wines. Producing an SO2 free wine allows them to recapture the credibility in organic wines while at the same time giving their customers what they want. On the winemaking side the flavors are cleaner and more transparent. In red wines the colors are often better. SO2 can bleach color.

Stellar Organic is South Africa’s largest producer of organic Fair Trade Certified™ wine. Each year, close to 2 million bottles are produced for the local market and export destinations in Europe, the UK, USA, Canada and Asia. Stellar has been an innovator in the wine industry and has really set the standard for organic wines by becoming the first organic winemaking operation. Well-known for its organic certification and Fair Trade certification, Stellar changed the wine industry standard by becoming the first cellar in Africa to produce commercially viable, no-sulphur added wines. Their wines have won numerous awards over the years in both national and international competitions, proving that organic Fair Trade wines can more than measure up to their conventional counterparts in quality.

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jeremy Shapley, CEO of Stellar Organics (http://www.stellarorganics.com)(http://www.the-triton-collection.com )

Michelle Buckalew: AnimalWorldUSA.org kicks off Florida’s Week For The Animals - Feb 03,2011

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In every state and country you will find differences in the climate, the people and the creatures that we share the earth with. What if there was a way to create animal welfare awareness for regional issues as well as global issues? That is exactly what Michelle Buckalew did when she founded Animal WorldUSA.org (http://www.animalworldusa.org/) Throughout the year, different states and countries are being celebrated with events that are organized and promoted for an entire weeklong celebration. The 3rd Florida Week for the Animals February 5-13th, kicks off this Saturday, February 5, 2011. Throughout the week, educational institutions, animal shelters, rescue groups, and humane organizations across the state will be hosting scores of wonderful animal-related special events. Educators, students, businesses and caring citizens across Florida will be joining in, creating and planning their exciting activities to celebrate and help animals. Events will include adoption fairs, spay/neuter awareness events, shelter beautification days, R.E.A.D. dog programs in libraries, walks for the farm animals and therapy dogs visiting hospitals and nursing homes. Also to be included are a salute to our canine military and police dogs, feral cat initiatives, animal law events, educational programs at the zoos, blessings for the animals, and full-filled festival days for families to come and enjoy food, music and the always amazing animals! In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Michelle Buckalew who is the Founder of AnimalWorldUSA.org which is kicking off its 3rd annual, Florida’s Week for the Animals(http://www.floridaanimals.org/) Stay tuned!

John Peter Thompson: Why Groundhog’s Day Kicks Off A New Garden Season - Feb 02,2011

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The celebration Americans call Groundhog Day began in the late 18th or early 19th century in the area of Pennsylvania referred to by some as Amish Country. Bearing similarities to Christian and Pagan holidays harkens to our agricultural need to forecast the weather. Weather prediction is a cornerstone of gardening and farming. Gardeners and farmers alike use almanacs, rings around moons, colors of sunsets and sunrises, as well as wind direction and of course experience to predict short and long term temperature and precipitation. Most importantly both use the sequence of plant growth to help them know when to plant see, when to watch for insects and disease, when to cultivate for weeds and when to prepare for harvest. Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and inter-annual variations in climate. The blooming of the forsythia for example is an indicator that pest plants called weeds will soon be germinating. So much to talk about as spring really is right around the corner and the gardener’s time to plant is soon upon us or in the words of the old English round: ‘Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing cuccu! Groweþ sed and bloweþ med’. In addition to snow, and ice, planting and seeding, there are indoor garden chores which need attention to for now is the time that the garden awakes and gardeners cannot sleep. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Invasive species and Horticultural expert, John Peter Thompson, who is President of the National Agricultural Research Alliance (http://www.NARA-B.org ). John Peter will discuss some of the interesting tools farmers have used as well as things you can do to prepare for this coming gardening season. Stay tuned!

Max Goldberg: Living Organic by Living Maxwell - Feb 01,2011

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The fight for organic and the fight against genetic engineering is one tough battle. There are many people who sincerely talk the talk and walk the walk. One of my favorite organic advocates, activist and Organic Good Food Friends, is Max Goldberg. Max started LivingMaxwell.com (http://www.LivingMaxwell.com) in December 2009. Max’s organic food blog gives readers useful information about the best products, news, trends, and legislation, and provides interviews with the industry's leading CEOs. His blog focuses on his passion for organic food as a means to educate people about its importance and to inspire others to live a healthier lifestyle. Readers follow Max on his journey to eating organic after a long personal battle with high-stress, depression and self-destructive behavior, including his decision to quit Prozac, an antidepressant he had been taking for more than a decade. Later this year, Max will be publishing a memoir, which describes his nearly 11 years on antidepressants and what happened when he went off of the medication in 2001. A former Wall Street investment banker, Max quit drinking in 1999, cigarettes in 2000 and antidepressants in 2001. He has never relapsed once on any of those three. His mission with LivingMaxwell.com is to inspire people to change their relationship with food and to educate people about the importance of eating organic. Max has been profiled and quoted in The Huffington Post and The Chicago Tribune.

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Max Goldberg, organic advocate, activist and organic good food friend. We will discuss the current issues the organic industry faces including the highly controversial decision by the USDA to deregulate genetically engineered alfalfa which is going to open Pandora’s box for all things organic. Stay tuned!