Natural Newswire

May 19 -- Willie Green’s Organic Farm Walk Monroe, Washington

Learn innovative ideas for getting a jump on early mixed vegetable production at Willie Green’s Organic Farm in Monroe.

Owner and farmer Jeff Miller will share his latest techniques while touring greenhouses and propagation houses and look at direct-seeded and transplanted row crops. New this year is organic celery. “It’s a hard crop to grow,” said Miller. “It requires nutrient dense soil, lots of even moisture and is very labor intensive. It took four weeks for it to germinate and will go from seed to harvest in 70 to 90 days,” he added.

Choose Organic Flowers for Mother’s Day: Organic Bouquet to Donate a Portion of Sales to The Organic Center to Advance the Science Behind the Benefits of Organic

The Organic Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering scientific research behind the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming, will receive a portion of proceeds from sales from Organic Bouquet®, a leader in organic flowers.

Boulder, CO., April 30, 2008 /Natural Newswire/ -- This Mother’s Day and throughout the year, give organic flowers. The Organic Center is pleased to announce a special fundraising initiative with organic floral industry leader Organic Bouquet. The Organic Center will receive 10% of the proceeds from purchases that follow this link: www.OrganicBouquet.com/OrganicCenter

To support the work of the Center, Organic Bouquet has even created a special “Organic Center Bouquet” of organically produced roses. As a special offer for Mother’s Day, The Organic Center Bouquet comes with a free vase when a customer clicks through to this link: www.OrganicBouquet.com/OrganicCentermday

Proposed Citrus Oil Limits in Perfumery opposed by The Natural Perfumers Guild and Cropwatch

IFRA proposed citrus oil limits are cultural vandalism on the art of perfumery and are based on bad science, reports NPG and Cropwatch.

MIAMI SHORES, Fla., April 24, 2008 /Natural Newswire via SOAPWIRE/ -- Cropwatch and the Natural Perfumers Guild have joined to charge The International Fragrance Association with cultural vandalism, claiming the proposed limits to citrus in perfumes will destroy perfumes.

The Natural Perfumers Guild (NPG) and Cropwatch decry the science and proposals of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) as slanted and overly-restrictive regarding the amounts of furanocoumarins to be permitted in perfume and fragranced products. According to NPG spokesperson Anya McCoy, "We are very disappointed that IFRA have not vigorously defended the use of citrus oil ingredients against pressure from Brussels, specifically the European Union Cosmetics Commission (EUCC)."

Herb Pharm Launches Two New Alcohol-Free Herbal Glycerite Extracts

Green Tea and Rhodiola Glycerite Arriving on Retailers' Shelves in April

Williams, Oregon., April 24, 2008 /Natural Newswire/ - Herb Pharm, manufacturer of America's number one selling brand of liquid herbal extracts, today announced the introduction of two new alcohol-free herbal glycerite extracts -- Green Tea and Rhodiola root. For consumers who prefer liquid herbal extracts, they will now have broad access to alcohol-free liquid extracts of these two very popular herbs. Both products began shipping to natural products retailers in early April, and are also available online at www.herb-pharm.com.

Herb Pharm Receives Herbal Industry Leader Award

American Herbal Products Association Honors Herb Pharm for Outstanding Business Practices

Williams, Oregon., April 24, 2008 /Natural Newswire/ - Herb Pharm, manufacturer of America's number one selling brand of liquid herbal extracts, recently received the Herbal Industry Leader Award from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). Herb Pharm founders and owners, Ed Smith and Sara Katz, received the award during AHPA's membership meeting at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, CA. The award is presented to a company who consistently demonstrates outstanding business practices.

Organic Pastured Poultry and Beef Farm Walk May 5, Stokesberrry Sustainable Farms, Olympia

April 23, 2008 /Natural Newswire/ -- Tour an on-farm certified Washington State Department of Agriculture processing facility and learn successful direct marketing techniques in an upcoming Farm Walk in Olympia.

Stokesberry Sustainable Farms features over ten thousand Certified Organic hens and broilers per year, one hundred white and heritage turkeys, and several heads of cattle which serve as a unique pasture rotation system in addition to being marketed.

WSU Offers First Online Certificate in Organic Ag in United States

PULLMAN, Wash., April 23, 2008 /Natural Newswire/ – Washington State University, the first institution in the country to offer an academic major in organic agriculture, is now offering the nation’s first online certificate in organic agriculture.

“The U.S. organic food industry has grown at a rate of 20 to 30 percent each year for more than a decade and is really challenged to find employees who understand the unique approaches used in organic agriculture,” said Kim Kidwell, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. “Those who complete the certificate will hold the credential they need to succeed in one of the fastest-growing industries in the country.”

Industry Leaders Gathering at Natural Beauty Summit

London – /Natural Newswire/ -- Leaders of the natural cosmetics industry will gather at the second Natural Beauty Summit in New York, May 15-17th. This high-level summit will bring together founders, presidents, CEOS and senior managers of leading companies to discuss and debate the key issues the cosmetics industry faces in the areas of natural & organic products and sustainability.

High on the agenda for Natural Beauty Summit America is natural & organic standards. Analysts have tipped 2008 to be a defining year for the cosmetics industry. An industry shake-up is envisaged in which the adoption of private standards is to lead to a clear demarcation between pure natural / organic cosmetic and pseudo products.

April 28 Farm Walk - Sweet Grass Beef Farm, Lopez Island

PUYALLUP, Wash., April 7, 2008 /Natural Newswire/ – Discover innovative farm management practices that have produced positive environmental and financial results for the owners of Sweet Grass Beef Farm on Lopez Island.

Scott Meyers and Brigit Waring will discuss how they create a balance between the cattle, pasture and the business aspects of growing grass fed and finished Wagyu, also known as Kobe, beef. “We work to farm within our environment using no irrigation or fertilizer. Extending our grazing year through careful management allows us to reduce our use of hay in the winter,” said Meyers.

Earth Mama Angel Baby® Approved For New Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care™ Standard

Clackamas, OR., March 31, 2008 /Natural Newswire/ -- Earth Mama Angel Baby® is proud to receive Whole Foods Market’s new Premium Body Care™ Standard seal of approval. The Premium Body Care Standard is Whole Foods Market’s way of defining a higher standard for body care products, and helps its customers by defining which body care products are the most natural, and have the highest quality ingredients. Naturally, Earth Mama Angel Baby body care products made the short list! With all the recent hidden ingredient scares, like phthalates and 1,4-Dioxane, Earth Mama Angel Baby has been able to assure worried mamas that our products do not contain, have never contained, and will not ever contain any ingredients that are not 100% safe for mamas and their precious angel babies. But since there is no federal regulation on personal care products, any brand can claim their products are natural, even when that isn’t the case. The new Premium Body Care™ Standard seal on Earth Mama Angel Baby and other products at Whole Foods Markets is just another way to be sure that you are getting the purest products, and that you’re getting what you expected to get, when purchasing natural and organic products for your family.