This is a question we’ve been asked frequently…and we would like to share an article that we feel says it best:

Source: http://www.organicvalley.coop/resources/reading-room/benefits/

Below are excerpts from the article.  Please click on the link above to visit the Organic Valley website to read the full version.  As you will read below…organic food is substantially healthier for both you and our planet.  Please keep this in mind when choosing between organic or conventionally grown products.

The Benefits of

Organic Food

by André Leu

Organic food is substantially healthier than conventional food.

Research published in a 2001 study showed that the current fruit and vegetables in the United States have about half the vitamin content of their counterparts in 1963. The study was based on a comparison of published USDA figures.

A scientific study published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition in 1993 clearly showed that organic food is more nutritious than conventional food.

A peer-reviewed scientific article published in the February 2003 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry stated that organically grown corn, strawberries and marionberries have significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods.

Two comprehensive studies have been published that compared the differences between organic and conventional foods. Both studies analyzed around 40 previously published studies. One study was conducted in the United Kingdom and the other in the United States, each independently of the other. Both studies came up with similar conclusions that there is overwhelming evidence that organic food is more nutritious than conventional food.

 One of the authors stated, “On average our research found higher vitamin C, higher mineral levels and higher phytonutrients—plant compounds which can be effective against cancer. There’s also less water in organic vegetables, so pound-for-pound you get more carrot for your carrot.”

Many studies show that most conventionally farmed foods have pesticide and other chemical residues. Repeated tests show that many of these foods can carry a cocktail of synthetic poisons. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that repeated exposures to cocktails of small amounts of synthetic chemicals produce a range of adverse health effects.

Peer-reviewed, published research has demonstrated that many of these types of chemicals are known to disrupt the hormone, nervous and immune systems. The escalating increase of certain types of cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, breast, uterine and prostate cancers are linked to agricultural and other synthetic chemicals. Similarly, a good body of scientific research also links these chemicals to dramatic increases in autoimmune diseases such as asthma and chronic fatigue syndrome, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma has gone from being one of the rarest to one of the fastest growing cancers among people exposed to agricultural chemicals.

A detailed scientific analysis of organic fruits and vegetables published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants showed that

Organic foods have significantly less pesticide residues than conventionally grown foods.

Most important, scientific studies are beginning to show that eating organic food results in lower levels of these pervasive chemicals in humans. A study published in the peer reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that children who eat organic foods have lower levels of one class of agricultural pesticides in their bodies.

Organic food has significant health benefits because it has negligible chemical residues and pathogens and higher nutritional values when compared to conventionally farmed food.

- Choose organic products for your health and for a sustainable future -

Organic Valley Products, and many other organic products, are available at The Freighthouse…our selection of organic products is increasing continuously.

Every Sunday this summer, we’ll be hosting a farmer’s market for the Lyndon Area!

Featuring locally grown vegetables, produce, hand-made items and crafts, and organic vegetables - grown right here in The Kingdom.

Stop by to see us and BUY LOCAL!

EVERY SUNDAY - Memorial Park, Lyndonville from 10am - 2pm!

Call The Lyndon Freighthouse for more details, or to participate, at 802-626-1400.

Soft Serve, new flavors, and all the ice cream treats we’ve served for over 30 years are here for another season of famous Carmen’s Ice Cream.

Stop by to try the new flavors!

At Carmen’s Ice Cream we serve our famous ice cream desserts as we’ve done for over 30 years.  We proudly serve over 70 flavors of hard serve, soft serve, yogurt, sugar free ice cream, and sorbet.  Our sundaes and banana splits are made just the way you like them with your favorite flavor, topping, and add-ons.  Enjoy our homemade strawberry shortcake, apple crisp, cookies and brownies: all baked fresh by our staff. Carmen’s Ice Cream is the perfect treat on a sunny Vermont afternoon. We hope to see you soon! 

Organic Meat

Sustainable. Accountable. Traceable.

We recently added the organic meats of Organic Prairie Family of Farms to our growing organic selection…

At Organic Prairie, we believe that farming sustainably and treating animals humanely are simply the right things to do. By holding ourselves accountable to a rigorous code of conduct we provide a “safety net” to you, ensuring that our meat is as healthy and wholesome as possible.

To learn more about our organic farming methods, visit our cooperative website, www.organicvalley.coop.

Our 7-Step Safety Net:

1. Organic Prairie meats are from animals that are raised on diverse, sustainable family farms which yield healthier animals, healthier people—a healthier planet.

2. Our meats are produced without the use of synthetic hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. Animals raised in harmony with nature don’t need them.

3. Organic Prairie meats are from animals that are fed 100% GMO-free organic feed—NEVER any rendered animal by-products—and they’re raised on pastures, not crowded conventional factory feedlots.

4. Our producers’ farms, feed processing facilities and processing plants are annually inspected by independent, USDA/NOP accredited agencies. They meet or exceed every organic certification standard.

5. All Organic Prairie meat is tested for bacteria BEFORE it leaves our processing facilities.

6. Our producers maintain meticulous records on every animal they raise, ensuring the traceability of our products—forward and backward—from the farm to your family’s table.

7. Organic Prairie guarantees a fair pay price to our producers, allowing us to uphold the standards of quality and safety that you deserve.

http://www.organicprairie.com/index.html

We love hearing from our customers. Here is a recent review of us posted on Yahoo:

local foods that are excellent. best coffee,ice cream and gift shopping in town and lots of history free internet access this place is great for all ages working model train in gallery food is organic with local farmers and families involved the gift shop has over 80 local artists included with their hand made products

Thank you! To read the rest, visit here

Organic foods are known and appreciated for their superior taste and quality, but there are many additional reasons to “go organic.” Health, community, and environment are the primary concerns of the approximately three million consumers who bought organic foods in the United States in 2004.

For individuals and families seeking high nutritional value and reduced risk of exposure to the toxins associated with factory farming practices, organic offers peace of mind.

A commitment to choosing local and regionally produced foods is a core value of the organic movement. In addition to fresher foods and reduced fossil fuel consumption, the profit from the sale of locally produced foods is more likely to find its way back into the community. Consumers and family farmers working together to support such local systems form a sustainable partnership.

Organic farming methods are helping to heal our earth by returning vitality and nutrients to the soil and keeping air and water safe from pollution caused by toxic pesticides and herbicides. Eating organic food is a great way to protect the environment.

Check out the Organic Valley website at http://www.organicvalley.coop/ for more information!