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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Protecting the Organic Marketplace

Organic vegetables for sale

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Global sales of organic products totaled $90 billion in 2017 according to the 2018 edition of the study The World of Organic Agriculture, published by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and Organics International. In the U.S., the figure is $50 billion, or 5 percent of all grocery store sales. Demand for organic products is increasing, more farmers cultivate organically, more land is certified organic and 178 countries report organic farming activities. 

The challenge is to safeguard organic standards from large corporations that buy up organic brands and try to weaken U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements. This has led to an erosion of both organic standards and consumer trust in the organic labeling of products such as eggs, milk and grains.

To restore public trust, the Organic Consumers Association is committed to exposing the fraudulent players in the organic industry while fighting for stronger organic protections. At one time, states could develop their own rules for organic food production and processing. But in 1990, Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, which created the National Organic Program and the National Organic Standards Board. Foods labeled USDA Organic are the gold standard for health and sustainability.

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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