Cascadian Farm Organic Goodness

Lilangel says:

Hi! My name is Lilangel and I buy mostly orgainic produce. I am very curious and would like to know about some of the cons of organic farming. How difficult is it to go from being a conventional farm to an organic one? What obstacles made it difficult? What is the percentage of crops lost (due to animals, weather etc.) with organic farming as compared to conventional farming? Thanks!

5/11/2010 10:58:01 AM

Lilangel says:

Hi! My name is Lilangel and I buy mostly orgainic produce. I am very curious and would like to know about some of the cons of organic farming. How difficult is it to go from being a conventional farm to an organic one? What obstacles made it difficult? What is the percentage of crops lost (due to animals, weather etc.) with organic farming as compared to conventional farming? Thanks!

5/11/2010 10:58:28 AM

Sandra says:

What do you use to control insect pests and birds on strawberries?

5/11/2010 11:00:17 AM

Kayla says:

Do organic farms use GMO seeds? When purchased, there are codes assigned to organic foods, non-organic foods and GMO foods, but what about a GMO food grown organically - how do we know it's REAL food rather than GMO if it's only coded as organic?

5/11/2010 11:00:20 AM

michelle mcguire says:

Hi - I started a fantastic organic garden this year with lettuce and peas and tomatoes, etc. I LOVE it and so do my kids!!! But as it gets warner controling the weeds is getting ****** and ******! what can I do beside mulching in between rows to **** the weeds or keep them at bay? I have spent all this time on this amazing garden that I refuse to dump and chemicals in it. Please help?!?!

5/11/2010 11:00:48 AM

Diane says:

How long do I need to wait for it to be safe to use an area of the yard that has been used by a dog? I have read it's not safe for dog ***** to be in an area used for growing food. I hope you can answer this because everything I have read has been people just guessing and I want to make sure it's safe before I put out my plants. Thank you.

5/11/2010 11:11:02 AM

Mariagization says:

I 'd like to know how to distinguish a real organic prepared seasoning. Like Herbamare, and where can I find it>

5/11/2010 11:13:15 AM

Lynn says:

I'd like to know how organic farmers are going to protect themselves from contamination of the GMO crops. More and more GMO's are in the environment and can't be contained. The wind will carry the seeds even to organic farms. Monsanto will sue you until for having their seeds on your land and it will cost many a farmer their farms. Sad, but it's already happening. How can we stop this madness!!

5/11/2010 12:23:45 PM

Mike M says:

How can I be sure that "organic" products that are imported are truly organic? Is this term subject to each country's definition? And if so, does it have to fall within specific guidelines as defined by the USDA in order for it to be labeled as such in the US?

5/11/2010 4:34:53 PM

Kristina says:

I was wondering how it is okay according to organic certification that a farmer can use CAFO manuare in at the beginning of the year and still harvest organically in the same season? Doesn't the hormones, antibiotics, chemicals and GMO effect organic crop? Wouldn't it effect the water, & isn't the organic industry not supposed to support factory farms. Sorry for so many questions in one but I am currently a freelance organic farmer working twords owning and opperation my own organic farm.

5/11/2010 4:45:57 PM

Kristina says:

I was wondering how it is okay according to organic certification that a farmer can use CAFO manuare in at the beginning of the year and still harvest organically in the same season? Doesn't the hormones, antibiotics, chemicals and GMO effect organic crop? Wouldn't it effect the water, & isn't the organic industry not supposed to support factory farms. Sorry for so many questions in one but I am currently a freelance organic farmer working twords owning and opperation my own organic farm.

5/11/2010 4:47:16 PM

tiffany says:

I'll be starting a small organic garden at my house soon. Wondering what do I need to do to test my soil to be sure it's safe to grow food in? Are there areas, such as near a road that veggies should not grow? I also have an area where dogs used to be.

5/11/2010 9:48:35 PM

Cascadian Farm says:

These are great questions! Thanks everybody - we've had a busy week, but we're reading your questions, and we'll try to have Jim answer some of your questions next week. Stay tuned...thanks again!

5/12/2010 9:32:28 PM

Jim says:

Is Cascadian Farms partly owned by Monsanto?

5/13/2010 7:54:04 PM

Peggy Yates says:

Which of your cereals are gluten free? I have a box of granola oats and honey, can I eat that if I'm on a gluten free diet?

5/15/2010 8:37:13 AM

Shawn Marie Hardy says:

Hi Jim. I don't mean to sound rude, but I find it interesting that you couldn't give a straight yes or no answer when someone asked if you were partially owned by Monsanto. Are you? I have sworn by your cereal but I am boycotting it until I find out the answer. I love your cereal but I don't want it unless there are no ties to that corporation.

5/21/2010 7:56:43 AM

Ronita says:

MONSANTO ???? PLEASE RESPOND.....

5/21/2010 12:16:42 PM

Cascadian Farm says:

@Jim, Shawn, & Ronita: Sorry we're late! (a similar discussion came up on Facebook, and we missed your comments here). We are owned by General Mills - which is a public company. Our commitment to food that is guaranteed delicious, and certified organic has never wavered. All of our products are USDA certified organic. In fact, several members of our agriculture team are still actively involved in advocating for organic farming at the local, state, and federal levels. There have been several questions about GMO's in this, and other threads. Certified organic means that GMO crops have not been used. The USDA organic standards board does not allow for any GMO crops to be used in organic agriculture. A farmer using GMO seeds would not be able to use the USDA certified organic seal. @Peggy - re: gluten free, while some of our products may not contain ingredients with gluten in them, they may have been produced along side other products that do contain gluten. For this reason, we don't label any of our products "gluten free." Thank you all for your comments - we're going to ask Jim to answer more of your questions soon!

5/25/2010 2:39:25 PM

Blessd333 says:

I think if you check here re: Monsanto, you may find an answer: http://www.purefood. org/monlink.html

6/4/2010 7:11:36 PM

Jackie says:

when you talk about gluten free, and you say the products are placed along side of other products containing gluten. What does that mean? Do they contain gluten or not? A more definitive answer would be appropriate. We would like to know if the products are gluten free, it should be a yes or no answer. So please answer the question, are your products that do not contain wheat have gluten in them? Thank you for your time

6/15/2010 4:15:46 PM

Coeliac says:

Jackie, he did answer the question. Yes, the cereals all may contain gluten, including the cereals that do not contain wheat products. There is no way to guarantee a gluten-free product if the cereals are all produced using the same equipment. Many of Cascadian's products contain oats, which have forever been plagued by this situation.

8/14/2010 11:38:39 AM

returning your products says:

Wish you had some gluten free products, as these looked good. Was here to check before eating the ones we bought that have "natural flavor". But If none of your products are gluten free, I won't risk it. You can waiver all you want, but unless you make the effort I will not. My family won't buy a single thing that is not gluten free.

8/29/2010 11:21:58 PM

Renee Colaizzi says:

General Mills might as well be Monsanto as far as I am concerned. General Mills poisons people with thier GMO ingredients. I will buy no more of your product. No thank you!!!!!!!

1/6/2011 6:00:36 PM

Jennifer says:

I guess I am in the dark. What are GMO ingredients? Thanks.

1/10/2011 8:11:04 AM

Non-Farmer Jim says:

When products containing gluten and products not containing gluten are produced in the same facility, they can not be sold as Gluten Free for the following reason: All flours produce a flour dust. That flour dust becomes air-born and can contaminate the products that do not contain gluten as an ingredient. It may seem silly to you but it has been proven over and over that some people are that sensitive to the gluten protein that have eaten products that have been exposed to flour dust can be adversely effected. Any company that understands that principle would never put their Gluten Free claim on anything that was made in a facility that makes anything containing Gluten.

2/7/2011 4:57:40 PM

Max says:

Renee Colaizzi, you cannot be serious. Almost all of the organic industry is controlled by the same multinational companies that control all of the food system. Cascadian Farms is no different than every other organic company on the supermarket shelves. As soon as the national organic certification program started in 2002 "organic" lost all of its clout as an alternative to the global food system, and it was able to be standardized and industrialized. Rather than supporting local economies and being truly sustainable, when you buy organic you are basically doing the same thing as buying conventional. Except when you buy organic your ******* guilt is eased and you can continue promoting the same system that monsanto (seemingly your sworn *****) is a part of.

2/16/2011 11:39:45 AM

Jayde says:

*****, who would have thguhot that it was that easy?

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