After six weeks of steady rain, I am turning the irrigation on for the first time in a long while. Pretty miraculous.
#raingrown #gardening #organic #biodynamic
A quick lesson on how words like organic and regenerative have been ruined, unless you know who is saying it and what they mean by it.
#organic #regenerative #organicfarming #regenerativefarming #words
According to USDA organic labeling rules, non-organic ingredients are allowed in certain products labeled organic.
“100% Organic” means it should largely be what it says it is: virtually all ingredients must be organic (only exception being non-certified things like water and salt).
But “Organic” or “USDA Certified Organic” means that only 95% of the ingredients must be organic, with the remaining 5% allowed from approved non-organic substances.
And the phrase “Made with Organic Ingredients” means that only 70% of the product must be made from organic ingredients, with up to 30% allowed as non-organic.
These thresholds were created in large part through pressure from large industry groups wanting organic to function not as a philosophy or ethos, but as a broad commercial category. This is one of the many divides between the laws which define organic for big business and the natural laws which have driven organic farming since its beginnings.
So when you see “Made with Organic Ingredients,” it is worth understanding that the product likely legally contains close to 30% non-organic ingredients, which are very likely grown with the harmful chemicals you are seeking to avoid when you purchase organic.
In addition to preservatives, fillers, and other approved additives, companies may also use certain non-organic ingredients when organic versions are not commercially available. I argue that this type of language can create a slippery slope with poor sourcing standards and harmful manufacturing practices that are ubiquitous across world’s largest food companies.
This is one reason why knowing the farmer, grower, or maker behind a food or product can matter way more than anything a label can ever say.
#organic #organicproducts
3 ways essential oils may cause harm, quickly explained.
1. Fraud
2. Impact on skin health
3. Ecological impact
Comment EO and I’ll happily dm you one of our favorite sources of reputable essential oils.
🎼 @doepaoro Anima
Most skincare on the shelf is produced by contract manufacturers who are making products for dozens or even hundreds of brands, all in the same factory.
It should go without saying that whatever skincare product you are holding was made through some sort of process.
The important question is: was that an industrial chemical process? Or was it a biological-ecological-agricultural process?
Because no matter what the label says, those two are not the same thing.
People are commonly afraid of Stinging Nettle, which in a way makes sense…it definitely stings pretty good if you encounter it in the wild or garden. But once you prepare it, whether that be through sauté, other cooking prep, or in our case, once we solar infuse it, the sting is 100% gone, and all that is left are the fortifying and skin soothing properties we rely on it for.
Check out the ingredients tab on our website to learn all about our growing and sourcing practices.
From @beherejared : Within 5 minutes of returning from Confluence, we received the most beautiful affirmation from Nature… a baby deer’s first steps. Watch the video to the end if you want to see it! Highlight of my day.
We have never before experienced a gathering of so many people aligned in their understanding of regenerative principles and holistic health, who immediately understood the value of our skincare collection. It was the most reaffirming experience of my professional life, and I am grateful.
50 people attended our Superfood Face Mask Ritual, and after checking our records, it looks like about 10% of you went home with one of our skincare offerings. Please tag us with your glowing faces!
For the 90% of you who made the mistake of not checking us out :-), just tag @beherefarm and @confluence_tx in any pic of you at Confluence, and we will send you a discount code for FREE shipping anywhere in the mainland U.S. for the rest of this week!
See you all next year!
Tunes by @doepaoro
Sometimes the things I love about gardening surprises me.
I love the smell of mint and lavender…not in the garden, although of course I do love them there as well, but I love them most on my fingertips, as they linger hours after I stopped gardening, a friendly memory on my skin.
The day stains my skin with the bliss of sunlights past, and I find myself returning to breathe it in time and again, fingertips to nose, throughout the rest of the day. If I am on a boring work call, at least my hands still smell like the garden.
Sometimes I fall to sleep in this very way, lying on my side, the garden on my hand, into my dreams we go.
We did not build a brand, this is our real life.
Transparency in our production method is the easiest thing in the world when you are what you say you are.
We make skincare for you the same way we make it for our family.
The same way it has been made for millenia, actually.
Modern skincare culture may be more advanced, but that does not make it better.
More sophisticated, but not more alive. In so many cases what we seem to call progress really just means distance from Nature.
And please try our collection if you want to feel the difference of true connection with Nature.
