Showing posts with label Organic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organic. Show all posts

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Freeds Green House & an Alpaca Farm

Stopped by Freed's greenhouse for the first time on Thursday. Its alot bigger than I thought it was. They have like 9 greenhouses plus more plants outside. My first thought was "wow! I wish I would have stopped here sooner" but my thoughts kinda changed after asking an emplyee a qeustion about organics and got an ear full for it...

We looked through some of the flowers & tropical plants. They have some gorgeous flowers. Than moved over to the annuals, which I skipped most of. I don't really like spending money on plants that won't come back next year. I took my camera to take pictures but after the first few pictures I started looking at the plants and forgot to take anymore.. oops :)John and I went straight back to the perennials which are not housed in the green house. But in the center of 4 other green houses. They have a good variety. We got a small pot of chickens, and another plant that looks similar to the chicken plant but more bulbous and lighter green and pink. We also got a plant that feels really weird. It has its own little fingers and really pretty purple flowers. $4 each. They had a ton of plants I wanted but for money sake.. I couldn't.

Next was the green house full of garden plants. I was excited to get in there and see what the different varieties are. The only varieties I see at regular stores like walmart, and local smaller stores are the big boys, beefsteak, early girls, et cetra. But Freeds has many varieties. But I didn't see any organics so I walked over and asked the garden attendants. He said no they don't but after we purchased them we could grow them any way we wanted. That it wasn't pratical expense wise to bring them up with organic fertilizers. Synthetic pesticides are just as good and are cheap. And that they didn't raise them by the phases of the moon either. He went on and on. I was so annoyed and I could see it in Johns face that he was too. This guy had this "know it all" attitude that I just could not believe. He was plain out rude to us. So John said we should buy anything and even wanted to put my perennials back but I wouldn't let him. I went ahead and walked around to see what they had. They do have a huge variety of "non-organic" tomatoes, peppers, & pumpkins. Plus a smaller variety of cucumbers, lettuce, musk melons, etc. I will probably go back and grab a couple of the Cherokee purple toms, some German stripe toms, and a couple peppers since ours didn't do so well. But I hope I don't run into the same defensive garden attendant. It really doesn't make their business look good.

Although a few of my plants are doing well alot of them have had a hard time. We had some storms so I covered them back up and a hail storm that came through on Friday damaged alot of them. So I guess I will try again next year. I am getting over trying to grow from seed though. Its annoying when they all die and I don't know why.... I did pick up some eggplant plants at Speedway market.

We also drove half way up to see the Hearts Desire Alpaca Farm. I don't know if we are actually aloud so I made John stop so I could take pictures of the gorgous alpaca from the car.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Silk Soy Milk- No longer the Silk we once loved!

I have recently realized that Silk is now longer owned by the same company and has also changed from all organic to "Natural". All the Silk you find in the Milk section of the grocery store is now "Natural" the only organic silk I have found comes in the Tetra pack pantry style boxes. Which are very expensive. Now it would be over $8.00 for one gallon of organic silk and that is at Walmart. If you go to other stores and look at their prices it will be around $12 a gallon. That is outrageous. Have I mentioned who Dean foods is? They are a DAIRY company!!!!!!! Yes.. a DAIRY Company!!!! This has me out raged. I have stopped purchasing their product and have moved to a store brand Organic Label. I will not purchase from their company since they are a dairy company and plus it is no longer organic. So write the company. I did. Let them know how you feel about the "Natural" instead of Organic..and Silk used to use small organic farmers and now they are no longer supporting them. They have moved to bigger producers! So let them know that that is not ok. Click a link Below! Below the link is the generic response I received when I wrote asking why their product was not longer organic. I will be sending them a new letter about the price of there so called "available" organic products.. They are not available when they cost out the A$$..!!!

Dean Foods Website

Silk


"Thank you for your recent e-mail to Silk®. We appreciate your interest in our products. Offering a broader range of products to meet consumer demand. We know some consumers are more interested in the health benefits associated with adding soy in their diet (cholesterol-free, lactose-free, and may reduce the risk of heart disease) than with organic certification. Those interested in organic products, we still offer the plain, vanilla, and unsweetened In an organic option.

Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Affairs Department.

Sincerely,
Alberto Vasquez
Consumer Response Representative
"

Monday, August 3, 2009

Do you get organic produce?

Today I stopped by a local vegetable stand. I asked if they ever get in organic produce... and the guy answers me with "All produce has some pesticides on it".. I'm like ok.... While I was thinking .. was that my question.. and I guess he doesn't realize that there is more to organic foods then pesticdies... and he was kinda snarky about it... who needs attuide just for asking a question? Needless to say I didn't get any produce but my mom did.