Interesting post this weekend on the Good Blog. As has been expected for some time, “several certified organic companies (like Dr. Bronner’s and Intelligent Nutrients) have filed a complaint with the USDA’s National Organic Program against allegedly fake-organic companies for misuse of that ubiquitous buzzword.” It seems that this could be the impetus to force the personal care industry to adopt similarly strict standards to the food industry regarding the use of “organic” on labels.

The What is Natural? page on Abe’s Market defines our standards to which products must adhere to be eligible for sale on our site. While we recommend that sellers get their products certified by some of the reputable certifying agencies – the Organic Trade Association, the Natural Product Association, Green Seal – we do not mandate it. Frankly, for smaller companies to get certified can be challenging financially and a big time suck. For many companies this is outright impossible or, at least, impossible to do without passing on significant cost to the consumer.

This is one more reason we’re fans of facilitating the buyer-seller community. If you’re a buyer and you have any questions about a seller’s products, just ask that seller. His/her contact info is always on his/her seller page. We’ve actually facilitated some dialogue between buyers and sellers, much to the delight of both parties. One recent query from buyer to seller even ended up with the two agreeing to work together to develop and test new products.

While we agree that standards protecting against consumers being misled is important, we advocate for buyers and sellers communicating openly, honestly and directly about product details – farmers market style.

Maybe its not perfect but a productive use of plastic bags is apparently stuffing them in plastic bottles to use as insulation. It is working in Guatemala as a solution for classrooms with no walls. According to this Treehugger article a Peace Corps volunteer thought of collecting the towns bottles and bags to put them to good use and the whole community pitched in to make it happen. Keep in mind that these “plastic walls” are sandwiched in cement but it is definitely one of the more creative and resourceful ways to put our billions of plastic bags to work (According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags). The Journal also explains the factors that make the paper versus plastic debate difficult to answer.

As we posted earlier, reusuable bags make sense not just for the environment but they easier to carry and hold more. I understand that it is difficult to get in the habit of remembering to have one handy, which is all the more reason (get ready for the Abe’s plug) to have a few on hand. A quick search on Abe’s turns up an assortment of bags and Deja just joined and will be adding their funky collection very soon.

You may recognize Susan Knapp from her appearance on Shark Tank but I have a feeling many people know her after falling in love with her product line.

Their booth at the Fancy Food Show (Susan has a fantastic colleague, Kat, who has mastered engaging several people at once) was hopping. Given their popularity on Abe’s Market and with buyers at the show, Susan’s mastery of turning a pear into the perfect sauce, jam or oil is delighting palates not just in Napa but from the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters.

We are excited about doing a full Abe’s Market Feature on one of Susan’s delicious sauces very soon. Below is a short video where Susan talks about how she decided to launch her line:

Image from theleoafricanus.com: Zola Budd Barefoot

Have you seen the news lately about barefoot running actually being good for your feet? I just read about it on TreeHugger. Turns out, according to reserachers, that “runners who have trained barefoot tend to strike the ground with the ball or mid-foot, rather than their heel. Whereas runners wearing cushioned running shoes tended to hit the ground with their heel first.”

Though I only run periodically, I’m curious to try this barefoot method – assuming I can find a clean trail. It’ll also give me a great opportunity to really test the powers of some of the foot potions on our site. Who better to know what ache-y feet need  than an Argentine tango dancer, who’s spent hours dancing in 4″ stiletto heels? Barbara Todd, of Lumino Wellness fame, is just that. Her Himalayan Salt Crystals & Organic Coconut Oil Scrub “can transform your feet from rough and painful to smooth and beautiful.” And Peppermint Foot Serum from She Essential Beauty is a “therapeutic blend of certified organic oils and herbal extracts provide a cooling treatment for hot, tired feet.” Aaaahhh!

Stay tuned for a report on my barefoot running experiment….

There is something flattering to a parent when their child chooses to follow their career path. Then, on a whole different level, is the flattery when a child chooses to join the family business.
I had a fantastic childhood, no complaints, no regrets, truly blissful youth. That said I can not imagine working side by side, day in day out with my parents or siblings so it fascinates me when I meet families who do just that. I met up with Stephanie and her father Craig from Mountain Organic Foods at the Fancy Food show, it was a delight to talk in person and hear details about the success of their Organic Bear Fruit Bars. Stephanie is excited to share more of their story in a guest blog post and I am hoping she delves into details about working closely with her father. To quote Craig, “I do what she says.”

Here is a short video of Stephanie introducing herself, stay tuned for more…