The Cornucopia Institute

Wanted to share an exciting update to the Erewhon Standard! As I’m sure many of you are aware, The Cornucopia Institute is a trusted non-profit watchdog in our community that has been working for many years to ensure Organic integrity in the marketplace, something we value greatly as a Certified Organic Retailer. Going forward, all new shell and liquid chicken eggs will be required to be Certified Organic and rated at least a 4 out of 5 on the Cornucopia Egg Scorecard. We still require all other shell eggs (duck, quail, etc) to be from birds that have been fed only Non-GMO or Organic feed. Our only active SKUs that are not compliant with this updated policy on the shelf today are Non-GMO Project Verified from current partners that have Organic Eggs with a 4+ rating from Cornucipia. These SKUs will remain on shelf, but any new liquid or shell chicken eggs that we bring on must comply with the updated policy. Thank you to Michele Marchetti at Cornucopia for working on this with myself and Maren Giuliano.

Today during the NOSB meeting the Board is discussing how DL-methionine (a synthetic form of the amino acid) is allowed in organic poultry. The Board notes that having DL-methionine is a welfare issue – and it is, to a point, because without an amount of methionine in the diet birds often turn cannibalistic among other health issues. Unfortunately, something essential is missing from the welfare conversation: what is actually a "natural" diet for chickens? Chickens are not vegetarians, and yet most of our commercial chicken diets (including organic) are vegetarian – mostly cereals and legumes. Insects and animal protein are a natural source of methionine. Organic chickens get outdoor access which gives them some potential access to insects, but it's often nowhere near enough to support our modern birds (which can produce 300+ eggs per lifetime). And some organic poultry get much higher quality outdoor access than others. In the wild, chickens would be eating a diet that consists of seeds, vegetation, insects, and other small animals. Why don’t we feed organic chickens insects directly? Black soldier flies, for example, are an incredible way to turn a low value or waste product into an incredible protein source – lessening our reliance on corn-soy mono-cropping in both conventional and organic agriculture. Adding insects would improve poultry welfare and provide an environmental benefit. Insects are the future! To follow along with the NOSB’s discussion on DL-methionine, you can find Cornucopia’s detailed notes here:

The Cornucopia Institute was mentioned in a recent Wall Street Journal article about the cost of chicken. Organic chicken comes from farms that receive onsite inspections yearly (as do all organic farms). Organic chicken also must meet certain animal welfare requirements, and the birds receive feed grown without toxic pesticides (making it safer for consumers and less damaging to the environment). What do you most want to know about organic chicken? See the article here: https://lnkd.in/gVipDcgY

Humbled to be with Real Organic farmers at Churchtown Dairy in Hudson, New York today. There's a great value in our collective observations and curiosity.

In appreciation of all our new subscribers, here is another issue of The Checkout #GroceryUpdate for the week. Some thoughts about specialty food. Please subscribe! https://lnkd.in/gxPJVKvh

A few months ago, we were honored to be the location of The Cornucopia Institute's latest advertisement, produced by Small Hill Films. Parts of the commercial were shot at nearby Seven Stars Farm, our flagship Kimberton Whole Foods store, and even our founder’s home! ? The Cornucopia Institute is a non-profit consumer education and watchdog organization that advocates for an organic label consumers can trust. We're proud to support their work. Check out the video here: https://lnkd.in/eMSEcJQ3

I really love seeing something I designed out there in the world, so I couldn't resist making a little unboxing video with my Mountain Rose Herbs order. I hope everyone who received the Independent Organic Brand List was equally delighted.

The Cornucopia Institute uncovers the truth behind organic food and advocates for an organic label you can trust. This week's episode of the Food For You and the Planet podcast features the Cornucopia Institute's Policy Director, Kestrel Burcham JD. We explore why it's important to support USDA Certified Organic farmers, how to uphold organic integrity, and some of the helpful scorecards the Cornucopia Institute creates to highlight some of the most sustainable and ethical organic producers in the industry. Thank you Kestrel for an enlightening interview! #podcast #food #environment #health #sustainability #organic