January, 2011

Bud Sholts and Jeffrey Gain: The Truth About Hemp!- Jan 24,2011

Most people think that hemp is synonymous with marijuana. In fact, when it comes to purchasing hemp garments or foods, the general public seems to believe that you can get high from its consumption. People have often jokingly quipped, “if I buy it, do I just wear it and then smoke it when I’m done with it?” The truth is, you could burn it all you want but are not going to get “high” from it. This is one of the most common falsehoods about hemp.

Hemp has been grown for at least the last 12,000 years for fiber (textiles and paper) and food. Oddly enough, it has been effectively prohibited in the United States since the 1950s. Did you know that our founding fathers used hemp? George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper. Jefferson even drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper. Henry Ford experimented with hemp to build car bodies. He wanted to build and fuel cars from farm products. BMW is experimenting with hemp materials in automobiles as part of an effort to make cars more recyclable.

According to The North American Hemp Industrial Hemp Council (http://naihc.org), the hemp plant is harvested for its fibers, seed, seed meal and seed oil. Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa L. Due to the similar leaf shape, hemp is frequently confused with marijuana. Although both plants are from the species cannabis, hemp contains virtually no THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana. Hemp cannot be used as a drug because it produces virtually no THC (less than 1%), where marijuana produces between 5 - 20 % THC. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Erwin A. "Bud" Sholts, NAIHC Chairman and agricultural policy expert, Jeffrey W. Gain. If you want to learn more about this biblical fiber and the controversy involved, stay tuned!

Mighty-O Donuts: Proving To The World That Organic And Vegan Can Be Delicious!- Jan 21,2011

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For years, I have been listening to my organic Good Food Friend, Dennis Weaver, who, subsequently was named by my esteemed colleague, Dan Bolton, the “Organic Zealot,” talk about his favorite donut shop in the world, Mighty-O Donuts. In New York, where Entenmann’s has been a household staple before I was even born, the thought of an organic donut was just unheard of, unless, you have a great recipe and can make them yourself.

With commercials claiming that “The World Runs on Dunkin,®” I found it rather comical that my vegan friends so nicely began to promote how the world runs FROM Dunkin in their Dunkincruelty.com campaign in an effort to get them to offer vegan donuts. People assume that anything organic, much less anything vegan has to taste awful and people will never buy it. The days of organic being strictly for the hippies who sport Birkenstocks and tie dyes are over. Organic is here to stay!

One day donut connoisseur, Ryan Kellner, searched to find a donut that did not contain all of the preservatives and additives that are used to make donuts. To his dismay, he could not find one bakery, brand or mix. So, he decided that donut lovers deserved to enjoy a donut that is made with organic ingredients and created his own bakery called Mighty-O Donuts (http://www.mightyo.com). His donuts contain no chemical preservatives, no hydrogenated oils (no trans fats), no colorings or artificial flavors and no animal derived ingredients, which also make them cholesterol free. They refuse to compromise their ingredient standards and strive to produce quality donuts that taste good with each bite.

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will talk to Ryan Kellner about his quest for making organic donuts a new American favorite. So grab a cup of hot organic coffee and stay tuned!

John Peter Thompson: Oplismenus Menaces the Mid Atlantic- Jan 20,2011

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Gardeners and farmers well know the effect of unwanted garden pests such as crab grass, corn borers, Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, Japanese beetles and Jimson weed. When it comes to referring to a species that is explosive, they are simply referred to as a “weed” when in fact, these plants are notoriously invasive. Everyone is in agreement that they are bad, reduce harvest and damage flowers, and need to be controlled even to the extent of stopping the introduction at the national borders. There is a whole list of pathogens, plants and insects, as well as reptiles and mammals that are prohibited for sale or import in the United States. We are very protective of our personal ecological spaces and our individual landscapes. However, when it comes to natural areas, our collective landscape literacy is abysmal. We give little thought to the weeds of nature, the pests of natural ecosystems or the dangers that non indigenous species may inflict on natural areas. We have the idea that nature can absorb anything we throw over the garden fence including old plants and unwanted pets. We discard our excesses without assessing the risks.

Then there is the whole world of invasive species. In North America’s East Coast, three plants are altering the arrangement of species relationships in natural areas and more often than not impacting our managed gardens too. These species are spreading like an out of control fire. Wavyleaf basket grass, Japanese Stilt grass and Kudzu are spreading through our natural systems creating monocultures and creating novel ecosystems with uninvestigated impacts on nature’s ecosystem services.

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Invasive species and Horticultural expert, John Peter Thompson, who is President of the National Agricultural Research Alliance (http://www.NARA-B.org ). John Peter will discuss this menace and what you can do to prevent your landscape from being overrun.

Jean Kelsey: Why Chocolate Really Is Good For You!- Jan 19,2011

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Jean Kelsey lived with debilitating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Irritable Bowl Syndrome, had pain in her body for many years and developed a resistance to antibiotics from being sick most of the time. Her doctors did not advocate supplements or guide her towards ways to improve her health but did suggest she eat better. Not really understanding what 'eating better' meant she continued to get sick, gain weight, and just tried to make it from one day to the next. She slept 10 hours or more every day and just tried to get through each day. In December 2008, she developed another sinus infection that quickly turned into Bronchitis and walking pneumonia. Her doctor prescribed a very strong antibiotic that worked but the side effects of the drug made it difficult to be a functioning human being. The doctor actually told her that if this wasn’t effective, she could opt for a medication that had to be administered intravenously. The thought of potentially dying prematurely due to a low immune system and antibiotic resistance simply haunted her.

In February 2009, she was introduced to the idea that chocolates possessed medicinal properties and were not just a junk food. She began eating probiotic chocolates in March 2009. She faithfully ate them 3 times a day and rapidly began to feel different. Jean had more energy and was not sleeping better. The pain in her body began to subside. A few months later the CFS and IBS also seemed to be gone.

Jean is a major skeptic and a hard sell on anything yet these chocolates seemed to be doing something no doctor could ever do and set out on a mission to understand why. Is there any truth to chocolate having medicinal properties? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to chocolate health expert Jean Kelsey of Gourmet Healthy Chocolates (www.gourmethealthychocolates.com) to discuss the healthful benefits of chocolate. Stay tuned!

Horticulture Expert, John Peter Thompson On Winter Plant Care - Jan 18,2011

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One of the best things about winter is being able to sit back, relax and sift through magazines, brochures and pamphlets for the upcoming garden season. Every time I see a new catalog with cool gadgets and varieties of seeds that I have not grown, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling in anticipation of the day when I can til my soil again. During the winter, most gardeners take time out at some point to review and assess everything that worked and did not work in last year’s garden. As exciting as it may be to review new plants, there is a great amount of care that still needs to be given to your current houseplants as well as other plants that are being overwintered. This can wind up being an arduous task that may or may not be worth all the effort by the time Spring rolls around. The psychological, physical and environmental benefits of gardening are year round, and the challenges of growing with your plants are part of the fun. Gardening is like music and dance, never stationary always moving always changing. Gardening indoors or out is not about creating a static tableau but about embracing change, loving life. It could even be equated to cooking. To have a great garden, you need a recipe or plan, proper tools, great organic ingredients that are properly mixed together and are all seasoned with experience. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Horticultural expert, John Peter Thompson, who is President of the National Agricultural Research Alliance (http://www.NARA-B.org ) to discuss the care of winter plants and other plants that you may be overwintering. If you want to learn how the experts organize for the next growing season. Stay tuned!

AnimalWorldUSA.org kicks off 1st Annual India Weeks for the Animals

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With over 1 billion people, the idea of having a pet is still a relatively new idea to India. There is no such thing as infrastructure for pet adoption, TNR (Trap-neuter-release) much less how to cope with such a large animal population. Subsequently, India has one of the highest rates of rabies.

One of the common problems concerns “community dogs” which are dogs that simply roam the streets is that they are reproducing rapidly and are also being killed mercilessly whether by government animal control or by cars,etc . There is very little concern for these animals as there is such fierce competition for food.

Then there is the poaching problem where the illegal animal trade has thrived into almost a $10 billion dollar trade. Anything large enough to be eaten or lucrative enough to be sold is hunted on a massive scale for its meat, skin, fur or feathers, for the pet trade, or as an ingredient in traditional medicines. There are so many animal welfare and animal rights issues that clearly the public needs to be continuously informed.

Michelle Buckalew founded AnimalWorldUSA.org (http://www.animalworldusa.org/) in order to create animal welfare awareness for regional issues as well as global issues. Throughout the year, different states and countries are being celebrated with events that are organized and promoted for an entire weeklong celebration. January 14-31st kicks of the 1st annual weeks for the animals in India!

The India Weeks for the Animals team http://indiaanimals.org/ is connecting and working with advocates and community leaders across India. They anticipate shining the spotlight on organizations, as well as helping in any way possible promoting life-saving and life-changing events that will help communities in beautiful India. Throughout the week sanctuaries, animal shelters, humane organizations, rescue groups, agencies, educational institutions, and businesses throughout the India will be hosting scores of wonderful animal-related special events. Educators, students, businesses and caring citizens will be joining in, creating and planning exciting activities to celebrate and help build awareness for the animals. Events will include issue-building events, adoption fairs, spay/neuter awareness events, vegetarian/vegan events, vaccinations, activities for farm animals & wildlife and therapy dogs events. Also to be included are a salute to service dogs, animal conference, educational programs, blessings for the animals, and fun-filled festival days for families to come and enjoy food, music and the always amazing animals!

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Eileen Weintraub, Help Animals India, Founder and President (http://www.helpanimalsindia.org) If you want to find out more about this wonderful, first time event and how to get involved, stay tuned!

Jordan Michael Schuster: The Art of Making Fearless Chocolate - Jan 14,2011

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In order to create a major change in an industry, a great deal of cooperation from large groups of people who are willing to move in the same direction at the same time is required. This can take a very long time to make even the smallest difference. What if the concept for starting a business was based upon making a difference in the world by embracing the challenges already associated with a highly saturated market? This is exactly the direction of Fearless Chocolate. FEARLESS is an expression of their company’s approach in life and in business. They have an unwavering commitment to honor the environment, to honor their employees, and to honor the integrity of their chocolate. They seek to boldly go where no chocolate company has gone before. Fearless has a commitment to craft bold products in each flavor, design and food politics. They strive to achieve sustainability at every level of sourcing, design and manufacturing, as they aim to populate the visual landscape with a warm and vibrant set of chocolate bars. Their packaging is even crafted from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and will bio-degrade within 6 months. Fearless also donates a 1% “bite” of their annual profits to change-making organizations suggested by our customers.

In the community of raw chocolatiers, only FEARLESS offers a proprietary source of cacao, independent from the 3 network imported varieties available to the greater market (Peru, Ecuador, Bali). All FEARLESS ingredients are 100% Organic and Kosher certified. Fearless also chooses not to use agave and instead opts to use rapadura. Rapadura is an organic, minerally intact, whole-cane sugar from Brazil. Beyond fresh whole sugar cane, Rapadura is the closest thing to a “raw”, unrefined sugar on the planet.

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jordan Michael Schuster, CEO of Fearless Chocolate (http://www.fearlesschocolate.com ) to discuss the unique process of making gourmet raw vegan chocolate that is good for you while making a positive impact on the environment! Stay tuned!

Joe Augusto and Joaquin Contente: Why The Federal Ethanol Program Will Make Food Prices Soar - Jan 13,2011

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The Federal Ethanol Program is a $6 billion dollar program that is funded by tax payers’ dollars. Recently, Al Gore even changed his position and is now opposing the program because it takes just as much gas and diesel to produce the ethanol and will negatively impact the price of feed. Because of the increase in feed prices, dairy farmers will not be able to afford to keep up with production costs which will result in a milk shortage. This in turn, will impact all food production as prices soar in what is still a very weak economy. The bottom line is that the Federal Ethanol Program does not make sense economically and will contribute to creating a food shortage. Is this really making tax dollars work or making them work specifically for special interest groups? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Joseph Augusto, President of the California Dairy Campaign and Joaquin Contente, President of the California Farmers Union to discuss the crisis dairy farmers are facing and how this is going to affect your wallet! Stay tuned!

Susan Thixton- The Truth About Pet Food: Improving Pet Health in 2011 - Jan 12,2011

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Pets are a huge part of our life and as such, pet food is a $53 billion dollar industry. For some people, animal companions are the only family they have. Yet people still feed their cats and dogs anything that they would eat, including fast food. This is not a wise idea. Other people go shopping and simply select the food with the lowest price thinking that their pet isn’t going to mind anyway and after all, they should be lucky they are being fed. Sadly, this is a reality. Animals simply cannot speak for themselves and we are therefore in charge of making the right choices when it comes to feeding our pets. When you feed your pets poor food choices, they may get very sick. Over the course of a long period of time they may even develop diseases such as heart disease to cancer. The loss of a pet is something heartbreaking and prevention is the only solution. However, as consumers, it gets very confusing as far as what you should do because there are so many products on the market that range from pet weight loss to supplements that are supposed to increase the vim and vigor in each step your dog takes, etc., etc.. Sometimes these products will do more damage than good. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will talk to world renowned pet food expert, Susan Thixton, Founder of Truth About Pet Food (http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com) how pet owners can improve the health of their pets in 2011 by making better choices about pet food. She will also explore the weight loss products for pets, how a pet owner can determine if their pet is overweight and what options you really have. Stay tuned!

Kayla Fioravanti- Essential Oils: Aphrodisiac or Love Potion No 9? - Jan 11,2011

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Love is in the air. With the upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration approaching, people are on the look-out for the latest method in hopes of attracting someone special. Love is something everyone deserves and everyone desires. Often, people will try all sorts of things to help stimulate the natural attraction capacity that human beings possess. Some go to online dating services, some simply light candles. Remember that classic song Love Potion No 9? The quest never ends! Many people feel that aphrodisiacs are a natural way to do this. An aphrodisiac is simply a substance used to increases sexual desire. Often people will consume certain foods such as oysters, strawberries and chocolate in hopes of enhancing the mood. The ancient Egyptians would eat wild prickly lettuce Lactuca virosa and Lactuca serriola to please the God Min (or Pan. It is said that the domestic version Lactuca sativa also has aphrodisiac and even opiate qualities. Cleopatra was known to use rose essential oil to seduce her lovers. There is a custom in Indonesia, in which flowers of Ylang Ylang are laid out on the bed of newlyweds, in an attempt to stimulate passion. So, are these practices simply just a bunch of myths or is there some scientific truth to this? Which is better? Should you eat something in its natural form or use an essential oil? Are essential oils as potent as eating a particular food or smelling a particular scent? In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Kayla Fioravanti, Chief Formulator from Essential Wholesale Labs (http://www.EssentialWholesale.com) and also the star of the hit series on YouTube, Kitchen Chemistry with Kayla will discuss with June Stoyer our host, the myths and science behind essential oils and their effects. She will also discuss several do it yourself recipes that you can make at home so you can prepare yourself for this coming Valentine’s Day! Stay tuned!

Monica Ralli: Turning Urthbags Into High Fashion - Jan 10,2011

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The handbag is a key accessory that women use not only to tote their essentials but also to proclaim who they are and what they are about. Each woman is different and the style of the bag certainly reflects an individual’s personality. The brand of bag especially signifies a particular affinity for style, taste and financial status. However, most women never give much thought to the amount of waste regarding the production of handbags much less what is done with all of these high end fashion bags once they are no longer in style. One day, Monica Ralli opened her closet door to find that she had quite a collection of handbags and had come to a realization that all of these bags are so extremely wasteful. They are produced from materials that are contributing to the pollution of our earth and the waste is expanding the size of our landfills. So, she decided to do something about it and created UrthBags (http://www.urthbags.com) In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Monica Ralli will discuss with June Stoyer, how UrthBags has been working with co-operatives around the globe to recycle everything from juice containers, phone books, newspapers, glossy magazines, hand collected shells and packaging waste materials to make some really high end handbags that are now being sold in some of the finest hotels in the world. To find out more about how she started her company, the challenges of reaching a high end market, working with global co-operatives and what it is like to create a successful business model during a very tough economy, stay tuned!

Zak Zaidman: The Social Justice of Organic and Conscious Capitalism - Jan 07,2011

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Each week, when you do your grocery shopping, you are almost guaranteed to find certain foods that will be available any time of the day all throughout the year. Whether it is a bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, a can of beans or a bunch of yellow bananas, these commonplace foods are expected to be conveniently available. However, most people do not give much thought to what is required in order to make such foods so commonly accessible. In many countries, there are large corporations that saturate the forests and farmland with pesticides as they exploit the labor of the farmers including young children. This is all for the unappreciated luxury of a purchasing a yellow banana at any given time throughout the year. However, there are still some small farmers who take care of the land as though it were an extension of their own bodies and the lifeline of their existence. These farmers truly care for the land in every regard because they always expect to live there. They simply want the land to remain pristine and pure. Unfortunately, these farmers are a dying breed and being forced to sell their land because they are completely unable to compete with the giant corporations that they compete with in the global market. Zak Zaidman, CEO of Kopali Organics (http://www.kopaliorganics.com) is determined to do something about this. His company supports thousands of sustainable farmers and their communities in nearly a dozen countries around the world. Kopali supports organic family farmers and their communities by connecting them with the growing market of people who care about the quality of the food they eat as well as the social and environmental conditions under which it is grown, produced and traded. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Zak Zaidman will discuss how Kopali Organics works towards social justice in which business can and must move beyond being harmful, and even beyond becoming responsible, in order to serve as a healing force in our world.

A Day At The Mind Spa With Lydia Proschinger & Ariaa Jaeger - Jan 06,2011

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It is a new year and with it comes new stresses. People that have made their New Year’s resolutions have already begun to succumb to failure because they lack balance. They are already off their diets, smoking twice as much, stressing out over the smallest problem, etc. Emotional balance is mandatory in an age where there never seems to be enough time, money or energy. So, how exactly can you achieve balance and more importantly remain grounded and calm when things are really going out of control? It doesn’t matter if it's work, family or friends. Sometimes, it's difficult to cope. However, there are ways to achieve emotional balance. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Advanced EFT Practitioner and Host of Living La Vida Healthy, Lydia Proschinger will join Author, Ariaa Jaeger who is an Executive Life Counselor and Motivational Speaker. They will discuss methods for emotional detoxification, New Year’s Resolutions vs. Resolves, what determines how much energy we "leak" and finding relief. Lydia Proschinger is an expert EFT practitioner who specializes in working with high profile clientele which includes: celebrities, C-level executives, ex-Pats, and other high net-worth individuals whom she assists in their efforts to maintain an energetic balance, which enables them to achieve maximum efficiency. Please visit her site at http://www.life-procoaching.com . Ariaa Jaeger (http://Ariaa.com)is an Executive Life Counselor, Motivational Speaker, Intuitive and singer who has made a global impact on the masses with her special blend of wisdom, humor & accurate prophecy. Her "Ariaaisms Spiritual Food for the Soul" and "Ariaa Quotes" have significantly impacted millions in social media. She inspires and teaches others to “LOVE OUTLOUD” and has drawn a huge following as a result of living that very message. She is also an animal rights activist, environmentalist and humanitarian. She sang at the UN’s Spirit Awards & has a new CD of covers "Absolute Ariaa".

Lisa Welko: Why You Should Stop Losing Weight and Start Losing Fat - Jan 05,2011

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“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.” Author Unknown It is amazing how many people become focused when it comes to a particular date or timeframe. Whether it is an upcoming wedding, a vacation in Hawaii or simply to start a brand new year with a resolution to lose weight, people set goals that seem to be great for a while but then peter out. As a society, we have evolved into people that only embrace much needed change when the pressure is on. That is something that needs to clearly change. The thought process is where it needs to begin. Although there are countless workout videos, miracle equipment, muscle gyms and dieting products on the market, none of them seem to accomplish much other than draining your bank account. Lisa Welko, CEO of Ellipse Fitness (http://www.ellipsefitness.com), the hottest, rapidly growing, innovative fitness and weight loss franchise club, has been determined to change is. Lisa has a different perspective entirely because she educates as she motivates her clients. She has helped so many people implement the right kinds of changes that they need through education and communication. Her team will even call you if you miss a day at the gym to keep the communication flowing and help you move forward to achieve success! In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Lisa will discuss what is coming down the pike in the world of fitness and why you really need to understand the complexity of your own metabolism in order to stop losing weight and start losing the fat!

Author, Gunther Hauk: Toward Saving the Honeybee. Can We Reverse The Decline? - Jan 04,2011

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Honeybees are critical to our existence because they are the most important pollinators. The honeybee is responsible for pollinating more than ¾ of our agricultural food and without them, life as we know it would diminish. There is a disease called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) which has been baffling bee keepers and scientists alike. While there is no known cure at this point, there are also many hypotheses about the actual cause. Many environmentalists, organic advocates and apiary experts, however, have clearly connected the dots between the negative impact of genetically modified crops such as corn, wheat, rice and soybeans and the agricultural pollution caused by pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, etc. to the contributing factors causing CCD. Author and Master Beekeeper, Gunther Hauk has been a teacher, lecturer, biodynamic gardener and beekeeper for more than thirty-five years. He co-founded the Pfeiffer Center in Chestnut Ridge, NY in 1996 and Spikenard Farm, Inc., (http://www.SpikenardFarm.org)a non-profit honeybee sanctuary in 2006 which is located in the Floyd, VA. Over the last three decades, he has given many workshops on the successful use of biodynamic principles in gardening and sustainable beekeeping methods throughout the United States. In his book “Toward Saving the Honeybee” (2002) he calls for a radical change from current approaches to beekeeping. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, Gunther will discuss his book and explain the radical change needed in bee keeping to prevent Colony Collapse Disorder and the further decimation of honeybees.

Dennis Weaver: Your Ultimate Organic Good Food Guide - Jan 03,2011

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Across America, people still will wait on line to hit the drive thru at Mc Donald’s but when it comes to making the right choice between buying organic and non-organic, most are still clueless. They look for pretty packages and colorful images on the box without really understanding what it is that they are buying. Then you have the mystery foods that are chock filled with high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate and other interesting ingredients that belong in your child’s science fair project, not on your child’s school lunch menu! Well, one man named Dennis Weaver, has decided to reach the children and teach them what their Wii just can’t ...how to read your labels and make better food choices! He founded an organization called Change Your Food - Change Your Life™ (http://www.changeyourfood.com) in which he uses a fun, musical and educational approach to understanding what organic is about and how to make better food choices. Dennis is also a much loved columnist for NaturalFoodNet.com and is well known as the ultimate Good Food Guide. If you want to kick off the new year the right way and understand what organic is all about, tune in to learn how to shop better, eat better and live better as Dennis Weaver, your Good Food Guide kicks off 2011 in this segment of The Organic View Radio Show.