Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: California Heritage Museum, Michele Clark, organic, organically grown, Spring Forward, Sunset Sessions, Tarzana, Whitebread, Whole Foods, Whole Foods Tarzana
Please remember to “Spring Forward” this Sunday by setting your clocks ahead. You may lose some sleep, but you’ll enjoy the extra hour of daylight.
After you’ve adjusted and if you happen to be in the neighborhood, please come visit Organically Grown at the Whole Foods in Tarzana, CA. We will be there from 12-6pm, showcasing our locally made organic women’s tops.
Also, come join us every Tuesday night at the California Heritage Museum’s Market and Food Truck Night. Organically Grown will be there from 5-9pm, selling our organic products at a special price!
A special thank you to the brilliant Michele Clark, founder of Sunset Sessions, for allowing us to offer a discount on Organically Grown to the attendees of last month’s Sunset Sessions in San Francisco. Rumor has it that the long-awaited return of Whitebread to the stage stole the show!
by Bob Stein, founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Certified Organic, National Resources Defense Council, organic, Organic Food, organically grown, pesticides, Stanford
Stanford University scientists recently published a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine comparing the benefits of organic versus non-organic food, concluding that they “did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives.”
Some people may view this study as a reason to not buy organic products. However, in my mind, nutrition was never the reason to buy organic to begin with, and this study just brings us further away from the real reasons to buy and eat organic.
The main reason you should eat organic is so that you and your family consume as little GMOs, pesticides, and other toxins as possible. Even the Stanford researchers concluded that consuming organic food reduces your risk of consuming pesticides by 30%. So while Stanford concluded that there is no difference in nutrients…Ask yourself this: Do I want to consume more toxins, now that I know that they’re just as nutritious as the organic version? That would not be logical.
Beyond our own health and nutrition, buying organic means “to respect the land your food came from,” as the Atlantic wrote in their response to the study. Another crucial reason to buy organic is to encourage environmentally sustainable farming practices, which are more healthy for not only our environment, but for the farm workers who are no longer exposed to the toxic chemicals they otherwise would have sprayed on the food.
As the National Resources Defense Council wrote: “Pesticide or fertilizer laden runoff from farmlands washes into rivers, lakes, and streams, contaminating waterways, and destroying habitat. Many pesticides are also toxic to health, and have been linked to respiratory problems, neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, cancer and reproductive problems. Every year, farm workers and people living near conventional farms suffer from poisonings and serious health effects from pesticide spraying.”
So, reduce your consumption of toxins, protect the environment and the farm workers, stop contaminating the waterways and water supply. Eating and wearing organic accomplishes this. You do not have to attend Stanford to excercise common sense.
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: A. Jay Popoff, Art Alexakis, Billy Corgan, Bon Jovi, Bushwalla, Cheating Daylight, Chris Wrightsman, Everclear, Greek Theater, Havoc TV, Jesse Billauer, Jim Lindberg, Kevin Baldes, Liberty Bottles, Life Rolls On, Lit, Livin’ on a Prayer, Michele Clark, MusiCares, organic, organically grown, Pennywise, Peter Bunetta, Playing for Change, Richie Sambora, Ryan Clark, Shireen Janti-Reid, Smashing Pumpkins, Sunset Sessions, Sunset Sessions Rock, The Parlotones, Wanted Dead or Alive
The Organically Grown team just returned from Michele Clark’s second annual Sunset Sessions Rock!, where we were a proud co-sponsor of the event.
There was a lot of great music from both emerging artists and rock legends such as Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, who dazzled the women of Organically Grown. Richie played some of his new songs on his solo album set to be released on September 4, as well as some of the classic Bon Jovi hits that he co-wrote, such as “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive.”
Also performing at the event were Lit and Everclear, who are co-headlining the Summerland tour, which stops in LA tommorow at the legendary Greek Theater. In addition, the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan was the keynote speaker.
I was proud to be on the “Creating Change” panel, along with Shireen Janti-Reid from MusiCares, Jesse Billauer from Life Rolls On, lead singer of Pennywise Jim Lindberg from Havoc TV, Bushwalla, Ryan Clark from Liberty Bottles, and legendary record producer Peter Bunetta from Playing for Change.
During the panel, moderator Chris Wrightsman challenged me to see if I could still rap, and I put the doubters to rest. A YouTube video of the panel will be released soon.
I interviewed over 30 bands, with the mission of educating them about the hundreds of millions of pounds of pesticides used in conventional cotton, and how at Organically Grown, we take those toxins out of our products and out of the environment.
We will post these interviews on our YouTube channel in the next few weeks, so stay tuned! The biggest star of them all is Michele Clark…for pulling off an amazing event once again!
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
PS – Be sure to check out our Facebook page for our full album of Sunset Sessions Rock photos!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Art Alexakis, Billy Corgan, California, Dead Sara, Get Naked or Go Organic, Jim Lindberg, La Quinta, La Quinta Resort, Lit, Michele Clark, On the Green Carpet, organically grown, Palm Springs, Richie Sambora, Sunset Sessions, Sunset Sessions Rocks
The Organically Grown team will be at the beautiful La Quinta Resort in La Quinta, California, where we are excited to be a sponsor of the second annual Sunset Sessions Rocks! From Thursday through Saturday, the top tastemakers in the music industry will gather to hear live performances from both emerging and established rock & roll recording artists, including Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, Lit, Everclear’s Art Alexakis, Dead Sara, Jim Lindberg, and the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan.
Stay tuned, as Organically Grown will be tweeting live from the Green Carpet at Sunset Sessions! We will be asking the artists to “Get Naked or Go Organic!” and if they are wearing something not made of organic cotton, they either have to get naked or put on an organic t-shirt from Organically Grown! For videos of artists such as Jimmy Clif, Nate Reuss from Fun., and Brandon & Leah “Getting Naked or Going Organic” at this past February’s Sunset Sessions, please visit the Organically Grown YouTube channel here.
In addition, I am honored to be a part of the “Creating Change” panel, along with Shireen Janti-Reid from MusiCares, Jesse Bilauer from Life Rolls On, Jim Lindberg from Havoc Cares, Bushwalla, Ryan Clark from Liberty Bottles, and Peter Bunetta from Playing for Change.
We will keep you posted, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-the-minute insanity, great photos, and videos.
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Beef, Beef Products Inc., BPI, Burger King, Change.org, Green, Jamie Oliver, Kroger, Lean Beef Trimming, McDonald's, organically grown, Pink Slime, Safeway, USDA, Walmart
Today, Beef Products Inc., the company that manufactures beef product known as “Pink Slime,” announced that they would close three of their four manufacturing plants that make what they refer to as “Lean Beef Trimmings.” According to the Change.org petition that brought attention to the Pink Slime controversy, “’Pink slime’ is the term used for a mixture of beef scraps and connective tissue (formerly used only for pet food and rendering) that is treated with ammonia hydroxide to remove pathogens like salmonella and E coli.” After treating the mixture, it is blended into ground beef and hamburger patties.
Disgust over the Pink Slime publicized by Change.org and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver quickly led to thousands of people signing the petition, and sharing their outrage across various social media channels. In turn, fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Burger King as well as supermarkets like Kroger, Safeway, and Walmart have announced that they will no longer carry ground beef containing “Lean Beef Trimmings” from BPI.
You know, I wish they would sell the Pink Slime separately. I’ve been really curious if you can blow bubbles with it like bubble gum…just like my brothers and I used to do with the mozzarella on our eggplant parmesan until my mother would yell at us for being morons.
But thanks to the USDA for keeping pink slime alive. According to the Huffington Post’s article today, they plan to order about seven million pounds of Lean Beef Trimmings for the national school lunch program. So eat up all you lucky kids in America…You’ve been slimed!
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Equal Rights, Lynda Carter, organic, organic cotton, organically grown, Superhero, Women's Rights, Wonder Woman
This ad appeared in the November 1977 edition of Seventeen magazine featuring Lynda Carter as the spokesperson for Organically Grown. At the time, Lynda was the star of the hit TV show Wonder Woman. In the seventies, women fought for equal rights, such as the basic freedom to earn the same salary as a man for doing the same job. Even though Wonder Woman had been a popular comic book character for many years prior, it was Lynda’s role as Wonder Woman in the seventies that made the world believe that a woman could be a superhero. Ms. Carter was the perfect choice to represent Organically Grown… strong, independent, confident and beautiful…standing tall in the American way.
Today Organically Grown is in the middle of a different struggle. Day by day, more and more people learn of the toxins in their foods, but now it is our job to inform them of the hundreds of millions of pounds of toxins used to conventionally grow the cotton they wear, and the disastarous effect its production has on our planet. Organic cotton removes these toxins, and the clothes we sell at www.shoporganicallygrown.com are made from 100% organic cotton.
So be a superhero like Wonder Woman, and help us spread the word about the power of organic cotton and all the amazing things we are doing at Organically Grown. And to all the women of the world…don’t give up the fight!
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Agape International, Billboard, Brandon and Leah, Brothers of Brazil, Bushwalla, Cafe Gratitude, Chipotle, Conor Gaffney, Drug the Kids, Erica Krusen, Everest, Fun, Get Naked or Go Organic, Glenn Alexander, Incan Abraham, James Morris, Jason Mraz, Jim Lindberg, Jimmy Cliff, Kevin Lyman, LP, Makepeace Brothers, Marc Scibilia, Marit Larsen, May I Be Frank, Michael Beckwith, Michele Clark, Moon Taxi, MusiCares, organic, organic cotton, organically grown, Pennywise, Pras, Rancho Bernardo Inn, Rumer, San Diego, Sara Milonovich, Shawn Pereira, Slatr, Stephen Powers, Sunset Sessions, The Chamilions, The Dirt Drifters, The Parlotones, The Pierces, The Villains, Tyrone Wells, Vans Warped Tour, Yuna, ZZ Ward
The 15th annual Sunset Sessions is now a beautiful memory. Held this year at San Diego’s luxurious Rancho Bernardo Inn, Michele Clark’s Sunset Sessions is a music industry event that gives recording artists a chance to be heard by music supervisors and radio programmers. I would like to thank all of the great recording artists who stopped by the Organically Grown booth. We asked all of the musicians to “Get Naked or Go Organic,” choosing to take off their non-organic tees and replace it with one of Organically Grown’s organic t-shirts. Cotton covers 2.5% of the world’s farmable land, and is the world’s second most heavily sprayed crop; conventional cotton requires 1/3 pound of toxic chemicals to make just one t-shirt, adding up to hundreds of millions of pounds each year. I was surprised that the concept of organic cotton and organic clothing was new to so many artists, but then again, that’s why we were there…to let the creative community know about the destruction caused by conventional cotton production, because they are the ones with the voice who will get the message out!
The "Creating Change" panelists
I don’t know how Michele Clark manages to do all the amazing things she does, in putting together this event each year. We met with so many amazing new and emerging artists, and it was especially satisfying to meet and interview reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. It was also great to be on the “Creating Change” panel with Conor Gaffney from Café Gratitude & co-producer of May I Be Frank, Stephen Powers from Agape International, Bushwalla, Erica Krusen from MusiCares and Jim Lindberg, the former lead singer from the band Pennywise. Also on the panel was my dear friend Kevin Lyman, who made the 60-plus tour buses on the Vans Warped Tour change to biodiesel fuel when, at the time, it was not the most economical thing to do.
Jason Mraz perfroming "I'm Yours"
Jason Mraz lit up the stage with an intimate concert catered by Chipotle, who use fresh avocados grown on Jason’s orchard to make their guacamole, and use about 25% organic beans in their food. Jason got his big break at Sunset Sessions with “I’m Yours,” which would eventually be nominated for a Grammy Award, and would spend 76 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100, breaking the record for the most weeks spent on the chart. As a major star, it was great to have Jason back as an alumni. From everything I know about him, from spiritually supporting the musical efforts of his friends like the Makepeace Brothers and Bushwalla, as well as Michele’s efforts, more important than being a star, he is a gentleman.
Lucinda Williams performing
Thanks again to Michele for allowing Organically Grown to be a sponsor of this amazing event, and to all the artists who performed, and whom we interviewed. Not only did we get to interview many amazing artists, it turns out we have made friends. We will be posting the videos of these interviews in the next few weeks.
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Agave International, Bushwalla, Cafe Gratitude, Chris Wrightsman, Conor Gaffney, Erica Krusen, Eve 6, Everlast, Jason Mraz, Jim Lindberg, Jimmy Cliff, Kevin Lyman, Lucinda Williams, May I Be Frank, MusiCares, organically grown, Pennywise, San Diego, Stephen Powers, Sunset Sessions, Vans Warped Tour, Wayne Coyne
Organically Grown is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s Sunset Sessions, to be held Feb. 16-18 in San Diego. Recording artists, radio program directors (the people who decide what songs are played on the radio), record company executives, and music supervisors (the people who help decide what songs will be placed in films, television, commercials and video games) will convene to listen to performances by both well known and up and coming recording artists. The roster includes Jason Mraz, Lucinda Williams, Everlast, Eve 6, Jimmy Cliff, Wayne Coyne and many new artists. There are 54 artists playing during three days and nights of music!
At Organically Grown, our greatest challenge is to get the message out as to the devastation caused by conventional cotton production. At Sunset Sessions, we will be asking artists to Get Naked or Go Organic. If they are wearing anything that is not organic, they either have to get naked or put on an organic cotton t-shirt by Organically Grown. It should be a lot of fun, while also getting out our message.
In addition, for the first time at Sunset Sessions, there will be a panel called Creating Change: Socially Spiritually and Environmentally, that I am proud to be a part of. Moderated by Sunset Sessions Manager Chris Wrightsman, the panelists include Conor Gaffney from Café Gratitude & May I Be Frank, Stephen Powers from Agave International, Bushwalla, Kevin Lyman, founder of the Vans Warped Tour (and one of the greatest guys in the world), Erica Krusen from MusiCares and Jim Lindberg, the former lead singer from the band Pennywise.
We will keep you posted, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-the-minute insanity, great photos, and videos during Sunset Sessions.
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Beagle Buddies, Bill Champlin, Bobby Kimball, Chicago, Dog Charity, Dog Food, Dogs, Ed Begley, Elliott Harvey, Great Life, Jasmin Gabay, Operation Blankets of Love, organically grown, Rachelle Carson-Begley, Saving K-9 Lives, Thanksgiving, The Healthy Holistic Dog, Toto
Organically Grown is proud to support the tireless efforts of our friends and neighbors Jasmin Gabay and Bobby Kimball, who created Saving K-9 Lives. Bobby is also the lead singer of the legendary rock band Toto. Saving K-9 Lives is an organization dedicated to promoting awareness of homeless animals in the US. Saving K-9 Lives is an active dog rescue, finding forever homes for precious canine lives!
Last week, Saving K-9 Lives filmed a PSA starring Ed Begley, Jr. and his lovely wife Rachelle Carson-Begley on the grounds of Organically Grown’s headquarters. Also present at the filming was Bill Champlin, former member of the iconic band Chicago. Saving K-9 Lives is also involved in promoting related charities, such as Operation Blankets of Love, Yorkies and Friends and Beagle Buddies.
Elliott Harvey, founder and CEO of Great Life dog food, was also on hand to provide his tasty treats to the canine celebrities. Elliott, who is the acclaimed author of “The Healthy Holistic Dog,” is devoted to providing the highest quality natural and organic pet food available.
And from Organically Grown’s “Bored of Directors” (Hero, Henry, Carlisle, and the big turkey in the middle!), we wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Going Postal, organically grown, Post Office, Priority Mail, United States Postal Service, USPS
I’d like to give a shout out to the US Postal Service. Recently they’ve been taking a lot of heat for losing money. All I know is that the postal workers in our community are helpful, dedicated and do a great job.
I consider the USPS to be a sister company to Organically Grown that efficiently and reliably delivers our packages to our customers on time as promised.
By Bob Stein, co-founder of Organically Grown
