Organic Food and Produce Byron Bay

Often in-store I get asked by holidays makers travelling south for a holiday where they can find good quality organic food and produce in Byron Bay. So it is with that question I have devised a list of businesses that provide the above mentioned.

Wild Bite Organic Biscuits 2/5 Ti-Tree Place 6680-9622	Byron Bay
Wholly Smoked Organic Butcher Jonson St 6685-6261	Byron Bay
Shambala Art of Healing Shop 4 Carlyle St 6680-7791	Byron Bay
Santos Health Foods for Organic Vegies 8 Lawson St 6685-7071	Byron Bay
Byron Farmers Market Butler Street Reserve, Every Thursday 8-11am	Byron Bay
Santos Health Foods for Organic Vegies 8 Lawson St 6685-7071	Byron Bay
Santos Health Foods for Organic Vegies 51 Burringbar St 6684-3773	Mullumbimby
Fundamental Food for Organic Vegies 61 Jonson St 6685-6429	Byron Bay
Fundamental Food for Organic Vegies 23 Ballina Fair 6686-8252	Lennox Head
Fundamental Food for Organic Vegies 140 Keen Street 6622-2199	Lismore
Rainbow Wholefoods 52 Terrania Street 6621-8007	Lismore
Lismore Organic Markets Lismore Showground, Every Tuesday,	Lismore
Organic Revolution 5 Brisbane Street 6672 7070	Murwillimbah
Lennox Health Foods 3/62 Ballina St 6687-7129	Mullumbimby

Wild Bite Organic Biscuits 2/5 Ti-Tree Place 6680-9622	Byron Bay
Wholly Smoked Organic Butcher Jonson St 6685-6261	Byron Bay
Shambala Art of Healing Shop 4 Carlyle St 6680-7791	Byron Bay
Santos Health Foods for Organic Vegies 8 Lawson St 6685-7071	Byron Bay
Byron Farmers Market Butler Street Reserve, Every Thursday 8-11am	Byron Bay
Santos Health Foods for Organic Vegies 8 Lawson St 6685-7071	Byron Bay
Santos Health Foods for Organic Vegies 51 Burringbar St 6684-3773	Mullumbimby
Fundamental Food for Organic Vegies 61 Jonson St 6685-6429	Byron Bay
Fundamental Food for Organic Vegies 23 Ballina Fair 6686-8252	Lennox Head
Fundamental Food for Organic Vegies 140 Keen Street 6622-2199	Lismore
Rainbow Wholefoods 52 Terrania Street 6621-8007	Lismore
Lismore Organic Markets Lismore Showground, Every Tuesday,	Lismore
Organic Revolution 5 Brisbane Street 6672 7070	Murwillimbah
Lennox Health Foods 3/62 Ballina St 6687-7129	Mullumbimby

Natralia Natural Sunscreen 100g

Natralia Nourish Natural Sunscreen is non greasy, 4-hour water resistant and broad spectrum SPF 30+. It contains a rich mix of grape seed, aloe vera, ginseng, vitamin E and green tea that protects from UVA/UVB rays. Natralia Natural Sunscreen also contains titanium dioxide that contains a mineral that essentially reflects the rays the sun puts out.

Is titanium dioxide safe? Read more.

I have a very personal and practical opinion on the toxicity on titanium dioxide - unless you wan to stay indoors and live the life of a hermit wearing a sunscreen that does not contain unnecessary chemicals, but has titanium dioxide, I deem as the lesser of two evils. That is, better titanium than skin cancer.

Natralia Natural Sunscreen works, is chemical free, uses natural sun repelling agents, is non-greasy, is safe for your baby and really works.

If you would like to know more about this product click here.

RRP - $22.50

Keep you and your baby safe.

Andrew

Mozzie FO Natural Insect Repellant

Mozzie FO Natural Insect Repellent, as the name suggests essentially tells mosquitos to FO with a safe blend of Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Thyme & Lemongrass.

Mozzie FO Natural Insect Repellent will last for hours and will also double as a soothing lotion if you are bitten by pretty much anything.

Mozzie FO Natural Insect Repellent will also keep you protected against flies and midgies.

Being Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), Mozzie FO Natural Insect Repellant is safe for the whole family.

If you would like to know more about this product click here.

RRP - $9.00 (AUD)

KK's Choice Botobolar Organic Shiraz 2005

This fine drop is made by passionate organic grape-growers Kevin & Tina Karstom. Their gorgeous vineyard has been organic and certified since the early 70's and produces some exciting and fresh wines including the 2005 KK's Choice Botobolar Shiraz.

Located 10 minutes north-east of Mudgee, Gil Wahlquist established Botobolar in 1971 using organic practices and it is Australia's oldest organic vineyard. It was taken over by Kevin Karstom in 1994 who has continued and further enhanced the organic credentials & reputation of the label with his wife Trina. The vineyard produces some of the best grapes in the region and any excess are snapped up by some of the major wine companies. The 2003 vintage was still in the midst of the drought, so the yields were low, but the quality was high.

Colour: Deep rose red
Nose: Very floral, violets & musk
Palate: Big juicy ripe fruit flavours. Even tannin balance and great mouth feel suitable for drinking young with big up front fruit. Light fresh cherry finish. Enjoy this summer with barbequed eye fillet steak.

RRP - $23.00

Andrew

Lavera Organic Kids Toothpaste

With regular brushing, natural silicic acid cleaning particles remove plaque, which is chiefly responsible for tooth decay. The milk teeth receive healthy protection and serve as an ideal basis for the permanent teeth. basis sensitive Kid’s Tooth Gel is intentionally free from surfactants (foaming agents) and fluorides, since children often learn to clean their teeth by swallowing some toothpaste. Pure plant essences of melissa and calendula retain the biological balance of the oral flora. The natural flavour from strawberries and raspberries is a taste that children love and makes cleaning their teeth fun.

If you would like to know more about Lavera Organic Kids Toothpaste click here.

Keep your babies teeth clean, naturally.

Andrew

Wotnot Natural Sunscreen

Wotnot Natural Sunscreen offers you and your kids, or baby natural protection from the harsh sun - SPF 30+! Wotnot Sunscreen has a great list of organic ingredients and will give you protection from UV-A & UV-B rays, Wotnot Sunscreen donates a percentage of each sale to children's charities.

Directions - apply 20 minutes before swimming and sun.

Wotnot natural sunscreen is a non-greasy, safe, alternative for your family - safe for your baby to. If you would like to know more about this product click here.

RRP - $24.00

Andrew

Barriers To Organic Purchase

There are a couple of main reasons that people give for not buying organic food, they are price and availability.

Organic food, in a lot of cases, does come at a premium price and this is the main reason for people not to purchase. Organic food is often perceived as expensive and consequently it should be up to the organic industry to communicate the reasons for these prices. For example, most people is Australia value certain foods over others with the average household spending just $16 per week of fresh fruit and vegetables, but $43 on junk and fast food (ABS 2006). So, it should not be a case for affordability, but rather a case for education and priorities.

Food for thought.

Andrew

Cooking Techniques

General cooking makes up around 6% of the total energy used in an average home, you can reduce this significantly with just a few cooking tips!

• Always use the smallest pot/pan possible, as this uses less energy to heat
• Always use a lid, and the one that fits best too
• Cook in batches - if you are cooking a meal from the beginning ensure you cook enough for several meals, freezing the balance will use much less power than cooking a new meal
• Use flat bottomed pans, they are most efficient
• Use a toaster as they use 3 x less energy than a regular oven grill

It's easy being green.

Andrew

Certified Organic Produce Loopholes

I just had a chef come into the store and buy some organic produce from me. He decided to share with me a he had learnt from a 2 year organic farming course he had studied recently.

As the story goes, a certified organic banana farmer in Coffs Harbour owned a 1 hectare property and had a brother, that also owned a farm but had 10+ hectares - non certified.

The brother with the non-certified farm decided he would brand his bananas as certified organic, by basically funneling then through his other brothers certification.

The short of it was that they were picked up by the relevant governing bodies and fined $75,000 for their efforts. The fine, however, pales in comparison to the estimated $500,000 the farmer made from the crop going into the community as certified organic.

Apparently, his words upon getting caught were "where do I sign...". Slippery huh.

It really takes no genius to work out that for small sum of 75k and no criminal record the banana farmer in Coffs Harbour, who is not certified, would be likely to commit the same offence in the next harvest.

When are the certified governing bodies going to get serious?

Andrew

Sude Bags

Sude Bags are a funky alternative to the dreary green shopping bag that we have all come to love. Sude Bags have come up with some creative and gorgeous designs that will inspire your desire to shop, with a conscience.

Sude Bags are made offshore but they are a local company based in Pottsville, NSW.

Competing bags to Sude can go for as much as $12.00, but Sude has been able to keep the price to a RRP of $5.00.

Do your bit to rid the world of plastic and keep our environment clean.

See all Sude Bags styles.

Andrew

What Happens When You Drink Cola

I really wanted to share this information with you all as I think most of us have tried cola at some point in time - quite scary.

10 minutes: 10+ teaspoons go into your system which is all you should have in a whole 24hr period. The phosphoric acid in the cola stops you tasting all that sugar.

20 minutes: Blood sugar goes wild, and your liver tries to maximise insulin production in so that it can turn the sugar into fat.

40 minutes: As the caffeine travels through you, your pupils dilate, blood pressure rises, and your liver tries to pump more sugar into your system.

45 minutes: Dopamine levels go up, tricking body into feeling good, hence why it's so addictive.

Andrew

BumGenius Nappy

BumGenius one-size cloth baby nappy is the first cloth nappy to feature stretch-to-fit tabs (patent pending), making cloth nappies as easy and comfortable as using disposables baby nappies.

BumGenius Features:

• PUL version (non-nylon outer) may now be washed in hot
  
• All new laminated outer material has a soft, cloth-like feel
• Double-crossover tabs for added durability
• Unique "insert stopper" top stitch helps keep clothes dry.

BumGenius one-size cloth nappy to fit babies from 4 to 16 kg's. Three by three snap-downs on the front of the cloth nappy adjust the rise as your baby grows.

All BumGenius one-size cloth nappies includes a Cotton Babies Microfiber Insert, which comes high acclaimed. If you are using this diaper on a small newborn (under 5 kg's), it's recommended purchasing microfiber diaper doublers or Hemp Babies Little Weeds to use until your baby is a little bit bigger.

Say NO to landfill.

Andrew

Soleo Organic Sunscreen

Summer is fast approaching and you are on the look out for a sunscreen free from nasty chemicals. Look no further that Soleo Organics all Natural Sunscreen.

Soleo Sunscreen features:

• NO chemical UV absorbers
• NO titanium dioxide
• NO synthetic preservatives
• Active ingredient is zinc oxide 23%
• Fragrance free
  

Soleo Organics all Natural Sunscreen is safe and formulated for adults, children and babies and on all types of skin. It has an SPF factor of 30 with broad spectrum protection.

Some of the ingredients include:

• Grapeseed oil
• Macadamia oil
• Green tea extract
• Roman chamomile extract
• Sunflower oil
• Lecithin
• Theobroma butter

Soleo Organics all Natural Sunscreen is a safe, albeit a little think in consistency, sun protective solution for the whole family.

Read more about this product.

RRP -$24.20

Be sun safe, naturally.

Andrew

Pea Pod Re-usable Nappy

Pea Pods Re-usable Nappies, put simply, will save you at least $1000 per child over the nappy cycle, they are easy to use and are environmentally friendly.

Pea Pods Re-usable Nappies are Australian owned and designed are slim fitting (great for summer clothes) and come with a soft micro-fleece inner lining. The smart lining will keep moisture away from your babies skin. waterproof, breathable outer layer there is no need for a cover or pilcher. Each nappy comes with its own absorbent insert and lasts up to between 3 and 4 hours. For night time simply use a Night Booster pad and the reusable nappy will last up to 12 hours which is very impressive for a cloth nappy.

Features:

• Environmentally friendly
• Simple to wash
• No need to soak
• Dry bottoms
• Trim fit

Pea Pods Re-usable Nappies I would have to say are one of the better products on the market and being Australian makes them eve more appealing as product miles are negligible.

Keep baby GREEN.

Andrew

Baby BeeHinds Nappy

Baby BeeHinds cloth nappies are luxurious, soft on babies skin, are durable and have an innovative breathable nappy cover. Baby BeeHinds PUL Wrap will give your baby fantastic coverage with a snug fit. The covers are really stretchy and are made from Polyurethane Laminate that is between a couple of layers of polyester fabric for a groovy and soft feel.

The PUL design is really great as it allows the nappy to breathe, thus moisture from the nappy can evaporate keeping bubba dry and cool in summer.

Baby BeeHinds cloth nappy can be washed in any machine and can even be dried in a dryer, but I would prefer to advise using the clothes line - think GREEN.

I recommend rotating between 2 covers during the day, letting one air whilst the other is in use, and then swapping them at the next change. This will ensure your covers stay at their best! For newborns I recommend between 4 and 6 small covers, then as baby grows you can move onto 3-4 medium covers and 3-4 large covers.

Baby BeeHinds cloth nappies are fantastic, you will save money and in turn lower your carbon imprint. To read more on a comparison between disposable nappies vs cloth see here.

RRP - $25.00

Andrew

Reduce Carbon Footprint By Growing Your Own

In addition to buying local, eating seasonal organic produce, you can also try growing your own produce to reduce your carbon imprint.

If you decide to grow your own, try avoiding petrochemicals based fertilisers, herbicides and fungicides as the production of these nasty chemicals takes a hefty toll on the environment on many levels.

If you have enough room plant some fruit trees. Not only will you have, after some time, a huge amount of fresh organic fruit, but you will be taking CO2 out of the air as it;s absorbed by the trees.

Some other tips to lower your carbon imprint include:

• Mow your lawns with a manual mower
• Do not use plant boxes or pots
• Use local flowers or seeds

Its easy being green.

Andrew

Plastics To Watch Out For

Number 3 Plastics

V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging

Why? Number 3 plastics may release toxic breakdown products (including pthalates) into food and drinks.

The risk is the greatest when containers start breaking down, are put through the dishwasher or when they are heated in the oven or microwave. PVC can release highly toxic dioxins into the environment, and the materials can off-gas toxic plasticisers into your home.

Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers

Number 6 plastics (polystyrene) are made into soft Styrofoam-style cups as well as rigid foams and hard plastic products, so remember to look for those little numbers in the arrows (don't feel bad if you need a magnifying glass). Avoid using them as much as possible.

Why? Number 6 plastics can release potentially toxic breakdown products (including styrene). Get this: particularly when heated! That insulated coffee cup -- the one that 'knows' when to keep your drink warm -- doesn't seem so smart anymore does it?

Plastic Number 7
Miscellaneous
Found in: Baby bottles, three- and five-gallon water bottles, certain food containers

A wide range of plastic resins that don't fit into the other six categories are lumped into number 7. Some are quite safe, but the ones to worry about are the hard polycarbonate varieties, as found in various drinking containers (like Nalgene bottles) and rigid plastic baby bottles.

Why? Studies have shown polycarbonate can leach bisphenol A, a potential hormone disruptor, into liquids. According to Trasande, no level of bisphenol A exposure is known to be truly safe, and in August a government panel expressed 'some concern' that the ingredient causes neural and behavioral problems in children.

Why not play it safe and swap out those hard plastic baby and water bottles for Number 1, 5 or corn-based plastics, or even shatter-resistant glass?

Live a BPA FREE life and check that freezer, baby bottles & takeaway containers.

To see a list of our baby feeding BPA FREE products click here.

Andrew

Eco-Jargon | Freegan

Freegan. It's fast becoming a popular word due to the impact on the environment the production of consumer goods has.

The word freegan defines someone who dedicates their life to sifting through rubbish tips, kerbside clean up days, and skip bins to find unwanted goods.

As I understand it 'freegans' are a fast growing subculture who have chosen to reduce their carbon imprint, and spending, by living of the waste of others.

Peace out.

Andrew

Lavera Organic Mascara - Review

Lavera Organic Volume Mascara with Advanced Shaping Brush: adds lasting volume & length to lashes for beautiful, bright eyes! Nourishing extracts of Organic Jojoba & Wild Rose Oils deeply hydrate allowing flake-free volume throughout the whole day. This pure, paraben-free and heavy-metal-free formula rinses off with a mild cleanser and is ideal even for very sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Your personal assistant for tired looking eyes.

Application: To achieve extra lash volume, apply two coats of lavera Volume Mascara, adding a layer of powder in between.

Review & Comments - made by customer in-store

* "My eyes have always itched after an hour or so of applying mascara - to the point of being unbearable. I finally made the switch to Lavera Organic mascara and my irritated eyes became a thing of the past. Natural mascara contains no carmine - which is used in most cosmetic and is highly irritating to the skin - especially sensitive areas such as eyes..."

See Lavera Self Tanning review.
See Lavera Faces Summer Glow review.

To learn more about this product click here.

Andrew

Food Matters

I recently purchased the documentary Food Matters and watched it for the first time last night. To be honest, I was spellbound from the beginning to the end and astonished in parts.

Food Matters, the movie, takes an interesting look into the natural world of treating your body with vitamin c and good, whole, organic food instead of medicine - except in severe cases.

Food Matters also looks at the pharmaceutical companies and their role in keeping us sick.

My favourite quote in the film is "1/4 of the food we eat is to keep us alive, 3/4 is to keep our doctor alive...".

Food Matters is a must see. I have attached the trailer of Food Matters to this blog. Enjoy.

Andrew

Eat Organic To Lower Your Carbon Footprint

Organic farming is experiencing a massive surge in popularity, see this blog article, as all of us recognise the benefits of food produced without use of energy sucking things like fertilisers and pesticides.

To lower your carbon footprint using organic food products:

• Drink Organic Milk - If cannot afford to go fully organic with food, organic milk is a fantastic compromise. Organic milk is only a little more expensive, but only uses 1/3 of the energy to be produced compared with regular milk. Furthermore, organic milk contains much higher levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids (60%-70%)
• Balance Is Important - While making a choice to go organic is sound for the body it may not always be sound for the environment in terms of "food miles" as many organic products may have travelled 1000's of miles to get to your table. Sometimes, from an environmental point of view, it may be better to choose locally made products

Did you know - One average sized organic farm can absorb 120 cars' worth of CO2 in 1 year.

Andrew

Organic Industry Growth

It's now a reality, the Australian organic food and product industry is going off. A research report, financed by the Biological Farmers Of Australia (BFA), and coordinated by the University Of New England found that the organic food and drink industry has grown more than 25% in the last 4 years and retail sales are in excess on 500 million.

Another very interesting fact I plucked from the report is that Australia has 12,000,000 hectares of land dedicated to certified organic farming, which is the most in the world, and that the amount of organic farmers increased by 6% per year for the last 5 years.

Andrew