# So what name brands do you trust?



## iamama (Jul 14, 2003)

After reading the Earth Best threads and all the Evil companies that have their share of the so called "alternative" market...who do you buy from???
Some of my regular brands:
Annie's
Crystal Geyser
r.w. knudsen
kashi
Rosie/Rocky chicken
Emerald Valley beef
Brown Cow yogurt
Tom's of Maine

It is very important to me that I give NO support to my most hated company Monsanto. They seem to have their evil grip everywhere. I try not to buy much in the way of processed food so that makes it easy to avoid a lot of evil.
I truely feel Monsanto is evil should be called Monsatin. Isn't santo saint in Latin?

Anyway what are some yummy brands/products you like and feel good about? And who do I need to avoid thats not obvious like Horizon seems like a good alternative, but I usually will just buy local Umpqua if I need to or if Organic Valley is too pricey. I figure sometimes local over organic if price is an issue.

I am very lucky to live near a great co-op but even they sell Earth Best baby food.

(Please see the video "Future of Food" if you want to know more about Monsatin)


----------



## JessicaS (Nov 18, 2001)

Toms of Main sold out


----------



## bjorker (Jul 25, 2005)

C'mon people, post! I need ideas! I'm so tired of feeling like I can't buy ANYTHING anymore without looking it up first. sheesh.


----------



## Super Pickle (Apr 29, 2002)

Sorry, I misread the OP! Great question.


----------



## Maddy9199 (Feb 8, 2006)

Hello, does Monsatan not totally terrify you? Talk about world domination and replacing all life forms on this planet with single-celled amoebae that only do their bidding







:

The future of food was great wasn't it? I want to buy dozens of copies and send them to everyone I know, just so people can see how bad it's getting.

Anyways, but to your original question, I can't think of any right now, but I do buy most of what you mentioned. I try to stay away from any large, well-recognised brand that doesn't have a really public record of doing things green or responsibly. And of course buy local and try not to just consume lots of trash that we don't need. Our nearest co-op is really far away though


----------



## sunshinestarr (Jan 5, 2006)

I don't use their products, but how did they sell out? And what does everyone think of Burts Bees? (PLEASE oh PLEASE don't say anything bad!!!)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *abimommy*
Toms of Main sold out


----------



## star11 (Jul 4, 2006)

i love "burt's bees" and "baby mustela" they are highly recommended products and natural as well as very safe for your children. and not too expensive..

good luck in your search.

~lisa


----------



## BathrobeGoddess (Nov 19, 2001)

Tom's sold out to Colgate...


----------



## luv2*b*mom (Mar 24, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *star11*
i love "burt's bees" and "baby mustela" they are highly recommended products and natural as well as very safe for your children. and not too expensive..

good luck in your search.

~lisa

at one of our local health food stores, the guy working told us that all burts bees is ediable, which is what I loved. Is this not true?


----------



## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

If you look up mustela in the skin deep database, it gets bad ratings for having toxic stuff in it. I wouldn't use it on my ds.


----------



## CrunchyKat (Mar 20, 2006)

I use Horizon, Brown Cow, R. W. Knudsen, O Organics (Safeway brand), Annies, Arrowhead...I DID use Earth's Best. Not sure what I'll use now. I hope that stuff is safe?!


----------



## sunshinestarr (Jan 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BathrobeGoddess*
Tom's sold out to Colgate...

GASP!!!







! I had no idea!


----------



## sunshinestarr (Jan 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW*
If you look up mustela in the skin deep database, it gets bad ratings for having toxic stuff in it. I wouldn't use it on my ds.

I remember looking up Burts Bees on skindeep and not finding the best rating - I think it was because of all of their non-tested ingredients (i.e. neroli oil, willow bark extract, etc). I still think they're safe, though..
I'm not familiar with mustela







:


----------



## sunshinestarr (Jan 5, 2006)

oops, double post


----------



## BathrobeGoddess (Nov 19, 2001)

mustela is NOT a natural company...even they don't claim to be...just that their stuff is "gentle." They are full of un-natural chemicals, just like Johnson's Baby Care.


----------



## IansMommy (Jun 14, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CrunchyKat*
I use Horizon, Brown Cow, R. W. Knudsen, O Organics (Safeway brand), Annies, Arrowhead...I DID use Earth's Best. Not sure what I'll use now. I hope that stuff is safe?!

Love Brown Cow and RW Knudsen...
but Horizon is now owned by Dean --the huge supplier to Walmart, so we gave up on that one.


----------



## sunshinestarr (Jan 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *star11*
i love "burt's bees" and "baby mustela" they are highly recommended products and natural as well as very safe for your children. and not too expensive..

good luck in your search.

~lisa

I love BB but I think they are SOOOO expensive.


----------



## pjlioness (Nov 29, 2001)

I believe it is Horizon, that though organic, is otherwise just like any other factory feedlot. We go with Organic Valley.

I love California Baby for my guys. It scores pretty well on Skin Deep, though there are some "untested" and "may cause irritation" ingredients, and I think they mean TTO and some of the other essential oils CB uses. I am more concerned about SLS and other human-made chemicals.

I like Burt's Bees lip balm and toothpastes.

The kids use Weleda's kids' toothpaste, though our hard water makes it tough to get out of their toothbrushes. (I use a dental pick to clean them.)

I also use Weleda's lavender oil on the kids after they shower/bathe. Ds1 is easily chilled, and, unlike most lotions/oils, that one goes on warm.

I use Avalon Organics' lotions. Dh and I use their conditioners for our hair. I love the scents.

For shampoo, dh and I use J.R. LIGGETT'S OLD-FASHIONED BAR SHAMPOO (TM). He uses the TT and Hemp oil bar along with AA's TT Scalp Treatment conditioner to control dandruff.


----------



## ZeldasMom (Sep 25, 2004)

Organic Valley is trustworthy imo.

My local natural foods co-op www.willystreet.coop no longer carries Horizon dairy products because the company would not respond to questions about their production practices.

I think buying locally whenever possible is a good way to avoid the bad guys.


----------



## swimswamswum (Oct 26, 2005)

I like Dr. Bonner's.
I trust just about anything from the farmer's market and the local stuff from our co-op. I trust the fair trade, organic coffee that I buy at the co-op too.

We buy a lot of Newman's Own. I'm not really convinced that it is all good for us, but I really like that all of the profit goes to charity. I feel good about that.


----------



## CrunchyKat (Mar 20, 2006)

This is a great thread!! I'm learning so much.


----------



## CorasMama (May 10, 2002)

Can someone point me to the info on whatever's wrong with Earth's Best?

I think that its pretty much impossible to avoid buying ANYTHING made by bad corp.s, at least on my teeny, tiny budget. I just pick my main causes, and try to stick with them, unless I have absolutely no other choice financially. I also can't seem to keep up with who's doing what to whom today!
With my extremely limited contribution to the economy, I figure that the biggest difference I can make with my purchasing is by example. Cora and I discuss our buying choices aloud while we shop. Since we have to read every single label anyway (due to my sensitivity to the ubiquitous corn), we look out for Nestle (bad), and local products (good). I figure this will have its greatest impact in what it teaches her (and those w/in earshot) about responsible consuming.

Swimswamswum- Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's no longer true about Newman's Own. A while back, someone bought Newman's Own, so instead of all profits from the sale of the products, Paul Newman's royalties for the use of his name are what gets donated.


----------



## Qtopia (Dec 24, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CorasMama*
Swimswamswum- Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's no longer true about Newman's Own. A while back, someone bought Newman's Own, so instead of all profits from the sale of the products, Paul Newman's royalties for the use of his name are what gets donated.

Do you have any more info on this? I just looked at their website www.newmansown.com and also did a Google search and didn't find anything about the company not being owned by Paul Newman anymore.


----------



## CorasMama (May 10, 2002)

Frankly, I don't remember who told me. Apparently, I was wrong. Sorry.


----------



## stretchmark (Apr 10, 2003)

Jane Goodall's newest book, "Harvest for Hope" has a great list of all the "natural" companies and who they are owned by.
It was quite suprising but then again...not really.

Unfortunately, I loaned the book out to a friend.


----------



## leafwood (Jun 15, 2004)

This is a great post! Sorry I don't have much to add, but I'm learning a lot. We used to do Earth's Best, but no more. What about StonyField Farms? Are they OK?


----------



## Lazyhead (Mar 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Qtopia*
Do you have any more info on this? I just looked at their website www.newmansown.com and also did a Google search and didn't find anything about the company not being owned by Paul Newman anymore.

I thought that Nell just took over the company?


----------



## notamommayet (Feb 11, 2005)

Stoneyfield Farms is now owned by Danone, I believe. I was really bummed when I saw this, because I love their yogurt. I emailed the company last year to express my concerns and I got back a very nice, personal email from someone there assuring me that their philosophy and practices were still the same, yadda, yadda. But I don't know...it still kinda disappointed me and, really, of course they're going to say that nothing has changed! So I don't know what to believe. I still buy Stoneyfield but am looking for a new brand. I've heard good things about Butterworks Farm but am having a hard time finding it here in NJ. (They're in VT.)

Also, there's a list somewhere of all the companies that have GMOs in their food and also a list of who is owned by who...let me see if I can dig it up.

Edited: Here's a link about the Stoneyfield/Danone partnership. I don't know...from this it doesn't sound so bad, but again, marketing!!
http://www.stonyfield.com/Aboutus/StonyfieldDanone.cfm


----------



## notamommayet (Feb 11, 2005)

turns out i had the sites bookmarked!

info about GE food and a link to GE-free companies (I don't know how current this is, a "latest news" link on the site is dated 2004...):
http://www.krafty.org/index.html

here's another that is older (2003) but may be somewhat helpful:
http://www.truefoodnow.org/shoppersg...printable.html

and a cool flow chart showing who owns who...i can't find a date on this one [edited...i am so stupid/tired...it says July 2005 right on it!!!]:
http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rc...ownership.html

alternative buying guide from organicconsumers.org
http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc/BuyingGuide.htm

anyone else have any good resources/info??


----------



## Qtopia (Dec 24, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lazyhead*
I thought that Nell just took over the company?

She founded the Newman's Own Organics line in 1993, and it became a separate company in 2001 (she's now the president). http://www.newmansownorganics.com/ But the original company (Newman's Own) still appears to be headed by P. Newman.

Funny, I don't think the Organics company does any sort of charity donation?







They have the "$200 million donated to charity" thing on the Organics site, but it's really vague about where that money comes from (i.e. the regular line or the Organics, or both?). I can't tell from the website.

And this is interesting- the Fig Newmans™ name is being used under license from Kraft. Does that mean that Kraft profits from the sale of these cookies? Isn't Kraft a division of Phillip Morris? Or some other cigarette company?


----------



## JessicaS (Nov 18, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunshinestarr*
I love BB but I think they are SOOOO expensive.









The BB website has an "outlet" section where you can find items for much cheaper. I have ordered from it many times.


----------



## sunshinestarr (Jan 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *abimommy*
The BB website has an "outlet" section where you can find items for much cheaper. I have ordered from it many times.

















:







:
Thanks!


----------



## itsang (Apr 12, 2006)

Great thread!







:


----------



## itsang (Apr 12, 2006)

Great thread! opcorn: Thanks for all of the great links & book suggestions. I have to agree w/ OP...Monsanto is awful!


----------



## Lizzo (Jul 26, 2005)

Ugh...DS LOVES Earth's Best toddler bars...can someone point me to a thread or tell me what is wrong with them?


----------



## caramba (Mar 21, 2006)

great thread indeed!

I confirm, mustela is nothing natural!! don't know about their ethics but must not be anything particular...

nobody mentioned badger balm or logona? I am using it for my kids..


----------



## frontierpsych (Jun 11, 2006)

not a big fan of melaleuca.

They say it's all natural, but it's the same old chemical stuff with a few natural ingredients thrown in.

Also it smells bad.


----------



## milkymama06 (Jul 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CrunchyKat*
I use Horizon, Brown Cow, R. W. Knudsen, O Organics (Safeway brand), Annies, Arrowhead...I DID use Earth's Best. Not sure what I'll use now. I hope that stuff is safe?!

Me too! I love biokleen products as well and I just found a great website for bath products and stuff. Yall have probably heard of it. http://www.northernessence.com


----------



## iamama (Jul 14, 2003)

Nice site looks like some yummy things.


----------



## Treehuggin'Mama (Jan 7, 2006)

I love love love Aubrey Organics for shampoo, soap and lotion. A bit pricey, but I absolutely trust them! And Ecover for cleaning supplies. And Seventh Generation.


----------



## mama_b (Dec 14, 2004)

subscribing


----------



## Cloth4Colin (Dec 12, 2004)

We also try and avoid the big name/monopoly type products. Price-wise, I think you are only paying for the name, and well...who knows what's in it. We try to do natural things as much as we can afford and are definitely going to try and find more organic/natural products for use with this baby. Our main problem is that organic seems to be so pricey. I'd do all organic if we could.

We do use and love Burt's Bees - because I like the smell and it doesn't stain cloth dipes.


----------



## mamachandi (Sep 21, 2002)

wouldn't you say though that just buying natural, organic products (from whoever) creates the demand for more? so wouldn't it be ideal if all compnaies (regardless of their ethics or reason for doing so ..$$) is a GOOD thing?
I try to buy from good compnaies but in the event that there just isn't an alternative I can find, I don't feel bad just feel like I am doing my part to create that supply and demand needed to eventually make all food and body care products natural and safe...I mean if everyone demands it and nobodies buying otheriwse why would they conitue to create junky products...I know its long time before that happens but I keep plugging along..in the hope that it will...


----------



## Telle Bear (Jul 28, 2006)

Has anyone looked into Arbonne? I know it is enviromentally sound and very against animal testing...all natural...


----------



## kathirynne (Dec 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Qtopia*
And this is interesting- the Fig Newmans™ name is being used under license from Kraft. Does that mean that Kraft profits from the sale of these cookies? Isn't Kraft a division of Phillip Morris? Or some other cigarette company?

"Used Under License" means that Newman's Own has permission from Kraft Foods to use a name that is "Markedly Similar" to the name of a Kraft product.

(It means that they won't be sued for copyright infringement. There is no profit sharing involved. Newman's Own pays a specific amount for the license priviledge.)


----------



## moonfirefaery (Jul 21, 2006)

I think every product out there has gotten bad ratings, reviews, or recalls before, and I don't think any company is ever going to have a squeaky clean record. Most products and companies are made/ran by humans, and humans will always be less than perfect. I don't really know what brands I use; I just buy what I can afford that seems healthy for us. I don't have the time, energy, or willpower to go research every company that exists before I buy a pack of crackers. :/


----------



## Treasuremapper (Jul 4, 2004)

This is a good thread.

I trust Seventh Generation, but now that I am reading this thread, I am scared!

Also Whole Foods' house brands Whole Kids and 365.

Earthbound Farms organics.

Organic Valley.

California Baby.

Kiss My Face.

When the Albertsons went out of business last week, I cleaned them out of every last bottle and box of Seventh Generation, (apparently people who go to Alby's are not familiar with that brand) so I hope you are not going to now tell me that they are evil or dangerous.


----------



## iamama (Jul 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *moonfirefaery*
I think every product out there has gotten bad ratings, reviews, or recalls before, and I don't think any company is ever going to have a squeaky clean record. Most products and companies are made/ran by humans, and humans will always be less than perfect. I don't really know what brands I use; I just buy what I can afford that seems healthy for us. I don't have the time, energy, or willpower to go research every company that exists before I buy a pack of crackers. :/

Well this is a thread for people who want to support companies that they can feel good about. BTW I would like to add Amy's Organics to that list!


----------



## Mama2Bug (Feb 18, 2005)

Healthy Times (Baby foods and kid cosmetics like shampoo)

Earth Mama Angel Baby

Weleda

Bach (Flower Remedies, Rescue Remedy)


----------



## rowansmomCT (Jun 19, 2006)

My husband and I buy from Trader Joes. I know they are not an "exclusively" organic store but they sayy they stay awa from processed and GEI foods. anyone hear anything bad about them. they are in our price range, so that's hwy we buy them, but we buy our shampoos and stuff from Whole Foods


----------



## DuckyTate (Aug 11, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *abimommy*
Toms of Main sold out


















: How please educate me?


----------



## Ellie'sMom (Aug 10, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Telle Bear*
Has anyone looked into Arbonne? I know it is enviromentally sound and very against animal testing...all natural...

I don't know. When the boys were born I got a gift basket from a family friend who is a consultant . The ingredients lists were really long with lots of chemical names and very strong perfume scents. I couldn't find them on Skin Deep though.


----------



## lasciate (May 4, 2005)

http://www.tomsofmaine.com/about/pre...iaCoverage.asp


----------



## avendesora (Sep 23, 2004)

I would really like to support smaller companies that are not tied to companies that sell unhealthy foods. If there's anything wrong with my list, please tell me!

I'm willing to spend more if I'm supporting the little guy, but spending more for 'premium' that's actually a spin-off of a major company is just not what I'm into.

Anything at Trader Joe's...
Dried beans and grains from the bulk section of Whole Foods
Whole Foods store brand
Organic Valley or Natural by Nature or Woodstock Farms milk
Earth Balance spread
Stroehmann's Bread (locally made, but not organic)
Eden - I love them! Please don't say anything bad about them








Avalon Organics shampoo, etc
Seventh Generation
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day cleaning products
Produce from a local farmer - although he sells a lot of shipped produce as well. Good quality produce, good prices. Sells milk that does not have hormones, but can't claim to be OG.
Rapunzel - Rapadura sugar and bouillion
California Baby
MoriNu tofu
Dr. Bronner's
Spectrum
Rainbow Light vitamins
Boiron or Hyland's homeopathic remedies
Endangered Species chocolates (my one last vice)
Rudi's Breads
Alvarado St. Bakery - bagels
Bobbi's My Favorite Hummus

Things I used to buy until now that I want to wean myself off of:







:
Tom's of Maine (owned by Colgate, as has been mentioned) Does anyone have any alternatives they can suggest for toothpaste and deodorant?
Silk (owned by Dean's Dairy)
Morningstar Farms sausages (I know! I hate to admit it! owned by Kellogs)
Boca sausages/Italian links (







even worse! owned by Kraft)
SmartDogs (just found out about this - ConAgra!)

Does anyone have an opinion on Gardenburgers? or Dr. Praegers? I like his California burgers.

Does anyone have an opnion about Trader Joe's?

Any opinion on Whole Foods store brands?

Great thread! I've been thinking about this a lot recently!
Aven


----------



## fremontmama (Jun 11, 2004)

I am pretty sure it's regional, but our favorite dairy products (we dont drink cow's milk, but do yogurt, kefir, etc) our Nancy's from the Kesey farm in Oregon. I believe they are still family owned and their stuff rocks!

I am still bummed about Tom's of Maine too, but we only buy their one toothpaste and that is it. All our other (not very many really) toiletries are Kiss My Face and Burt's Bees, the occassionally California Baby.

For food products, we try to buy unprocessed foods as much as possible, but a lot of the processed stuff comes from Trader Joes. (crackers, tortillas, pasta)

We do love our Annie's bunnies and mac and cheese though. She's great!


----------



## Montessori Mommy (Jul 10, 2006)

Love, love, looooooove Amy's organics. Everything is yummy and their customer service is OUTSTANDING. We once got a product that wasn't packaged correctly, and they sent us several coupons for free products, $1, and $2 off. They are pretty pricey, however.









We also like Wild Garden & Annies.

Horizon is a scam. They are "organic" in the loosest sense of the word. They may have organic feed (btw, the govt. regulations don't require feed to be organic all the time to claim the product is organic, if prices are too high, they can't opt for the ol crappy feed), but they still don't treat their cows in a humane fashion, as I would want when I buy organic. One of the loopholes in labeling things as organic allows farmers to keep them pent up, as long as they get *some* free range a day. Shockingly, they could open the gate for 5 minutes a day and say, "you're free, bovines!" and if the cows don't rush out, too bad, guess they didn't want their fresh air for the day...still organic, right?









Does anyone know about O organics? Who is actually behind them? Most supermarket brands are relabels of other big name brands like kraft, nestle, etc. I've wondered if the O Organics milk is in fact Horizon? I try not to buy them because I'm not sure.


----------



## avendesora (Sep 23, 2004)

This link refers to O organics.
Yep, minimally organic!


----------



## avendesora (Sep 23, 2004)

Another very interesting link. It lists major dairies and rates them based on whether or not the cows actually get any real grazing time, or just 5 min/day. Very interesting. I'm happier to pay a little more for happy cows, and now I'm confident that the companies I'm supporting really do have happier cows! (As opposed to supporting Horizon, thinking that just because it's organic, that their cows would be happy. That site that I linked to has quite a few photos of cows 'grazing' in the mud, and quite cramped at that.)

Enjoy!

Aven


----------



## Montessori Mommy (Jul 10, 2006)

Thanks, Aven! I'm glad you found info on the O Organics, now I know and they won't see any of my money. Those photos, I shouldn't have looked! How terrible! I realize farming is a business and they have to make their money, but to be organic and jump thru the hurdles that requires, and sell at a higher price because of the expense, why bother if you want to treat your animals that way?! Why not just sell non-organic milk. I know many people in this world are unethical, but the reality of it still shocks me each and every time!







:


----------



## monkeys4mama (Apr 25, 2006)

Cows that get no grazing time??? How totally naive am I? Living in the heart of dairy farming country in "America's Dairyland" Wisconsin, I have grown up looking at fields full of grazing cows. It never occurred to me that dairy farms would be run any other way. We have relatives and friends who farm too. Their cows go out in the morning after milking and come in for the evening milking. There *is* generally a lot of mud in the pens near the barns, but the fields are not all mud. Sadly a whole lot of folks have been driven out of farming b/c they just can't compete with the big corporate farms. My cousin and her DH got out of dairy farming b/c they simply couldn't make money at it anymore. The big farms can hire help and have the expensive equipment that does the work ten times faster and they give the cows BGH and such. I hadn't even considered the angle about the cows themselves being kept in stalls and not given grazing freedom. Another reason to be sad to see individual farms going out of business.


----------



## cfiddlinmama (May 9, 2006)

Trader Joe's rocks! I drive an hour and a half once a month to go. Because of them, and my coop, I eat 85% org. food! They treat their employees extremely well, it was/is family run, and they are all about eliminating the middle man to save costs. I have never heard of anything unethical. Even if their food isn't org. it doesn't have additives etc. Their dairy doesn't have rbght (bovine growth hormone) even imported cheeses! And who wouldn't love their prices!







:


----------



## mamachandi (Sep 21, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cfiddlinmama*
Trader Joe's rocks! I drive an hour and a half once a month to go. Because of them, and my coop, I eat 85% org. food! They treat their employees extremely well, it was/is family run, and they are all about eliminating the middle man to save costs. I have never heard of anything unethical. Even if their food isn't org. it doesn't have additives etc. Their dairy doesn't have rbght (bovine growth hormone) even imported cheeses! And who wouldn't love their prices!







:

i would be careful of their more processed stuff (ie frozen foods/veg meals) they DO hve additives and even artificial ingredients in some


----------



## rowansmomCT (Jun 19, 2006)

we shop every week at trader joes and not ALL of their frozen food has additive. We've checked it all out as my hushand is very picky about that. I love that we can go there for most of our food and supplement the rest at whole food and still be within our tight budget


----------



## akkimmie (Nov 2, 2005)

We live in Alaska and our pickins are slim. I really miss Whole Foods









We use Healthy times
Barbara's Bakery
And most of the others mentioned

I have leardned so much from this thread thanks


----------



## trmpetplaya (May 30, 2005)

Dr. Bronner's

We also use lots of baking soda (toothpaste, deodorant, cleaning) though I know next to nothing about Arm and Hammer and don't necessarily trust them. I trust the actual baking soda though









We get local organic veggies; organic long-grain brown rice, peanut butter, cooking oils, tamari, vinegar, oatmeal, popcorn, nutritional yeast, unrefined sugar, stevia, and spices from the bulk food department (LOVE the bulk food department!); and raw organic milk from local cows







We also get fresh salmon once a year straight from a fisherman who sells it through our farm co-op we get the veggies from









I'd love it if dd grew up never seeing a brand name in our house, though how impossible would that be









love and peace.


----------



## pjlioness (Nov 29, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *trmpetplaya*
We also use lots of baking soda (toothpaste, deodorant, cleaning) though I know next to nothing about Arm and Hammer and don't necessarily trust them. I trust the actual baking soda though









Try Bob's Red Mill's baking soda. Whole foods (or any store that has other BRM products) will either carry it or can order a case (4 small bags, IIRC) of it for you. There is/was a boycott of Arm & Hammer for a reason I don't remember.

As for O Organics, I figured there was something rotten there. Our Dominick's used to have a decent-sized natural/organic foods section, then it suddenly started getting smaller and smaller. After a while, they started carrying O Organics. I figured it was a store brand, so not likely all that great, plus I was still ticked off about the lack of n/o foods, so I never bought any.


----------



## zavierchick (May 12, 2005)

: great thread, I've been bookmarking sites left and right in here







Fantastic info, mamas! thanks!

We used to own stock in Horizon- they were based here in CO, and they started with the right ideas (long time ago). When they sold out to Dean, all the stockholders got chucked, that's how I found out about the sale







It bites that they can still label organic with how bad their practices are







:

we buy whole foods on occasion, the foods are probably fine, but the people at ours are SOOOOOO snotty (I think there was another thread about that a while back) that I don't go very often, and they are super pricey!

LOVE Burts Bees
LOVE Amy's Organics
for dairy, we have local delivery, not organic, but hormone free, local farmers, mostly good

Here's a question some one may know- what about organics that are at Costco, Sam's Club, etc.? My mom just picked us up a box of Amy's Mac and Cheese from there, and she said they are adding a bunch of other organic offerings. Is this a good thing? I want to think it means that there is enough demand to package up larger amounts, and that it is actually better environment wise because there is less packaging involved, but is it?

oh- and has anyone used Amazon.com's grocery store? I just got an email from them advertising it...lots of organics on there...


----------



## art4babies (Mar 6, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pjlioness* 
Try Bob's Red Mill's baking soda. Whole foods (or any store that has other BRM products) will either carry it or can order a case (4 small bags, IIRC) of it for you. There is/was a boycott of Arm & Hammer for a reason I don't remember.


I LOVE this brand.

Great thread.


----------



## SugarAndSun (Feb 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *luv2*b*mom* 
at one of our local health food stores, the guy working told us that all burts bees is ediable, which is what I loved. Is this not true?

I hope this is true b/c ds1 has eaten a lot of the baby bars.


----------



## jennifersueack (Sep 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CrunchyKat* 
I use Horizon, Brown Cow, R. W. Knudsen, O Organics (Safeway brand), Annies, Arrowhead...I DID use Earth's Best. Not sure what I'll use now. I hope that stuff is safe?!

What is the story on Earth's Best??? Thanks!


----------



## ani'smommy (Nov 29, 2005)

Does anyone know anything about the FullCircle brand? Our local store sells a lot of these products and they are all way cheaper than any other organic brands. Makes me wonder. . .


----------



## loomweaver (Aug 17, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *luv2*b*mom* 
at one of our local health food stores, the guy working told us that all burts bees is ediable, which is what I loved. Is this not true?


All Burts Bees products are "food grade" Yes they can be ingested w/o fear. Although I'm sure they wouldn't taste the best depending on what they are. All their products have a %natural rating on them also and will tell you how much is natural. Mostly the un-natural stuff is vitamin E used for preservative. I actually got to meet with one of their reps and heard the whole BBs story. VERY interesting. They have quite an interesting company with 2 eclectic founders....


----------



## dallaschildren (Jun 14, 2003)

FWIW...Whole Foods will sell in bulk. You get a 5 % discount if you buy in bulk. So if you are like my family and buy a ton of milk for example, it is a bit cheaper. There is a single digit number to the right of the bar code number on every shelf. This indicates how many of that product is considered "bulk" which qualifies for the discount. Also....if you bring their cloth bags to bag your groceries in and re-use them everytime, you get 5 cents off per bag you bring in every time. The bags are free.

DC


----------



## Faithsmom (Oct 3, 2004)

:


----------



## peridot83 (Aug 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *monkeys4mama* 
Cows that get no grazing time??? How totally naive am I? Living in the heart of dairy farming country in "America's Dairyland" Wisconsin, I have grown up looking at fields full of grazing cows. It never occurred to me that dairy farms would be run any other way.









I grew up in the California Central Valley, which is dominated by industrial agriculture. Right before I left home there was some controversy about the building of mega dairies. They ended up being built, and I can tell you they are truly the most disgusting and terrifying things you have ever seen. I believe they hold at least 50,000 cows and the pens extend for ever like consentration camps and not a blade of grass in sight. The sad thing is lots of people think these places are horrible when they drive by, but it never crosess thier minds when they are in the store.


----------



## eco_mama (Feb 10, 2006)

Great Thread!









I found a website once that had a bunch of organic brands listed and then who owned them. I was pretty shocked at "who owned what." It's really unforunate to think that most people think they're making the right choice by purchasing organic brands but really they're just supporting big buisness companies. It's a shame. Can we *ever* win in this world?! I mean, seriously.

So, Stonyfield Farms isn't good now eh?







I guess I'll just stop eating yogurt all together. I switched to SF because Horizon sucks. I know there are other brands that are ok but I can't get them on a regular basis. *sigh*
I am a Burts Bees fan. I have their baby products (love the milk bath!) and chapstick. We use Miracle ll products for bathing/showering. I like Ecover too. I'm gonna go on a search to find that site again.....


----------



## eco_mama (Feb 10, 2006)

Found it!

- Coca-Cola owns Odwalla

- J.M Smucker owns R.W Knudsen, Santa Cruz Organics, & After the Fall

- Soy Dream, Westsoy, Healthvalley, Arrowhead Mills, Spectrum Organics, & Earths Best (among MANY others!) are owned by Hain which is in aliance with Cargill and owned by Heinz

- Back to Nature and Boca are owned by Kraft

- General Mills owns Muir Glen (I was really disappointed by this one since I bought quite a few MG products.)

- Morning Star and Kashi are owned by Kelloggs

- Seeds of Change is owned by M&M Mars

- Nature's Farm is owned by Tyson

- Stonyfield Farm is owned by Danone

There are many, many others as well.







:


----------



## avendesora (Sep 23, 2004)

This chart shows who owns what food company. I think I may have already posted it, but it's worthwhile posting again, I believe.

Aven


----------



## Nature (Mar 12, 2005)

Those cow pictures were so sad







Organic my ass..







:


----------



## eco_mama (Feb 10, 2006)

what about Full Circle? They must be owned by a Big Buisness cause I've seen some of their products (like ranch dressing, ketchup, crackers/cookies) in some "regular - mainstream" stores. Anyone know?


----------



## AngelBee (Sep 8, 2004)

What about Aveda?


----------



## jempd (Feb 27, 2002)

We buy Amy's frozen food quite a bit so I am glad to see one other post mentioning that, how about Cascadian Farms?

It's so hard to keep up with stuff.


----------



## ChrisCountryGirl (Dec 8, 2004)

I trust

Oraganic Valley
Eggland's Best
Newman's Own


----------



## MamaTessa (May 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Chrstn4ptsrc2me* 
I trust

Oraganic Valley
Eggland's Best
Newman's Own


Sorry to break the news, but we drive by Eggland's best all the time. Their chickens are kept in HUGE sheds, they each hold thousands upon thousands of chickens who never see the outside world. definitely not what they make you think of in their advertising!


----------



## Goddess3_2005 (Oct 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jempd* 
We buy Amy's frozen food quite a bit so I am glad to see one other post mentioning that, how about Cascadian Farms?

It's so hard to keep up with stuff.

Cascadian Farms gets there fruits and vegis from china who pretty much has not organic standards.







:


----------



## rachelmarie (Mar 21, 2005)

This has been eye-opening. I had no idea about Cascadian Farms! Wow.

We really like Burt's Bees, Amy's, Newman's, Brown Cow (this is the BEST yogurt we've ever had). That's all I can think of off the top of my head. We get local eggs from the co-op. We buy Organic Valley milk and cream. Earth Balance is good. I like the Ezekial (sp?) bread. Yum!

Earlier someone asked about toothpaste. We like Nature's Gate and J/A/S/O/N brand. Hopefully these are both okay. I know some of the Nature's Gate shampoos and conditioners don't rank well on the Skin Deep website, but I'm hoping their toothpaste is okay. I've been using the new Burt's Bees shampoo and it's awesome!

A few people have been asking about Earth's Best. They have parenting advice on their website that advocates CIO among other things. I believe this is why many of us don't buy that brand. Correct me if I'm wrong!


----------

