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Talked to Julia Sabin
Talked to Julia Sabin
for about 25 minutes.
Date: 6/13/2011 3:06:40 PM ( 13 y ) ... viewed 39072 times
Draft...need to go over this again...
6:15 pm
June 13, 2011
Julia Sabin as a teen was a member of the Chico Natural Foods Coop.
She worked behind the check out counter, selling the various
organic foods, the mainstay of the member driven operation
that has been going since 1973 when "15 Chico families banded together
as a buying club to bring a new way of choosing food to the local community,
according to the store website.
HISTORY OF THE CHICO NATURAL FOOD COOP
http://www.chiconatural.com/our-history.html
Looking for a volunteer for some project
in Chico? Chamber of Commerce need help?
Anyone want to volunteer?
Julia, with her strong health background, instilled
in her by her mom, was always the one to raise her hand
and say "yes!"
Her smile tells it all.
Over the years, as OTA volunteer photographer,
I would see Julia on stage being honored for this or that award,
or being noted for making some financial contribution
through one of her OTA sponsors for moving along
the Organic Agenda.
She was one of the first OTA members I connected with
over the years.
We talked for about 25 minutes June 13.
She returned my call.
This is a busy time in Julia Sabin's life.
She is moving to a new city,
but wanted to thank me for my reaching out at a time
when she has a lot going on in her life, and would rather
keep it that way.
Busy? What more would you expect from a mom of two teens,
a wife doing her best to keep up a good marriage,
a concerned daughter of an eldering mom,
and a business woman who just happens to be
VP for JM Smuckers, owner of RW Knudsen's, a company
that has one 100 % organic line. runs Santa Cruz Organics,
as well as being invested in some of the biggie companies
that are causing heat waves among GE labeling advocates.
The OTA mission is
"The mission of the Organic Trade Association is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. OTA envisions organic products becoming a significant part of everyday life, enhancing people's lives and the environment."
Pure and simple, that is what Julia Sabin
is all about in regards to OTA,
to "promote" and "Protect."
What does she have to say about the Organic Spies
portrayal, Julia would rather not go there.
Her spirit is more about adding to the positive,
doing what she can to help the cause of organic.
To lay the blame for GE ingredients on OTA, or call
the leading Trade Organization for Organics, a GMO
sympathizer, is a bit off base in my opinion, but that seems
to be the movement, as Organic Spies picks up steam
at a time in organic history, that more than anything,
we all need to be one minded and rally to
protect organic foods.
THIS IS A STRETCH OF
THE IMAGINATION
Ouch! What is this:
By Alexis Baden-Mayer, Esq., Political Director
Organic Consumers Association, June 10, 2011
* A trade association that represents
large multinational companies
who sell "natural" and conventional products
made with GMO ingredients (the Organic Trade Association).
By Alexis Baden-Mayer, Esq., Political Director
Organic Consumers Association, June 10, 2011
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23403.cfm
It was here at RW knudsen's that Julia got her first job out
of college. Bill Knudsen, her boss, was also in the organic industry.
His dad started Knudsens. Bill, has served on the board of the
Organic Trade Association, that since 1985, has done its
best to move forward the organic agenda at a time when
each and every day there is some pressing issue...
NOTE THE LATEST PRESS RELEASE HERE
THE ORGANIC INDUSTRY
IS SUBJECT TO SOME GREAT INFIGHTING RIGHT NOW
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/06/organic-trade-association-ripe-for-ch...
The conflict of interest charges
I find unfounded. The documentary
has much misinformation and disinformation.
6:34 pm
June 13, 2011
UP FROM A NAP
Talked to Julia Sabin, the VP of Smuckers
that has some organic companies and organic products in its lineup.
Julia came up through RW Knudsen's of Chico, California,
that clearly has organic foods in its lineup.
I saw some of these in Whole Foods Market the other
day, when I went to look.
Julia started to work for RW Knudsen of Chico,
right out of college. The company was started by
the father of Bill Knudsen. Bill Knudsen has a strong background
in Organics. He was chairman of the board of the Organic Trade
Association. Bill Knudsen is clearly an organic advocate.
RW Knudsen is owned by JM Smuckers that is listed as one
of the top hundred food processors. Many of the most popoular
brands on the market that are sold in the supermarket appear
to be owned by JM Smuckers. I grew up using some of this
brands the the kitchen of my mom.
It will be hard for America to recognize that some of these
brands now have Genetically Modified Organisms in them.
The news is just starting to come out that Genetically Modified
Ingredients are dangerous.
The US government and our President have not bought into
this position that there is anything wrong with them.
We equate the success of the Biotech industry with good business.
That is just what we on the organic agenda are up against.
Again, this is the facts of life for living in 2011,
a year when we can turn the turn of education
if we all work together. That is my Take.
So, JM Smucker, as of 2011 clearly has many products
and acquisitions that have GMO ingredients.
Among its independent acquisitions is RW Knudsen
and Santa Cruz Organic. Both of these companies
have products with 100 % organic ingredients that
I would drink myself and have in our pantry if I
wanted to drink fruit juices.
I personally do not do well with sugar, even too much
fruit sugar, but that is not to say that I do not consider
these organic foods a blessing and step up in contrast
with what is out in the market that can hurt our kids.
So there you have it.
RW Knudsen, the company that Julia first worked for
was bought by JM Smucker not long after she started
to work for them around 1983.
GMO'S IN OUR FOODS
AND HOW TO GET THEM OUT
I do not believe that many companies have gone out of their
way to have GMO's in there. It is just the facts of life.
I do believe that the best what to get GMO foods out of there
is to continue to educate each other about their dangers.
Shutting the doors through name calling and demeaning
is not going to help.
Internet readers and being whipped up into a frenzy now
by this documentary called Organic Spies Find Lies.
It features Julia Sabin and names Kelly Shea.
Julia is the one of its main "villains."
In this documentary it suggests that both Julia Sabin and Kelly Shea, two of the members of the board of the Organic Trade Association (OTA)
are somehow responsible for being GMO advocates when
both are clearly on the organic bandwagon.
In the Treehugger piece, by
one of the most damming bits of info is about
a man on the board about ten years ago.
He was talking about OTA somehow being slowed
down in its mission to promote organic and defend the
organic standard because here you have two women
on the board who work for companies that have
GMO's in their products.
CHristine Bushway makes a point in the rebuttal of
the Treehugger piece to say that the OTA board had never
done anything to do other than promote the Organic Agenda.
FYI, there are four members of the board that are
named in this Documentary. I have no comments
on the other two. I just do not know them.
One member of the former board is quoted
in the Treehugger piece as saying
that when he was on the board, he felt that
the OTA needed to put more focus on GE awareness.
That was ten years ago, according to the article.
In the following article, the rebuttal,
this man tones down his comments against
OTA and speaks more in favor.
I like Nature's Path, his company very much.
They have some of the sweetest employees
I met at the Natural Product Expo West.
Nature's Path is definitely a strong advocate
of the Non GMO Project. I love their campaigns
to help cereal eaters raise the bar on the
cereals out there. Many of these do have GMO's.
[Aside: I came home from NPEW with a box of
more....
be right back..
4:04 pm
O.K. just checking...
Yes...Natures Path is part of the Non GMO Project.
Not only are they Non GMO, but they are organic.
OTA MISSION SLOWDOWN?
..Be right back.
4:14 pm...
THE FOUNDER OF NATURE'S PATH IS
HERE IS AN ARTICLE IN TREEHUGGER
ON ARRAN STEPHENS OF NATURE'S PATH
, 2008 BY JEFF NIELD, THE AUTHOR OF
THE PIECE,
Arran Stephens of Nature's Path on Independence in the Fast-Consolidating Food Industry
"What started as a little trickle, eventually became a flood. The consolidation of the “Industry” was inevitable (some say regrettable as ideals were sacrificed at the altar of market share and profits). This is probably sour grapes, but the entry of huge players helped to broaden the horizon and subsequently added to the conversion of millions of acres of land into sustainable organic production. Nature’s Path today uses over 70,000,000 lb annually of organic grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc. from hundreds of organic family farmers across the continent. Consumers have rewarded us with their trust, and is for us to keep that trust as sacred."
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/10/arran-stephens-natures-path-interview...
If there was some slowdown in the OTA
Mission, and I do not believe there was...
it did not come from Julia Sabin.
She wasn't even on the board of OTA when Stephen quit!
This was not coming from Julia Sabin.
That man resigned, from what I can see, about then years ago.
She has only been on the board for the last seven years.
Kelly Shea has not been on that long, just the last three years.
It does not make sense, to blame either of them
for slowing down OTA.
On another point, I do not believe OTA has been
slowed down..
to be continued...
Got some insights into the woman and what she cares about.
She is a mom too with a 19 and 17 year old and is a woman who
has always put her hand up when their was a chance to be of service.
She was raised in Chico by a good mom who was a founder of the food coop.
She was raised healthy, and organic is in her blood.
She has always been kind to me, one of the first that I connected with
in my time being of service to OTA.
I was the volunteer photographer when OTA
would have its main fundraising reception
at the Natural Product Expo West,
a show that represents the start of coming
out of winter for me each year.
This year, one of the hottest panels at the NPEW
was Facing the GMO Political Challenge and Beyond.
The panel features some of the Organic Stakeholders
who went to Washington to bat for organics
with the USDA in December.
I interacted with Julia for a few brief moments
this year at the Horizon Organic Booth where
I was getting some energy for the launch of
Organic Uprising, each of us Standing Up for Nature's Original Technology.
I took some photos of Julia with Kelly Shea and with
Christine Bushway, CEO of the Organic Trade Association.
Julia
She is about putting her energy into positive things
and wanting to focus on that.
http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1823716
1:05 pm
June 13, 2011
TALKED TO JULIA SABIN
FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES
Still procession what we talked about.
Basically, I confirmed what I already knew.
We talked about family, and her origins loving
good food, healthy, and organic and her commitment
to this through doing good to promote organic
through the OTA and protect it.
http://plantyourdream.net/?p=1998
She, Kelly Shea, and OTA will be vindicated.
We are off the mark in the documentary
in Organic Spies Find Lies.
She hasn't any interest in adding to the negative
energy being stirred up.
Her life is about simple things, family, and helping
where she can good causes.
Organic is something that has been with her and her
family since she worked at a coop that here mom helped
start in Chico.
Her mom has been about doing good work in Uganda
to help a school.
She spoke highly of Christine Bushway, director
of OTA. She helps where it is a good fit to step in to help.
I asked her about Tim Smucker.
She would not have worked for him all these years
if he were not a good person.
IT was good to talk.
She doesn't want to go there, RE
where this video is taking the conversation.
Her life is about positive things, being a good mom.
Her eyes were opened to appreciate what is precious in
life when were mom was in a very serious accident
in Uganda, but gratefully is recovering.
I looked at the Smuchers page of the companies
they own.
Clearly some of these have GMO ingredients.
Many foods today do.
Smuckers and Julia are not to blame for this.
Hopefully through added education,
we will all get GE foods labeled and out of our foods.
I may be able to ask more questions.
I wil get more specific information when
I talk to Christine Bushway, executive director of the
OTA.
Bill Knudsen, founder of RW Knudsen was once
a chairman of the board of the OTA.
I will found out more about the history of the company
I am sure before long.
They have an organic as well as a natural line.
Tired from yesterday Farmers' Market.
Need to rest and eat.
SANTA CRUZ ORGANICS
IS ONE OF THE BRANDS
OWED BY SMUCKERS
Looking at that site.
http://www.scojuice.com/about_us
OFFICERS OF J.M. SMUCKERS
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=77952&p=irol-govmanage
Julia L. Sabin
Vice President and General Manager, Smucker Natural Foods, Inc.
OTHER FACEBOOK SITES COMING UP
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Why-Go-Organic/131225623621297?sk=wall
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