2010 hi and lo lights in organics

From an organic farming perspective, what were the big high and low points of 2010? Perhaps surprisingly, its possible to find plenty of highs.

First up, some strong organic brands did especially well. Both big players, Good Herdsman and Glenisk did so. The latter saw significant growth in domestic and export markets. In general, the organic dairy sector saw significant expansion in retail terms, with even ALDI and LIDI now brimming with affordable organic milk and yoghurt.

(Image: Highbank farm's stall at the Kilkenny Christmas Market just gone)

Smaller organic companies also did well. For example, Beal cheese (Kerry) and Dee's Burgers (Cork) both used the platform of the Dragon's Den to grow their business.

And grow their businesses they have. Both companies use social media, especially twitter and facebook, to great effect. Facebook ads are far more targeted than any other adverts: users of facebook list an incredible amount of personal information about themselves, and adverts can be targeted towards this information with striking accuracy.

Beyond ads however, both have used other aspects of facebook to draw potential customers over to their business including running competitions and regular updates.

Earlier this month Highbank farm (Kilkenny) was in the news. This long standing organic company, run by Rod and Julie Calder-Potts, won the top prize in a new Food Innovation awards scheme sponsored by Bord Bia in association with the South-East County and City Enterprise Boards.

Highbank Farm won significant development supports as part of their prize: �15,000 for consumer research and �10,000 for design, branding and packaging, as well as supports from the Enterprise Boards.

Omega Beef Direct (Tipperary) also won an innovation award at the same competition, for their organic Galloway steak burger.

Mossfield cheese's (Offaly) winning of the National Organic Awards was an undoubted highlight too. This year, the Awards made the TV news on RTE at 6 and 9PM, increasing the profile of both the competition and the winner significantly.

Mossfield's mature gouda-style cheese, now available in a vac pac, was the real standout product from the awards. Darren Grant of the Organic Supermarket (another successful company for 2010) had a real ah-ha! moment when he tasted this cheese, and he has tasted many products over the last three years of business.

He reminded me of the Food critic Anton Ego in the kids movie Ratatouille, when he tasted the dish that transported him back in time to a perfect dish of his childhood.

It wasn't all winning either though. The loss of Trevor Sargent as junior minister with responsibility for organic farming earlier on in the year was a major negative for the organic sector. His knowledge and workrate were second to none. While Ciaran Cuffe has done a good job in carrying on the work, his time is spread out over three ministries.

That said, avoiding budget cuts for either the Grant Aid or the overall organic farming budget was a major achievement in what is year three of a major recession .This makes it the third year of no cuts, which is remarkable.

Another loss was market value � down about 10% for Irish sales. While this is in line with other areas, it is nonetheless difficult for farmers and food businesses.

While there have been positive signs of increasing market share for organic meat, there is a major change coming downstream in 2011. The rules with regard to processing organic meat are changing: producer specific abattoirs/butchers will now be subject to inspections from organic certification bodies.

It is also the case that butchers or large scale processors will not be allowed use producer-specific abattoirs: they will only be allowed use certified organic abattoirs.

This represents a significant change for those organic farmers who up until now used local butchers. Primarily, this concerned those who direct sell. To ensure organic standards are maintained, organic animals were killed first thing in the morning.

Now this relationship is set to change. Will it be for better or for worse? Both sides of the argument will be presented over the next two postings here.

In the meantime, have a prosperous, peaceful and pleasant new year!

Dee's Organic Veggie Burgers: Bandon Butcher Approved

There was a time when organic food was mainly associated with wholefood and vegetarian food.

Throw your mind's eye back to the time when we all wondered: who shot JR? Or whether those Joan Collins shoulder pads should have planning permission.

There was the emergence of the Irish environmental movement with Carnsore Point; we had Live Aid and later Self Aid. There was Madness and Maradona; there were Hunger Strikes, the Miners' Strike, and the battle of the Beanfield.

Fast forward to today: these days this 80s vision of organic is no longer dominant. At the same time, it is also the case that people in general are more aware of the benefits of organic, whole and vegetarian food.

In particular, for the urban, female and under 35 demographic, organic, vegetarian and whole foods make up the essential parts of a holy trinity.

Along with this triad, there is also a growing band of 'eating withouts'. In other words, people who avoid some or all of the following: gluten, dairy, salt, egg, wheat, transfats and more.

Finally, there are a small number who just prefer the taste and flavour of at least some vegetarian food: not all customers in Cork's Cafe Paradiso are vegetarians. Sometimes, meat is a crutch for lazy, mediocre or hurried cooking.

Dee's �Eat Well, Be Happy� organic wholefood burgers is a Cork-based company which ticks all of the above boxes: health, eating without and taste. This is quite an achievement.

The brainchild of Deirdre Collins, Dee's began in a small kitchen in Innisshannon in 2006. Since then, production and profile have ramped up. The burgers however, are still handmade.

I asked Deirdre Collins why she choose her food business route: �I had the idea for Dee�s �Eat Well, Be Happy� about three years ago. I studied Food Science in UCC and spent a lot of time in supermarket aisles of looking for fast, healthy options for my lunch or dinner.

�I was always amazed at the amount of salt, fat, sugar and artificial additives in food. I decided to develop something that could be prepared quickly but that had a very high nutritional value.�

Her expertise in food science has helped with the development of her products. According to Collins: �Modern food processing methods destroy nutrients. Though we have plenty of food to eat, most of it is processed and contains too many artificial ingredients�

She points to the lack of necessary micronutrients �such as selenium, copper and zinc� and the fact that she herself uses �natural, non-processed wholefood ingredients such as local vegetables, organic grains, protein rich seeds and fair trade spices�.

In particular, �the special ingredient I use is organic hempseed, a superfood and natural source of omega 3, 6, 9 and GLA. Hempseed is also a complete protein, easily digested and contains all the amino acids� says Collins, whose burgers are also suitable for coeliacs and vegans.

She also points out that her burgers are high in fibre, without salt or sugar, and cooked macrobiotically.

I asked Dee to elaborate on her sourcing: �All my dry wholefood ingredients beans, grains etc come from Irish Independent Health Foods based in Kerry. My carrots come from Leo Dunne in Durrow County Laois� Her mushrooms and seeds come from companies based outside the jurisdiction.

Production has certainly increased with her new 1000sq ft unit in Ballincollig: �Capacity at the moment is 1200 units or 600 packets of burgers per day.�

Needless to say, the foodie havens of the south west, from Scally's Supervalu in Clonakilty to the Quay Co-op in Cork were in on it early.

Following her recent launch in the Glucksman (UCC), she tells me �new shops are coming on stream every week. Just last week the products flew out of the fridges in the Organic Supermarket in Blackrock, in Dublin�.

Even a few butchers have taken the plunge: Tormeys in Galway and Martin Carey�s in Bandon are two.

Dee may reach to the stratosphere from here on in, but can there be any better recognition of a veggie burger than the approval of a butcher in Bandon?