(NaturalNews – L.J. Devon) Professional athletes who rely on popular sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are really doing themselves a disservice, impairing their performance potential. Once in the body, these dye-filled “Kool-Aid-like” drinks actually acidify the cellular environment, restricting oxygenation of cells while limiting ATP energy production from the mitochondria. Still, drinks like these are promoted by athletes and marketed as replenishing sports beverages that enhance athletic performance.

According to a new report by UC Berkeley, these sports drinks aren’t much different from soda. After exploring their sugar content and related health risks, the researchers described the beverages as “essentially sodas without the carbonation.” In the study, 21 popular drinks with health claims were investigated, as researchers compared flowery marketing with the drinks’ actual compositions.

“We often see labels on energy and sports drinks that tout health benefits, but the sugar levels in these products rival that of sodas,” said lead author Patricia Crawford, director of the Atkins Center for Weight and Health. “They are essentially sodas without the carbonation, but they give the misleading impression that they are healthy,” she said.

Synthetic vitamins, fake energy, and loads of dyes and refined sugar

The beverage industry tries to convince the public that drinks like these are healthy, but they are often loaded with sugar; in one drink, there were 18 teaspoons of sugar in the container. Other drinks are fortified with vitamins, but these often go unused by the body, because they are often synthetic derivatives that aren’t readily broken down, absorbed and utilized by the body. Vitamin and herb content of some of these energy drinks fools some people into thinking that they are getting a fair share of nutrition for the day, when in reality, they are being inundated with nothing but loads of refined sugar that acidify the cells.

The researchers concluded that common sports drinks on the market are also contributing to diabetes and obesity in youth, because they contain so much added sugar. Energy drinks provide short-term energy with heightened caffeine levels, but that energy is quickly lost, addicting youth to want more of the beverages which give nothing but headaches and heart arrhythmia.

A true energy drink is simply fresh fruit and vegetable juice, which neutralizes excess hydrogen in the cells as it enters the body. The OH^– molecules from the juice combine with excess hydrogen in the acidic environment to form water (H₂O); thus flushing the cells, reducing edema and allowing mitochondria to produce more longer-lasting ATP energy.

Study debunks marketing claims of sports and energy drinks, highlights their negative effects

A marketing analysis conducted at Yale University’s Rudd Center picked apart the beverages’ marketing claims and refuted them here in a simple, straightforward chart.

For example, the researchers showed that Gatorade G Series Recover is marketed as “providing hydration and muscle-recovery benefits with its specially designed protein replenishment formula,” but the researchers refuted, saying, “Water is the optimal beverage of choice for hydration. The average diet is already high in protein and adequately supports physically active adolescents’ muscle rebuilding and growth.”

Energy drinks like the popular “RockStar” claim that the beverages are “Double Strength, Double Size. Bigger. Better. Faster. Stronger,” but according to the researchers, the level of caffeine and guarana in these beverages “stimulate the cardiovascular and nervous system, and can have detrimental effects (such as tachycardia).” On top of that, the researchers correlated energy drinks with increased stress, nervousness, anxiety, headaches, insomnia and reduced academic performance. They were even found to cause hallucinations, tremors and seizures.

In fact, the researchers found that all the drinks have one thing in common: explicit sugar content. Anything from popular fruit drinks to flavored water and from sports drinks to flavored teas all contained deleterious amounts of sugar and were determined to be fueling the increase of obesity and diabetes in today’s culture.

Sources for this article include:
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu
http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org
http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org [PDF]
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org [PDF]
http://science.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews – PF Louis) It’s almost intuitively obvious to most that too much TV viewing is conducive to physical deterioration and not conducive to mental development. But what types of viewing at what ages affects children’s ability to pay attention over amounts of time and assimilate actual learning from experience or studying has been a topic of several studies.

One of those studies even considered background TV as a major distraction. That is leaving the TV on most of the time even when not watching it for a specific purpose while a child is doing homework, or if parents watch a specific TV show while the kids are around doing whatever.

This study has determined that a TV show’s momentary distractions from whatever a child is doing helps promote a poor attention span or a tendency to be easily bored. It’s a sort of “there’s something more important or interesting on the tube” tendency.

The study’s paper was titled “Background television in the homes of American children.”

Background TV is like secondhand cigarette smoke; it pollutes others

The University of Iowa (UI) publication Iowa Now interviewed one of the lead authors of that study, Deborah Linebarger, associate professor in the UI College Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning. Locally, she worked with two UI graduate students in her department and networked with others in different universities.

The other university study contributors were Mathew Lapierre at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication and Jessica Piotrowski of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Linebarger and her UI grad student associates conducted lengthy telephone surveys, often close to an hour long, among 1,454 households with children just under one year old to eight years old. Here are some of her comments from the Iowa Now interview:

“We discovered that the average American child was exposed to 232.2 minutes of background television on a given day. Using multiple regression analyses, we determined that younger children, children living in single-parent homes, and African-American children were exposed to significantly more background television than their older, multi-parent, and non-African-American peers.”

Linebarger added, “What was really distressing was the fact that the youngest kids, the ones under 2, were exposed to 5.5 hours of background TV per day.”

By calculating expected active TV watching and adding to the background TV, the researchers found that children two years and younger are exposed to six or seven hours of TV media daily.

And if we examine content of what’s going on with TVs that are simply kept on most of the time, there’s a lot of advertising of bad foods and bad medicine or a lot of bad or silly news, all in short visual clips and in sound bites.

This is how kids and are being programmed, and perhaps you were, or are, too. Moderate active viewing can be interesting, exciting or even occasionally uplifting or informative. Even then, too much is simply debilitating at any age. The younger the child, the more impressionable. This includes video gaming as well, which are often violent and addictive into later years.

It disrupts physical playing and social intercourse even within families. The tube has too much influence, which is why researchers recommend less active TV time and no background TV. It’s an enticing consciousness pollutant, and it can be the model of behavior to greater or lesser extent among children.

Regarding parents’ attitudes about background TV, Linebarger, who has four children of her own, explained: “[P]arents tend to leave the TV on all day even when no one is actively watching it. When I come into my house and no one is there, I like to turn on the TV to keep me company. And it’s easy to forget to turn it off… you get up and leave the room with it still there and on in the background.”

Sources for this article include:
http://now.uiowa.edu
http://now.uiowa.edu
http://psychcentral.com

(NaturalNews – Heidi Fagley) With summer in full bloom and more and more cases of Lyme disease being reported, many are searching for ways to repel ticks without having to resort to harsh chemicals. Luckily, there is one sweet-smelling alternative that is proving to be quite powerful in the fight against this growing concern.

It’s summer and time to experience the great outdoors, yet many are opting out in order to avoid the feared tick bite that could possibly lead to a host of health challenges. The good news is that something as simple and natural as rose geranium essential oil has been found to help ward off those pesky little parasites.

Ticks operate mostly by using their sense of smell. Ticks don’t jump or fall from trees; instead, they do something called “questing.” That is, they climb to the top of a blade of grass or plant and stick their front legs up in the air, waiting for the scent of a victim to walk by. If you find one on your head, then it crawled there. Their front pair of legs have what are called Haller’s organs, which detect smell, temperature, movement and carbon dioxide. This is how they know that you are coming. And since it is well known that they like warmth and moisture, they are waiting for a warm, moist environment to call their home. The best part about this is that, for some reason, they are not attracted to the scent of rose geranium essential oil.

There are two varieties of rose geranium oil. In order to get the most bang for your buck in repelling ticks, you want to find the one with the botanical name Pelargonium capitatum x radens. The more popular rose geranium oil under the name Pelargonium graveolens is from the same family, but not the same species.

Most essential oils need to be diluted, but rose geranium does not fall into that category if used in small doses. So, because all you need is a few drops to do the job, a little most definitely goes a long way. Simply placing one drop on each ankle and on the wrists, then a little behind the knees and one on the back of the neck is all you will need to do the trick. Since dogs are extremely sensitive to smell, you will want to go easy on the oil for your canine friends. One drop behind each shoulder blade and at the top of the base of the tail. Be careful to avoid the face and nose; their sensitive sniffers can’t handle anything anything too strong.

Other essential oils such as lavender, lemongrass, citronella, eucalyptus, and cedar wood have all been found to be helpful in repelling these unwanted guests as well. Please check specific directions before using to ensure safety for dilution purposes.

Whatever scent you use, take caution and remember to double-check yourself from head to toe after coming in from a summer stroll.

Note:

The essential oil of rose geranium is one single oil and not a mixture of rose and geranium oils.

Not all essential oils are recommended for animals, especially cats and horses. Consult your veterinary doctor before using any essential oil for pets.

Sources include:
http://insects.about.com

(NaturalNews – Zach C. Miller) The risks of flavor enhancing food additive MSG (monosodium glutamate) are well known to many NaturalNews readers. MSG should be avoided, considering the fact that it is a dangerous excitotoxin that kills brain cells in the hypothalamus, promotes obesity and liver disease, and is linked to seizures, migraines, ADD/ADHD and heart palpitations. Unfortunately, MSG is hidden in many foods and products, which makes it difficult to avoid even for informed buyers. MSG is difficult to locate on ingredient labels because it goes by names other than “monosodium glutamate.” Worse still, it is shockingly hidden in foods you would never expect, such as dairy products.

Hidden MSG in dairy products

Unfortunately, the pasteurization process used in conventional dairy products actually creates free glutamic acid (MSG). The heat of pasteurization breaks down milk protein which results in the creation of free glutamic acid. This creation of MSG can occur from anything that breaks down protein in a food or product. This effect in exacerbated in “ultra-pasteurized” products due to even higher temperatures. And as you might expect, you’ll see no mention of MSG or free glutamic acid on the ingredient label. Any of the these dairy products may contain MSG: fat-free milk, powdered milk, “ultra-pasteurized” anything, cottage cheese, reduced fat milk, cream or half and half, ice cream, cream cheese and yogurt. In other words, almost all conventional dairy products are suspect. And if you think you’re safe as long as you buy organic dairy, think again; even organic may contain MSG.

Foods and consumer products that potentially contain hidden MSG

In addition to being hidden in conventional pasteurized dairy, MSG is unfortunately and shockingly hidden in tons of products one would never expect. Some products and food containing hidden MSG are:

processed foods
dietary supplements
cosmetics
personal care products
pharmaceuticals
pet and animal food and feed
conventional produce wax
pesticides and herbicides
fertilizers and plant growth enhancers
soaps, shampoo, hair conditioners
cosmetics
protein powders, shakes, drinks and bars
restaurant food (even when claimed to be MSG-free)
beverages
candy
chewing gum
infant formulas, foods
kosher food

MSG by any other name

MSG is found in may food ingredient additives. You can scan you favorite foods for these to find out if you’re unwittingly and unknowingly eating MSG. These are hidden sources of MSG which lurk in dozens of food products:

autolyzed yeast extract
hydrolyzed corn gluten
hydrolyzed pea protein
textured protein
autolyzed plant protein
yeast extract
calcium caseinate
sodium caseinate
protein fortified anything
enzyme modified anything
gelatin
disodium inosinate
disodium guanylate
xanthum gum
natural flavor
barley malt
malt extract
maltodextrin
carrageenan
soy protein isolate
soy protein concentrate
whey protein isolate
whey protein concentrate
protease enzymes
citric acid.

As you can see, MSG shockingly hides almost everywhere and in everything. However, it is better to be informed about this dangerous neurotoxin than not be so that you can reduce your exposure and intake of it.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/II.WhereIsMSG.html
http://www.rense.com/general92/hidename.html
http://philosophers-stone.co.uk

(NaturalNews – Mike Bundrant) History’s largest mass poisoning of a human population has occurred in Bangladesh. Because of it, 35 million people have been exposed to lethal levels of arsenic. Mortality rates are estimated at 13 per 1000, which means that this poisoning has ended as many at 455,000 lives.

It happened simply enough. In the late 1960s and 1970s, UNICEF and the World Bank, concerned that surface water in the area was causing too many cases of fatal diarrhea, funded the drilling of new wells. These deeper wells provided an abundance of fresh water to the booming population of Bangladesh and West Bengal.

There was one tragic oversight that sabotaged what might have been a monumental humanitarian achievement: They didn’t test the new wells for heavy metal content.

The negligence is hard to fathom, yet it pales in comparison to the global irresponsibility and conscious wrong doing that goes on every single day in the world of big food manufacturers. And this is why Mike Adam’s work and new line of heavy metal cleansing supplements is essential.

Exposure to heavy metals in food, air and water is perhaps the most underrated toxicity issue of our time. The consequences of chronic exposure cannot be underestimated. The damage caused by exposure moves well beyond physical health. The mind is poisoned as well.

Imagine: you may be unwittingly ingesting food and water that makes it impossible to achieve a state of lasting happiness and mental well-being, regardless of how psychologically educated you are.

This is the reality of heavy metal exposure and toxicity. What follows is evidence provided by research and case studies that demonstrates how aluminum, copper, lead, mercury, cesium, cadmium and arsenic contribute to the chronic poisoning of your mind.

Aluminum

According to the New York University Langone Medical Center, symptoms of aluminum toxicity can include serious mental health problems, including:

• Confusion
• Slurred speech or speech problems
• Nervous system problems that may cause involuntary tics

There is also some concern that aluminum toxicity can lead to degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Several studies have linked the conditions to overexposure to aluminum, including studies from the University of California, University School of Medicine in Belgrade, and the School of Studies in Zoology at Jiwaji University in India.

Natural health practitioners believe that aluminum collects in the thyroid, liver, lungs and brain. It is believed that overexposure to aluminum can lead to a number of symptoms, including confusion, cognitive impairment and memory loss. As a result, aluminum cleanses and approaches such as aluminum-abstinence therapy are common.

Luckily, these approaches are often met with incredible success. Aluminum-abstinence therapy has become particularly popular in the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients. Many nursing homes and long-term care clinics have seen some excellent results with this therapy.

Copper

According to the National Institute of Health, overexposure to copper can cause a number of physical symptoms. Symptoms of copper toxicity that may be considered mental health issues include chills, convulsions, a metallic taste in the mouth and weakness.

Doctor Lawrence Wilson has also written extensively on what he calls copper toxicity syndrome. This condition is believed to cause a number of mental health symptoms, including:

• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Depression
• “Spaciness”
• Detachment
• Learning disorders
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Alzheimer’s disease

Lead

Lead is a well-known and -researched neurotoxin that has been scientifically associated with major depression and anxiety disorders. It seems inescapable that, if the lead content in your blood is elevated, you will suffer with cognitive disorders and mood disturbance.

The following symptoms have been linked to lead exposure:

• Decreased learning and memory
• Lowered IQ
• Decreased verbal ability
• Impaired speech and hearing
• Hyperactivity
• ADHD
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Headaches
• Encephalopathy

Mercury

The CDC reports that exposure to gaseous metallic mercury over a long period of time may cause irritability, sleep disturbances, excessive shyness, coordination problems, tremors, memory problems and mood swings.

Natural health practitioners have long argued that exposure to mercury contained in childhood vaccinations and in the environment is one of the major causes of conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders.

These include symptoms such as:

• Lack of communication/connection with others
• Increased activity
• Difficulty concentrating
• Delayed speech
• Reduced cognitive ability
• Reduced appetite
• Sensitivity to environmental stimulation (light, sounds, smells)
• Repetitive behaviors

Cesium

While it is believed to be unusual for a person to be exposed to toxic amounts of cesium through natural exposure, the CDC lists decreased mental ability and an increase or decrease in activity as symptoms of cesium toxicity.

Many natural health practitioners feel that exposure to cesium through food or drink could be a likely cause of disorders such as ADHD, difficulty concentrating and seizures.

Cadmium

The New York University Department of Medicine lists no mental health symptoms associated with cadmium exposure and toxicity. However, because many authors consider cadmium to be associated with heavier metals such as zinc and mercury, it is believed to cause similar symptoms as those associated with heavy metal toxicity, such as:

• Anxiety and irritability
• Difficulty concentrating, or “brain fog”
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Memory loss or forgetfulness

Arsenic

Arsenic poisoning can be deadly if left untreated. Exposure to toxic levels can occur in a number of instances, including the consumption of contaminated foods and beverages. Living in industrial areas can also increase rates of exposure, and arsenic may be found in contaminated drinking water as well. Arsenic poisoning can result in a number of obvious mental health symptoms, including:

• Confusion
• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Convulsions
• Night blindness

Arsenic poisoning can progress rapidly if left untreated, and unusual symptoms should be treated immediately.

The most sinister aspect of chronic heavy metal exposure and toxicity is that it is impossible to detect as it is happening. You can’t know for sure unless you get tested. The good news is that tests are available for those who become aware.

Moreover, Mike Adam’s new line of supplements is designed and scientifically proven to eradicate lurking heavy metals in your food as you digest them. They should be an indispensable part of any conscious natural health regimen.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.med.nyu.edu
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov [PDF]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://drlwilson.com
http://www.nlm.nih.gov
http://emedicine.medscape.com
http://emergency.cdc.gov
http://emergency.cdc.gov
http://drhyman.com
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.toxicwatersolution.com
http://medicine.med.nyu.edu
http://www.livescience.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
http://emedicine.medscape.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews – Julie Wilson) What happens when large, powerful corporations violate the law and are immune from prosecution or accountability? They usually become repeat offenders, and in this situation, Wal-Mart, the culprit, is no exception.

About seven years ago, the big box store was accused of “cheapening the value of the organic label by sourcing products from industrial-scale factory farms and developing countries, including China,” according to a report by The Cornucopia Institute, a farm policy research group that acts as an organic industry watchdog.

Around that time, Wal-Mart also partnered with Horizon Organic, which is owned by dairy giant Dean Foods, and became the largest retailer of organic milk. Wal-Mart then used Aurora Organic Dairy, located in Aurora, Colorado, to package their own private-label organic milk.

Organic watchdog groups bust Wal-Mart for violating USDA food standards in 2005 

In 2005, The Cornucopia Institute blew the whistle on the company’s operations, alleging that it was violating USDA organic rules by confining more than 4,000 dairy cows to their cages, instead of letting them graze freely, as required by federal organic standards.

Understanding that organic consumers are label checkers who genuinely care about the quality of food, and how animals are treated, Wal-Mart deceptively marketed their products to depict happy cows, grazing on lush green pastures, with some campaigns even using graphics of small family farms.

The truth is that the dairy cows used to produce Wal-Mart’s “organic” milk were living short, stressful lives in filthy industrial facilities, exactly the type of environments which organic consumers seek to avoid.

The watchdog’s investigation found that Aurora Organic Dairy “willfully” violated 14 tenets of USDA organic standards and was caught labeling “natural” food as organic.

Despite the findings, Wal-Mart was not prosecuted but agreed to remove fraudulent signage and was allowed to continue operating without being fine a cent.

Now, the big box giant is back at it, preparing to introduce a new line of organic products that the company promises will “drive down organic food prices,” marketing them as 25 percent cheaper than the organic food currently on shelves.

This time, Wal-Mart isn’t revealing the source for their organic products and is instead using a private-label supplier and marketing products under the Wild Oats brand, a former natural foods grocery chain temporarily owned by Whole Foods in 2009 before an antitrust rule forced the company to divest its holdings.

Whole Foods then sold Wild Oats’ licensee rights to Luberski Inc., another food distributor, in 2010. Wild Oats’ physical locations were “parceled out” to buyers like Trader Joe’s and Kroger, Gelsons, according to an LA Times report.

However, Wild Oats made a comeback due to a generous donation from American venture capitalist Ronald Burkle, co-founder and managing partner of The Yucaipa Companies, LLC, a firm specializing in helping underperforming businesses.

Burkle reportedly intends to revamp the company by offering catering and take-out food services, home delivery and phone-in orders.

When Wild Oats CEO Tom Casey was asked how their partnership with Wal-Mart intended to deliver organic products, including pasta and cookies, more cheaply, his reply was, “Bigger can be better,” as paraphrased by NPR.

Considering Wal-Mart’s past with organic food, some experts aren’t convinced.

Michael Pollan, author of The Food Movement, Rising, said in an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he’s concerned that the expansion of “Big Organic” will lower food quality, weaken standards and hurt small family farms.

Organic food costs more, because it’s more expensive to produce, “and paying farmers a fair price has always been part of the deal,” said the Cornucopia Institute.

Will Wal-Mart tweak its business model in a way that allows them to offer organic foods without premium prices, while still adhering to organic federal standards?

Perhaps, but past behavior is usually a good indicator of future behavior, and Wal-Mart’s track record does little to assure skeptics.

Additional sources:
http://www.cornucopia.org
http://www.cornucopia.org
http://www.npr.org
http://rimcountrygazette.blogspot.com
http://articles.latimes.com
http://science.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews – Julie Wilson) Martha Boneta, operator of a small family farm in Paris, Virginia, achieved success not only for her business but also for small farmers and property owners across the state when the “Boneta Bill” finally became law on July 2.

Despite efforts from local and state government officials, including Fauquier Zoning Administrator Kimberley Johnson, who accused Boneta of violating zoning ordinances, HB-268 passed, which protects traditional farming and agricultural practices against over-regulation on the county level.

Liberty Farm is a small, working 64-acre farm located about an hour outside of Washington D.C. that offers fresh seasonal organic vegetables, fresh and dried herbs, honey and honeybee products, eggs, chicken, duck, turkey, emu, hand-made soaps and sheep wool crafts.

The controversy began in 2012 after a neighbor reported Boneta’s farm and its on-farm store as a “nuisance” following a birthday party that she held for eight 10-year old girls, which led to Fauquier County putting her out of business.

Johnson, the county zoning board administrator, accused Boneta of selling fresh fruit, vegetables, beverages and homemade handicrafts out of her on-site farm store, an action he says violated “modified zoning rules.”

The Star Exponent reports that, under the state’s Right to Farm law, agricultural operations are supposed to be protected against “nuisance law suits, and prevent local governments from using zoning laws to restrict standard farming practices, even if these practices bother adjacent property owners.”

According to Boneta, her zoning administrator went on her Facebook page and saw a birthday party picture of little girls on her farm, and an advertisement that she posted for pumpkin carving in her pumpkin patch. Boneta says she was found in violation of engaging in traditional activities that farmers have engaged in “since forever.”

The consequences for Liberty Farm’s alleged violation carried a penalty of $15,000 per day in fines “based on amendments made to the county’s zoning ordinance,” reported The American Spectator.

Despite maintaining that her retail farm business license was “grandfathered” into any changes made by the county, Boneta was also forced to stop selling vegetables that she had harvested. To prevent the food from being wasted, she donated it to local charities.

Boneta’s story gained national media attention, prompting farmers to stage peaceful “pitchfork protests” outside of the Board of Zoning Appeals building in support of her farm and state property rights.

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF), of which Boneta is a member, offered her legal aid during her struggle.

In the 2013 session of the General Assembly, Rep. Scott Lingamfelter helped bring justice to Boneta and protect other farmers from similar abuse by spearheading legislation that would strengthen Virginia’s Right to Farm Act.

The “Boneta Bill” passed the House by an “overwhelming margin,” but was killed in a Senate committee. However, grassroots organizations and Boneta’s supporters didn’t give up, but instead returned to the General Assembly in 2014 and “won wide bipartisan approval for legislation protecting the rights of family farmers.”

Backed by the Virginia Farm Bureau and signed into law by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, customary activities at agricultural operations are now protected from local governments unless substantial impacts on public welfare can be proven.

The bill also prohibits localities from requiring special-use permits for farmers wanting to host farm-related activities.

“I am grateful to all the Virginians and legislators from across the Commonwealth who rallied for non-partisan legislation that provides economic opportunity for small family farmers, access to consumers and allows the great traditions of farming in Virginia to flourish,” said Boneta.

“It is gratifying to see the hard work of Virginians, working together across party lines, rewarded by a law that enables family farms to prosper as our Founding Fathers intended.”

Additional sources:
http://theroanokestar.com
http://www.farmtoconsumer.org
http://spectator.org
http://www.dailyprogress.com
http://lis.virginia.gov
http://lis.virginia.gov
http://science.naturalnews.com