At this year's Boston Seafood Show, which opened on March 20th, worldwide organic farming advocate Naturland is urging the fishing industry to consider more eco-friendly fishing techniques.

Hans Hohenester, chairman of the Naturland board of directors, says current fishing practices are unnatural, unsustainable, and contaminate waters with harmful chemicals and antibiotics.

That's why Naturland has impressive standards and strict procedures for ensuring organic and sustainable production.

Jamba Juice has partnered with the National Gardening Association (NGA) to provide grants to local schools so students can plant fruit trees that help promote nutrition education.

Schools can submit applications for one of 20 It’s All About the Fruit grants of $500. The application deadline is Nov. 29. Winners will be announced in January.

Recipients will be selected based on plans to promote nutrition education, ideas for incorporating fruit-tree activities in curricula and the ability to sustain the program over multiple years.

Fall may have arrived, but we’re going to endure triple-digit temperatures in Southern California next week.

While water is the best way to stay hydrated, blueberry juice provides a special antioxidant-rich treat.

Today’s recipe adds a blueberry twist to traditional limeade. All of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Note: For cocktail hour, check out our previously posted recipe for Organic Blueberry Mojitos.

Locally grown organic watermelons are on the way out. We’re fast approaching the tail end of peak season.

While melons may be available year-round, know what you’re buying. The U.S. peak season runs from May to September. If you purchase a watermelon between October and April, odds are you’re buying an imported fruit that has traveled a long way to reach your table. This reduces freshness and increases your carbon footprint.

Take advantage of the final 2010 bounty: September’s crops, which are grown primarily in Central California, Oklahoma and Texas.

Today’s recipe will appeal to adults and children alike, and it’s a heart-healthy alternative to chips and pretzels. Also check out our recently posted recipes for Grilled Spicy Watermelon and Watermelon and Tomato Salad.

Planning a Labor Day barbecue?

Transform sweet organic watermelon into a savory side dish with a Thai-inspired sauce.

Grill watermelon wedges until they’re caramelized, drizzle them with the tangy sauce, and garnish with fresh organic cilantro. The recipe can accompany ribs, chicken or shrimp.

All of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store. Enjoy!

Organic watermelon is a nutritional best bet, with more than 1,200 varieties available for savvy snacking.  Farmers in 44 states grow these juicy members of the Cucurbitaceae plant family, with Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona leading the pack.

 Here are 10 reasons to head to the summer produce aisle.

1. Get your vitamins—naturally 

A 2-cup serving of watermelon is an excellent source of vitamins A and C: 

• Vitamin A is critical for optimal eye health. A 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 25% of your daily requirement.
• Vitamin C helps bolster the immune system. A 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 30% of your daily requirement.

2. Potassium is your BFF

Potassium helps maintain water balance. If your potassium level is low, you may experience muscle cramps. 

A 2-cup serving of watermelon provides 270 mg potassium: 8% of your daily requirement. A watermelon is also more than 90% water, so a few cups will help you stay hydrated.

3. Watermelon is heart-healthy

 Watermelon contains amino acids that help maintain healthy arteries and blood flow. 

“With its naturally sweet taste, watermelon can be a wonderful way to get more fruit into a sensible low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet,” says Maureen Storey, PhD, former director of the Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy at the University of Maryland.

4. It helps protect you against cancer 

Red-fleshed watermelon contains high concentrations of lycopene, an antioxidant that helps reduce cancer risk. A 1.5-cup serving contains 14 to 15 mg lycopene, according to plant physiologist Penelope Perkins-Veazie, PhD, a professor at the Plants for Human Health Institute  at North Carolina State University. The redder the watermelon, the more lycopene it offers.

5. Pour me a drink 

Because of its high water content, watermelon is a perfect addition to drinks like Watermelon Lemonade (right) and Three-Melon Smoothie. 

As with our story on making lemon-flavored ice cubes, you can create watermelon ice cubes (above) by pureeing the melon’s flesh and freezing it in ice cube trays.

6. Watermelon is kid-friendly

 Few children will turn down a slice of juicy watermelon, so make it a part of their regular fruit and veggie intake. Be creative in the kitchen. Let your kids use a melon baller to form watermelon spheres.

7. Baby, you can drive my car

 Place cubes of melon in travel containers for hydration and a nutritional boost during long car trips. Bring napkins!

8. Watermelon shines at organic picnics 

Dishes like Watermelon Salad with Thai Basil and Feta will please your adult guests, while Watermelon and Tomato Salad  and  Poppy Seed Fruit Salad will appeal to both children and adults. 

Labor Day is almost here. Make an Americana Basket (above) for backyard barbecues and potlucks.

9. Get thee to a farmers’ market 

Buy locally grown organic produce to support family farmers. Willie Nelson will thank you. 

Not sure where your local farmers’ market is located? Local Harvest will solve this problem in a jiff.

10. Grow your own 

Kits like Ecosource’s Organic Grow Your Own Seedling Starter Kits are great gift items, and they make the job easy. More advanced gardeners can pick up a copy of Amy Goldman’s Melons for the Passionate Grower. 

Photos: Jermaine Justice, Wyscan, kokopinto, nsaplayer, Chris Breeze, ccharmon, xlorddashx, National Watermelon Promotion Board, McCormick, Suddenly Salad 

Follow me on Twitter: @BarbGoesOrganic

Summer bequeaths us an abundance of fresh, juicy, organic blueberries, which you can easily find at natural and organic food stores, mainstream supermarkets, farmers’ markets and roadside stands. 

Here are 8 reasons to go blue: 

1. Blueberries represent America at her finest. Only three fruits are native to North America: blueberries, cranberries and Concord grapes. The first colonists adopted the Native American practice of picking fresh blueberries in the summer and drying them for winter consumption.
2. They’re at their seasonal peak. Fresh blueberries are available for almost 8 months in the United States and Canada. The North American harvest runs from mid-April through early October, with peak harvest in mid-May through August.
3. They’re a nutritional powerhouse. A half-cup serving has only 40 calories and provides 2 g fiber and 10% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Blueberries are also high in antioxidants that help fight cancer and protect your skin.
4. They’re easy to buy. When shopping, look for berries that are dry, firm, plump, purple-blue to blue-black, well-shaped and smooth-skinned. Be sure to avoid containers with juice stains, which often indicate blueberries are crushed and/or moldy. Eat blueberries within a week of purchase.
5. They’re a low-maintenance fruit. Buy ’em and rinse ’em. They don’t need to be peeled, cored, sliced or stemmed.
6. They’re easy to freeze for winter enjoyment. Buy them in season. Then, place  unwashed, completely dry berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Pop the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once blueberries are frozen, transfer them to freezer containers. They’ll last 10 months to 1 year.
7. They’re an ideal breakfast food. Boost your breakfast’s heart-protective benefits by adding blueberries to oatmeal, cold cereal, pancakes and smoothies.
8. They’re extremely versatile. Add a new recipe to your repertoire, such as American Fruit Basket, Blueberry & Red Onion Compote, Poppy Seed Fruit Salad and Triple Berry Granola Crisp.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council

Fruit-flavored waters are a refreshing change of pace, especially during the hot summer months.

But there are several disadvantages to buying premade brands:

• Beverages may not be organic.
• Products are sold in glass jars or plastic bottles, which need to be recycled.
• Drinks may contain a fruit essence, but no real fruit. Some will contain sweeteners, which lead to consumption of empty calories.
• Ounce per ounce, they’re usually overpriced.

You can overcome these problems by creating your own fruit-infused water, and the Takeya Fruit Infusion Jug makes the job a snap. It’s glam enough for formal entertaining, yet practical enough for everyday use.

The 66-oz. airtight pitcher is made with Takeya’s proprietary AcraGlass, an FDA-approved, nontoxic, BPA-free acrylic that’s lightweight, stain- and odor-resistant, and dishwasher-safe.

Simply add your favorite water and organic fruit, whose flavors will meld naturally. When you’re ready to pour beverages, a built-in screen prevents pieces of fruit from dropping into glasses or mugs.

When you’ve finished serving and want to store leftovers, pop the pitcher in the refrigerator door or lay it on its side on a fridge shelf. 

Need a birthday or bridal gift? The aesthetically pleasing pitcher’s retail price is $27.50, and you may qualify for free shipping on Amazon.com.

So how do you go organic on a budget, especially in this miserable United States economy? Easy, you kidnap a genie and make a wish!

No, it's easier than that. RedPlum, a promotional company that helps sell various food products, from health foods to not-so health foods, has 10 tips for going organic on the cheap.

Guess what number one is? Shopping at a farmers market. Ha! See, I told you. Then again, organic or not, shopping at a farmers market is the best idea. Its less expensive and the produce is a lot fresher and higher quality.

Another tip I really liked is going vegetarian for a couple days each week. I'm a vegetarian and not only is it healthier for you, but fruits and vegetables are a lot cheaper than filet mignon and pork tenderloin.

RedPlum also suggests clipping coupons. No, coupons aren't just for little old ladies anymore. In this tough economy, if a supermarket is willing to play let's make a deal, go for it! Then again, I'm a hypocrite; using coupons feels weird to me.

For the complete list of organic tips, head over to RedPlum - do it, do it now!

Here's some more posts on going organic on a budget:

• 17 Tips to Shop for Organic Foods on a Budget

• Defining True Value. How to Make Buying Organic Affordable.

• Shopping on a Budget for Organic Food

Image credit: Boston.com

Residents in poor neighborhoods have historically lacked access to fresh fruits and vegetables. To make matters worse, they tend to have the highest percentage of fast-food restaurants, making healthful eating a challenge. 

Now, a new study reveals that bacteria, mold and yeast levels on fresh produce may be higher in low socioeconomic areas. 

Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia compared bacteria, yeast and mold levels on identical products sold in six area neighborhoods, three of which had the city’s highest poverty levels. Among the poorest groups, consumers were often forced to depend on small markets that offered less variety in fruits and vegetables. 

The researchers found that ready-to-eat salads and strawberries sold in stores in the poorer neighborhoods had significantly higher counts of microorganisms, yeasts and molds. Cucumbers had higher yeast and mold levels, while watermelon contained more bacteria.

The Science of Rot 

“Food deteriorates when there is microbial growth,” says study coauthor Jennifer Quinlan, PhD, a Drexel professor of nutrition and biology, whose study will be published in next month’s American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 

“Bacterial count is used to determine the quality of the produce, and it was poorer quality—closer to being spoiled,” she says. “Three of the things that had a higher bacteria count—strawberries, ready-to-go salad and fresh-cut watermelon—have been associated with foodborne illnesses.” 

Inferior produce discourages residents from adding fruits and vegetables to their diets, and smaller neighborhood stores may lack the infrastructure to handle produce safely, Dr. Quinlan notes. 

“The food may be of poorer quality to begin with,” she says. “Then, it may be transported to the stores and not be refrigerated properly. 

“Large supermarkets have entire units focused on food safety, refrigeration and sanitation, while a small facility with only one or two people may not have the resources.”

Basic Safety Steps 

Don’t buy fresh-cut produce unless it’s refrigerated at the point of sale. 

In addition, shoppers should thoroughly wash produce, advises Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education in Arlington, VA. 

“Whole fresh produce should be rinsed under running tap water just before eating, and produce should be kept separate from meat, poultry, raw eggs and fish to avoid cross-contamination,” she says. 

For Your Organic Bookshelf: Ordinary Poverty: A Little Food and Cold Storage