I would like to take a minute to discuss (with absolutely no scientific support) the merits of producing and eating organic food. Lately I have been finding a bounty of articles that want to debate the nutritional merits of eating organic food. Some have come to the aid of the organic food industry, but some continue to question the health benefits vs cost of organics. (Almost the exact same arguments about vitamins and supplements are battled in health and research publications) The truth is we may never know the full benefits of eating organic foods. Every human varies biologically and is exposed to different environmental factors, which makes a long term scientific test (over the span of ten plus years) virtually impossible. Add to the fact that two pieces of produce grown on the same farm could have drastically different nutrition levels, let alone an orange from Florida vs one from South America, and we just have way too many variables to produce a viable experiment.
After all of this debating, I think we have missed out on one of the biggest known benefits of producing organic food. It is good for the environment. When I reach for the organic apple in the store my first thought is definitely ‘this will taste better and will have no pesticides’, maybe if for no other reason to justify the extra cost. I do consider the fact that this might be a complete farce, but what I do know is this apple is better for the environment, and that is enough for me to spend the extra few cents.
I guess my point is, why are we wasting all of this energy debating the health benefits of organic food (even though it seems like a no brainer to me that pesticide free food will be better for me) when the simple fact is organic gardening is just good practice? You want to start taking some serious steps to making this country more environmentally friendly?
I was thinking of some crazy ideas of how to level the economic playing field for organic farmers, again with no solid economic data to support any of these ideas. What if a grocery store offered to ‘match the difference’ between organic and non organic produce certain days of the week? So instead of paying $0.20 more for the organic apple, you pay $0.10 and the store matches the other $0.10.
What are some other ways we can support organic farming?
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Productive...Sounds Great.
All day I have been thinking about the lady that works at the cleaners by my house. Every time I go in there she is so happy, so excited to see you and run around like a crazy lady working so hard. As I left there this morning I thought ‘why is this lady so happy? She works six days a week, 10 hours a day and probably makes 40k a year. I would be miserable.’ It finally hit me hours later when I heard someone on the news giving a eulogy saying…’lived a happy and productive life’. Productive? It doesn’t seem like great word to describe someone’s life. It sounds more like a description of an auto assembly plant. That word stuck in my mind for the next few hours.
I went and had lunch and saw a busboy and thought, ‘wow he looks really productive’. But that didn’t help because he looked really happy too. Needless to say I was very confused. These tasks seemed so meaningless to me (even though I had been a busboy boy and understood its importance within the restaurant). How can these people be so happy, so productive with something that seems so little? I mean I work in a clothing store for crying out loud, how is that important?
Then on the train it finally hit me, everyone has a different idea of what being productive means. To some folks productive is a big fancy job with international influence, having a house full of kids, or saving baby whales. But to some it is much simpler; productive is being a part of something no matter how large or small. For the lady at the cleaners it is working hard and putting food on the table for her family. The busboy wants to work hard to send money home to his family in Mexico so they can live a better life. So maybe at the end of the day productive is a great way to complement someone’s life, it means they accomplished what they wanted. They put a stamp on something that was important to them. Maybe that’s all we are really looking for in life, some way large or small to be a part of something. For me, right now, this blog was my way of being productive, and that feels good.
I went and had lunch and saw a busboy and thought, ‘wow he looks really productive’. But that didn’t help because he looked really happy too. Needless to say I was very confused. These tasks seemed so meaningless to me (even though I had been a busboy boy and understood its importance within the restaurant). How can these people be so happy, so productive with something that seems so little? I mean I work in a clothing store for crying out loud, how is that important?
Then on the train it finally hit me, everyone has a different idea of what being productive means. To some folks productive is a big fancy job with international influence, having a house full of kids, or saving baby whales. But to some it is much simpler; productive is being a part of something no matter how large or small. For the lady at the cleaners it is working hard and putting food on the table for her family. The busboy wants to work hard to send money home to his family in Mexico so they can live a better life. So maybe at the end of the day productive is a great way to complement someone’s life, it means they accomplished what they wanted. They put a stamp on something that was important to them. Maybe that’s all we are really looking for in life, some way large or small to be a part of something. For me, right now, this blog was my way of being productive, and that feels good.
Friday, March 19, 2010
We are all in Marketing.
I bet you didn’t know you were in marketing, so is your five year old son, your 88 year old mother, and yes, even your dog. I mean this as no disrespect to those classically trained and working in the professional field of marketing, but everyone is out for your job. The moral of the story is everyone is selling something. Your son wants pizza for dinner, your mom wants you to come by on Sunday for lunch, and your dog would love the bone from that steak.
So what are you selling? You want a new job, or your wife to agree to buy the new TV? How about a weekend with the guys next month? Marketing isn’t just about trendy logos, flashy commercials, celebrity endorsements or a cool website. And it isn’t just the Bud Light, Coke and Nikes of the world that need great marketing to compete. Everyday companies of all sizes and people from all different backgrounds, enter into the cut throat world of marketing. From the minute you wake up in the morning you have goals of what you want to accomplish during your day and figuring out what you have to do to get there. Your son knows that an extra hug might soften you up a little, your mom makes you feel guilty with a well timed phone call, and Sparky gives you those sad puppy dog eyes. No doubt you have brought flowers home on a random night, or sent that I love you text out of the blue before you ask your wife for a big favor.
The point is marketing doesn’t have to be a sky writing airplane over the beach during spring break. Successful marketing is the well timed touch, the right phone call, or even a look from across the room. Remember, everything you do is part of your marketing campaign. From the haircut you have to the shoes you are wearing, they are all pitching you, and your goals.
So what are you selling today?
So what are you selling? You want a new job, or your wife to agree to buy the new TV? How about a weekend with the guys next month? Marketing isn’t just about trendy logos, flashy commercials, celebrity endorsements or a cool website. And it isn’t just the Bud Light, Coke and Nikes of the world that need great marketing to compete. Everyday companies of all sizes and people from all different backgrounds, enter into the cut throat world of marketing. From the minute you wake up in the morning you have goals of what you want to accomplish during your day and figuring out what you have to do to get there. Your son knows that an extra hug might soften you up a little, your mom makes you feel guilty with a well timed phone call, and Sparky gives you those sad puppy dog eyes. No doubt you have brought flowers home on a random night, or sent that I love you text out of the blue before you ask your wife for a big favor.
The point is marketing doesn’t have to be a sky writing airplane over the beach during spring break. Successful marketing is the well timed touch, the right phone call, or even a look from across the room. Remember, everything you do is part of your marketing campaign. From the haircut you have to the shoes you are wearing, they are all pitching you, and your goals.
So what are you selling today?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Evolution is Sustainable
We are not talking about some prehistoric bacteria crawling out of some swamp and becoming humans here, but rather evolution as the term for forward moving change. Businesses, products, societies and nature all change, or adapt to improve their position in their environment. The evolution process does not just apply to how a dolphin grew fins, or a tiger developed strips, but how entire systems are in a constant state of change.
The best example of this process is the life of a successional forest. The principle is simple; rocky non vegetated areas slowly become populated by weeds, those weeds are eventually overcome by annual grasses, then perennial grasses. After years of growth and topsoil development species such as pine begin to establish growth, followed several years later by poplars and maples. After years of growth, slowly hickories and oaks begin to move into the area eventually becoming established hardwood forests. During this process changes to micro climates, wildlife population and hydrologic cycles are in constant motion. Then one day a lighting storm strikes, burns the forest to the ground and we are right back to a rocky non vegetated patch of land.
What does this process have to do with the economic environment? Would you consider any of the habitats during the succession to be unsuccessful? Did a prairie become a pine forest because no wildlife lives on prairies, or grasslands just are ‘cool’ among bison anymore? No. These environments evolved in response to competition, available resources, and species demand. In the same way businesses must be able to evolve to provide products and services that best benefit their consumers. AT&T still sells land line services, but they have changed their business model over the years to focus on cellular services. That doesn’t mean that they never should have sold land line services, or should drop that service to their existing customers, but be prepared to change with market demands and develop new technologies. But the trick is they must also be prepared to go back to selling land lines (emerging markets, developing countries, etc) if the opportunities arise.
What is the lesson here? Don’t be afraid to change and grow, but also don’t be afraid to narrow your market or scope. Big is good and so is small. And you can start from nothing, make it to the top and then suddenly find yourself back at the bottom.
What companies do you think have evolved well to remain viable?
The best example of this process is the life of a successional forest. The principle is simple; rocky non vegetated areas slowly become populated by weeds, those weeds are eventually overcome by annual grasses, then perennial grasses. After years of growth and topsoil development species such as pine begin to establish growth, followed several years later by poplars and maples. After years of growth, slowly hickories and oaks begin to move into the area eventually becoming established hardwood forests. During this process changes to micro climates, wildlife population and hydrologic cycles are in constant motion. Then one day a lighting storm strikes, burns the forest to the ground and we are right back to a rocky non vegetated patch of land.
What does this process have to do with the economic environment? Would you consider any of the habitats during the succession to be unsuccessful? Did a prairie become a pine forest because no wildlife lives on prairies, or grasslands just are ‘cool’ among bison anymore? No. These environments evolved in response to competition, available resources, and species demand. In the same way businesses must be able to evolve to provide products and services that best benefit their consumers. AT&T still sells land line services, but they have changed their business model over the years to focus on cellular services. That doesn’t mean that they never should have sold land line services, or should drop that service to their existing customers, but be prepared to change with market demands and develop new technologies. But the trick is they must also be prepared to go back to selling land lines (emerging markets, developing countries, etc) if the opportunities arise.
What is the lesson here? Don’t be afraid to change and grow, but also don’t be afraid to narrow your market or scope. Big is good and so is small. And you can start from nothing, make it to the top and then suddenly find yourself back at the bottom.
What companies do you think have evolved well to remain viable?
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