Go Organic and Feel Good About What You Buy Baby

Organically grown cotton is better for the health of your family and the environment. It is that simple. With a newborn baby baby you want the purest softest products next to their delicate skin. Nothing says " I love you" more than organic.

WHAT IS ORGANIC 

Organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic integrity that begins on the farm. And, because U.S. national organic standards are in place, this means that these practices are regulated and verifiable. 

Organic cotton used to produce our organic baby gifts is cotton grown naturally without the use of harmful chemicals. Organic farming relies on natural processes to grow, maintain and harvest the cotton, rather than the chemicals in pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers used in growing conventional cotton.

Did you know...

• It takes 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to make one conventional cotton t-shirt?
• 7 of the top 15 chemicals used in conventionally grown cotton are classified as "known" or "suspected" carcinogens by the EPA

Sustainable farming is a new concept. The sustainable cotton project has been working since 1996 to develop a way of growing cotton without harmful pesticides.

Cotton is an annual crop and in California it is planted in April, taking about 180 to 200 days to reach full maturity for harvest in October. The crop starts to flower in June; as the flower dies back, the inner part of the bloom gradually develops into a fruit called the "cotton boll"; once mature, the fiber is removed from the plant using a mechanical harvester.

How can production of non- organic cotton ruin the environment.

The production of cotton requires a lot of water.The most critical time to apply water to cotton is as the young plants are developing. Cotton is generally irrigated about five times during the season, tapering off as the plant matures to encourage fiber development instead of leaf development. Irrigation ends in August to allow plants to dry out, and to prepare for harvest.Cotton in California is irrigated. Furrow irrigation is the most prevalent irrigation system used, with a small percentage of drip irrigation systems being implemented as water supplies tighten. Drip irrigation is very efficient, but also very expensive to install and maintain, so its' use in a crop like cotton, which carries a small profit margin, is limited. 

Because cotton production requires lots of water and chemicals , the use of these impact the environment. Cotton’s volume of water consumption frequently tops the headlines as a major issue.  Hazardous pesticides associated with global cotton production are known to contaminate rivers in the United States, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Australia, Greece and West; while in Australia and India, cotton irrigation also contributes to salinity, water logging and groundwater pollution. Chemical use reduction best addresses these issues.

There is definitely more concern about the environment today than ever before. Organizations like Ota  educate consumers about organic. Sustainable farming is growing in popularity and hopefully more and more organic products will be available in the market place.