Prince Charles' tour of Northern California organic farms this weekend revealed something that stalwarts of the all-natural movement already knew: His Royal Highness is a green giant.
So no surprise that Marin County -- a gorgeous swathe of undulating green just north of San Francisco that is a hub of organic farming -- buzzed with talk of cabbages and kings in the days leading up to the visit by Charles and Camilla.
"We're excited because it takes our message into the world," said Helge Hellberg, executive director of the farming association Marin Organic. "It's not just royalty or a celebrity coming, it's somebody who stands for what we are doing."
PHOTO: AP
It might be news to many in the US that Prince Charles was organic when organic most definitely wasn't cool.
He has long supported growing food without synthetic chemicals and has his own food company, Duchy Originals, which sells organic produce and other products supporting sustainable farming. The profits of the company go to charity.
For farmers who have toiled for decades to push their way onto supermarket shelves and into the general consciousness, Charles' trip to their verdant fields was a huge boost.
"As a society, we have become completely disconnected from where our food comes from," said Hellberg, who described the royal visit as a "great opportunity."
"Prince Charles acknowledges and understands and embraces sustainable agriculture," he said.
Marin County is in the vanguard of organic operations. All vegetables grown in the county are certified organic, with sales amounting to about US$5 million annually, Hellberg said.
Statewide, there about 2,000 registered organic farms, said Jake Lewin, marketing director of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), where membership has been "growing quite rapidly." CCOF certifies Charles' Duchy Originals products imported to the US as organic and Lewin can vouch personally for the shortbread cookies. "They're scrumptious."
Saturday's tale of the prince and the produce began at the farmer's market in the town of Point Reyes. Then it was off to Bolinas, a small coastal community about 48km north of San Francisco. The royal couple lunched at Star Route Farms run by organic pioneer Warren Weber, who according to the Marin Organic Web site, began the operation in 1974, farming 2 hectares with a horse-drawn plow.
Around 50 people lined up outside Weber's farm to greet the prince, some waiting hours for a quick glimpse of them as they swept by.
Among those who came to catch a glimpse of the royalty was Mary Barror who brought with her a handmade sign that read "Welcome to organic Bolinas."
"I woke up one morning and thought, `I want to do something,"' she said. "And this little voice said, `Make a sign of welcome.'"
Spectators got a thrill later when the royals emerged from the farm and shook some hands in the crowd before leaving.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS