On October 1st a diverse coalition of organizations, businesses and individuals will begin to march from the Historic Flatbush Food Co-op in Brooklyn, NY to the gates of the White House to ask the Obama Administration to support labeling of genetically engineered foods, also termed “Genetically Modified Organisms” or “GMOs”. The GMO Right2Know March will feature daily events between New York and Washington, DC October 1-16 as hundreds of marchers are expected to walk part or all of the 313 miles to the White House. The route and details on daily events can be viewed at Right2KnowMarch.org.

“Pesticide companies develop Genetically Engineered food crops by combining DNA from plants, animals, bacteria and viruses, to contain or resist pesticide, which results in more pesticides sold and sprayed,” says Michael Hansen, Chief Scientist of Consumers Union. “Genetically engineered foods contain untested novel foreign compounds that can be detrimental to our health, just as they are to the environment and farmers’ livelihoods. American consumers deserve the choice whether they want to eat GMOs, just like their counterparts in Europe and Japan,” says Hansen who will join the Oct 1 NYC Right2Know March kick-off rally at Prospect Park at 11am to 1pm followed by marchers walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to the United Nations.

Dreamriver Press author, Eric Herm, will be one of the keynote speakers when the march ends up in Washington DC on October 15-16.

See the complete press release for the march, or visit Right2KnowMarch.org for more details.

Olivier Clerc, author of Invaluable Lessons from a Frog and The Gift of Forgiveness, will be doing a workshop-ritual at the Coyote Institute, next weekend (September 9-11), in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Based on his latest book, The Gift of Forgiveness, the workshop will focus on teaching a powerful ritual that don Miguel Ruiz bestowed on Olivier Clerc in Mexico, back in 1999. To find out more please visit www.coyoteinstitute.us/forgiveness.html

This is an excerpt from an article by Derek Singleton. Follow the link below to read the complete article.

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Most of us would eat better if we could afford to. I know I would. Even though I’m a proponent of organic farms, grocers and food, I tend to lose my organic appetite when I see the hefty price tag that comes along with it. It may just be a few cents here or there, but multiplied over an entire bill – and then multiplied over weeks and months – the difference adds up.

So what makes organic food more expensive? A major factor is scale. Because most organic farms don’t operate at economies of scale, the amount of man hours required for harvesting and post-harvesting activities is much greater than conventional methods. For the same reason, the cost of marketing and distributing organic food is higher as well.

“The national options really boil down to two distributors: Tree of Life and United Natural Foods. With them being the only major distributors, products often get discontinued and then we have difficulty stocking the item.” – Dan Gilotte, Wheatsville Co-op

In addition to scale, organic food also suffers from an inefficient distribution network that’s still largely based on word-of-mouth business. To manage the organic distribution network, distributors will need to adopt technology that automatically informs grocers of available inventory and pricing. At the same time, grocers will need to invest in technology that allows them to find the right organic distributor at the best price.

Further pushing the price up is the fact that the demand for organic food far outweighs the available supply. All things combined – scale, distribution, supply, and cost – the consequences are creating unequal access to quality food for many Americans.

Read more: http://www.softwareadvice.com/articles/distribution/organic-food-distribution-network-108161/

Living Your Perfect Life Now.
A Discussion with Richard A. Singer

When: Saturday July 23, 12:00-2:00pm
Where: The Association for Research and Development of New York
241 West 30th Street, 2nd Floor, Buzz in #102, Manhattan, NY

Cost: ARE Members $20, Non-Members $25
For reservations and further information call the ARE Center, tel.212-691-7690

When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head and laugh at the sky.
-  Buddha

Do you desire a perfect life? You may not realize it but to obtain this life is quite simple. Based on my study of spiritual figures and philosophies, I truly believe that it comes down to two simple practices:

• Live Now! Live completely in the miraculous energy of the present.

• Help another member of your human family. To help humanity is to truly live.

Join us to explore ideas on how to perfect our lives, as found in my latest book, Now: Embracing the Present Moment, as well as in Eastern Wisdom for Your Soul.

Richard Singer is an award winning author, trained psychotherapist, Asst. Professor of Human and Social Services, and most importantly a seeker of truth. He continuously searches for wisdom to use in his life, as well as helping other human beings in their precious journey. He seeks to impart this knowledge to the world through his writing. Richard states that “My books are not only for reading, they are meant to be lived.”

Richard has been featured in many magazines, on various radio and television shows including BBC News in London. His books have been reviewed by, amongst others, Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul.

For more information you can visit Richard’s website at www.EmbracingthePresent.com.

After visiting Word Up, the new Pop-up bookstore in upper Manhattan. I wondered how hard it would be for more such stores to make their appearance throughout New York City or even other cities. Commenting on my thoughts, a friend of mine said: “It is not hard at all. All you need is to partner with a real-estate company with store front property they are trying to rent or sell.”

Apparently, real-estate companies would prefer to have a furnished & functioning store to show perspective clients, rather than an empty space. So, it could turn out to be a win-win situation: you could create pop up store, with no rent fees (!) for a limited amount of time, and the real-estate agency would have a nice store to show clients.

I’m sure pop-up stores could sell various items. But, more bookstores would be great!

Find out more about “Word Up” by visiting: http://wordupbooks.wordpress.com/

The June issue of The Organic & Non-GMO Report features an interview with farmer-author Eric Herm. To read the interview visit: http://www.thenon-gmoreport.com/articles/june2011/generationsfarmerorganicnongmo.php

Word Up is a month-long uptown bookshop coming to Northern Manhattan, beginning during the Uptown Arts Stroll/Paseo de las Artes.

Word Up will be at 4157 Broadway, at 175 Street, across the street from the United Palace Theater.

Sponsored by Vantage Residential and Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, and coordinated by Fractious Press and Seven Stories Institute, Word Up will have readings, performances, workshops, talks, and more, with local writers and presses. We hope that the idea of a multi-language, general-interest bookstore in the center of the neighbourhood takes hold and that the space—whether this one, or another like it—can continue through and beyond the summer.

From Friday June 17 to July 14, store hours will be weekdays 4-9pm, weekends 12-4pm, with some adjustments for special events.

For more details see, http://wordupbooks.wordpress.com/

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Dreamriver Press books will be available.  Be sure to drop by, and help spread the Word!

We are looking forward to this year’s BEA in New York City. It is the largest Book Fair in the U.S, and presents an opportunity to network with everyone in the publishing industry: authors, printers, publicists, distributors, agents … Dreamriver Press will not have a booth this year, but our distributor, the National Book Network will be at booth #3604. For anyone going, hope you enjoy the Book Fair!