2015 Final Sweetwater Pledge to Customers Update

The Sweetwater Local Foods Market pledges that the animal and vegetable products sold in this market were grown and raised locally – within the State of Michigan – in a manner that….

…builds a living soil that enhances biological diversity as the critical component for growing healthy food,

…promotes animal welfare by respecting animal nature and recognizing the role that animals play in the soil-food-web, and

…fosters human and environmental health as a result.

This means Sweetwater Local Foods Market farmers have pledged to use:

• NO SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS or SOIL TREATMENTS
• NO SYNTHETIC CHEMICAL PESTICIDES OR HERBICIDES on VEGETABLES & FRUITS
• NO GROWTH PROMOTING ANTIBIOTICS OR HORMONES

And further, that

• ALL ANIMALS ARE GIVEN ROUTINE ACCESS TO OUTDOOR AREAS WHEN SEASONALLY APPROPRIATE
• FARMERS WILL NOT INTENTIONALLY USE GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS IN SEED OR FEED PRODUCTS. *

 Value Added Products including Preserved Foods, Baked Goods, Body Care & Cleaning Products

Producers & Vendors of these products have pledged to:

• USE NO SYNTHETIC INGREDIENTS IN ANY OF THE PRODUCTS OFFERED FOR SALE.
• KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOURCE OF INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE AT THE MARKET.
• USE CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
• USE LOCAL ORGANICALLY GROWN INGREDIENTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
• LABEL INGREDIENTS COMPLETELY.

* Position on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)

The Sweetwater Local Foods Market (SLFM) is opposed to use of GMO’s in all foods consumed by both animals and humans and endorses the National Organic Program (NOP) standards on GMO’s.

Current government policies regarding GMO products do not require that they be labeled. SLFM believes this is patently wrong and we encourage you, the consumer to speak up and insist that at the very least the government act responsibly and require labeling of all products containing GMO’s.

If a product is labeled Certified Organic and includes a USDA NOP seal you are guaranteed that the product is organic AND non-GMO.

All food producers at Sweetwater are required, at the very least, to provide proof they use non-GMO feeds for their animals & non-GMO ingredients for their value added products. By itself, non-GMO DOES NOT mean organically grown; it simply means the product has not been genetically modified. Farmers choosing to use non-GMO but conventionally grown feeds will disclose that through proper signage at their booth.

We believe that you have a RIGHT TO KNOW everything about the food you buy for yourself and your family!

If you have questions about the food sold at Sweetwater, ask our farmers! They are more than happy to talk about how they raise their plants and animals.