We're continuing our stroll through local cheesemakers of America, but we're not quite ready to leave New York State yet! Last week, we discovered New York goat cheese, but goats are not the only animals supplying high-quality milk to cheesemakers in the Empire State: today, we're talking about cows.

Organic Authority is thrilled, honored and absolutely gushing to announce that we've been nominated for "Best Blog" in the first annual ALIVE health and environmental award!

Chef Mario Batali, along with his wife and two teenage sons, has taken the challenge to protest the pending cuts that could drastically affect families on the food stamp program. If approved by Congress, the cuts could reduce the amount of support to just $31 per person per week, less than $1.50 per meal.

Chef Jamie Oliver has designated May 19^th as the first-ever 'Food Revolution Day' in order for communities to come together to share information, talent, resources—and most importantly—to bring awareness to the food issues our world faces. Events will be taking place all across the globe, and it's not too late to host your own!

In 2004, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a ban on force-feeding geese to produce foie gras and a ban on selling foie gras in California.  But the law was designed not to go into effect until July of 2012 to give California producers time to propose and implement alternative production methods. It seems procrastination ruled the day, however, and although the newly formed Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards sent a proposal off to Sacramento in April to try to stay the ban, it was too little, too late. As of July 1^st, California will be a foie gras-free zone.

Anything the real world can do, the virtual world can do better? Well, sort of. It certainly motivated Stonyfield, the world's leading brand of organic yogurt, which has launched a virtual scavenger hunt—taking place exclusively online—called The Great Food Find. Uniting consumers with the organic food brands they love, participants can win prizes as they find organic and natural foods on the web, and one lucky Organic Authority newsletter subscriber will win a $20 gift card from Stonyfield!

Organically grown foods can be--and often are--mixed with non-organic ingredients, genetically modified organisms and artificial ingredients despite boasting organic labels. Organic fruits and vegetables can comingle with conventionally raised produce, be exposed to pesticides and other contaminants in shipping, storage and on display at your local supermarket. And sometimes, products labeled organic aren't even organic at all, like the recent case of an Oregon man sentenced to more than two years in prison for selling conventionally raised corn as organic.

In continuing our trip across the country's local cheese farmers, we stopped to talk to two goat cheese farmers in New York State. Neither is certified organic, and we've loved growing to understand the reasons behind their choices.

Aussies and Kiwis (New Zealand locals) may not agree on much, but they can find common ground in their love of Vegemite, a savory yeast extract spread.

As Americans who haven’t grown up on it, Vegemite can be a bit of an acquired taste. With a savory, salty tang to it, a small dab can go a long way. You might not even be able to—or want to—get past the strong smell. So, how did this strange substance come to be anyway?

If you've perused the ready-to-drink section of your local health food store, chances are you've noticed a dominating category: fermented beverages. And you've probably noticed the sticker prices, too. These drinks can range from $3 to $5, or more. Once a little-known mushroom-esque fermented folk remedy used for curing a number of ailments from the mild to the malignant, kombucha has become the it-drink of the decade, but is it really worth the spend?