Posts in category: Organic Food

UK-based JD Sports Fashion has reported a total revenue of £4.78bn ($5.91bn) for the first half of its fiscal year, up 8.3% from $4.41bn in the corresponding period of the prior fiscal year.

During the 26-week to 29 July 2023, the retailer’s sports fashion business achieved revenue of £4.51bn over the period, up 9% on the corresponding period last year.

The premium sports fashion operation, which accounted for 80% of our Sports Fashion segment by revenue, saw revenue growth of 17% to £3.59bn.

Within its other sports fashion fascias, revenues of non-core fashion businesses declined by 16% to £783.8m.

The retailer’s outdoor business reported total revenue of £272.0m in the first half of this financial period, 1% down from the previous fiscal year.

The gross margin of JD Sports for the first half was 48.0% versus 48.5% a year ago.

Over the period, the retailer posted an operating profit of £400.1m in the first half of the fiscal year. Its profit before tax (PBT) was £375.2m for the period, up 25.8% from £298.3m in the same period last year.

Its basic earnings per share were 4.65p in H1, up 29.9% from 3.58p in the prior year period.

JD Sports fashion chief executive officer Régis Schultz said: “We have delivered a strong first half to our financial period with organic sales growth of 12% and profit on track for the full year.

“We have made good progress delivering on our strategic pillars, focusing on expanding the JD brand and we will open more than 200 JD stores worldwide in this financial period.

“We are going to accelerate JD brand growth in Europe through purchasing the non-controlling interest in both ISRG and MIG and the acquisition of GAP stores in France. This is alongside the proposed acquisition of Courier in the region, which will, when completed, enhance the Group’s existing portfolio of complementary concepts, bringing into the company its market-leading focus on the female customer. Meanwhile, we are building and investing in talent and infrastructure to support future growth.”

Last month, JD Sports purchased the remaining 40% minority stake in Polish retailer Marketing Investment Group (MIG), making it the sole owner.

You may think I’m stretching it to include the garden at Chilmark’s Martha’s Vineyard Bank, but I’ve watched over the past seven years as the garden beds flourished into a showcase of color, beauty, and seasonal splendor. Garden designer Connie Hyde and I finally connected in early September 2023, during an unusually hot week. Connie tells me, “I thought, What do I want to tell Valerie about the garden? It goes hand in hand with the evolution of the gardener. It started out when the bank changed hands [about seven years ago]. This was so wildly overgrown. The perimeter bed was all brambles, vines, bittersweet. The trees were encroaching into the parking area. This ink hedge was about eight feet into the asphalt zone, where people drive through. The first step was to bring it back to bones.”

Connie continues, “We actually did logging in here.” She works with Chris DeMello of American Property Care, who handles the lawn. They took “about seven truckloads out, just of wood.” Chris processed the wood and donated it for people to heat their homes. From there, Connie says, “We were under a little bit of pressure to get it looking good before the grand opening, which was well before gardening season. So it had some anchors like dwarf andromeda and dwarf cherry laurel.” Connie laughs and says, “I remember other local gardeners approaching me and asking what I was doing there. Why do I have a popcorn of shrubs in the main entrance high-profile zone? It looks so erratic. I was like, Just wait. It’ll come, just wait.” Connie explains that she designed so that “around June graduation time for the high schoolers, there was a lot of white and purple, like white immortality irises, purple salvias, nepeta, and it would segue into popcorn eclectic for the time summer folks are here.”

As Connie evolved as a gardener, so did the gardens she worked on. She “learned about naturalizing plants, and scattering sowing seeds instead of going to the nursery and buying more plants.” I stop her so she can explain what “naturalizing plants” means. “So the plant becomes part of the space without too much influence from the gardener, so it can both seed in the area and also grow,” she says. At this point we’re still standing next to the weeping crabapple tree in the center of the parking area. Connie tells me that the tree was in intensive care for about four years. Connie believes that was due to being surrounded by pavement — it was an inappropriate planting. She then points out the cracks in the pavement radiating from the planted area, explaining, “I think the roots are really struggling, but it’s been here for a long time.” I admit I remember the blossoms on the dwarf crabapple tree in the spring, but don’t recall the abundance of apples I’m seeing. Connie says, “It would blossom, and then we’d have leaf fall, and no apples.” So she’s added fertilizer regularly, “pruning to aerate so it has an aesthetic trunkline and so the air can flow. [And] spraying it with tea tree and geranium oil, and all sorts of essential oils to keep the pests from forming colonies in that beautiful lichen that’s growing.”

Connie’s approach is “always organic, but sometimes a little intensive, to rescue what’s always been here. Over the course of the years I realized poppies really love Chilmark, so I’d let the poppies go to seed, pinch the heads and scatter them all around. Or I would bring home baskets of poppy seedheads, and then have jars I carry around with me when I’m driving and scatter them around all over the place, sort of like Miss Rumphius. Did you ever read that children’s story?” No, in fact, I had never heard of it, despite my two years working as a children’s librarian in the Nyack, N.Y., library. It was written in 1982 by Maine author Barbara Cooney. Connie loved it because the protagonist “would scatter lupine seeds all over.” I notice a lot of echinacea, which Connie allows to “go to seed because the goldfinches love it.” Connie admits, “I’m in a constant dialogue between allowing things to go to seed. This is a very regenerative and sustainable garden, so I’m allowing the Queen Anne’s lace to go to seed; the birds love it. The birds love the echinacea. The birds love the anise hyssop. And particularly the yellow goldfinches. I plant in my gardens so that there’s pollinator attraction, and so that there’s medicine just in case the boats stop running some day.”

Back to allowing things to go to seed, Connie says it “is fantastic for ecology, the environment, and biodiversity, but it’s not fantastic for the cocktail party on the lawn. So it’s been discourse around how can I plump it up a little bit, but not cut everything down and keep everybody happy.” I wonder about the black seed pods I see, and Connie tells me it’s baptisia that won’t self-sow, and she can “collect those pods and grow the seeds in a greenhouse.” She doesn’t do that because she “likes the way the seeds look.” Then she shows me the crocosmia with bright red flowers, whose seeds will just drop and “maybe more bulbs will form.” The roses and salvias continue to bloom.

Connie says, “Another thing I’ve experimented with here is not cultivating to weed. We have Asian jumping worms here, which are an invasive species. They decimate the upper six inches of biomass, and their fecal matter is compared to glass shards on a molecular structure.” I learn they’ve been here for “about 15 years.” Connie continues, “In the past three years or so, they’ve really made their presence known. They make it hard for the plants to uptake nutrients because of the form of their fecal matter. And the nature of their movement is serpentine, like a snake, creating upheaval in the root systems, popping out, struggling to get established, and then struggling to uptake nutrients. They’re really a demonic plague of worms. So I’m not fertilizing, I’m not cultivating. Where you see some grass in here, or weeds, I’m not plucking, I’ll clip. It holds the ground and provides carbon sequestering, so there’s another element of a regenerative, sustainable practice instead of old-school cultivate and fertilize — just leave it as is, and clip what you don’t want.”

Connie is one of the most informative gardeners I’ve ever met. She grew up “shoveling cow manure” in Queensbury, N.Y., with her father. “I grew up organic farming, not knowing that’s actually what I was doing,” she says. “Being forced to do it, crying and hating it.” She went to school for art, and says, “When I found myself as a single mom having to support my family, someone suggested I might just want to try gardening.” Sure, she thought she could grow some vegetables for other people, but it ended up being “fine gardening.” She did “a little apprenticeship,” and realized “this is the marriage of all I love and know.” She started out creating gardens through a “visual aesthetic.” As she continued, she says, “I learned about the habit of plants,” and the importance of regenerative practices. The bank’s garden is her first garden design on her own. This year she’s studying under master gardener Roxanne Kapitan (read my column about her garden here: bit.ly/MVT_Kapitan), saving some seeds from her garden to grow in a friend’s Chilmark greenhouse. And then Connie will be looking for a piece of land to start a perennial vegetable, herb, flower, and fruit tree food forest that is open to the public, designed according to fine garden design elements, where people can pick, can learn to process, and bring seeds home to start their own home food forest. During the pandemic, Connie had a small plot of garden at Native Earth Teaching Farm to grow food for clients, and donated the surplus to the Island Food Pantry.

As we continue to walk the outer beds of the property, Connie fills me in on how she manages the plants, keeping the high-profile ones “tidy” while not worrying about others. She leaves goldenrod, panicum. She’s putting essential oils on the asclepia, and still hopes to see some monarch butterflies, besides helping to ward off the deer. She also planted ornamental onions because the bees love them, and they deter deer. At the beginning of spring, the garden is subtle. There are vitex (a great medicinal for hormone balancing in women), St. John’s wort, monarda, spirea, butterfly bushes, and wild multifloral roses. Connie is also learning how to make tinctures from gardener Laurisa Rich (her garden story is here: bit.ly/MVT_LRich). Connie says, “I’m constantly reading about what to do with plants.” There are wild strawberries and other groundcovers happening because Connie has not cultivated the perimeter beds. The first year “focused on design and garden installation, followed by two years of filling in, seeing what works, what makes it through our arctic blasts, and then it’s hands-off, and I just watch.”

Connie uses irrigation systems for the first few years so the garden can get established, and then she weans them off. She says, “The same is true for fish emulsion or seaweed emulsion. The rule of thumb is if it’s green, give it some nitrogen; if it blooms, give it some fish.” She explains that the nurseries are giving plants so many extra nutrients, and watering them all day, “it’s like they’re on steroids.”

This year there’s been so much rain, the irrigation system could mostly be shut off. She shows me a few hollys “that sort of just showed up and will create a lovely screen, especially in the winter.” Connie mentions harbingers of winter, like all the already fallen samara seeds from the maple trees, acorns, and pinecones. She also tells me to check out the October full moon’s halo to determine the depth of coming snows. As we finish our walk, she mentions that both panicled hydrangeas were here, as well as the mophead hydrangeas she moved to the perimeter. The one plant I’d never seen was Japanese forest grass, fantastic for shade. Then she points out the monkshood, which will turn blue in October. And as we close, I wonder if she’s seen the film about Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf, who turns out to be the inspiration for this very garden, besides British garden designer Noel Kingsbury. I have appreciated the immense beauty of this particular garden in the heart of Chilmark, and it’s available for all to enjoy.

If you have a lead on land that can be turned into a public food forest, please contact Connie Hyde at blackwatergardensmv@gmail.com.

Did you know that the seasons may impact your digestive system? Or that our hormones may be influenced by digestion?

These questions — and more — are addressed in the East Bonner County Library District’s second Natural Connections event being held in the library’s garden Saturday.

In addition to the schedule, the library’s garden coordinator, Anna Hebard, will be available to show participants exciting new features available at the garden.

Folks can stay for the full event, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., or just stop in for the portions that interest them. The event will go on, rain or shine.

• 10 a.m. — Ayurveda (“Science of Life”) — class explores the connections between nature and health.

Ayurveda, known as the Science of Life, explores how the cycles of nature affect health and well-being. Yvonne Heitz, Ayurvedic wellness counselor will guide participants through this ancient Vedic science that teaches how health is a reflection of the environment, daily rhythms, diet, and mental outlook on life, said Joyce Jowdy, EBCLD community engagement and adult programming coordinator.

It views each person as a unique individual and optimum health as being naturally achievable by following a lifestyle that supports your individual qualities and needs, Jowdy said. The program will discuss how Ayurveda can guide participants to discover their unique body type and how to make a positive change in their health through diet, digestion and environment.

You have probably heard “you are what you eat,” Well, Ayurveda teaches “You are not what you eat—You are what you digest,” Jowdy said.

Participants will learn why Ayurveda places so much importance on digestion, with information on the three stages of digestion and they can heal themselves with food and spices.

The program will explore the qualities and effects of different foods and spices through discussion, taste, and observation. In addition, traditional Ayurvedic healing recipes will be provided.

Heitz has devoted her life to learning and studying Ayurveda, beginning her studies in 2001 at California College of Ayurveda and has continued her studies through raising four boys and running an Ayurvedic massage and consulting business in Sandpoint. She is currently finishing her studies at the Kerala Ayurveda Academy specializing in traditional Ayurvedic herbal formulations and Panchakarma techniques.

• At 1 p.m., the library will host a program on seed saving and harvesting techniques.

Participants are invited to join the library in the garden with Anna Hebard for a hands-on exploration of different styles and techniques to save and clean seeds.

In this one-hour participatory demonstration, participants will handle various types of dry seeds and discuss how to process wet seeds, as well as take home seeds for next years garden.

Hebard is a graduate of Organic Farm School of Whidbey Island, Wash., where she learned how to save seeds from the Organic Seed Alliance. For six years she managed and operated an urban farm where she grew food, flowers and seeds to benefit nonprofit groups who would serve hot meals to homeless, low-income housing, women’s and childrens shelters, Jowdy said.

• At 2 p.m., the library is hosting a program on how to put your garden to bed and information on composting.

As fall and winter approach and the garden fades, Jowdy said the program offers participants a chance to learn how to prepare their garden for winter and turn their garden cleanup into soil for next spring.

Nina Eckberg will teach participants about proper garden tool maintenance, including a hand-on effort to clear part of The Library garden after harvest. She will also show us about the what, why and how of building an active compost pile. This is hand-on and participatory so be prepared to get your hands dirty. Be sure to bring your questions about composting and how to keep your garden area healthy through the winter.

Eckberg received her Bachelor of Science degree in horticultural science and plant pathology from Colorado State University.

Using her education for the next 25 years as a landscaper, county extension agent, noxious weed supervisor, executive director for resource conservation and development, arborist for the city of Post Falls, community garden manager and horticultural consultant.

Nina has lived in Coeur d’Alene since 2002 and is married to an entomologist.

Information: ebonnerlibrary.org

France’s agriculture minister, Marc Fesneau, has encouraged farmers to produce more cheap meat through intensive farming at a large agribusiness event, the Guardian reports. 

With inflation pushing up food prices, French consumers have been choosing cheap meat over organic products. “Animal welfare issues only work if we find someone to pay” for it, Fesneau is quoted as saying. 

Since coming to power in 2017, French president Emmanuel Macron has tried to push the country’s meat industry away from intensive farming. Fesneau’s comments appear to signal a change of direction, which has pleased the large meat, dairy, and egg producers. 

“Our goal is the reconquest of standard production,” Gilles Huttepain, an executive at poultry producer LDC, told the Guardian. He said that France “must build 400 new standard [intensive] chicken houses a year to take back the market from imports,” which make up half of the chicken consumed in France.

Backtracking on minimal progress

France had begun to make improvements to its animal welfare standards, which may be threatened by the government’s apparent new policy direction.

A ban on eggs from battery caged hens was supposed to come into force in 2022, but it only applied to the sale of whole eggs in supermarkets, not those used in processed food. In 2018, 68 percent of France’s egg-laying hens were still forced to spend their lives in cages. It’s now thought that one in four eggs come from caged systems. According to the Guardian, some egg farmers who switched to cage-free systems are regretting it due to increased demand for cheaper caged eggs.

A voluntary animal welfare labeling scheme for eggs was also rolled out in some French supermarkets in 2018.

That same year, Macron urged the European Union to reform its subsidy system, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which has long rewarded the largest landowners without considering how their farming practices hurt the environment. 

France has also recently made a second attempt to hobble its growing plant-based industry. Two weeks ago, the government issued a new decree banning the use of “meat” terms like steak and sausage on plant-based products.

Going against the grain

Fesneau’s remarks go against the European Union’s Farm to Fork strategy, which aims to make agriculture less intensive and expand organic farming. It also moves in the opposite direction to the Netherlands, which has been trying to negotiate a strategy with farmers for reducing livestock numbers to tackle nitrogen pollution from manure. Though those negotiations collapsed in June.

Like the Netherlands, France suffers from nitrogen pollution that is causing toxic algal blooms, particularly in Brittany where there is a concentration of intensive pig, poultry, and dairy farms. 

France is the largest beef producer in Europe and, along with Germany, is its largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Agricultural economist Carine Barbier, a researcher for the French National Centre for Scientific Research, has said that “it’s absolutely necessary to start reducing herd sizes” in France to tackle its emissions.

Though meat consumption remains high in France, a 2021 survey found that nearly half of people had cut the amount they ate over the previous three years.

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