Blog
Give the Gift of Comfort: Your Farm to Home Holiday Gift Guide
Farm to Home is pleased to offer our two most giftable items ahead of the holidays! Our certified organic cotton chunky throw and unisex hooded robe are designed to give everyone on your list the comfort they crave this year. Our chunky throw and hooded terry robe both come in four color options to choose from, packaged so nicely you won't have to waste time, money and paper on wrapping! The holidays are different this year-- let the goodness of organic cotton bring solace to the season. Organic is better for farmers, workers and you and your loved ones. To top it off, these gifts are priced affordably price below $50 and are available through QVC. Sizing and color options make it possible for literally everyone on your list to find joy in these cozy organic gifts from Farm to Home! Even our pets love cuddling up on this delicious chunky knit throw. Happy Holidays from the Farm to Home team!
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5 Ways to Recalibrate Your Space for 2020
Refresh your bed and bath with new organic sheets and towels. We might be biased here at Farm to Home, but getting tucked in with our Sweet Dreams 400-thread count organic cotton sateen sheets is a great way to kick off the year. After all, we spend ⅓ of our lives sleeping. Dream better and heal the earth by choosing certified organic bed and bath textiles. Don’t throw away what you replace. Old sheets can be donated if they are still in working order. Alternately, tired sheets can be torn into squares for dusting, repurposed into dust covers for bicycles & small appliances, or even remade into simple, reusable bulk food bags. Old towels, on the other hand, are a welcome donation at your local animal shelter. Bring nature inside. Add new plants or repot & rearrange your current collection. Consider a new ceramic plant pot or paint one you already own. Clear off windowsills and other surfaces by hanging some of your favorite plants. We love this DIY macrame plant hanger tutorial. Smudge. (What?) Well, if you don’t know, now you know: the burning of dried sage is an indigenous practice used to cleanse spaces of negative energy. For those who may feel wary of setting herbs alight in your home, there is some science behind this ritual. Studies have shown sage smoke to be both antibacterial and antiseptic, reinforcing the positive impacts of smudging. Let your light shine in. This time of year can be tricky due to shorter days and longer nights. Try minimal window dressings to keep your winter light glowing and spruce up your bed and bath space with calm, yet cheerful hues. For ideas, check out our @farmtohomeorganics Instagram feed.
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Phasing Out Plastic: Tips & Tricks for Easing Plastic Out of Our Lives
It's Plastic Free July! Did you know that 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year? We depend on the ocean for our oxygen supply-- the photosynthesis of phytoplankton generates over half the world's oxygen. Microplastics pollute the food we eat from the sea and hinder photosynthesis of phytoplankton. When we ruin the ocean, we threaten our existence because everything is interconnected. Thankfully, as we become aware of the problem, we can address it. Everyone needs to chip in to help rid our world of plastic waste. The best place to start is to reduce the plastic we bring into our homes on an individual level. Can you pick up any of these habits today? 1. Choose organic, natural fibers in fashion and home textiles. Avoid sequins and glitter. 2. Opt for loose / bulk produce and grains, easily found in farmer’s markets and farm stores. Bring your reusable bags or basket, or reuse old plastic bags if you don't have access to those. We love Olliella's handmade baskets. 3. BYO cup, tote bags, reusable straw, etc OR choose paper cups / bags for when you forget your reusable cup. Mermaid Straws are beautiful reusable metal straws. 4. Make your bathroom plastic free! Try solid shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. (Hello, HiBAR!) Ditch the disposable razors for this beauty by Oui the People. And forget the plastic contraption for applying deodorant-- check out this all-natural deodorant in paper packaging from Lalin Et La Sirén. 5. Check out beauty brands packaged in paper or glass. Jacq's and Urb Apothecary are great places to start. 6. Eat at home to avoid take out containers. Reusable takeout options exist locally in Portland, Brooklyn, Toronto, San Francisco. Reuse / repurpose takeout containers when you get them. 7. As your plastic storage containers break, replace them with glass or stainless steel containers. Not only do they last longer, they are healthier for you to eat from. Try Nummyware or just reuse glass jars instead of recycling them. 8. Adjust your mindset. If you think, “What am I going to do with this when it breaks or when I’m done with it?” it may change your decision making process as you shop. 9. Read up. Kate Nelson aka @plasticfreemermaid has a new book out called I Quit Plastics: And You Can Too. It's full of handy recipes for homemade products and Kate is the boss babe of living plastic free. 10. Keep re-using the plastic you already have, especially if you don’t have the privilege and access to buy metal / wood / fabric alternatives. Check out these 5 tips and accessible alternatives from sustainability ambassador, Dominique Drakeford. You've got this! Don't hold back-- brag about your lifestyle changes to your friends. The more we reject plastic as consumers, the more pressure there will be on brands and manufacturers to find alternatives. Our grandparents and great grandparents lived without plastic and so can we!
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Certified Organic Fiber: Building Supply Chains Free From Exploitation
Textile supply chains have a complicated history. Production used to be close to home, built on the backs of enslaved cotton workers and low wage garment workers. When we exported 98% of those jobs, those problems didn't disappear. Fashion & textiles have some of the longest and most complicated supply chains, making exploitation easy to hide. You're probably wondering what this has to do with organic. If you are like most organic consumers, you look for the organic label because you don't want exposure to unnecessary pesticides and other toxic chemicals. But GOTS certification (Global Organic Textile Standard) goes way beyond chemical inputs. The latest update to the standard, version 6, released in March 2020, builds on existing protections that ensure that child labor, bonded labor, or forced overtime is forbidden. All facilities in the supply chain must meet strict social criteria, following the ILO (International Labor Organization) framework for labor standards. Here are just a few ways that buying certified organic textiles breaks the cycles of exploitation and oppression in fashion's supply chains. 1. FREEDOM TO ORGANIZE: Workers have freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, by way of trade unions or other organizations to lobby for worker rights. 2. HEALTH & SAFETY: In addition to chemical exposure, textile workers are often placed in hazardous factories with poor ventilation, temperature control, and no fire codes or safety procedures. GOTS ensures workers are trained and safety protocol established. 3. HOMEWORKER PROTECTION: Homeworkers are given the same safety protocol and benefits as in-factory laborers. 4. MIGRANT WORKER PROTECTION: Migrant workers are treated the same as local workers, and their travel documents may not be withheld. 5. LIVING WAGE: Workers must be paid a living wage-- that is to say a wage that covers basic living expenses and provides some discretionary income. 6. REASONABLE HOURS: Generally, weekly hours should not exceed 48hrs. Overtime hours are voluntary, and compensation is at a premium rate. 7. EMPOWERMENT: Workers should be provided with an anonymous way to report on harassment in the workplace. This is just the start. It's heartbreaking to know that so many-- actually around 40.3 million people globally are trapped in modern slavery. What we do, make, and buy matters. Choosing GOTS-certified organic is part of the solution. Thank you for taking this step to understand more about the holistic benefits of supporting sustainable brands like Farm to Home! What else would you like to learn about our products? Please reach out! hello@farmtohome.com
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An Interview with our Founder and the Mother of ECOfashion
This Mother's Day, we've spent some time with our founder, Marci Zaroff. She is a mother to two organically-raised Millennials, not to mention the mother to multiple sustainable brands. She birthed the term "ECOfashion" in 1995 and has been revolutionizing fashion and textiles ever since. We hope you enjoy our Q & A with her. Happy Mother's Day! This Mother's Day, we've spent some time with our founder, Marci Zaroff. She is a mother to two organically-raised Millennials, not to mention the mother to multiple sustainable brands. She birthed the term "ECOfashion" in 1995 and has been revolutionizing fashion and textiles ever since. We hope you enjoy our Q & A with her. Happy Mother's Day! How did you get to where you are now? What inspired you to begin Farm to Home? My career started in holistic health and wellness. After I graduated from UC Berkeley Haas Business School in 1989, I moved to New York, and co-founded an educational center called “Gulliver’s Living & Learning Center,” now known as the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. One day one of my clients asked me about organic fashion and I had an “A-ha!” moment. Fashion was the missing link in the wellness equation. I began researching the impacts of conventional fiber agriculture and textile production and realized what an opportunity there was to problem-solve. I coined and trademarked “ECOfashion” and founded my first organic apparel and home brand, Under the Canopy. Fast forward to today: Farm to Home grew from a desire to bring organic, beautiful, high quality, and affordable bedding and bath collections to the mainstream. I had spent years building sustainable supply chains from the ground up in India. As a key figure in developing and defining the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), I knew we had to be able to trace the cotton all the way back to the farm. Knowing that our organic cotton is traceable from the seed on the farm all the way to the bedrooms and bathrooms of your homes is what I’ve tried to capture in our brand’s name. How have you seen the sustainability movement grow throughout your career? I feel like a little kid in a candy store now. When I started in the organic textiles business, I had no one to turn to – I had no farms, fabrics, factories or retailers. People think it’s hard now – three decades ago, it didn’t exist! I had to create it. One of my favorite quotes is from Jonathan Swift, “Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” Everything we see around us is created from ideas turned to realities. One example is in the organic farm projects I’ve been a part of. Collaborating with farmers in learning, evolving, and cultivating seeds of potential has led to incredibly rewarding developments in regenerative organic farming practices. This positive progress has truly changed the lives of those growing and sewing our products. The digital revolution has accelerated our efforts. Over a very short period, consumers moved from viewing organic as an elitist marketing ploy to a no-brainer. Currently, 84% of households are buying organic at least some of the time. It feels good to know I’ve helped drive organic’s shift from the alternative to the norm. Why should we care about organic on a global level? Organic is a long-term solution on many levels. Regenerative organic agriculture can actually rebuild soil, save water, reverse climate change and enhance the lives of some of the most vulnerable global workers. It’s the ultimate win-win-win. Why is the home a good place to start going organic in terms of textiles? We spend 1/3 of our lives asleep. Our skin is our largest single organ and primary organ for absorption. A conventional cotton sheet or pillow case is riddled with toxic fertilizers and pesticides from the agricultural product itself, not to mention chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, heavy metals, and all the other harmful chemicals that are potentially added in the dyeing, finishing and processing of a cotton textile. Sleep is an opportunity for the body, on a cellular level, to restore itself for a new day ahead. By exposing our skin to certified organic products in bed and in our homes, we are offering our bodies and minds purity in that restoration. Because switching to organic home products is easy, it’s a great place to start if you’re not already supporting organic agriculture in your life. It doesn’t require changing daily habits or rituals. And with organic bedding and bath more affordable than ever, there’s nothing to hold you back! On that note, how do you keep the Farm to Home prices so accessible? I believe that everyone should be able to #dwellorganically. No one should have to compromise on style, quality, color, comfort, sustainability OR price. There is a stigma that sustainability means that we have to give something up—Farm to Home is here to prove that idea wrong. We have streamlined supply chains that reduce the number of transactions between the farmer and the consumer. We pass that savings onto our customers because we know that the more people that buy organic, the more potential we have for positive impact on the world. What are some actions our readers can take immediately? Vote with your dollars and buy organic food, apparel, home and beauty products. Keep learning. Follow me @marcizaroff to keep your finger on the pulse of organic and consider reading my book, ECOreniassance. Share what you learn with your circle of friends and family. We all have the power to create a ripple of change. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, Marci. Happy Mother's Day to you and our readers. For more wellness and organic lifestyle inspiration, follow us on social at @farmtohomeorganic.
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5 Ways FARM TO HOME is Changing the World, One Home Product at a Time
That seems lofty! Changing the world while changing our sheets? Really?! Absolutely! Here's how our business lifts people AND planet: 1) Holistic respect for global workers Fast fashion businesses prioritize low prices and quick production, causing byproducts like forced & bonded labor, child labor, unpaid overtime, illegal subcontracting and breaking of fire codes. Because FARM TO HOME products are certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard, we can ensure the people who grow the fiber, spin the yarn, dye the cloth and sew the products are paid a living wage and work in safe conditions. Each facility within the supply chain is inspected by independent, accredited bodies to meet stringent social and environmental standards. Wellbeing is a human right, regardless of where on this planet we dwell. 2) Environmental resilience through regenerative organic farming Did you know that regenerative organic farming can actually REVERSE climate change? That's right, by looking after our soil, aka the skin of the Earth, we can sequester carbon and provide extra income for farmers. You see, regenerative practices use a variety of strategies, such as low or no-till to keep the carbon in the soil where it belongs, reduce runoff, and protect nutrient-rich organic matter. By crop rotation, farmers diversify their income streams AND have the added benefit of selling off biomass at the end of the harvest instead of burning fields, thus reducing air pollution. That's just the tip of the organic iceberg. To learn more about regenerative organic farming, check out the Rodale Institute. 3) Making a wellness lifestyle affordable Textile products can change hands 7-10 times before they reach us, a financial transaction at every pass-off. By streamlining our supply chains and reducing the number of middlemen, we are able to keep our prices affordable and our supplier relationships strong. The more people who have access to participating in living and dwelling organically, the better we can transform peoples lives, the soil, and our world. Everyone should be able to participate in positive global change. 4) Encouraging safe indoor environments It's more important than ever to rethink our indoor environments as we continue to spend more time in our homes. Our living spaces are quite literally our sanctuaries-- protecting us from the threats that lie out of doors. We spend 1/3 of our lives asleep in our beds, and another large percentage awake in our homes. By choosing certified organic textiles, we can regenerate healthy cells on pure cotton overnight and optimize a holistic lifestyle during the day. For daily wellness tips, be sure to follow us on Instagram. 5) Raising awareness around mindful living We don't just want to sell you sheets, towels and throws. At FARM TO HOME, we know textiles are just one piece of the wellness equation. There's a saying: Energy flows where our attention goes. By becoming more mindful of our actions and our choices, we have the power to direct energy to what we want, instead of allowing it to be sucked from us, passively. We make choices every day that can lift ourselves, our families, and people around the globe. We can heal what's broken in the world simply by directing our love and attention to the causes we believe in. We are dedicated to high quality, certified organic home collections that are transformative on every level-- from the lives of farmers in India, to our customers' quality of sleep. Thank you for choosing to learn more about our commitments!
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Home Is Where the Heart Is
As we head toward several more weeks spent indoors, it’s hard not to begin to view and value our homes differently. Our dwelling can be a haven that nurtures our mind, body and soul. We’ve had to let go of some control and take life moment by moment, day by day. For some people, that may be instinctual, but for others, it’s a huge adjustment. By focusing on wellness, we can ease our anxieties about what’s going on in the world. By transforming our indoor environment into a serene sanctuary, we can also soothe our restless minds. Color Me Calm: The psychology of color indicates that hues that are “less saturated, but bright” are relaxing (Psychology Today). Surround yourself with shades that bring you joy, like our Farm to Home colors, created with low-impact inks and dyes. (Colors below, from left to right: Seafoam, Lavender, Cloud, Sky, Stone, and Sand) Home Sweet Organic Home: The home textiles we choose have an even bigger impact on our health now that our primary living environment is indoors. We have enough weighing on our minds; by choosing organic fibers, we can transform our home into a cozy nest of security by lifting one less worry from our shoulders. We can rest well knowing our homes are safe-- free from flame retardants, toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Certified organic means pure comfort and ease, inside and out. A Truly Good Night’s Sleep: Choosing an organic mattress and bedding benefits us in ways that go beyond the surface. Organic latex, cotton, and wool prevent bacteria and mold from growing in mattresses by naturally regulating temperature, therefore reducing the amount that we sweat and improving our quality of sleep. In turn, good sleep benefits our immune systems, not to mention our brain function and stress management. Let the Light Shine In: It’s becoming harder to disconnect digitally. That said, we need blue light breaks. As hard as it might be, try plugging your phone overnight out of arm’s reach and eating meals with it out of sight. Our eyes need a break. On that note, make sure to open the blinds and allow in as much natural light as possible. Exposure to natural light helps our sleep, lowers stress levels and reduces the risk of depression.What we put against our skin is as important as the food we put in our bodies. Our skin is our largest organ and primary organ for absorption. Stay well through and through by creating a home that supports your body, mind, and soul. How are you benefiting from your home's indoor environment? Please share your favorite ways to #stayhome and #staywell! Join the conversation on social or email us at hello@farmtohome.com.
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Work is Love Made Visible
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been in love with India. She feels like my mirror: full of energy, vivid colors, and passion. Anyone who knows me can see the connection. I am constantly swirling from place to place, bringing my creative vision, high vibration and optimism to the many (many, many) projects in motion at any given time. Because I see the reflection of my true self when I’m there, visiting our partners in India genuinely fills my cup. I feel whole when am, quite literally, touching the soil and connecting to the lives of the growers and sewers that bring the Farm to Home collection to life. In those moments, the synergy between all of the interconnected pieces of the organic supply chain puzzle are there in front of me, and my intuition guides my decision-making. My favorite quote is, “Work is love made visible” by Kahlil Gibran, because if you love your work, then it isn’t work, it’s love. That’s how I feel about Farm to Home. Sharing it with you feels like giving a great big hug. Thank you for joining in my vision to co-create a green, chic and healthy planet.
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