What Does It Mean To Be Organic | Interview With Only Organic | Lord Jameson

From the beginning, our mission at Lord Jameson was to create dog treats that were both healthy and extremely delicious! Recently, our treats have become USDA Organic Certified - which we could not be more proud of. We are always sharing information on the importance of eating organic, which is why we're proud to announce our new partnership with the amazing organization, Only Organic. We're honored to be the first pet product company that they've partnered up with! We interviewed Katrina Staves, Director of Only Organic, to learn more about the organization's goals and to delve deeper into the conversation of why organic is important.

What is Only Organic?

As you know, organic food is healthy, delicious and good for the environment. But what does it mean to be organic? How do you know if your produce has been grown without harmful chemicals or pesticides? With so many questions about this trendy term on everyone's minds these days, Only Organic wanted to be the go-to place to share information on organic.

Their core mission is simple: Only Organic aims to highlight the benefits of organic food, farming, products, and practices, eliminate confusion and drive understanding of organic to help consumers understand that organic provides true peace of mind.

What Inspired Only Organic to Be Established?

Organic Voices, which is the non-profit that runs the Only Organic campaign, was founded in 2011 as a way for the industry to unite and support a singular voice telling the story of organic. The founder and chairman, Gary Hirshberg (Stonyfield), thought that the organic industry needed to come together to support an organization working to help consumers better understand what organic is. Three years later in 2014, Only Organic was launched to help tell that story and to clear up consumer confusion around the USDA Organic seal and all things organic.

Why Does Organic Matter to You?

Everyone has their own reasons as to why organic is important to them, however, we can all agree that healthy eating is what's best for you and your body (and your dogs, too!) Here's why organic matters to Only Organic:

"Organic is incredibly important to Organic Voices and the Only Organic campaign and our mission. It is why we were founded! Organic means a lot of things but to us here at Only Organic it means peace of mind. We want consumers to know that what they are buying, feeding their families, sleeping in or on, and putting on their bodies are the safest products possible. You get that peace of mind when you purchase organic products."

On top of organic food offering peace of mind, it also offers a multitude of other benefits including the fact that they have no GMOs, toxic chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, etc. You know the phrase, "you are what you eat", well - it's true! No one wants to 'be' full of toxins and preservatives, right? Eating organic means less chemicals in your body and the environment. Essentially, it matters to the health of our future earth. All these reasons are why organic is so important and why it matters to our friends at Only Organic. Having less chemicals in the world is one of the most important aspects of organic!

What Advice Do You Have for People Who Are Just Learning About What Organic Really Means?

Only Organic's best advice for people who are just learning about what it means to be organic is to start small and learn as much as possible about the products you eat and use. They also said: "The easiest way to incorporate more organic in your life is to start by swapping out one or two conventional products with organic ones at the grocery store. It could be overwhelming to completely overhaul your purchasing habits, so start by swapping out products slowly and learning more about the brands you buy." Click here for a list of their partner brands.

Something else to remember is that organic doesn't just revolve around food... It's so much more than that! Even items like clothing, bedding, and mattresses can be organic, too. Thankfully, there are many wonderful brands that sell organic textiles. Here are some of Only Organic's favorite organic textile brands.

Another piece of advice from Only Organic's team is to not get discouraged! Even the most passionate organic consumer still consumes conventional products. Making slow changes will make the process easier and you will feel empowered knowing you are making important changes for yourself and the environment.

For more advice, resources, and to learn more about the many benefits of organic food, farming, and products, check out Only Organic's website!

What Are You Most Excited About with the Only Organic x Lord Jameson Partnership?

"We are SO excited to be working with Lord Jameson and to have our first brand partnership with a pet product company! Pets are a part of the family, and they deserve all the love and care we give ourselves through nourishment and healthy organic foods."

We couldn't be more excited about this new partnership, too! As we mentioned earlier, we feel so honored to be the first pet product company that Only Organic has partnered with. We're looking forward to the amazing things that we are going to accomplish together!

Advice for Dog Parents Who Want to Start an Organic Lifestyle for Their Dogs

"Our biggest piece of advice would be to switch to Lord Jameson treats! By switching, you know you are feeding your pet the healthiest treats on the market."

Paul M. from Only Organic said: "I'm so excited you're talking about organic pet food/treats. The stuff they put in conventional products is extremely disturbing."

We agree, Paul! We make organic dog treat shopping easy... Our treats at Lord Jameson are 100% organic - which you can tell by the USDA Organic Certified seal on the front of our packaging! We have several mouth-watering flavors made with ingredients like strawberries, blueberries, sweet potatoes, coconuts, peanut butter and more. One of our flavors, Celebration Bash, even won an award for Best Dog Treat of the Year! Check out our delicious collections here!

Conclusion of Our Partnership with Only Organic

Before the launch of Only Organic, the Just Label It campaign (which is a national campaign to push for mandatory labeling of GMO ingredients) was a major focus of Organic Voices. We are so thankful for campaigns like Just Label It and organizations like Only Organic for helping people to understand what it truly means to be organic. Knowing this information is so beneficial for people and the environment.

If you're looking to spoil your dog with some healthy dog treats, then don't forget to check out our flavors at Lord Jameson! We recently did a blog about some of the organic ingredients that we include in our dog treats... You can check it out here!

Huge shoutout again to Only Organic for this interview! We're proud to be partners with you and are thrilled for what's to come. Follow Only Organic on Instagram @Only_OrganicGuarantees (and while you're at it, don't forget to follow us, too - @LordJameson!)