Organic Orthopedic Neck Pillow: If you like neck support this is the pillow for you. We developed this pillow in partnership with a chiropractic physician. The 2 contoured neck boldsters on either side (thick side and a thin side) let you choose how much neck support you need. The design allows your head to lay on a flat cozy surface while your neck is properly supported and in cervical alignment with your spine. Very similar to the popular "Temperpedic" pillow, but all natural!!! The person in the picture is lying on the thin contoured side
Zippered Pillow Cover: We highly recommend protecting your quality pillows by using Zippered Pillow Covers. Place a zippered cover over your pillow and then slip on a pillow case. All sizes available to fit all of the pillows we make. Made with organic Sateen cotton fabric.
Pillow Case: Place a Pillow Case over the zippered cover to give a finished look as well as further protect your pillow. These are open ended pillow cases. 2 sizes available for both body and bed pillows made with organic Sateen cotton fabric.
Organic Cotton Certification: Every fiber of cotton we use is produced in accordance with the standards set forth by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Individual organizations handle the actual certification: IMO, a Swiss-based organization, certifies our Indian-grown cotton; SKAL, a Dutch certifier, must approve our Ugandan and Turkish cotton.
What standards must we meet in order for our cotton to be certified as organic? At the top of the list outlined by IFOAM in its Growing and Processing Standards are the following: seeds must be non-genetically engineered; insects should be controlled by methods that simulate what occurs in the natural environment, where "good" bugs eat "bad" bugs. There must also be an emphasis on keeping plants healthy- healthy plants are more resistant to infestation-fields are usually weeded by hand. Organic farms are not allowed to use any chemical fertilizers or chemical inputs, such as herbicides or other pesticides.
Still, no matter what organic farmers do to prevent disease and insect infestation, their yields are less than conventional yields. All our organic cotton is grown in three developing countries-India, Turkey, and Uganda on family farms that range in size from 2 to 250 acres. We willingly pay premium prices to these small-scale growers for their organic cotton fiber, because this encourages organic practices that protect, not only the environment, but these farmers, their families, and their communities from exposure to toxic agricultural chemicals. Also, by purchasing our cotton at a better price per pound, we help support local and economically sustainable production.
Our Cotton Mills: After the fiber has been picked, it is ginned at a facility near the growing area. Ginning removes the seeds from the cotton fiber or lint, as it is called. The lint is then baled and sent to "our" mill in Punjab, India where it is spun into yarn, which is then woven into fabric. It is a state-of-the-art facility with computerized looms and the best spinning equipment available. Just as important, the facility is ISO (International Standards Organization) 9002 certified-which speaks well for both the quality of production and its labor and environmental practices.
Once at the mill, the lumpy cotton lint is turned into a fuzzy cloud. This first step is called carding, and the cotton product, roving. Carding homogenizes the fibers, spacing each one equidistantly from the next. The roving must then be combed. Combing aligns the fibers; it separates out the longest and strongest fibers from the weaker, shorter fibers. These fall out from between the teeth of the comb and become noil-a material that makes ideal mattress stuffing. The roving is now spun into yarn. Colors and Dye info: "Ivory" or "Natural" is the natural ecru color of the cotton. White is achieved by bleaching with hydrogen peroxide. The fabric is minimally processed and mechanically pre-shrunk. Flannel comes in Ivory only and is 6oz weight. Finished product construction is always 10 stitches per inch.
Did you know that approximately 1.25 lbs. of agricultural chemicals were used in growing the cotton in a single set of queen size sheets?
In fact, cotton crops are the second largest user of agricultural pesticides in the world (coffee is the first and tobacco the third). 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the world's pesticides are used on cotton. The worst part is not all of those pesticides stay on the cotton fields. It is estimated that only 25% of pesticides sprayed from a crop duster actually hit the crop. The remainder drifts for miles and lands on other food crops, residential areas and water sources.
These pesticides are harmful. Four of the top nine pesticides used on cotton, (cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite) are classified by the EPA as cancer-causing chemicals. According to a 1997 study by the International Labour Organization, "14% of all occupational injuries in the agricultural sector, and 10% of all fatal injuries can be attributed to pesticides." Not to mention, in the food we eat, there are 71 known carcinogenic pesticides sprayed on food crops.
Pesticides don't just hurt humans. For example, in 1995 approximately 250,000 fish were killed in Lawrence, Alabama, when heavy rains washed lethal concentrations of methyl parathion and endosulfan from cotton fields into a 16-mile stretch of a creek that emptied into a nearby lake (C. Cox, 1995, Cotton Spraying Kills Fish).
Ironically, pesticides do not help to grow better crops. Since 1945, total U.S. crop losses from insect damage have nearly doubled. During the same time insecticide use has increased tenfold.
In 1997, large apparel companies purchased 2.15 million pounds of organic cotton, which eliminated an estimated 43,000 pounds of pesticides and 485,190 pounds of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer (Organic Fiber Council).
When you buy organic cotton you are supporting a movement to end the use of deadly pesticides. Go organic!
Benefits and Attributes of Wool...
Natural wool is a traditional fill, used in bedding throughout the ages. Our grandmothers knew the many benefits that wool provides.
Finish: The only finish applied to our organic cotton fabric is cornstarch, as compared to the harsh chemicals used in finishing conventional fabric. Traditional “finish”, that you would for example on textiles in a fabric store, is used to keep the fabrics wrinkle free. Always be sure to wash new clothes and yards of fabric if they are not organic before wearing or sewing. It is similar to traditional foods at the grocery store that may be sprayed with chemicals. They must be washed before consuming. The same rule applies to non-organic fabric and already sewn garments.
Our Organic Certification: Every fiber of cotton is produced in accordance with the standards set forth by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).Individual organizations handle the actual certification: IMO, a Swiss-based organization, certifies the Indian-grown cotton; SKAL, a Dutch certifier, must approve the Ugandan and Turkish cotton. The cotton is then shipped to the mill in Punjab India where it is spun into yarn and woven into fabric. This facility is ISO 9002 certified, which speaks well to both the quality of production and its labor and environmental practices.
Our Wool Batting: Our comforters, pillows and mattress tops are filled with pure and natural wool batting. Wool comes from sheep. They grow a coat of wool each year, which is sheared (like a haircut) in the spring. Our wool comes from a local woolen mill in the Pacific Northwest where the long fibers are carded into batts using old turn of the century machines. We are proud to support American sheep farmers.
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