For those who lament the loss of the small organic grocer, it must be realized that this slide into the corporate mainstream was inevitable for the organic and natural-foods market. There is, after all, money to be made. The prize to date: 2.5 percent of the nation's food market. Before you scoff, know that this seemingly trivial portion is worth around $15 billion dollars. Given that the organic and natural-foods industry now receives more attention by corporate marketers than ever before, this figure is certain to increase.

Where there was once a tightly controlled, well-run 10-acre organic farm, there is now a 1,000-acre piece of the mainstream agri-business puzzle. What was once a well-defined organic movement headed by responsible farmers working their land in harmony with nature is now a muddled, politically dubious cash cow awaiting slaughter.