organics - can you set me straight?

[Denisemomof4]

I used to buy everything organic. Milk, produce, bread, eggs, cereal, meats, EVERYTHING. I only had two kids then, no teens. Dh makes a real good living, but I can NEVER do that now.

 

I did lots of research on organics at the time but it appears things are changing. I never knew Horizons wasn't a good company, never knew USDA organics weren't good, etc. It's been multiple years since I've researched.

 

I tried to stick to the top 10 for organics: peaches, nectarines, berries (ALL), apples, celery, potato, cucumbers, bell peppers,spinach, the 10th escapes me at the moment. If I couldn't buy it organic, I didn't buy it at all.

 

So we went from eating TONS of fruits and veggies, to not eating enough.

 

I'm really tired, burnt out, and do NOT have the time to research this right now. But can someone set me straight? What do YOU do as far as organics go?

 

We do not eat organic meats or milks anymore. My boys just break our bank. But I do hope to start buying more organic again. I just find I have a lot of research to do again, I'm just soooooooooooooooooooooooo tired.

 

thanks,

[Denisemomof4]

one very important thing. I avoid GMO like the plague. I only buy corn, soy and peanut products which are organic and almost never eat HFCS or partially hydrogenated oils.

 

and the 10th top 10 to buy organic is tomatoes. :D

[Orthodox6]

Dashing through here . . . Commercial blueberries ARE safe to eat. I have read that in several places.

 

First off, we now are down to being a small family -- only five people at home. We eat many organics, despite the price. The trade-off is that we are not often ill. (We have very heavy medical expenses, but not of the routine "sniffles-and-fever" type.)

 

We eat meat, and not all of it is organic. The grass-fed beef is not organic, although the ground turkey breast is. Being vegan for 2/3 of the year reduces our meat and dairy expenses. I also use meat as an ingredient, rather than as a "giant block" on the plate.

 

Although we buy only organic milk (usually Organic Valley brand), we don't consume large quantities. Maybe a glass or so per day on days when it is allowed. Milk is more for cereal and for baking.

 

We do not drink organic orange juice, although it would be better if we could afford that. (We ration orange juice to 8 oz. per person per day, anyway.)

 

We eat far more vegetables now than we did a few years ago. (Good job, kids ! :) )

 

The greatest cost-saving help I know of is to become a well-rounded, versatile cook who makes nearly every meal "from scratch."

[wildflower]

I would try to buy anything you can organic anyway- frozen items from discount/bulk stores, etc. make smoothies.

I know that there are different degrees of organic as some might say, I have a unique perspective on this though.

DH was raised on a farm, he now has a disease which only comes from high pesticide exposure, he has never sprayed anything more than round-up in his life. His dad would take him up to the farm when he was a kid.

In good conscience I cannot buy anything that is not organic, every piece of produce I touch I think of every child exposed to it's processing.

I buy all organic on less than what I used to spend feeding 2 (now 4) from stores like BJs.

HTH

[Denisemomof4]

I would try to buy anything you can organic anyway- frozen items from discount/bulk stores, etc. make smoothies.

I know that there are different degrees of organic as some might say, I have a unique perspective on this though.

DH was raised on a farm, he now has a disease which only comes from high pesticide exposure, he has never sprayed anything more than round-up in his life. His dad would take him up to the farm when he was a kid.

In good conscience I cannot buy anything that is not organic, every piece of produce I touch I think of every child exposed to it's processing.

I buy all organic on less than what I used to spend feeding 2 (now 4) from stores like BJs.

HTH

 

our BJ's carries less and less organic. I got organic spring mix and organic spinach - Olivia's, tonight. The rest is non organic, even tomatoes. :glare: We do less now because of expense. I bought a TON of organic fruit at Trader Joes over the weekend and it was all gone in 2 days.

 

Organic OJ from Trader Joes is inexpensive. We also only allow 1 glass of milk per child. They are eating cereal, something I never allowed a few years back.

 

Siiiiiiiigh. I make sure the produce I do buy organic is raised in the US. So much of it isn't, and I just don't trust organics in other countries.

 

Thanks

[Orthodox6]

Denise, you brought up another interesting/pertinent point: point of origin. I admit that when I see a sign by apples stating, for example, that the fruit comes from South Africa (and I live in North Texas), I refrain from buying it. This is not because I know anything about South African organic farming practices, but is because I want to support U.S. farmers whenever possible.

[Rosie_0801]

We can only do what energy and economics allow for, regardless of our ethical stance.

 

Rosie

[Colleen]

 

Although we buy only organic milk (usually Organic Valley brand)...

wOOt! Go to the O.V. website (http://www.organicvalley.coop) and download some coupons.:)

 

[Orthodox6]

Yes, I have been intending to comment on your "signature". Keep up the good work ! (. . . and may you be rewarded by a "5 cow" rating from Cornucopeia, rather than your current "4 cow" !) :)

 

P.S. LOVE your chocolate milk !

 

wOOt! Go to the O.V. website (www.organicvalley.coop) and download some coupons.:)

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

We can only do what energy and economics allow for, regardless of our ethical stance.

 

Rosie

 

This has become my philosophy as well.

 

I don't buy much food labelled organic. I just can't afford to. However, I do buy local fruits and veggies, and I grow my own organically. I've also started only buying things "in season" and US grown, for maximum freshness and quality. In the winter I buy more root veggies, greens, and frozen veggies- because they are picked and frozen in season and not kept artificially "fresh." No summer squash or cucumbers in the winter for us. Basically, I'm trying to shop as health smart and eco-conscious as I can within the limits of my budget.

[Colleen]

Timing is everything. I've stepped back from posting here, but am hanging around today and whaddya know, here's a conversation that I can't resist!:D Slow food, sustainable agriculture, organics (and so on) are my passion ~ and not just because we're Organic Valley dairy farmers. I am passionate, truly, about the slow food movement.

 

The most important piece of advice I can offer you is to go to the source. Connect with the farmer who produces your food (or produce it yourself:)). Easier said than done for many, if not most, people. So, do the next best thing and connect with the company, the coop ~ whatever. What's happening in today's organic industry is that it's being infiltrated by corporations who realized there's money to be had.

 

Meanwhile, consumers want to have their cake (organic cake, of course;)) and eat it, too. They feel good about buying some organic products, but they do so based solely on that one word: organic. Sadly, those of us for whom that word is sacred are fighting for the integrity of the USDA organic label. Which brings me back to my point: GO TO THE SOURCE.

 

What does it mean to go to the source? It means (again, aside from growing your own food, which all of us should be doing, to one extent or another)? It means buying local, if you know and trust the producer, regardless of whether or not s/he is certified organic. It means investigating who owns the company that's producing your food. It means understanding the difference between a corporation, and a cooperative. It means recognizing that eating fruit and vegetables out of season comes at a cost (beyond financial).

 

Does eating right, for you, your family, and the planet take some work? You'd better believe it does. But rather than view it as a mundane, tedious task, look at it as an adventure. Who can you meet? What can you learn? How can you educate both yourself and your children? There's a world of good, REAL food out there, Denise! Go after it, passionately, and reap the reward of doing the right thing.

 

Best to you.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Colleen

[Denisemomof4]

well thank you so much for responding, Colleen. And I do try to buy locally all season, but in New England the season is SHORT. There's a co-op where I can sign up for locally grown veggies, roots, cabbage, and potato during the winter, but I just know hubby will croak at the cost.

 

At one time I almost went to a class to start hydroponic gardening. I have a greenhouse which is an extension of my cellar and I was told I could use the cellar itself. Something happened, don't remember what, and I couldn't take the time to take the course but I still want to investigate.

 

Poisonous sumac caused us to lose all our vegetable garden beds while we cared for our ailing parents. I called the local extension and was told it will take 3 years to really kill all the stuff off. SO BUMMED - no garden for 3 years now. I'm hoping for container gardening or raised beds next year.

 

I do love New England but wish we had year round farmers markets. :glare:

 

Again, thanks!

[Colleen]

 

well thank you so much for responding, Colleen. And I do try to buy locally all season, but in New England the season is SHORT.

The season is short here, too.

There's a co-op where I can sign up for locally grown veggies, roots, cabbage, and potato during the winter, but I just know hubby will croak at the cost.

That's as good a reason to croak as any. I'd insert a smiley but I'm not kidding.

Poisonous sumac caused us to lose all our vegetable garden beds while we cared for our ailing parents. I called the local extension and was told it will take 3 years to really kill all the stuff off.

You need to do more leg-work here, more investigation. Talk to local vegetable farmers. Plant in a different space. Don't just give up based on what the extension office tells you.

I do love New England but wish we had year round farmers markets. :glare:

The reality is that most of us don't have access to year-round farmers' markets. Work with what you have. Getting to know your producer doesn't always mean going to a farmers' market.

 

Edited July 17, 2009 by Colleen

[Joaly]

Does eating right, for you, your family, and the planet take some work? You'd better believe it does.

 

Absolutely!! I've grown so tired of hearing the moanings from people who want to claim that "not everyone can do this or that". I have many relatives who do this. Most of them earn a better living and are much more high energy than me or my family. They just don't want to put forth any effort. Then they wonder why their children are always sick and complain about the medical bills.

 

We're having to really hunt around for fresh, local produce now. Our city has put so many restrictions on the roadside stands, that they are nearly all gone. At present, we're trying to get enough neighbors together to establish a buying co-op.

[Truscifi]

I go organic cheaply by growing it myself. This is my first year with a veggie garden, and so far I'm only growing a few things, but it is nice to know where they come from and what is in them :).

 

As for the rest of my fruits and veggies, I stick with locally grown stuff. I used www.localharvest.org/ to find it.

[OrganicAnn]

I'm all for grow your own organic. But I see you have some problems I don't have any experience with poisonous sumac.

 

You can also buy lots of produce from farmers markets in the summer and freeze and can it. If you do this during the height of the season, you'll pay the lowest price (so tomatoes in June are expensive or non-existent, but tomatoes in late August are abundant and cheaper ... not cheap but cheaper).

 

We are never 100% organic, but we try. I think you just have to do the best you can.

 

You can also buy organic/grass fed meat in large quantities from farmers. Eatwild.com has listing by location. You need a freezer to take advantage of this. A farm near us had a sale that if you bought $350 of chicken, you got a 10% discount, so saving $35.

[mamamace]

We grow our own vegetables and are learning more about how to freeze and can. I stay away from anything GMO if at all possible so no processed corn at all! Which means no HFCS!

 

It is difficult on the budget (five of us on a teacher's salary) but it works. I try to find deals and then stock up. I bought 15 loaves of organic bread at Kroger one day b/c they were marked down to $1.50. Our friend raises chickens so we buy those in the summer and freeze them for the rest of the year. Looking for some local beef raised naturally.

 

Where I live we don't have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Makes it difficult but thankfully a few grocery stores carry organic.

 

For those talking about the USDA labeling, is it better to buy the USDA Organic than just to buy regular? I know they sneak little ingredients in like soy lecithin...what else?

 

Can someone post a few links on the slow food movement? I'm interested in learning more about it!

[LizzyBee]

What do YOU do as far as organics go?

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090729/hl_nm/us_food_organic

 

I've never been convinced organic is healthier than non-organic, so I don't buy organic unless I see something on sale for the same price as non-organic. When I have bought organic, I haven't noticed any difference in the taste.

 

I like to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables in the summer, though. They cost the same as produce in the grocery stores but taste way better. I also just found out about a farm that has decent prices for bulk purchases of hormone and additive free beef, so I think we'll try that out. It's over an hour away, but the closer farms are way too expensive.

 

There's a Trader Joe's being built 2 minutes from where I work. I'm anxious to try it out since so many people here love it.

 

ETA: I grew up on a farm and I like to support the family farm whether they're organic or not.

Edited July 29, 2009 by LizzyBee

[Audrey]

Timing is everything. I've stepped back from posting here, but am hanging around today and whaddya know, here's a conversation that I can't resist!:D Slow food, sustainable agriculture, organics (and so on) are my passion ~ and not just because we're Organic Valley dairy farmers. I am passionate, truly, about the slow food movement.

 

The most important piece of advice I can offer you is to go to the source. Connect with the farmer who produces your food (or produce it yourself:)). Easier said than done for many, if not most, people. So, do the next best thing and connect with the company, the coop ~ whatever. What's happening in today's organic industry is that it's being infiltrated by corporations who realized there's money to be had.

 

Meanwhile, consumers want to have their cake (organic cake, of course;)) and eat it, too. They feel good about buying some organic products, but they do so based solely on that one word: organic. Sadly, those of us for whom that word is sacred are fighting for the integrity of the USDA organic label. Which brings me back to my point: GO TO THE SOURCE.

 

What does it mean to go to the source? It means (again, aside from growing your own food, which all of us should be doing, to one extent or another)? It means buying local, if you know and trust the producer, regardless of whether or not s/he is certified organic. It means investigating who owns the company that's producing your food. It means understanding the difference between a corporation, and a cooperative. It means recognizing that eating fruit and vegetables out of season comes at a cost (beyond financial).

 

Does eating right, for you, your family, and the planet take some work? You'd better believe it does. But rather than view it as a mundane, tedious task, look at it as an adventure. Who can you meet? What can you learn? How can you educate both yourself and your children? There's a world of good, REAL food out there, Denise! Go after it, passionately, and reap the reward of doing the right thing.

 

Best to you.

 

 

Everything she said... and I want to reiterate a point. Organic has different standards depending on country of origin. The US has pretty good standards, and so does Canada (disclosure on my bias there :D).

 

I don't know where you are Denise, but you might try seeing if you can connect with a locovore group in your area. These groups are popping up more and more everywhere, it seems, and you may find some good connections there to help you in your search for feeding your family well. Locovore groups usually have good info on locally sourced products, including organics.

 

As for meat... try going local and as Colleen says... get to know from whence it has come. Get to know the farmer if possible, or at very least, patronize a real butcher shop that proudly announces their product origins. I'm seeing more real butchers who say "we raise this beef ourselves," or "all our beef comes from xyz producers." There is even an awesome farmers collective in my area that advertises about the producers' farm and family right on the packaging.

[mom4him]

I used to buy everything organic. Milk, produce, bread, eggs, cereal, meats, EVERYTHING. I only had two kids then, no teens. Dh makes a real good living, but I can NEVER do that now.

 

I did lots of research on organics at the time but it appears things are changing. I never knew Horizons wasn't a good company, never knew USDA organics weren't good, etc. It's been multiple years since I've researched.

 

I tried to stick to the top 10 for organics: peaches, nectarines, berries (ALL), apples, celery, potato, cucumbers, bell peppers,spinach, the 10th escapes me at the moment. If I couldn't buy it organic, I didn't buy it at all.

I buy what I can organic but many things just are not an option for us.

I buy our meat/paltry directly from the rancher/raiser. Not organic but not full of drugs.

So we went from eating TONS of fruits and veggies, to not eating enough.

 

I'm really tired, burnt out, and do NOT have the time to research this right now. But can someone set me straight? What do YOU do as far as organics go?

 

We do not eat organic meats or milks anymore. My boys just break our bank. But I do hope to start buying more organic again. I just find I have a lot of research to do again, I'm just soooooooooooooooooooooooo tired.

 

thanks,

I belong to a food club that delivers once a month to our town and I purchase many of my fruits from them. Those are organic.

We also have another vender that raises fruits that comes through every 3-4 wks during the summer/early fall. His produce is not cerified organic but he does not use sprays on them. They are wonderful and much less than I have ever seen them in the stores or farmers markets.

We have a small health food store here in our town that carries fresh produce but I simply can not afford her prices. WAY out there.

I guess that is the biggies.

[Gretchen in NJ]

Timing is everything. I've stepped back from posting here, but am hanging around today and whaddya know, here's a conversation that I can't resist!:D Slow food, sustainable agriculture, organics (and so on) are my passion ~ and not just because we're Organic Valley dairy farmers. I am passionate, truly, about the slow food movement.

 

The most important piece of advice I can offer you is to go to the source. Connect with the farmer who produces your food (or produce it yourself:)). Easier said than done for many, if not most, people. So, do the next best thing and connect with the company, the coop ~ whatever. What's happening in today's organic industry is that it's being infiltrated by corporations who realized there's money to be had.

 

Meanwhile, consumers want to have their cake (organic cake, of course;)) and eat it, too. They feel good about buying some organic products, but they do so based solely on that one word: organic. Sadly, those of us for whom that word is sacred are fighting for the integrity of the USDA organic label. Which brings me back to my point: GO TO THE SOURCE.

 

What does it mean to go to the source? It means (again, aside from growing your own food, which all of us should be doing, to one extent or another)? It means buying local, if you know and trust the producer, regardless of whether or not s/he is certified organic. It means investigating who owns the company that's producing your food. It means understanding the difference between a corporation, and a cooperative. It means recognizing that eating fruit and vegetables out of season comes at a cost (beyond financial).

 

Does eating right, for you, your family, and the planet take some work? You'd better believe it does. But rather than view it as a mundane, tedious task, look at it as an adventure. Who can you meet? What can you learn? How can you educate both yourself and your children? There's a world of good, REAL food out there, Denise! Go after it, passionately, and reap the reward of doing the right thing.

 

Best to you.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

I only buy organic for our home. I buy my raw milk, butter, cream, cheese, beef, and pork directly from the farmer who produces it.

 

I stay away from as many processed foods as I can. I do not buy frozen organic french fries. I just buy potatoes. Usually, I do a CSA spring, summer, and fall, but I wasn't happy last year.

[kmacnchs]

I used to buy everything organic. Milk, produce, bread, eggs, cereal, meats, EVERYTHING. I only had two kids then, no teens. Dh makes a real good living, but I can NEVER do that now.

 

I did lots of research on organics at the time but it appears things are changing. I never knew Horizons wasn't a good company, never knew USDA organics weren't good, etc. It's been multiple years since I've researched.

 

I tried to stick to the top 10 for organics: peaches, nectarines, berries (ALL), apples, celery, potato, cucumbers, bell peppers,spinach, the 10th escapes me at the moment. If I couldn't buy it organic, I didn't buy it at all.

 

So we went from eating TONS of fruits and veggies, to not eating enough.

 

I'm really tired, burnt out, and do NOT have the time to research this right now. But can someone set me straight? What do YOU do as far as organics go?

 

We do not eat organic meats or milks anymore. My boys just break our bank. But I do hope to start buying more organic again. I just find I have a lot of research to do again, I'm just soooooooooooooooooooooooo tired.

 

thanks,

 

I live in the country so this may not work for you but I grow what I can and then (sometimes) splurge in the winter when nothing is in season. We have blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, and kiwi plants. I am hoping to get some peach, pear, and apple trees next year. Lots of people around us have chickens (free range) and basically give away their eggs...ask around...good luck!

[gr8tcook]

Is there a local farmer market near you? I take $40 with me and buy whatever is available and usually get enough produce to feed 6 of us (total 4 kids 2 adults) for a whole week. Now my kids eat. They don't pick at food. Last saturday I bought corn,tomatoes,green beans,yellow beans, broccoli,onions, zuccinni,yellow squash,eggplant,and green onions. If I took $60 I could by extra and freeze it for summer but I just haven't been that motivated lately. Maybe you could try a local farmer's market or a corner farmer stand?

[OHGrandma]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090729/hl_nm/us_food_organic

 

I've never been convinced organic is healthier than non-organic, so I don't buy organic unless I see something on sale for the same price as non-organic. When I have bought organic, I haven't noticed any difference in the taste.

 

I like to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables in the summer, though. They cost the same as produce in the grocery stores but taste way better. I also just found out about a farm that has decent prices for bulk purchases of hormone and additive free beef, so I think we'll try that out. It's over an hour away, but the closer farms are way too expensive.

 

There's a Trader Joe's being built 2 minutes from where I work. I'm anxious to try it out since so many people here love it.

 

Yes, I saw that too.

The biggest problem I have with the whole organic movement is how close it is to a religion for many. If one person says, "I buy locally", the next says, "I buy locally & no hormones", next ups the ante to "I buy organic", next says, "I buy organic and grass fed -- no grains to my animal!".

It's a vicious, nonsensical, cycle of "My product is better because ....", and the studies don't show any benefit!

[Gretchen in NJ]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090729/hl_nm/us_food_organic

 

I've never been convinced organic is healthier than non-organic, so I don't buy organic unless I see something on sale for the same price as non-organic. When I have bought organic, I haven't noticed any difference in the taste.

 

I like to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables in the summer, though. They cost the same as produce in the grocery stores but taste way better. I also just found out about a farm that has decent prices for bulk purchases of hormone and additive free beef, so I think we'll try that out. It's over an hour away, but the closer farms are way too expensive.

 

There's a Trader Joe's being built 2 minutes from where I work. I'm anxious to try it out since so many people here love it.

 

ETA: I grew up on a farm and I like to support the family farm whether they're organic or not.

 

University of Rochester will disagree with this study. There is a definite increase in prostate cancer as well as PD (Parkinson's Disease) among farmers. I cannot find the link right now, but they were able to find a link between two commonly used conventional farming chemicals. One was an herbicide and the other a pesticide. When used together, which they commonly are, they create a new chemical that was directly linked.

 

I could not find the link to their study, but I was able to find this one which stated that Farmers and agricultural workers have an increased risk of PD (Hertzman et al. 1994; Gorell et al. 1998; Tuchsen and Jensen 2000).

 

It has been 12 years since my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer and almost 11 years 4 months since he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

 

My father grew up and lived much of his life in the Garden State around farms.

[Liz CA]

The Organic Valley website does have coupons for other items than milk, i.e. meat, yogurt, butter, etc.

 

Growing our own garden veggies has helped tremendously in cutting down on the grocery bill.

 

Buying at a co-op that carries produce that is in season is not more expensive for me than non-organic out of season items.

During winter, there are lots of turnips, beets, rutabaga but no tomatoes or kiwis.

I had to learn some new recipes so I could use these vegetables and we were all surprised how good a turnip can be.

[Gretchen in NJ]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090729/hl_nm/us_food_organic

 

 

 

This study has some major flaws in it. First of all, they used data on crops from as far back as the 1950s and 60s. I would like to see a soil analysis from the 1950s and 60s compared to the soil of today on those same farms. Some of these crops are not grown today.

 

The study left out testing for levels of pesticides and herbisides on and in the products on the market. There was a study competed in 2002 that linked eating organic to lowered pesticide levels in children's bodies.

[MomLovesClassics]

I wish things were as affordable at our farmers market. I have heard of other farmer's markets in other states that sell meat, and produce at more affordable prices. I no longer go to ours. Eggs $6 a dozen, 2 pieces of suash $4, think I will stop here. I was shocked and disappointed with the prices. I don't mind supporting farmers, but most there were not farmers, but gardeners attempting to rip people off. To me that is not what a farmer's market should be.

[Liz CA]

What's happening in today's organic industry is that it's being infiltrated by corporations who realized there's money to be had.

 

Sadly, those of us for whom that word is sacred are fighting for the integrity of the USDA organic label. Which brings me back to my point: GO TO THE SOURCE.

 

 

Colleen, question regarding the USDA dilemma:

 

I am fairly new at buying organically and biodynamically grown produce. I am very comfortable buying at our Co-op because these people live and breathe "organic". Occasionally, I come across the USDA Organic label at a fairly reasonable price for our area and gleefully buy the tomatoes or whatever.

 

Are you saying that a lot of companies have jumped on the "organic" bandwagon because they realize people do not want to continue eating chemicals so they offer a product that is only "organic" in the widest sense of the word? Are items labeled USDA Organic really organic or do we not even have a standard of what is truly "organic"?

 

Also, in case you know the answer to this: "Certified by Oregon Tilth" means what? I have bought items labeled such in hopes that it is better than commercially grown food.

[Carol in Cal.]

well thank you so much for responding, Colleen. And I do try to buy locally all season, but in New England the season is SHORT. There's a co-op where I can sign up for locally grown veggies, roots, cabbage, and potato during the winter, but I just know hubby will croak at the cost.

 

At one time I almost went to a class to start hydroponic gardening. I have a greenhouse which is an extension of my cellar and I was told I could use the cellar itself. Something happened, don't remember what, and I couldn't take the time to take the course but I still want to investigate.

 

Poisonous sumac caused us to lose all our vegetable garden beds while we cared for our ailing parents. I called the local extension and was told it will take 3 years to really kill all the stuff off. SO BUMMED - no garden for 3 years now. I'm hoping for container gardening or raised beds next year.

 

I do love New England but wish we had year round farmers markets. :glare:

 

Again, thanks!

 

Look for "This Organic Life." It's written by someone who worked with her DH to achieve vegetable self-sufficiency in upstate New York--a pretty harsh climate. Having lived in Vermont, and now living in the Mediteranean climate of Northern California, I could see both plusses and minusses to gardening in that cold area. Before I read that book, I could only see minusses, LOL, and I would never have thought that anyone could grow all or even most of their own veggies back there. Maybe you will get some good ideas.

[Colleen]

This study has some major flaws in it. First of all, they used data on crops from as far back as the 1950s and 60s. I would like to see a soil analysis from the 1950s and 60s compared to the soil of today on those same farms. Some of these crops are not grown today. The study left out testing for levels of pesticides and herbisides on and in the products on the market.

Yes; here's further response to the study.

[Gretchen in NJ]

Yes; here's further response to the study.

Thank you for posting this, Colleen. I found this troubling, "By mixing together in their statistical analysis the results of several specific phenolic acids, the FSA team likely lost statistical precision." It appears that the FSA team had bad data. My statistics professor would always say, "Garbage in. Garbage out."

[OHGrandma]

Yes; here's further response to the study.

 

That organization has an agenda to protect organics as much as Monsanto has an agenda to protect use of chemicals.

[Gretchen in NJ]

That organization has an agenda to protect organics as much as Monsanto has an agenda to protect use of chemicals.

 

There are flaws in the FSA study. Maybe they had an agenda to protect chemicals.