For those of you who try to eat organic foods

[Laura Corin]

I'm trying to work out if this is something I should do. The normal veggies we now eat are so much less suspect than what we used to get in China, I'm wondering if that last margin is worth the effort/cost. I do also like the idea of encouraging the reduction of pesticides and the reduced use of inorganic fertilisers.

 

The poll is multi-choice.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

Edited October 17, 2008 by Laura in China

[Jane in NC]

Local is more important than organic for me. Most of our vegetables during the spring, summer and autumn are purchased directly from farmers. Some whom I know are not certified organic, so they may not claim to be organic, but they essentially are.

 

The produce that I purchase from a local farmer will keep for at least a week, sometimes two, longer depending on the product, of course. I have grown weary of paying top dollar for veggies from a grocery that die within a couple of days.

 

I enjoy eating seasonal foods that simply taste better: strawberries that smell like strawberries, tomatoes that taste like a bit of heaven, and real eggs with yolks standing proud.

 

Plus I like to put my dollars directly into the farmers' hands.

 

Best,

Jane

[PariSarah]

Our CSA this summer included organic strawberries for about two months. They were to. die. for. I hadn't had strawberries that red, that sweet, ever. The food really is just better. And I can't believe that it's not healthier.

 

But the original impetus for us paying more for organic was environmental. We wanted to make real, lasting changes to our impact on the environment, and rearranging our spending so that we could buy more local and/or organic produce was something within reach.

 

Cloth diapers were, too, but somebody hasn't quite jumped on THAT bandwagon yet. :glare:

[hsmamainva]

I voted for 'other'.

 

We buy organic eggs, milk, and meat because organic farmers raise and slaughter their animals in a more humane way. They also use fewer pesticides and antibiotics, which end up in our food in the end.

[Blueridge]

Once a month we get a family pack from Diamond Organics. Now it took us years before we could commit cash for what seemed like a huge expense. After comparing the amazing difference between it and the normal stuff from Walmart, the Diamond veggies are an amazing value. I received, in the box from 4 weeks ago, a large bag of mesclun salad greens that are *still* fresh and crispy. The onions were not irritatingly strong. The apples were the sweetest...green beans had a wonderful sweetness about them, too. I am thrilled with the extended shelf life of organics, and I know they are superior nutritionally. Worth the extra expense because I don't have all the waste and also can eat seasonally which is good for you. So it actually is a better use of our grocery money.

Ginger

[Haiku]

I checked them all except the one about "hoping" they are healthier. I don't hope they are, I believe that they are. My family rarely gets sick, and I attribute some of that to the fact that we eat organic food. I also think it's healthier for the environment and for agricultural workers. Organic food also tastes much better.

 

Tara

[Carrie12345]

I checked off every option but the witness of health benefits. I do feel that organic is *usually healthier, but I couldn't point out a noticeable change.

 

I'm concerned about where my food is grown. I'm concerned about air, soil and water contamination. I'm concerned about the possible effects of using chemicals, hormones and any other things that aren't naturally found in a tomato or chicken leg, and then putting those effects inside of my family. And I am concerned the differences in appearance and taste between a supermarket egg and my friend's natural, free range eggs.

 

Concerned, but not quite paranoid. Unfortunately, with the price of all groceries going up, I have been cutting back on my organic purchases. I do my best to stick to organic produce, but most other products have had to take a back seat. Last week, organic flour was nearly $5/5lb in my grocery store, while one brand of regular bread was $.99/loaf. We've gone through more than 3 loaves this week! I think that may be partly because my kids see white bread as a novelty item though.:lol:

[PariSarah]

I also think it's healthier for the environment and for agricultural workers.

 

We were reading some Michael Pollan and thinking, "Yeah, we should . . ." But when our newspaper ran a story on how a local agribusiness grape tomato grower was illegally sending his migrant farm workers into the fields during and immediately after pesticide application, causing devastating birth defects among the women, I just said, "Enough." (They showed pictures of the babies. Absolutely devastating.)

 

Cheap grape tomatoes are not worth what those people have to go through. Cheap pork is not worth what the Smithfield slaughterhouse workers have to go through. I'd rather eat less, thanks.

[Plaid Dad]

We eat organic when we can because that's what the local family farms grow. I see significant health, economic, cultural, and environmental benefits in supporting local agriculture. We live in the area where the CSA movement started, and many of the farms are "beyond organic" but don't have certification because of the expense. They'd rather put their money back into the farm. I'm happy to see organic foods available in chain markets, but I will choose a local light-spray apple over a trucked-in or imported organic one every time.

[TeacherZee]

I'm trying to work out if this is something I should do. The normal veggies we now eat are so much less suspect than what we used to get in China, I'm wondering if that last margin is worth the effort/cost. I do also like the idea of encouraging the reduction of pesticides and the reduced use of inorganic fertilisers.

 

The poll is multi-choice.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

Laura have you checked out the Farmers Market in Edinburgh? It consistently wins the Farmers market of the year award in the UK and they have some VERY good organic farmers there, and I know several of them do boxes that you can get delivered (I don't know if they will deliver in your area but it might be worth a look). The farmers market is on Saturdays at the bottom of the Castle. If you get off the train at Haymarket it is just a short walk or you can drive in.

 

Man I miss that farmers market. :sad:

[Haiku]

We were reading some Michael Pollan and thinking, "Yeah, we should . . ."

 

For anyone who is interested in organic food, I would recommend the book Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall. She comes at the subject from a variety of angles, and her book was what finally convinced my dh and me to spend the extra for organics. (I reviewed the book, too. :D)

 

Tara

[Annie Laurie]

I think organic produce is healthier, tastes better, and is better for the environment. But what I try to focus the most on buying organic, is meats, eggs, almond butter, butter; anything with a high fat content since pesticide residues tend to collect in the fatty parts of plants and animals.

[Heather in the Kootenays]

I'd add health of people working with the products as well as those eating them. In our valley, pickers refuse to work in one orchard because the pesticides cause rashes when they pick there.

 

I also believe in supporting small local farms which in our area are mostly organic.

 

I would chose local over organic though.

[Tammyla]

We purchase them for a variety of reasons. They certainly taste better and last longer than store bought. We eat them and very little goes to waste because I'm focused on the cost. It's a win-win for us; we get to eat delicious veggies and eggs and aren't ingesting lots of pesticides.

 

The costs are rising, and I hope our grocery budget holds. The fact that our money goes directly into the farmer's hands and not a number of others is nice.

[Saille]

I clicked everything but "other", and I should have clicked that one, too.

 

Since a lot of the organics we eat are things we grow, it's definitely an economic decision for us as well as an environmental one. We sell our excess at the farmers' market, and I'm hoping to build that business to eventually pay for family travel and homeschooling expenses. Local organics are better for the local economy than buying from truck farmers and large factory farms, and the local organic farming community is dynamic and exciting.

 

I didn't realize Jane Goodall wrote a book on this topic! I'll be sure to check that out. Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, is also a terrific read. The author of that New Yorker article about farm policy that was posted last week has a book. The author is Michael Pollan, and the book is The Omnivore's Dilemma.

[Lovedtodeath]

Thank you for this thread! I have been thinking about it.

 

I try to buy organic produce for the worst offenders (apples, cherries, strawberries, peppers) but I rarely succeed. Convenience and cash often win out. I also believe you are better off eating a non-organic apple than say... a packaged snack product. I get organic soy milk (I think all of it is) and organic cow's milk and yogurt for my kids. I do not like the taste or price of organic butter. Grains are the least important to buy organic for your health. Other products such as meat, cheese, eggs... are hard to find and expensive so I don't buy those either. I get my vitamins from GNLD. They are not synthetic and most of the foods used to produce them are organic.

 

Once a month we get a family pack from Diamond Organics. Now it took us years before we could commit cash for what seemed like a huge expense. I am thrilled with the extended shelf life of organics, and I know they are superior nutritionally.

 

Organics from the grocery store have always spoiled faster than the traditional produce. Diamond must have some good stuff. Have you compared the cost of Diamond to organic products that you can buy locally? Whether that be at a typical supermarket, farmer's market, or health food store? Has anyone else?:bigear:

 

I also believe in supporting small local farms which in our area are mostly organic.

We eat organic when we can because that's what the local family farms grow. but I will choose a local light-spray apple over a trucked-in or imported organic one every time.

 

I agree with you, but wonder how you know that the local produce is lightly sprayed or organic? I would love to find out about my local produce but don't know how to go about it. Can't they just be pulling your leg?

 

My best friend travels 90 minutes twice a year in order to buy meat from the Amish. She says that everything the Amish grow is organic, but they cannot prove it, so it is less expensive. Thoughts on this?

 

Finally, how do I know what grows well in my area and how to grow it in a healthy way? (I am in the mid-west.)

 

Whew! I hope I am not bugging ya'll. (used to live in SC ;))

[Daisy]

Agreeing with a previous poster who mentioned that local is important to them. We buy local and organic through a farmer's co-op. I like knowing where my food comes from and that I am supporting local farmers.

[Jane in NC]

 

I agree with you, but wonder how you know that the local produce is lightly sprayed or organic? I would love to find out about my local produce but don't know how to go about it. Can't they just be pulling your leg?

 

 

 

Get to know your farmer--then ask! Or talk to the folks at your Cooperative Extension Service. They usually know what is going on.

[Laura Corin]

The farmers market is on Saturdays at the bottom of the Castle. If you get off the train at Haymarket it is just a short walk or you can drive in.

 

Man I miss that farmers market. :sad:

 

There is a farmers' market which rotates through the towns of Fife week by week, but it's on Saturday, when we are in.... Edinburgh (for Chinese school). We need to be closer to Waverley for the school, but I'll look into the market. Thanks.

 

Laura

[Jill]

We buy local, organic, and now, Non-GMO. Not religiously on any one of these but we are fortunate to have a local dairy that sells milk in stores now, lots of local meat and butchers and some good farmer's markets in the summers. Some organic produce shows higher levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, etc... blueberries, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes, red oranges, plums, corn, marionberries are some that I found specific references to at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez and there are a couple of review studies that compile info but don't isolate specific crops. e.g.

"Organic crops contain a significantly higher amount of certain antioxidants (vitamin C, polyphenols and flavonoids) and minerals, as well as have higher dry matter content than conventional ones. Moreover, there is a lower level of pesticide residues, nitrate and some heavy metal contaminations in organic crops compared to conventional ones. There is a relationship between the different fertilisation and plant protection methods of these two plant production systems and the nutritional composition of crops. Consequently, it can be concluded that organically produced plant derived food products have a higher nutritional value, including antioxidants than conventional ones. Furthermore, due to the fact that there is a lower level of contamination in organic crops, the risk of diseases caused by contaminated food is significantly reduced."

I don't have the specific search terms that I used but I did save the abstracts for the above mentioned foods.

That being said, soil health can be a major contributor and organic produce grown on poor soil might not be as healthful but I think the studies are worthy to note. - Jill

[Audrey]

I'm trying to work out if this is something I should do. The normal veggies we now eat are so much less suspect than what we used to get in China, I'm wondering if that last margin is worth the effort/cost. I do also like the idea of encouraging the reduction of pesticides and the reduced use of inorganic fertilisers.

 

The poll is multi-choice.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

 

I put environment and others. The 'other' is that we like to support farmers who think along the same lines we do.

 

I don't believe there is any significant taste difference between organic and standard produce, with the exception of hydroponic produce, which tastes like watery crap.

 

Organic animal products, however, do taste different -- milk, meats, cheeses, eggs. That's where I don't mind spending a bit more on those items we like. Or bartering our good stuff for their good stuff. :D

 

We've been lucky to be able to source more and more food closer to home as more small farmers and livestock producers around here are trying to go organic. Sometimes, we buy from people we know who aren't yet 'certified' organic, but are in the process. We still feel that is supporting the initiative, and they must conform to standards as they try to acheive certification, so the difference in process and product is negligible.

 

I help run our local farmer's market, and I've noticed more and more vendors bringing their wares and noting it is produced "without chemicals" or "all-natural" or signs that say "This farm is in process for certification by OPAM (our provincial agency)" along with a copy of their application card. I love seeing that!

Edited October 17, 2008 by Audrey

[Laurel]

I think organic food tastes better, is better for your health, and for the environment.

 

We buy local foods when at all possible (and are lucky in that there are a lot of local foods to be found), and my favorite farmers all use organic methods, though are not all certified organic.

[mcconnellboys]

Oh, I didn't realize it was multi-choice. I would have picked everything! I'm really sold on organics after less than a year of using them. They are so, SO much fresher than other things out there that have been shipped long distances and stored for long time periods. I know they are more full of vitamins and minerals and I see that we all feel better in using them on a regular basis.

 

Eggs and dairy products are another biggie for me. The more organic products we use, the healthier my family seems to become!

 

I do shop carefully and don't buy when things are priced too high. But the things I do buy stay fresher longer, anyway, and I feel that I tend to get my money out of them better than I did with other produce. I was forever throwing out other produce before I could get it used up. Not so with organics. For winter, I tend to go with dried fruits (both crunchy dried and soft-dried) when there's not so much available in my area that's fresh.

[Spy Car]

To eat locally and organically, and purchasing directly from the farmer at a farmers market is a positive in every way (by my values).

 

The food tastes better, is fresher and is more nutritious.

 

Land in the area is spared from development (hopefully).

 

Family farmers who respect the land are supported and sustained.

 

Pesticide use, and the exposure of farm-hands, is reduced than wee bit that I can effect things. The ground-water is that much less polluted.

 

I take spending money very seriously, I see it as a "vote" for the kind of future I want for my child and beyond.

 

Bill

[Rosie_0801]

I also think it's healthier for the environment and for agricultural workers.

Tara

 

:iagree: This is a big one for me too. I was reading up for an essay in uni and was pretty well freaked out when I read that 20% of men in Caribbean banana plantations are infertile due to prolonged exposure to chemical pesticides and fertilizers. In those places, your kids are your superannuation so I had to wonder who was looking after those guys in their old age. I can't help much, but I can choose to avoid contributing any more than necessary.

As for taste! My hubby is the type who eats whatever is around because it needs "using up." He's with me when it comes to organic eggs. Non organic taste so bad there's no pleasure to be gained by eating them!

 

Rosie

[E_Edgerton]

I chose other. I feel like there are health benefits, but I think we really do it to give local/small/organic farms business. I feel like we are doing our part to increase farming as it was meant to be. That may sound idealistic, but it makes me feel good and it tastes great!:)

[Plaid Dad]

I agree with you, but wonder how you know that the local produce is lightly sprayed or organic? I would love to find out about my local produce but don't know how to go about it. Can't they just be pulling your leg?

 

The CSA community here is pretty tight-knit, and if someone were engaging in false advertising, we'd hear about it - from the other farmers, restaurant owners, co-ops, and food banks. (My dw has designed web sites for a bunch of family farms, so we have contacts with people all over the area.) There is an organization for local farmers, and while they don't offer organic certification, they do act as a sort of clearinghouse for all kinds of businesses and groups involved with local agriculture.

 

So I generally trust people around here to be straight up about their products. The farmers take a lot of pride in what they do, and I'd be pretty shocked to discover that someone was lying about their farming practices. Local consumers are also knowledgeable enough to know what to ask if they suspected anything shady. But I can honestly say I've never heard of anyone trying to sell conventional produce as organic. The market just wouldn't allow it. This is an area where you see bumper stickers that say "Who's Your Farmer?" People around here share the names of good farmers the way people in some parts of the country trade the names of brokers or plastic surgeons! :D

[Spy Car]

People around here share the names of good farmers the way people in some parts of the country trade the names of brokers or plastic surgeons! :D

 

Careful Plaid Dad :D

[Gretchen in NJ]

10 years ago my father was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. 4 months after having his prostate removed he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Both of these diseases have been linked to farming chemicals.

 

We eat organic. We try and buy directly from the farmer when ever we can.

 

 

UGH! Our raw milk just went up to $7 a gallon.

[Daisy]

I pay $6.90 for a HALF gallon of raw milk. Sigh.

[Doran]

Environmental protection. Although, if it had been an option, I would have chosen "I HOPE it is better for the environment".

 

Anymore, I don't specifically select organic produce across the board. Like Jane in NC, I choose local before certified organic. My priorities look like this:

 

Local Organic

Local Conventional

Commerical Organic*

Commerical Conventional

 

 

* Depends on price difference and reported pesticide residue in comparison with conventional

 

 

At this phase of my life, I *must* factor cost into the equation, thus this past market season, I found myself purchasing a considerable amount of local conventional produce and a lesser amount of local organic. When I buy conventional organic it is not necessarily it is usually because I support that method of farming, overall, believing it to be better for the environment. Although, anymore, with the advent of large-scale commercial organic farming, I'm not so sure. I suppose I should also have checked the "health benefit" option (sorry), because some of the commercial organic items I do buy are chosen in part because I believe them to be healthier: apples (when out of season locally), celery. Others, however, are chosen because they are not much more expensive than their conventional counterparts, so I default to the 'better for the environment' reason.

 

Very scientific, eh? :)

Edited October 18, 2008 by Doran

[Laurel]

I agree with you, but wonder how you know that the local produce is lightly sprayed or organic? I would love to find out about my local produce but don't know how to go about it. Can't they just be pulling your leg?

 

I talk to the farmers. A lot. Over the past few years, I have developed a nice relationship with quite a few farmers, and so I know they are trustworthy.

 

At the beginning, I suppose I just had to trust my gut. I bought from the farmers that were the friendliest and most knowledgeable about their product, and who answered my questions happily.

 

Now, knowing what I do, I would ask specifically what they do to deal with pests, and how they treat the soil, etc. More out of my own curiosity, to help with our produce growing, but it would also be a good way to see if they really knew what they were talking about.

[Lovedtodeath]

Thanks to everyone. Plaid Dad, I feel better about trusting local markets now.

 

Even if the food is not organic, I would think local would be 1. fresher 2. riper 3. sprayed less than trucked in produce, so I am thinking I will give it a shot.

Edited October 18, 2008 by Lovedtodeath

[Laurel]

Thanks to everyone. Plaid Dad, I feel better about trusting local markets now.

 

Even if the food is not organic, I would think local would be 1. fresher 2. riper 3. sprayed less than trucked in produce, so I am thinking I will give it a shot.

 

A side benefit of developing a relationship with your local farmers: they heap their extra produce on you. In addition to all the goodies I paid for today, one person gave me $10 worth of greens, another threw in an extra large sweet potato, and one farmer gave me a 25cent per pound discount on apples.