I dont, because the organic items I have tried either tasted the same as their non organic counterpart, or worse(avocados,garlic) than their non organic counterpart. It does not make sense to me to pay more for either the same quality, or worse.
I buy organic 1% milk and eggs regularly. It has a noticable difference in taste to me. I don't buy organic meats & veggies simply for the cost factor, I would be way over budget. But if someone told me a specific cut of beef taste superior organic I would splurge once in a while.
I buy certain things that are organic -- mostly because I taste a marked difference.
I'm thinking of things like strawberries (those ones from California taste like strawberry flavored water); blueberries; pears; tomatoes; onions; garlic (I use about 1/2 the amount of organic garlic to regular store-bought); potatoes; most herbs; brussels sprouts. The things I don't taste much difference in: asparagus; apples (though I understand the pesticide issue and will buy organic if I can); zucchini; sweet potatoes; shallots; cucumbers. I'd like to buy all organic but it's not possible on my budget.
We buy almost all our food organic - getting non organic only when we cannot find organic or the cost is so extreme as to make it not worth it. We have several reasons: we want to reduce our exposure to hormones in meat and milk; we believe in humane practices for animals intended for slaughter; we want to reduce our exposure to pesticides; and, most of all, we want to reduce the overall amount of pesticides used on the planet, impacting not only us.
I cannot say that I find a huge difference in taste. A lot of what is better is probably more of a function of being fresh and local (we belong to a CSA and get a lot of local organic food). We do spend a lot more on our groceries and it is sometimes a stretch to do it (we live on one income). There are times I look at how cheap non-organic foods are and shake my head. But I don't buy them. Cheap food comes from a thoughtless factory approach. We pay abuse the land to force it into overproduction, process foods with a minimum of care and cleanliness and are then shocked at the regualar outbreaks of food borne illness.
I'm not trying to get on a soapbox. Most of our family and friends don't choose organic and that's okay with us. We eat at their houses. We eat at restaurants knowing that the food comes from the system we try otherwise to avoid. But still we feel that our own choices in our own home do have an impact, even if it is small, on improving the health of the planet.
Joining a CSA is the best thing we've done both for our grocery budget and for the quality of food we are eating. Nothing tastes better than farm fresh eggs and vegetables and it is very cost-effective for us. I think there's a huge taste difference between organic milk and non-organic milk. We've been purchasing more organic meat than non-organic, but it is quite expensive and I'm sure many people would find our grocery budget pretty high.
Reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" was a turning point in our household for our food consumption. As far as I'm concerned, if I can live in NYC and still have access to a bevy of fresh, local produce via a CSA or the Farmer's Market then anyone in any part of the country can eat in a more sustainable way. That doesn't mean I don't still enjoy a banana from chile in the middle of winter here. However, I'm not so disillusioned as to think everyone can afford organic meat. Also, I think maybe there's still this sort of...hippy-esque aura surrounding the organic food and locavore movements that maybe turns off the average person or maybe even intimidates them. Maybe eating that way just seems like too much work for a lot of people?
My husband and I just try to take a balanced approach to how we eat and where our food comes from.
Empecot - I didn't remember to mention milk, thanks for bringing it up. We get ours delivered (yes, in glass bottles in a little insulated box on our porch). It is very fresh and good and, obviously, local. Again I can't tell you how much of the improvement in the taste is the lack of pesticides or the freshness of getting it the day after milking. But it is wonderful.
What a marvelous luxury. There is a dairy that does this around here, but not here, yet. They claim they are going to increase their delivery area this year, and I hope they do and include us.
I agree with lupaglupa as well. About 80 percent of the food I buy is organic or locally produced using sustainable practices, and most of the meat is humanely raised. My choice is mostly about supporting forms of agriculture that are sustainable, more humane for animals and healthier for farm workers and the planet. I don't think there's much difference in taste, which less dependent on whether there's a label on it that says "organic" and is more dependent on how fresh the food is, whether it's in season locally, and whether it's a variety bred for mass-production and transport rather than taste.
I also agree with lupaglupa. It's not a matter of taste (although most does taste much better), but a matter of health and not wanting to ingest chemicals, and supporting local farms and minimizing environmental impact.
Additionally I prefer to eat non genetically modified fruits and veggies, because they always taste better. Just about the only way you'll get these is from a farmer's market or CSA, which again lessens environmental impact and supports local economy.
Almost every "conventional" fruit or vegetable available for purchase in the supermarket has been bred to survive shipping hundreds or thousands of miles, to have a more appealing color, to be able to be packed for shipping, to be resistant to RoundUp (chemical weed killer), etc.
Farmers markets will bring you a plethora of heirloom fruits and veg that taste REAL.
irishnyc, food producers been produce to survive shipping and mechanical harvest in a number of ways, and genetic modification is just one relatively new technique they use. hybridization and cross pollination are also used, and are not in an of themselves objectional practices. they are common in most farming and botany, but are used here to maximize shelf life and not taste, and thus, yuck. genetic modification refers specifically to alteration of a plant's DNA, usually by crossing it with DNA from another organism. One specific example that comes to mind is an experiment that involved the splicing of several molecules of fish DNA into tomatoes to make them cold-resistant. That said, not all modifications made to plants to breed produce that harvests, ships and sits well is genetic modification, and I wanted to make sure that was clear.
re: genetically modified foods, or GMO's (genetically modified organisms): A lot of the conventional produce may have had genetic modification performed on it at some stage. This is a relatively new experiment that does not have data to back its safety and modified foods are not labeled as such so the consumer has no way to avoid them, short of buying organic. A little research (start at organicconsumers.org) will give more information about the history of this. Not all conventiona foods have been genetically modified, and the best approach to avoiding the ones that have is learning which crops this is common on. Corn and soy are big ones, and they end up in small amounts in most processed foods. Certain tomatoes, yellow crookneck squash, many others. Some foods, on the other hand, are not ever modified, simply because no one has put any GMO versions on the market yet. My research on which these are is a little old, so don't quote me, but I think carrots and apples are examples.
Anyhow, this is something that does not have good data to back up its safety for human consumption or in terms of plant interactions in the ecosystem, and for me it feels right to err on the side of caution. Probably almost everyone on this thread has eaten some GMO's at some point, but I avoid them when it is reasonably possible.
I'm with lugaglupa. We buy as much as we can organic and local when possible. We look for other indicators too, like dairy products that certify no RBGH, or farmers that follow organic practices but do not pay for certification.
A lot of what makes it work is changing the way we eat - we focus on local items in season, and get food from farmers via CSA's, farmers markets, and farm stands when we can. We are lucky to live in an area with a winter CSA of cellared root veggies and greenhouse greens, and with many options for local meat producers.
We aren't total localvores, though, we love some of the cheap stuff we get at Trader Joes, and we aren't too precious about it, no hard and fast rules and we will eat and graciously enjoy whatever our friends and families serve us, organic or frozen costco dinner.
But we do go the extra mile to seek it out, and think it is worth is for taste, health, the environment, and the economy.
I buy organic as my budget permits and my level of guilt/health conciousness that day (hey, I'm keeepin' it real, folks). My taste buds changed immeasurably after I quit smoking a couple of years ago, so I am able to notice a significant difference between say, organic and regular milk. I also buy organic produce according to pesticide loads (i.e. apples have a high load so I buy organic; onions have a low load so I buy regular). You can check out the list in order of ranking on www.foodnews.org. I'm happy to see the trend towards organic. The more people that buy organic, the lower the cost for all.
I always try to buy organic dairy (milk, yogurt, sour cream), eggs and meat/poultry, because I want to support healthier agricultural and animal husbandry practices. It's more expensive, but I feel it is worth it (plus, the price better reflects the *actual* cost to society of producing these goods).
With veggies, I patronize my local farmers market when I can, and otherwise will opt to buy organic veggies over the alternative when my market has them in stock.
I will usually go for organic packaged goods when they are available as well.
I pretty much buy all of my meats/eggs organic. Most of my veggies are organic. However, I haven't found any organic sources of Asian veggies like Chinese broccoli and water spinach. My choices in order of preference are:
1. local and organic 2. organic (especially if it's a high pesticide load item) 3. conventional (if the store isn't carrying organic or the organic version looks really crummy)
All of these rules fly out the window when I eat out or eat at other people's homes.
And certain things do taste a lot better when it's organic, especially meats, eggs and celery. I've always disliked celery until I had organic.
I can't afford to buy organic all the time, but I heard a great report on when to buy organic vs. not. If you eat the skin, and especially if it's not smooth, organic food will really help reduce ingested pesticides. Peaches were high on the list to buy organic, as was broccoli as both have textures that "hold" pesticides. Bananas, were low on the list as you toss the skin. Apples, with smooth, easily washed skin were also low on the list. Makes sense to me! Hope it helps.
Just a story that you might find interesting: At an organic gardening club meeting about 15 yr. ago the speaker was a woman known as "the banana lady". She grew at least 30 varieties (the tasting afterwards was fantastic). She said the metallic flavor you often taste with a conventional banana is the result of the pesticides used in commercial production. Now none of the fruit we tasted that night had the metallic flavor, but we also were not sampling the same variety as the commercial crop. Any banana experts out there? Inquiring minds want to know! :)
organic bananas are fantastic. to me the taste and texture is so superior that i can't go back to the mealy, sour conventional ones. og bananas also are not "gassed" to ripen them-- the local organic warehouse has a separate, warmed room for the bananas to ripen naturally (more slowly=better flavor). definitely worth the extra 30 cents or whatever/pound because you'll eat og bananas like/instead of candy & sweets.
My top priority has actually shifted from buying organic all the time to buying local as much as possible and when I have a choice between local/organic and local/conventional I'll choose the latter. This is partly because I want to support my *local* small farmers who may not be certified as organic but are in all but name. My exception to this is with dairy products and eggs - if a local organic version is not available then I'll get the non-local organic - anything to avoid the hormones! As has been said below I'm willing to pay more for local/organic as it represents the true cost of food rather than the artificially reduced prices from the economies of scale in factory-farming.
I think you should click on this link. This will tell you that the federal government prohibits the use of hormones in raising all--not just organic--poultry (and swine). In fact, the claim "no hormones added" cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones."
They give cows hormones, they feed poultry the undesirable cuts of beef, sounds to me like the chickens are indeed getting hormones, albeit indirectly.
I noticed that there aren't any restrictions on giving poultry antibiotics. Which makes sense, as most chickens would die without antibiotics given their living conditions.
There's something completely unnatural about the chicken breasts my mother bought recently at her local supermarket. Two boneless skinless chicken breast halves that weighed close to 4 lbs total is not normal.
If it ain't hormones, it's something else that I don't want in my body. And I most certainly do not want all the antibiotics in me either. I'll save that for when I'm sick myself.
Almost all of my meat and poultry is organic or free-range. I buy it because of the higher levels of animal welfre required for the certification. I am just happier to know that the animal has not been raised cruelly. I buy most via the internet direct from a fully certificated farm in our region.
Fruit & veg are more difficult. I prefer the idea of not eating items grown with pesticides and inorganic fertiliser. However, our agriculture has not kept pace with demand which means a lot of organic produce has to be imported. That raises other ethical issues - not least about carbon footprints. I also now try to buy as much as possible from the village greengrocer, rather than the supermarket. So, I compromise. Most tends to be nationally grown bought from the greengrocer but when I need something more exotic, I will look for organic in the supermarket. I am also very keen to buy imported fruit and veg which is Fairtrade certified, but these are only available in the supermarket. Life's difficult for the ethical eater.
Everything in moderation, so I don't totally go broke or ingest too many pesticides. I buy local milk over organic milk, because the organic is all ultra-pasteurized and would actually keep on the shelf, but we stick it in the fridge in this country so that no one realizes it's been heated to within an inch of its life. Aren't you always amazed by the sell-by date on most organic milk? The local milk comes from mostly grass-fed cows and also comes in glass bottles - a huge plus, since we're all trying to avoid overdosing on plastic, right? The paper milk cartons are lined after all. I buy organic citrus for zesting, organic eggs some of the time - and then sometimes just the "humane, free-range" when I'm not feeling so flush. These definitely taste better than standard issue eggs. Organic carrots taste loads better. Frozen organic peas and corn. And organic chicken, for sure. The breasts always at least are the size that indicate they came from a chicken-sized chicken and not some turkey-sized chicken pumped full of hormones. It would just be too expensive, not to mention too exhausting to make sure that everything we eat, wear, bathe in and breathe is somehow pure and won't harm us. Aren't we all just so lucky that we have these options and don't have to walk miles and miles in the middle of the night just to get in line for water and/or grain somewhere in the middle of Africa?!
I want to buy only organic, because I have ethical issues with some of the non organic practices and because we have a son with autism. Is it diet, shots, better diagnosis? I have no clue. I just know that putting chemicals into a kid who may have a chemical sensitivity, may not be the smartest move on the planet. I also have ethical issues with corporate meat and dairy production. I don't need to convert anyone, just my take on it.
The problem is, we cannot afford some of the local CSA's, which are extremly high priced for the organics. We are looking into some that are not certified organic farms, but are either mostly organic, or working on it. We also are switching out our eggs from store bought, to a local farm this week.
Taste. I've not noticed any taste difference, except in canned tomato products and then, I don't know if it's growing practices, or the actual canning process.
The one item we do not buy that is organic, ever, is milk products. We want to, but with four kids, who go through a gallon a day, it's cost prohibative. We only eat meat once a week, and then it's always organic and humanly raised. That ethical thing again.
I buy organic almost exclusively and biodynamic where possible. this twin pronged strategy is supported and made economically viable by the magic of seasonality.
when its seasonal its cheaper and it tastes better as farmers work with nature and not against it.
buying seasonal locally produced oprganic food means my carbon footprint is minimised
Organic, Biodynamic, locally produced seasonal food really does taste better and the variety of flavours are incomparable with a supermarket offer.
Supermarket organic food tastes identical to non-organic; bland, uniform and uninteresting.
we get what we deserve and the vast majority of people really dont care or dont know what good food is.
if i lived in the US, between the hormone reared cattle and monsanto milk, i would buy exclusively organic or more likely become a vegetarian.
Our non-organic cattle in the U.S. is not all hormone-reared and the milk is definitely not all monsanto. "We get what we deserve." No, some people can't afford anything else. Mass production leads to less people on the planet starving, unfortunately. I think it's great that you can afford to buy almost exclusively organic and biodynamic (whatever that is) - but it's not the reality for most people. Consider yourself lucky and privileged.
Yep, affordability has a lot to do with the food choices we make. If we were only two people, it would be more cut and dry, but with six mouths? It gets a bit more interesting. This year we're canning more than ever and freezing more vegetables when they are in season. Oh and drying, we're going to be drying a good bit of the fruits we buy/u-pick.
I really celebrate my ability to have these many choices, though. When I was a kid the one grocery store in town was it, and being in a community garden, as we were, was akin to being a hippy. Not a bad thing, but made bus rides a tad tense.
We are also freezing and canning what we can nliedel. We get a huge bag each week in the summer from our CSA and also have a small garden. We freeze everything we don't eat fresh and are so glad not to have to pay a premium price for organic vegetables in the winter. I just wish I had local sources for organic fruits so I could freeze more fruit for the winter.
You just hit our next venture. I live in a manufactured home in a manufactured home park (no cracks please). We have VERY little land and it's not ours. Still, our neighbors have several nice raised beds behind their home. We're going to do that this year. Last year we did containers, but the constant need to water got in the way of life. We also have a nice little herb garden, but we're increasing it five fold this year. Still won't feed a family of six, but it's a start.
We have 5 raised beds, 5x5. We only grow things that bear heavily - for instance though I love broccoli it doesn't make sense to take up that much of my small space for one head. I try to grow things that go up - tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers etc. Using the raised beds (fed with our own compost) makes getting a good crop easier. It's also great for my son who loves to "help" me in the garden. Pole beans are our best crop - one 5x5 bed gives us enough in the freezer for the winter. And the taste of just picked can't be beat.
I buy seasonally. In the summer I try to purchase most of my produce from Farmer's Markets because it's cheaper and the best tasting. I also purchase eggs there as well. Once winter rolls around I make more choices based on price although I always purchase organic eggs and milk no matter what the cost is. In general, I do not purchase organic meats as I don't have a good local source that I really like and I think most Whole Foods meats are tasteless, the beef in particular. Although I've always been a big fan of Farmer's markets, I lot of my shift towards organic was fueled by the birth of my son. I work in the science end of the environmental field so I do have a pretty grim outlook in regards to our children's futures. It's a very dirty world out there.
We buy all our meat all year long at a farm about a 30 minute drive from where we live. The meats not raised at this farm are trucked in from no farther than eastern PA. The difference in taste and texture from super market stuff is extraordinary. As for produce, we try to buy organic or natural as far as we are able during the winter months, and always during our local growing season. We do this for all the philosophical and health reasons already quoted. It just makes so much sense in my mind.
When I was a child, our gardner grew all our vegetables which he started with his own seeds and I carried that memory when I had my own garden...starting everything from local organic seeds, composting kitchen scraps, etc. What an exhilarating experience it is to plant a seed and see that tiny thing grow and produce nourishment. The children helped in my garden just as I helped Rosario, and now they garden as well.
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture regulates the certification program and process for Organic farmers and growers. Although it is extensive and and somewhat expensive, thankfully farmers all over the country have gained their organic certification. Here is a link to the site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm
An exerpt from the General Regulations: "Production and handling operations seeking to receive or maintain organic certification must comply with the Act and applicable organic production and handling regulations. Such operations must establish, implement, and annually update an organic production or handling system plan that is submitted to an accredited certifying agent. They must permit on-site inspections by the certifying agent with complete access to the production or handling operation, including noncertified production and handling areas, structures, and offices."
Organic farming is not a stunt. It is taken very seriously by those who want to maintain a healthy and sustainable environment.
Yes, there are very detailed regulations for organic certification in the United States. To read the regulation, I'm trying to attach a link to the USDA website. When you go to the link, there's another link at the top of the page to go directly to the regulation. In order for a product to be labeled as organic in the US, if it's a processed product, it has to be certifed by an agency accredited by the US Department of Ag, and has to contain at minimum 95% organic ingredients. If it is labeled as "Made with Organic" it must be at least 70% organic ingredients, and must specify the organic ingredients it is "made with." If a farm is making over $5000 gross income on organic products sold directly to the consumer they must be certifed by an accredited certifier; if they are selling into the food production stream, they must be certified regardless of income.
The EU has a regulation that product sold as organic in the EU must meet (EEC 2092/91), Japan does as well (JAS Organic Agricultural Standard). Canada is in the process of completing their federal organic law; Quebec has had a mandatory regulation in place for several years.
"Very expensive" is a relative term. Americans spend the smallest percentage of their income on food in the world. It's not that organic food is "very expensive," it's that it's obviously more expensive than conventionally produced food available in the same area to the same consumers.
I'd rather spend a few more dollars on a good product from a local farmer than have more money in my wallet to spend on crap from China and the thousands of other things even lower-income Americans throw their money away on every day, but that's just me.
Where I think the good arguments in favor of organic foods and supporting those that grow it in ways that are sustainable go off track is in the second paragraph of your response. If you ended it at "I'd rather spend a few more dollars on a good product from a local farmer" it's virtually unassailable. Certainly there are plenty of people who make decisions that are at best questionable when it comes to spending money, but painting with such a broad brush obscures the real thrust of what you're getting at. People who buy exclusively organic foods also buy crap from China and some people who don't buy anything that isn't made in America surely struggle to put any food on the table, organic or not.
Organic and farm fresh foods are luxuries. $8 for a gallon of organic milk is not easily accessible to all Americans. wow, your second paragraph is quite insulting and presumptuous.
I didn't say all Americans. But for the vast majority of Americans, the difference between paying $5 for a gallon of milk and $8, even several times a week, is not going to break them. People in other countries who are poorer than even the poorest Americans are paying the equivalent (adjusted for the cost of living) or more for their food.
Around here we pay three dollars for a gallon of milk and eight dollars for an organic gallon of milk. That's a thirty five dollar difference a week, to us, and that is not small potatoes. That is a week's worth of lunches, or almost a week's worth of gas.
I dont, because the organic items I have tried either tasted the same as their non organic counterpart, or worse(avocados,garlic) than their non organic counterpart. It does not make sense to me to pay more for either the same quality, or worse.
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I buy organic 1% milk and eggs regularly. It has a noticable difference in taste to me. I don't buy organic meats & veggies simply for the cost factor, I would be way over budget. But if someone told me a specific cut of beef taste superior organic I would splurge once in a while.
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I buy certain things that are organic -- mostly because I taste a marked difference.
I'm thinking of things like strawberries (those ones from California taste like strawberry flavored water); blueberries; pears; tomatoes; onions; garlic (I use about 1/2 the amount of organic garlic to regular store-bought); potatoes; most herbs; brussels sprouts. The things I don't taste much difference in: asparagus; apples (though I understand the pesticide issue and will buy organic if I can); zucchini; sweet potatoes; shallots; cucumbers. I'd like to buy all organic but it's not possible on my budget.
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We buy almost all our food organic - getting non organic only when we cannot find organic or the cost is so extreme as to make it not worth it. We have several reasons: we want to reduce our exposure to hormones in meat and milk; we believe in humane practices for animals intended for slaughter; we want to reduce our exposure to pesticides; and, most of all, we want to reduce the overall amount of pesticides used on the planet, impacting not only us.
I cannot say that I find a huge difference in taste. A lot of what is better is probably more of a function of being fresh and local (we belong to a CSA and get a lot of local organic food). We do spend a lot more on our groceries and it is sometimes a stretch to do it (we live on one income). There are times I look at how cheap non-organic foods are and shake my head. But I don't buy them. Cheap food comes from a thoughtless factory approach. We pay abuse the land to force it into overproduction, process foods with a minimum of care and cleanliness and are then shocked at the regualar outbreaks of food borne illness.
I'm not trying to get on a soapbox. Most of our family and friends don't choose organic and that's okay with us. We eat at their houses. We eat at restaurants knowing that the food comes from the system we try otherwise to avoid. But still we feel that our own choices in our own home do have an impact, even if it is small, on improving the health of the planet.
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Well said lupaglupa!
Joining a CSA is the best thing we've done both for our grocery budget and for the quality of food we are eating. Nothing tastes better than farm fresh eggs and vegetables and it is very cost-effective for us.
I think there's a huge taste difference between organic milk and non-organic milk. We've been purchasing more organic meat than non-organic, but it is quite expensive and I'm sure many people would find our grocery budget pretty high.
Reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" was a turning point in our household for our food consumption. As far as I'm concerned, if I can live in NYC and still have access to a bevy of fresh, local produce via a CSA or the Farmer's Market then anyone in any part of the country can eat in a more sustainable way. That doesn't mean I don't still enjoy a banana from chile in the middle of winter here.
However, I'm not so disillusioned as to think everyone can afford organic meat. Also, I think maybe there's still this sort of...hippy-esque aura surrounding the organic food and locavore movements that maybe turns off the average person or maybe even intimidates them. Maybe eating that way just seems like too much work for a lot of people?
My husband and I just try to take a balanced approach to how we eat and where our food comes from.
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Empecot - I didn't remember to mention milk, thanks for bringing it up. We get ours delivered (yes, in glass bottles in a little insulated box on our porch). It is very fresh and good and, obviously, local. Again I can't tell you how much of the improvement in the taste is the lack of pesticides or the freshness of getting it the day after milking. But it is wonderful.
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What a marvelous luxury. There is a dairy that does this around here, but not here, yet. They claim they are going to increase their delivery area this year, and I hope they do and include us.
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I agree with lupaglupa as well. About 80 percent of the food I buy is organic or locally produced using sustainable practices, and most of the meat is humanely raised. My choice is mostly about supporting forms of agriculture that are sustainable, more humane for animals and healthier for farm workers and the planet. I don't think there's much difference in taste, which less dependent on whether there's a label on it that says "organic" and is more dependent on how fresh the food is, whether it's in season locally, and whether it's a variety bred for mass-production and transport rather than taste.
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I also agree with lupaglupa. It's not a matter of taste (although most does taste much better), but a matter of health and not wanting to ingest chemicals, and supporting local farms and minimizing environmental impact.
Additionally I prefer to eat non genetically modified fruits and veggies, because they always taste better. Just about the only way you'll get these is from a farmer's market or CSA, which again lessens environmental impact and supports local economy.
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I'm not sure what you mean by "non genetically modified fruits and veggies"...
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Almost every "conventional" fruit or vegetable available for purchase in the supermarket has been bred to survive shipping hundreds or thousands of miles, to have a more appealing color, to be able to be packed for shipping, to be resistant to RoundUp (chemical weed killer), etc.
Farmers markets will bring you a plethora of heirloom fruits and veg that taste REAL.
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irishnyc, food producers been produce to survive shipping and mechanical harvest in a number of ways, and genetic modification is just one relatively new technique they use. hybridization and cross pollination are also used, and are not in an of themselves objectional practices. they are common in most farming and botany, but are used here to maximize shelf life and not taste, and thus, yuck. genetic modification refers specifically to alteration of a plant's DNA, usually by crossing it with DNA from another organism. One specific example that comes to mind is an experiment that involved the splicing of several molecules of fish DNA into tomatoes to make them cold-resistant. That said, not all modifications made to plants to breed produce that harvests, ships and sits well is genetic modification, and I wanted to make sure that was clear.
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re: genetically modified foods, or GMO's (genetically modified organisms): A lot of the conventional produce may have had genetic modification performed on it at some stage. This is a relatively new experiment that does not have data to back its safety and modified foods are not labeled as such so the consumer has no way to avoid them, short of buying organic. A little research (start at organicconsumers.org) will give more information about the history of this. Not all conventiona foods have been genetically modified, and the best approach to avoiding the ones that have is learning which crops this is common on. Corn and soy are big ones, and they end up in small amounts in most processed foods. Certain tomatoes, yellow crookneck squash, many others. Some foods, on the other hand, are not ever modified, simply because no one has put any GMO versions on the market yet. My research on which these are is a little old, so don't quote me, but I think carrots and apples are examples.
Anyhow, this is something that does not have good data to back up its safety for human consumption or in terms of plant interactions in the ecosystem, and for me it feels right to err on the side of caution. Probably almost everyone on this thread has eaten some GMO's at some point, but I avoid them when it is reasonably possible.
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I'm with lugaglupa. We buy as much as we can organic and local when possible. We look for other indicators too, like dairy products that certify no RBGH, or farmers that follow organic practices but do not pay for certification.
A lot of what makes it work is changing the way we eat - we focus on local items in season, and get food from farmers via CSA's, farmers markets, and farm stands when we can. We are lucky to live in an area with a winter CSA of cellared root veggies and greenhouse greens, and with many options for local meat producers.
We aren't total localvores, though, we love some of the cheap stuff we get at Trader Joes, and we aren't too precious about it, no hard and fast rules and we will eat and graciously enjoy whatever our friends and families serve us, organic or frozen costco dinner.
But we do go the extra mile to seek it out, and think it is worth is for taste, health, the environment, and the economy.
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I buy organic as my budget permits and my level of guilt/health conciousness that day (hey, I'm keeepin' it real, folks). My taste buds changed immeasurably after I quit smoking a couple of years ago, so I am able to notice a significant difference between say, organic and regular milk. I also buy organic produce according to pesticide loads (i.e. apples have a high load so I buy organic; onions have a low load so I buy regular). You can check out the list in order of ranking on www.foodnews.org. I'm happy to see the trend towards organic. The more people that buy organic, the lower the cost for all.
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I always try to buy organic dairy (milk, yogurt, sour cream), eggs and meat/poultry, because I want to support healthier agricultural and animal husbandry practices. It's more expensive, but I feel it is worth it (plus, the price better reflects the *actual* cost to society of producing these goods).
With veggies, I patronize my local farmers market when I can, and otherwise will opt to buy organic veggies over the alternative when my market has them in stock.
I will usually go for organic packaged goods when they are available as well.
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I pretty much buy all of my meats/eggs organic. Most of my veggies are organic. However, I haven't found any organic sources of Asian veggies like Chinese broccoli and water spinach. My choices in order of preference are:
1. local and organic
2. organic (especially if it's a high pesticide load item)
3. conventional (if the store isn't carrying organic or the organic version looks really crummy)
All of these rules fly out the window when I eat out or eat at other people's homes.
And certain things do taste a lot better when it's organic, especially meats, eggs and celery. I've always disliked celery until I had organic.
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I can't afford to buy organic all the time, but I heard a great report on when to buy organic vs. not. If you eat the skin, and especially if it's not smooth, organic food will really help reduce ingested pesticides. Peaches were high on the list to buy organic, as was broccoli as both have textures that "hold" pesticides. Bananas, were low on the list as you toss the skin. Apples, with smooth, easily washed skin were also low on the list. Makes sense to me! Hope it helps.
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Just a story that you might find interesting: At an organic gardening club meeting about 15 yr. ago the speaker was a woman known as "the banana lady". She grew at least 30 varieties (the tasting afterwards was fantastic). She said the metallic flavor you often taste with a conventional banana is the result of the pesticides used in commercial production. Now none of the fruit we tasted that night had the metallic flavor, but we also were not sampling the same variety as the commercial crop. Any banana experts out there? Inquiring minds want to know! :)
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organic bananas are fantastic. to me the taste and texture is so superior that i can't go back to the mealy, sour conventional ones. og bananas also are not "gassed" to ripen them-- the local organic warehouse has a separate, warmed room for the bananas to ripen naturally (more slowly=better flavor). definitely worth the extra 30 cents or whatever/pound because you'll eat og bananas like/instead of candy & sweets.
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My top priority has actually shifted from buying organic all the time to buying local as much as possible and when I have a choice between local/organic and local/conventional I'll choose the latter. This is partly because I want to support my *local* small farmers who may not be certified as organic but are in all but name. My exception to this is with dairy products and eggs - if a local organic version is not available then I'll get the non-local organic - anything to avoid the hormones! As has been said below I'm willing to pay more for local/organic as it represents the true cost of food rather than the artificially reduced prices from the economies of scale in factory-farming.
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hormones in poultry?
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I think you should click on this link. This will tell you what the requirements are for something to be labeled as organic.
http://organicecology.umn.edu/wp-cont...
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I think you should click on this link. This will tell you that the federal government prohibits the use of hormones in raising all--not just organic--poultry (and swine). In fact, the claim "no hormones added" cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones."
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/...
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They give cows hormones, they feed poultry the undesirable cuts of beef, sounds to me like the chickens are indeed getting hormones, albeit indirectly.
I noticed that there aren't any restrictions on giving poultry antibiotics. Which makes sense, as most chickens would die without antibiotics given their living conditions.
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To Xanadude -- sorry, I misread your post. I saw hormones in meat.
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In factory farms there is no guessing at what might go into chicken feed. Perhaps not hormones, but still...
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There's something completely unnatural about the chicken breasts my mother bought recently at her local supermarket. Two boneless skinless chicken breast halves that weighed close to 4 lbs total is not normal.
If it ain't hormones, it's something else that I don't want in my body. And I most certainly do not want all the antibiotics in me either. I'll save that for when I'm sick myself.
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Almost all of my meat and poultry is organic or free-range. I buy it because of the higher levels of animal welfre required for the certification. I am just happier to know that the animal has not been raised cruelly. I buy most via the internet direct from a fully certificated farm in our region.
Fruit & veg are more difficult. I prefer the idea of not eating items grown with pesticides and inorganic fertiliser. However, our agriculture has not kept pace with demand which means a lot of organic produce has to be imported. That raises other ethical issues - not least about carbon footprints. I also now try to buy as much as possible from the village greengrocer, rather than the supermarket. So, I compromise. Most tends to be nationally grown bought from the greengrocer but when I need something more exotic, I will look for organic in the supermarket. I am also very keen to buy imported fruit and veg which is Fairtrade certified, but these are only available in the supermarket. Life's difficult for the ethical eater.
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Everything in moderation, so I don't totally go broke or ingest too many pesticides. I buy local milk over organic milk, because the organic is all ultra-pasteurized and would actually keep on the shelf, but we stick it in the fridge in this country so that no one realizes it's been heated to within an inch of its life. Aren't you always amazed by the sell-by date on most organic milk? The local milk comes from mostly grass-fed cows and also comes in glass bottles - a huge plus, since we're all trying to avoid overdosing on plastic, right? The paper milk cartons are lined after all. I buy organic citrus for zesting, organic eggs some of the time - and then sometimes just the "humane, free-range" when I'm not feeling so flush. These definitely taste better than standard issue eggs. Organic carrots taste loads better. Frozen organic peas and corn. And organic chicken, for sure. The breasts always at least are the size that indicate they came from a chicken-sized chicken and not some turkey-sized chicken pumped full of hormones. It would just be too expensive, not to mention too exhausting to make sure that everything we eat, wear, bathe in and breathe is somehow pure and won't harm us. Aren't we all just so lucky that we have these options and don't have to walk miles and miles in the middle of the night just to get in line for water and/or grain somewhere in the middle of Africa?!
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I want to buy only organic, because I have ethical issues with some of the non organic practices and because we have a son with autism. Is it diet, shots, better diagnosis? I have no clue. I just know that putting chemicals into a kid who may have a chemical sensitivity, may not be the smartest move on the planet. I also have ethical issues with corporate meat and dairy production. I don't need to convert anyone, just my take on it.
The problem is, we cannot afford some of the local CSA's, which are extremly high priced for the organics. We are looking into some that are not certified organic farms, but are either mostly organic, or working on it. We also are switching out our eggs from store bought, to a local farm this week.
Taste. I've not noticed any taste difference, except in canned tomato products and then, I don't know if it's growing practices, or the actual canning process.
The one item we do not buy that is organic, ever, is milk products. We want to, but with four kids, who go through a gallon a day, it's cost prohibative. We only eat meat once a week, and then it's always organic and humanly raised. That ethical thing again.
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I buy organic almost exclusively and biodynamic where possible. this twin pronged strategy is supported and made economically viable by the magic of seasonality.
when its seasonal its cheaper and it tastes better as farmers work with nature and not against it.
buying seasonal locally produced oprganic food means my carbon footprint is minimised
Organic, Biodynamic, locally produced seasonal food really does taste better and the variety of flavours are incomparable with a supermarket offer.
Supermarket organic food tastes identical to non-organic; bland, uniform and uninteresting.
we get what we deserve and the vast majority of people really dont care or dont know what good food is.
if i lived in the US, between the hormone reared cattle and monsanto milk, i would buy exclusively organic or more likely become a vegetarian.
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Our non-organic cattle in the U.S. is not all hormone-reared and the milk is definitely not all monsanto. "We get what we deserve." No, some people can't afford anything else. Mass production leads to less people on the planet starving, unfortunately. I think it's great that you can afford to buy almost exclusively organic and biodynamic (whatever that is) - but it's not the reality for most people. Consider yourself lucky and privileged.
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Yep, affordability has a lot to do with the food choices we make. If we were only two people, it would be more cut and dry, but with six mouths? It gets a bit more interesting. This year we're canning more than ever and freezing more vegetables when they are in season. Oh and drying, we're going to be drying a good bit of the fruits we buy/u-pick.
I really celebrate my ability to have these many choices, though. When I was a kid the one grocery store in town was it, and being in a community garden, as we were, was akin to being a hippy. Not a bad thing, but made bus rides a tad tense.
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We are also freezing and canning what we can nliedel. We get a huge bag each week in the summer from our CSA and also have a small garden. We freeze everything we don't eat fresh and are so glad not to have to pay a premium price for organic vegetables in the winter. I just wish I had local sources for organic fruits so I could freeze more fruit for the winter.
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You just hit our next venture. I live in a manufactured home in a manufactured home park (no cracks please). We have VERY little land and it's not ours. Still, our neighbors have several nice raised beds behind their home. We're going to do that this year. Last year we did containers, but the constant need to water got in the way of life. We also have a nice little herb garden, but we're increasing it five fold this year. Still won't feed a family of six, but it's a start.
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We have 5 raised beds, 5x5. We only grow things that bear heavily - for instance though I love broccoli it doesn't make sense to take up that much of my small space for one head. I try to grow things that go up - tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers etc. Using the raised beds (fed with our own compost) makes getting a good crop easier. It's also great for my son who loves to "help" me in the garden. Pole beans are our best crop - one 5x5 bed gives us enough in the freezer for the winter. And the taste of just picked can't be beat.
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I buy seasonally. In the summer I try to purchase most of my produce from Farmer's Markets because it's cheaper and the best tasting. I also purchase eggs there as well.
Once winter rolls around I make more choices based on price although I always purchase organic eggs and milk no matter what the cost is.
In general, I do not purchase organic meats as I don't have a good local source that I really like and I think most Whole Foods meats are tasteless, the beef in particular.
Although I've always been a big fan of Farmer's markets, I lot of my shift towards organic was fueled by the birth of my son. I work in the science end of the environmental field so I do have a pretty grim outlook in regards to our children's futures. It's a very dirty world out there.
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We buy all our meat all year long at a farm about a 30 minute drive from where we live. The meats not raised at this farm are trucked in from no farther than eastern PA. The difference in taste and texture from super market stuff is extraordinary. As for produce, we try to buy organic or natural as far as we are able during the winter months, and always during our local growing season. We do this for all the philosophical and health reasons already quoted. It just makes so much sense in my mind.
When I was a child, our gardner grew all our vegetables which he started with his own seeds and I carried that memory when I had my own garden...starting everything from local organic seeds, composting kitchen scraps, etc. What an exhilarating experience it is to plant a seed and see that tiny thing grow and produce nourishment. The children helped in my garden just as I helped Rosario, and now they garden as well.
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is there any certification of things being organic??
im guessing it could be a marketing stunt...for example most whole weat breat is not really whole wheet, its actually 5% or less whole wheet....
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The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture regulates the certification program and process for Organic farmers and growers. Although it is extensive and and somewhat expensive, thankfully farmers all over the country have gained their organic certification. Here is a link to the site:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm
An exerpt from the General Regulations:
"Production and handling operations seeking to receive or maintain organic certification must comply with the Act and applicable organic production and handling regulations. Such operations must establish, implement, and annually update an organic production or handling system plan that is submitted to an accredited certifying agent. They must permit on-site inspections by the certifying agent with complete access to the production or handling operation, including noncertified production and handling areas, structures, and offices."
Organic farming is not a stunt. It is taken very seriously by those who want to maintain a healthy and sustainable environment.
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Yes, there are very detailed regulations for organic certification in the United States. To read the regulation, I'm trying to attach a link to the USDA website. When you go to the link, there's another link at the top of the page to go directly to the regulation. In order for a product to be labeled as organic in the US, if it's a processed product, it has to be certifed by an agency accredited by the US Department of Ag, and has to contain at minimum 95% organic ingredients. If it is labeled as "Made with Organic" it must be at least 70% organic ingredients, and must specify the organic ingredients it is "made with." If a farm is making over $5000 gross income on organic products sold directly to the consumer they must be certifed by an accredited certifier; if they are selling into the food production stream, they must be certified regardless of income.
The EU has a regulation that product sold as organic in the EU must meet (EEC 2092/91), Japan does as well (JAS Organic Agricultural Standard). Canada is in the process of completing their federal organic law; Quebec has had a mandatory regulation in place for several years.
Here's that link to the US law:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/stand...
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It gets very expensive if you try to buy everything organically grown.
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"Very expensive" is a relative term. Americans spend the smallest percentage of their income on food in the world. It's not that organic food is "very expensive," it's that it's obviously more expensive than conventionally produced food available in the same area to the same consumers.
I'd rather spend a few more dollars on a good product from a local farmer than have more money in my wallet to spend on crap from China and the thousands of other things even lower-income Americans throw their money away on every day, but that's just me.
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Where I think the good arguments in favor of organic foods and supporting those that grow it in ways that are sustainable go off track is in the second paragraph of your response. If you ended it at "I'd rather spend a few more dollars on a good product from a local farmer" it's virtually unassailable. Certainly there are plenty of people who make decisions that are at best questionable when it comes to spending money, but painting with such a broad brush obscures the real thrust of what you're getting at. People who buy exclusively organic foods also buy crap from China and some people who don't buy anything that isn't made in America surely struggle to put any food on the table, organic or not.
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Organic and farm fresh foods are luxuries. $8 for a gallon of organic milk is not easily accessible to all Americans. wow, your second paragraph is quite insulting and presumptuous.
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I didn't say all Americans. But for the vast majority of Americans, the difference between paying $5 for a gallon of milk and $8, even several times a week, is not going to break them. People in other countries who are poorer than even the poorest Americans are paying the equivalent (adjusted for the cost of living) or more for their food.
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Around here we pay three dollars for a gallon of milk and eight dollars for an organic gallon of milk. That's a thirty five dollar difference a week, to us, and that is not small potatoes. That is a week's worth of lunches, or almost a week's worth of gas.