This topic has been on my mind with our second book for the book club, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, headed our way in a few weeks. I’d love to hear your thoughts, particularly because most of you are not only the home managers of your family, but also because most of you make the everyday purchasing decisions in your home.
Here’s today’s question:
How important is buying organic food for your family? Has this changed with the economic slowdown? And if you had to choose, when one takes precedence for you – buying organically, or buying locally?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
I am fortunate to live in the Pacific NW where organic and local go hand in hand-for the most part. I shop at Whole Foods and I live within a 1/2 hour of Bob’s Red Mill headquarters where I buy many grains/flours in bulk. That said, I am unemployed and my husband’s salary is not very large. I still choose to eat organically as much as possible- especially dairy and the top 12 dirty dozen veggies and fruits as listed on EWP’s (Environmental Working Group) website. I am constantly making choices based on how much cash is still in the grocery money envelope-but usually instead of choosing conventional rather than organic when the cash flow is low, I just abstain from buying it at all until the next time I shop and the cash envelope has been replenished. I am learning how to eat all that we have and waste less, which saves us way more money than buying lots of conventional and processed food and seeing it go to waste.
oh- I forgot to mention that I have started buying local eggs from a family up the road.
I also am willing to forgo an organic product, , if it is labeled as antibiotic free, free-range, and preferably local (as in chicken), or rBGH free as in dairy. It may not be as great as organic, but better than conventional.
i try to do both (buy organic and local) as much as my budget will allow. being in the cleveland area, i get my produce from an organic stand @ the west side market as often as i can. we also buy our chicken meat at a stand where they advertise hormone free, all natural chicken (though i’m not certain if they’re free-range or not). it’s much harder finding free-range beef in this area so i don’t feel i have as much of a choice when buying beef. in the summer, i participate in a CSA program for all my produce needs then supplement what i don’t get during the week by going to the market. we used to live in seattle where local and organic foods (as stephanie mentioned) were easy to come by, but i think our “system” for cleveland seems to be working well for us. i’ve also started making our breads from home instead of buying them…not only to cut costs, but to allow for more control in what kinds of ingredients i put in.
prasti´s last blog post…wordless wednesday::the market
We buy conventional, organic and local. My preference is for local first, organic second and conventional last. We also have a garden in the summer where everything is organic
As a cooking teacher, I get questioned on this topic often and I always tread lightly. I thinking eating seasonally is a best bet. Winter hot house tomatoes just do not taste as good as summer farmer’s market tomatoes. Likewise, winter dishes do not often rely on fresh tomatoes like summer dishes do. I also stress the importance of eating vegetables & fruits. If the choice is between conventional strawberries and oreos, strawberries should win almost everytime.
There’s some, dare I say it, scary things going on in the organic industry as the big players get into the game. If you really investigate that package of organic dried fruit from Whole Foods, you might find that it is imported from China. I find that scarier than a conventionally grown strawberry any day. With regard to organic dairy, check out this link to a expose on organic dairy: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/18/19171/9526/621/699093
Is organic for you? for your family? It’s up to you, your geographic location and your budget can decide.
Happy Cooking!
Kimberly´s last blog post…Fancy Food Show, San Francisco
I read this book last year and it really made me pay more attention to what my family eats. However, having a 3-year old with a limited diet, doesn’t allow us to strictly eat locally. For example, one of the few fruits my son eats are bananas, and I won’t deny him those just because they don’t grow in our backyard. So we make exceptions and we do what we can.
Moltomom´s last blog post…I Also Break His Toys For Kicks When He’s Not Looking
I do try to buy organic and local whenever possible. In the summer, I head up to a local Farmer’s Market where local organic farms market their meats, fruits, and veggies. Living in WI, there is very little grown locally in the winter, so I have to buy the imported stuff if I want fresh.
The one thing I never skimp on is organic, hormone-free milk. I have found a semi-local dairy that provides it to a local grocery store. We drink so much milk that I feel it is essential to make sure it is as pure as it can be.
Wisconsin Mommy´s last blog post…Insomnia can get expensive!
My husband and I started buying organic after reading The Omnivore’s dilemma and In Defense of Food…about a year ago. We joined a CSA last year as well.
I’m currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (and loving every page of it) and it has inspired me to buy locally whenever possible. That’s hard to do, food-wise, in Ky in February so right now I’m concentrating on buying from local merchants (vs. mega-corporations). It definitely takes more thought (and research) but the relationships I’m developing with the shop owners are well worth it.
I’m looking forward to CSA and farmer market season (May – Oct here) so that I can start eating organic AND local!
-Kristen
I am so sad to read so many posts from people who don’t “get” organic. Basically you will pay for it now (supporting a local farmer, supporting sustainable farming practices, saving our planet!) or you’ll pay for it later in poor health and expensive health care. While not all organic food is created equal (you have to do your research…know your farmer!) the chemicals you eat in your food (especially dairy products and fruit or veggies with the skin on) will accumulate and effect your health down the road. Most chemicals in small amounts won’t hurt you, but the herbicides, pesticides and hormones you eat with your food stay in your body, they are not soluble, they accumulate. Who wants to find out the hard way what a lifetime worth of chemicals will do to you? Eating organically does not have to be expensive; grow your own, trade with a friend, join a coop or CSA. Save money for good food by getting a cheaper cell phone or cable package. Ride your bike instead of driving your car, carpool. We have been raised on a cheap food diet and it’s literally killing us. We need to refocus our priorities. You get what you pay for!
CarrieK´s last blog post…Demarle
Carrie K, honestly, I don’t “get” it, and I’ve not had a cable package or cell phone package to sacrifice for buying organic. I have always been blessed with plenty to eat, but not plenty of organic. Now that it is becoming more of a possibility for my family, I definitely want to learn more, but my husband is a scientist with access to cutting-edge medical journals and research, and we haven’t found anything yet to substantiate the claim that organic is better.
That said, I don’t want to pay later for what we don’t know now. I would like to find some info based on real science and not anecdotal stories or food-processing descriptions–I don’t want to be scared into eating organic. I’d like to make an informed decision. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
p.s. I am excited to read B. Kingsolver’s book. She is one of my favorite authors. But I know I’m not going to approach it as hard science.
I come from a family of scientists; so I understand where you are coming from. The “aha” moment that made me switch to organic came during my commute to work. I use to drive highway 1 between Monterey and Santa Cruz in California; if you don’t know the area, it’s considered the fruit/veggie basket of the world. I drove through endless fields of strawberries, brussel sprouts, spinach, you name it! (I use to watch the helicopter crop dusting and would always get a funny taste in my mouth) Any way, I started noticing huge piles of powder (and I mean huge, like the size of a semi truck) sitting in the fields 2 or 3 times a year. The piles had signs on them that said “Danger! Poisonous! Keep Off!” These are huge piles of herbicides and pesticides used on the food crops. I don’t think you need to be a scientist to question whether putting large piles of poisonous chemicals on our food is safe. It’s just not safe. I recommend you read anything by Michael Pollan. He is a reporter who is writting about our current food supply and why it is not safe or sustainable. He too went into the argument of organic/not organic with skepticism. He looks into the history of food production and presents very compelling arguments for buying local and organic. Whatever you choose, I wish you a long and healthy life.
Thanks!!
rachel´s last blog post…Drink Brewed Chocolate
Organic is important to me, buying local more so as I can see the direct impact on my community by supporting my local farmers/business owners. Having said that, we don’t do very much of it during the winter months. Organic milk/eggs/meat are the staples in our house. The fruit/veggies are less stringently vetted.
Kirsten´s last blog post…Annika Louise
i definitely go for local, in grocery and also in things like clothes, art and craft supplies, etc. people aren’t aware that a lot of times organic produce travels a very long way before it gets on our plates, which reduces the quality and freshness and increases gas use and air pollution. not to mention that i am so fed up with buying clothes made by poor people in foreign countries like India or China. i think it’s irresponsible consumerism, but that’s just my personal beef.
a good solution to that is to find a local farmers’ market, that should have both local and organic food available and look for the sale rack at your local independently owned shops and boutiques. you can also grow your own food, if you have time and space for it. but if i do find organic food at my local TJ that came from my state (california), and the price isn’t ridiculous, i definitely will buy it. it’s a matter of balance, to me.
Michal´s last blog post…Why, hello there!
I try to buy organic as much as possible. Living in New York, locally grown translates to “in the summer” for the bulk of what I would buy. I stick to dairy, poultry, eggs and the ‘dirty dozen”. I also avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup, or transfats. But I estimate that this is costing our family about 40-60% more on our annual grocery bill. Ouch.
I buy organic when its on sale and its cheaper than the other stuff. I dont see much of a difference but nowadays I’m all about saving money (aren’t we all?). I know trade Joe’s tries hard to do organic produce at a lower price so I go with them when I get a chance. I do like the organic fruits off of friend’s trees. My good friend had a huge crop of oranges this season- we’ve been eating them non stop for about a month now. Love it!!! It’s free too!
Esther´s last blog post…Projects Completed: Mei Tai Carrier and Cowl Neck Scarf
We try to buy as much as we can organically. We focus on produce, meats and eggs. Oh and dairy! That’s a big one. I will go out of my way to get hormone free milk!
There’s a priority list circulating around of the 12 veggies & fruit that rank as being more important to by as organic than others. Those are the ones I get organic, and others like zucchini or broccoli I get either or. Dairy is usually organic, but sometimes I will get butter that’s not. Plus eggs I get sometimes, but if not it will usually will be free range & antibiotic free. Lot of it is about the prices of things. Organic is pricey, and when I get home with them I think — ‘I hardly bought anything!’ I have allergies, which include gluten issues, so certain organic grains can cause issues because they can be more potent. Also, there is a lot of confusion about is what the farmer or producer using to grow things always totally organic — mislabeling. Sometimes shopping for food, can make me think back to the “hunter/gatherer days”, when out there shopping — it can can tiring reading labels and going here & there for this & that. So I been working on simplifying my approach over the years. It’s not a science. More trial & error. But I get a lot of good ideas from sites like yours & others.
We buy with this priority:
1.) Hormone free: all dairy and meat if we can
2.) Local: almost all of our dairy and meat are
3.) Organic: only veggies and fruits that we eat the skin of, as mentioned numerous times already.
I live in a city and am part of a community where this conversation is HUGE. Maybe it is everywhere, I don’t know. The reason the hormone free food is our top priority is because I have had endometriosis for 15 years and now that we have a daughter, what I feed her is something I can control as far as extra hormones not going into her body. I can’t control my genetics being passed to her, but for at least the next few years, I can control what she eats.
I just wanted to add that I’ve shopped TJ’s for years (and yes they do have relatively good prices on organics), but I also shop WF, on a less frequent basis due to the higher costs. When I do I tend to get their house brands, which are less. I attempt to get organic meats when I can, and also buy wild salmon (but I eat less meat overall). The thing is, that I can’t get everything at just one store, so I shop at several others. But my modus operandi is to keep things simple as I can, which is not always that easy — so I keep working toward creating recipes using only a few ingredients, otherwise the food issues would be more challenging and expensive.
Suzy:)´s last blog post…LOST: Others in Surreality & Episode #7, aka…
I make everything from scratch and the few ingredients that I don’t do from scratch are usually organic but not for the ‘organic’ but for the fact that these products don’t have hydrogenated-je-ne-sait-quoi, mass amounts of refined sugars, tend to be whole grain, sodium is WAY less… I buy local as much as possible but after that it is usually taste that determines where our fruits and veg come from. Seems more and more though, organic fruits and veg are winning out because they taste better. If I’m going to spend the money, I was to actually enjoy eating.
Simplemom, I forgot to say, that now that there’s genetically altered and cloned food being introduced into the food chain, it’s making the food terrain even more and more difficult to maneuver. I had a little garden, previously, and that would be nice to have now, but it’s more difficult in a townhome (I could grow food in pots, but I’m not up to that right now.) What I’m learning to do is to ask for guidance in all of these matters — that come in to play in my life every day. I do what I can — then “let go and let God”!
Suzy:)´s last blog post…LOST: Others in Surreality & Episode #7, aka…
I’m sorry, to keep adding stuff, that I forgot. But this is really hitting home — right in the pit of my stomach. Pun intended.
When my kids were small I used to go to several farmer’s markets right in our city and others. Yes, I agree it’s good to buy local. We did this for a number of years, but that too can get tiring. That’s why I was happy that the other stores I frequent began adding more organic. Hopefully, the prices will go down sooner than later. That’s my last nickel (inflation) on this topic. Thanks for the topic.
Suzy:)´s last blog post…LOST: Others in Surreality & Episode #7, aka…
Wow…Great question:
Due to an increase in “random” health problems with my immediate family, we’ve gone strictly organic. In fact, even with the economic slow-down, we haven’t swayed.
What’s more important, health or a little more money, life or death. That’s really what it comes down to. We have no idea how bad “regular” food is for us, simply because we can’t see the “baddies” on it!
Although organic food is slightly more expensive, but often equal in price, you eat less of it. Why? No, not because it’s more expensive, but because it comes to you more nutritionally packed. You crave less, you feel full quicker.
So, what is it you’re saving? Your health or your money? That’s how I see it…
The tough question comes in when you have the choice of locally grown produce and products…I try to support my local growers as much as possible, but it is difficult to know, sometimes due to packaging, if what you’re buying is organically grown. Sure, there are some growers we know to be organic and others…???
I guess it’s a judgement call, especially if there are no organic options around…If that’s the case, we go with local all the time!
Kimberly
Kimberly @ Decadent Cooking Blog´s last blog post…I Keep Breaking My Glass Tea Pots
I always try to buy local when I can with all things.
I stick to local (California) in season produce. I prefer organic to conventional especially for the dirty dozen. If it’s too expensive I just don’t buy it. I buy some things at the farmer’s market and some at Whole Foods. We’re getting a CSA share this summer for the first time and I am looking forward to it. Plus I’m really excited about having a little garden.
I started buying organic milk a while back. It took my while to get over the sticker shock ($6.30/gal). I’d like to buy local pasture raised meat and eggs but I can’t get my head around the price. Baby steps.
I stear clear of HFCS and try to avoid over processed food.
With the economic slowdown I have found myself skipping or making compromises on some organic and/or local things. For example buying the $.99/ # carrots at WF instead of the $2/# at the farmers market. Both grown in Ca, but I’m sure (ok not that sure) that the FM carrots are small farmer etc etc.
All that being said. I think that buying in season produce is most important thing for me.