Comments on: Q&A Tuesday: Do You Buy Organic?

By: rachel

rachel — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:19:35 +0000

Thanks!! rachel´s last blog post...Drink Brewed Chocolate

By: CarrieK

CarrieK — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:46:18 +0000

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.

By: Renee

Renee — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:27:10 +0000

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.

By: Kimberly @ Decadent Cooking Blog

Kimberly @ Decadent Cooking Blog — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:52:12 +0000

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

By: Suzy:)

Suzy:) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:21:40 +0000

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…

By: Suzy:)

Suzy:) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 03:06:23 +0000

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…

By: missweb

missweb — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:41:45 +0000

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.

By: Suzy:)

Suzy:) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:21:19 +0000

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…

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:00:59 +0000

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.

By: Suzy :)

Suzy :) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:13:30 +0000

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.