So this is a writing exercise to see what I could find out about eating organics versus eating conventiona foods and I found out I am not really an either. I am a localvore, which means I try to buy local when I can and grow the food I can to meet my family's needs.
Who knew?
When there isn't local to be had I buy conventional.
Will I switch to organic, not after what I have read.
My mom is a master canner and I love to make jams, pickle red beets and we even make our own stews. I love to support local growers, since my dad was one until his health deteriorated and my family still are farmers.
1. What do I know about the scenario of organic food vs. conventionally grown food? Not a single thing. I was raised exclusively on organics on a large farm (we grew our own and the fertilizer was free from the chickens and sheep…) I have noticed a difference in taste because vine or field-ripened foods are ripe when you eat them so they have more flavor. I might even think that letting them ripen would give more food value, but I think the produce would be close to the same. I have no proof about the improved food value theory. John Cloud wrote and article in Time Magazine Health quoting, In her 2001 memoir, This Organic Life, Columbia University nutritionist Joan Dye Gussow writes that her commitment to eating locally "is probably driven by three things. The first is the taste of live food; the second is my relation to frugality; the third is my deep concern about the state of the planet
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595245,00.html#ixzz1lSWnSoHI
2. I don’t know if the food value is the same or if you are just paying more for something someone stamped premium. So is it worth extra cost? I don’t know. Is it worth being choosey? Personally I purchase from Bountiful Baskets on the cheap in real life… It is a food co-op and there is no mark up on the food. So I really am about cost. Plus I have 4 kids. Their food is local when it is in season and people like me who grow their own and eat local are called “localvores” which is a dumb name in my opinion. People raised on the farm have always grown what they could to supplement their food choices and to be cost efficient. Like Gussow, I like the taste of live food and am concerned locally about my growers, since I am the daughter of one.
U.C. Davis food chemist Alyson Mitchell, states about the nutrition value of organics, "We understand, and have understood for a long time, that there is some relation between soil health and plant quality, but we still don't have a solid scientific database to link this to nutrition." So no one has proved they are healthier and taste is in the mouth of the beholder.Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595245,00.html#ixzz1lSXroyXh
3. Specific question on the issue are: Are organics healthier? No, it seems from the UC Davis study they are not. Does it justify the cost? In that case, no. Does buying local create jobs or support my community? Our local grocer keeps $.45 of every dollar in Kaysville. If I shop at WalMart or a national chain, only $.10 of every dollar stays local according to the Associated Foods ads on the radio. So I think it does impact my community positively financially. The more growers and farms we keep in business, the more people working.
Can I get by with lower cost alternatives? I can. I do. Bountiful Baskets gives me three recyclable grocery bags worth of produce for $15 per week. Are organics practices better for the world? Actually the Cloud article said no. Many organic farms ship nationwide and use as much oil to ship and methods that conventional farms do. Local is the only one that has lower impact, sustainable growth? There was a caution that organics can have more bacteria since they are fertilized with dung…
4. What do I need to know to understand the issues better? I like food. I read labels, get 5 a day regularly and can always eat a little better. After reading a lot of articles, I feel fairly confident that organics are here to stay but not a choice I make. I am a bit concerned about pesticides, but they are in more than my food. I felt many articles were quite biased. I was surprised that there has been a drop in shopping at Whole Foods since even WalMart offers organics. I am pleased that in the past decade, according to Cloud, farmer’s markets have doubled over the last decade. I will be out in my garden come April, waiting for my peaches and raspberries, red beets and potatoes to come on.
5. Useful keywords:
organic + scam
benefits of organic foods
utah organic foods + community impact
organic vs. conventionally grown produce
organic food benefits
locally sustainable foods + utah organic food vs. locally grown
No comments:
Post a Comment