Is it worth the extra cost?

[Desertthorn]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/256222_organic19.html

The Seattle newspaper had this article awhile back on the cost of organic fruits and this paragraph was really interesting.


Shoppers who are selective about which items to splurge on for the organic label might choose those with the highest residual pesticide levels: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach, strawberries, according to February's issue of Consumer Reports.

[tom]

Great post!! I know that strawberries are supposed to be really bad because the skins absorb all of the chemicals. Also I have been wondering if the price of fuel will help the local organic farmers. It should become cheaper to buy from a small local farmer than to buy stuff that has been shipped in. I am not sure I see this difference yet but with the cost of transportation tripling I would think that local farmers would benefit.

[mugaliens]

When I lived on the East Coast, I bought food with a co-op whose suppliers were from Ohio River Valley. I think FORC was it's name.

Anyway, most of the stuff wasn't necessarily organic, but a lot of them grew their food organically, anyway, as they were earning better than market prices selling direct to us, while we were paying less than market prices buying direct from them. They didn't need the extra bit of margin that the pesticides and tons of fertilizer gave them. The food tasted noticeably better than what we got from the grocery.

[cosmocrazy]

The food tasted noticeably better than what we got from the grocery.

I have to agree with you, i find that locally grown groceries tend to taste better than groceries shipped in.

Does organic grown food have a noticeable effect on your health, or is it an individual preference to taste?

[toothdust]

I have to agree with you, i find that locally grown groceries tend to taste better than groceries shipped in.

Yep local farm veggies/fruit blow distant produce out of the water. It has to do with the fact that local fruits/veggies are allowed to mature/ripen longer while still in the ground. Most stuff that is shipped long distance is picked early and then artificially ripened.


Does organic grown food have a noticeable effect on your health, or is it an individual preference to taste?

That is a really good question. Without a doubt, organic has a beneficial effect on health. The less pesticide residue you ingest, the better. Some studies have shown that organic does have more nutrients, while others show that is has the same. I would expect more considering most organic farming practices rely on enriched, fertile soil, not chemical fertilizers.

But as for noticeable? I would say probably not very.

It gets tricky because some people think switching to organic chips and soda means its suddenly healthy. Its not. Better, yes, but not by much. I think that you have to switch your whole eating paradigm to more fresh, minimally processed foods to notice a difference. Eating a big, fresh, organic, colorful salad a day made noticeable positive changes to my overall energy, sleep, and clarity of mind, which I take as a sign of much better health.

[toothdust]

Anyway, most of the stuff wasn't necessarily organic, but a lot of them grew their food organically...

We get a lot of that where I live too. Getting Organic certified is expensive. I don't know how it is in other states, but here in MN, if you Net income from selling crops is less than $10,000 a year, then you can label it as organic (lets hope they are being honest).

The food co-op I work at also recognizes this and can label it as such on the sales floor. There isn't really a risk of people cheating because our produce manager is friends, or has at least visited the farms, of the people he buys from locally. Plus, in rural areas, local farmers usually run in the same crowd, so if someone was cheating, word would spread;)

[A.DIM]

I don't think it "costs" too much, and I definitely think it is worth the effort to grow your own food.
Whether from our gardens or from those at the farmer's markets, the foods are indeed better tasting. I once thought my homegrown stuff tasted better simply because I grew it -you know, because of my time and effort - but no, it was what I did or didn't use, which, I didn't use anything but my time and effort. :) Well, we did use some fertilizer for the strawberries but they didn't produce as well this year; although, they tasted ok.

Anyway, I've found smaller scale gardeners and farmers usually spend more time actually tending what they grow. They often visit their gardens daily for weeding, removing bugs, pruning, whatever, instead of using pesticides and fertilizers for these things. I also think composting lends itself to better tasting foods and soils in the garden, which is common for these smaller scale "farmers."
I believe people should do more of this: harvest a relationship with their food.
It promotes health for both mind & body.

[chimay]

I think organic food is at least 3 times more expensive than food on regular supermarkets, however is surely worth it! It taste so good, that going back is not an option.