Organic Food vs "standard" food

[mybabylove]

we buy organic fruit & veg.
Its much healthier for you

[Inertia]

this is why I wanna move to the country. Fruit straight off the tree. Meat before its been soaked and frozen for the trip to the city. Little country markets with fresh conserves and small farm honey.

*sigh* Unfortunately we arent yet ready to move.

[Inanna]

I know Kitten it really is a pain..

There is no comparison in the taste between organic and non organic produce and meat. The reason it's more expensive is that traditional farming is more labour intensive, there are less people that buy organic, it costs an arm and a leg to go through declaring a property organic and to keep that certification...

The more people that go organic the better it will become. I look forward to a day where the Earth is respected so much that a farmer wouldn't dream of using pesticides and insecticides that harm the Earth (Iunderstand that there are some kinder pesticides), where people won't have to choose a less quality foood for their families simply because of cost. Where people really research what is in their food and make conscientious and humane choices.

I have a HUGE issue with the fact that much of our milk has been "adjusted", that staples have additives and insecticide traces in them - that you truly have to research to find the truth...

However, every person who chooses Earth safe produce and products is making a difference...

[Indadhanu]

I know! I always thought it was such a rort with 'organic', and I'd scoff... until I actually bought some organic broccoli and I'm never buying 'standard' again, I couldn't believe the taste difference, its scary actually, makes you wonder why 'standard' tastes the way it does.

Oh, I have a question though, is organic generally fresher? Or usually the same?

[Indadhanu]

Oh, and Jazz will happily demolish a bowl of organic broccoli and carrots, and turn her noise up at 'standard'. I'll trust her judgement

[Trillian]

I personally think that the taste of 'supermarket' fruit and vege has very little to do with whether it is organic or not and more to do with the fact that everything is harvested well before it is ripe and kept in cold storage for months before being sold. I have had some absolute crap organic fruit and vege from time to time and even if you eat home grown fruit before it has properly matured it will still taste like crap. I think the 'taste' of organic is due more to the extra nutrients in the soil it is grown in as opposed to simply being organic in the first place.

Deb I have to disagree with you on the world eventually being a pesticide/insecticide free place - it just cannot happen to the extent you are dreaming of. There is just no way to combat some pests and plant diseases without chemicals of some sort as the R&D into natural bio solutions just aren't being developed quick enough and often they are inadequate to combat it on a large commercial production level. Obviously the aim is to use as little chemicals as you can and also find 'greener' and therefore safer alternatives. Demand will always far outweigh supply. And thats not the farmer in me talking LOL, but just being realistic. Personally I would love to be a fly on the wall of the CEO offices of Monsanto and Incitec when they are told their products are no longer required

Did you also know that it can take up to 20 years of NOT using chemicals on your farm to have it declared certified organic? That is also a large part of why there is such small scale production of organic produce ATM because there just isn't enough truly certified organic farms. Anyone can just grow stuff and not spray it, but is what you are buying truly organic? There is a certified organic farm about 35km from us and they started the organic process back in 1962 and didn't gain organic status until 1987. I will have to buy some of their goodies for you Deb and send you a care package I think - they do a yummy licorice and choc coated ginger.

ETA - Leasha, it would depend on where you source it from. I wouldn't trust organic supermarket stuff any more than the 'regular' kind as there is still the issue of cold storage etc, but if you can find a local farmers market or health food store they should be able to provide fresher quality organic produce.

[Inanna]

I can live in hope Trill!

I disagree. I think we have abused the Earth so much and only now are we beginning to realise how living against the Earth causes a chain reaction of distruction.

We don't eat with the seasons - we get all uppity if our Strawberries are not in the supermarket all the time! We need to act locally and think globally. Strawberries are in season we eat them,we make jam. When they are not they are not. We need to change the way we are such a consumeristic society. We don't eat what is grown locally. We demand apples when they are not in season. We spray the soul out of food so we can grow it where it isn't natural for it to be grown Or in a season that doesn't agree with it. We mass farm, mass spray and then lament at thestate of our soil or earth.

My DH was to buy a chicken farm for his company and they were intending to develop it. He backed out of the deal because there was a covet on the property. Becuase they had farmed chickens it was deemed unsafe. The toxins in the soil were out of conttol when they got the soil report back. It was unsafe to develop it but it was okay for the chickens and their eggs to be consumed. Its a world gone crazy.

I buy locally and sometimes I can't buy brocolli so I don'! I don't go to Coles because for me it's about supporting the Earth.

I do believe if we don't stop raping the Earth and the Ocean as we are we are headed for disaster.

We need to get used to doing without an ingredient or a vege if it's not freshly available. This cuts transportation costs (and the related emissions), it usually ensures fresher produce etc.

The time it takes for a farm to be certified organic differs. It depends on the history of the land. We have numerous organic farms in our area - some are in the process of conversion and some are certified. I have a friend whohas an organic dairy and it took her about 12 years. But the farmer before her was also kind to the land and had a very earth friendly herd.

Spray free farms if you ask will generally tell you what their practices are. Most are very eco friendly - though this cannot be proven and that is why certified organic farms are more exxy. Simply because they have done the hard yards. They produce product that is not sprayed with chemicals and their animals are not treate with chemicals (and thier milk if they are dairies are not altered...)

It's all about personal choice. I will never throw my hands up in surrender because over the past 20 years we have gone from not having any organic choice to having a Coles own organic brand... There is massive change. We need to believe that people will turn around and be kinder to the Earth and it's animals and work towards supporting that or we will burn out our Earth all together...

[Trillian]

Dont' get me wrong, I agree completely with what you are suggesting and I would love to see an era of farming that uses no chemical - it costs us thousands of dollars each year to buy the stuff and some of it smells that bad that you know it can't be good to have long term exposure, but I just can't see it being feasible world wide kwim? Personally I do only buy in season produce because that's when it is the best and the kids are starting to understand why I walk straight past the strawberries and watermelons atm but it will take a long time to change that mindset that's for sure. I have always been in disagreement with come crops being gown in areas where if it weren't for irrigation, then they just couldn't grow there. I have a huge issue with the big cotton growers to the north as they are the ones largely responsible for the rape of the river systems as they divert the natural water flow of rivers and dam all the run off that should naturally run into them. I live in the MIA and have an issue with growing rice in this area as without irrigation it just can't be grown as the natural rainfall isn't high enough (and having that opinion has gotten me into some interesting discussions let me tell you!). I am all for R&D being done into disease resistant crops, but the Govt is in the process of closing all the ag stations where all that research is done, so while ever you have a govt that it anti-farming (on a state level and to a certain degree a federal one) our hands are tied.

[LimeSlice]

I actually bought Organic SR flour (woolies brand) the other day - I was astounded at the checkout to find it was actually only a $1 more than the other stuff - and given how exxy flour is becoming these days I dont understand why you would buy non-organic flour when you can get the god stuff so cheap!
The Woolies Organic Pasta is also priced well.

I've been quite impressed with the amount of organic store products available in the last few months.

I went to get the chook for dinner tonight before though - went to Lenards and this is how the conversation went:

40-something Shop Assistant: "Hi, how can I help you?"
Me: " Hi... Do you guys actually do whole chooks?"
Assistant: "Yes we do. I can go and get you one if you like."
Me: "I do not suppose they are free-range and orgainc?"
Assistant: "Ah no I don't think so. They are only $9.90 though"
Me: " Ah I see. Thanks I think I will go to Coles and get a Mt Barker chook"
Assitant: "Ours are bigger than the Mt Barkers and much cheaper you know"




I now have a gorgeous 1.8kg chook for $16 And I know it will taste good because it had a good life.

[thepixie]

K some of the non-certified organic stuff from our local farmers market is also delish. I have a rule - I never buy fruit, veges or meat from the supermarket. Not just because it tastes like cardboard but because I don't agree with the way they treat farmers and producers. If I can't get what I need from the markets I buy from the greengrocers or the butchers. Lots of good ones in our area!

[Lulu]

I personally think that the taste of 'supermarket' fruit and vege has very little to do with whether it is organic or not and more to do with the fact that everything is harvested well before it is ripe and kept in cold storage for months before being sold.

I agree.

You you guys have any Farmers Markets around you can go to? Maybe get a Co-op organised and do a trip to the country each fortnight or so?

[Trillian]

Kitt3n, it might be worth looking into getting a few small fruit trees that are seasonal and growing them in pots, that way you can plan it out so you have something different coming into season all the time. We've got lemons out the wa-zoo ATM, plus the IL's have loads of mandy's on their tree. We've eaten the oranges already though as the tree didn't do so well this year. In summer we will have all our stone fruit - nectarines, peaches and apricots. Organic or not (we do spray for pests on our home grown stuff if it needs it) it still tastes great when you pick fruit straight from the tree that is perfectly ripe.