Organic

Jenny - posted on 08/08/2009

The only organic food I support is from nature direct. I don't believe with all the pollutants in our ground and air that it is truly better food for you. We hunt, fish and garden and that is organic to me.

Dana - posted on 08/08/2009

Sharon, I noticed that too, there obviously isn't a difference in nutrition. I wonder if people really think that's what organic foood is about.

Traci - posted on 08/08/2009

Quoting Joy "The Hippie":

Quoting Traci:

Just curious Mary, why won't you cook red meat?

She's a vegetarian.  Scroll up to the 4th post from the top :)

I already knew that, but I was asking because she said she'd cook chicken and turkey, but not red meat...what is the difference if you're just cooking it?  Just curious ;)  Thanks, though :)

Sharon - posted on 08/08/2009

I scanned quickly and didn't see what you were talking about but if people think there isn't a difference in nutrition between organic foods and regular farmer veggies - they're right. There isn't a difference in nutrition. Its the pesticides organic veggies are lacking and thereby promoting better health.



on reading this topic though, I may start buying organic thin skinned veggies. But I dunno. I'll have to check prices. Its hard to justify the cost when you need 10lbs of tomatoes to make salsa and the organic tomatoes cost 3 times as much.... but maybe when I'm just buying for salads or a side dish....

Dana - posted on 08/08/2009

I can't speak for Mary, but as a former vegetarian, the stench of red meat cooking is horrendous. You don't notice the smell unless you don't eat meat and haven't been around it in awhile.



As far as organic, I buy organic thin skin fruits and vegetables when I can. I figure why pump my body with more chemicals when I don't have too. I also breastfeed my son, so when it was time to feed him jar food I had a hard time giving him something that wasn't organic. So I fed him organic jar food until he needed more of a variety that the regular grocery store didn't offer.



I've read a couple times in these posts that people have seen or heard about there being no difference.... I'm curious where have you all gotten this info?

Charlie - posted on 08/08/2009

I buy mostly organic , it is expensive but i would rather pay now to stay healthy then pay later in medical bills for bad health .
I personally want to cut down as many chemicals as possible going into my families bodies , i think foods have been so pumped full of chemicals , pesticides and have been so genetically modified that a lot of the fruit and veg just look and taste like fake plastic .
As for the billions starving , its probably true , millions are starving as it is , take away all the GM food and there is not much left .

Joy - posted on 08/07/2009

Quoting Traci:

Just curious Mary, why won't you cook red meat?

She's a vegetarian.  Scroll up to the 4th post from the top :)

Joy - posted on 08/07/2009

I like the "idea" of organic but I don't buy it. To me, organic simply means that the food is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and that the meat was "grown" without the use of hormones and such. Like I said, the idea of it sounds good to me, but it's way too expensive and doesn't taste any different than the other stuff. I don't think that if everyone switched to organics that billions would die of starvation. I don't see how that would happen. How did the show you watched explain that billions would starve? Just curious.

Traci - posted on 08/07/2009

I can't comprehend how people afford organic. I shop at Super WalMart and Aldi because they are the cheapest (WalMart price matches, so I bring in competitor ads). And for a family of 5, I spend probably $600 a month on groceries and I'm still running out of food before grocery day! I just don't understand how people pay that....



Anybody remember the old Chris Rock bit about how picky we are with food? It was hilarious! He was talking about how all these kids have food allergies and stuff. He said, "Some don't eat red meat....no-don't eat GREEN meat!" lol

Alison - posted on 08/07/2009

Organic is no better nutrition wise than non, but it has not been contaminated by chemicals and it probably is better for the environment. I would prfer organic, but I buy what I can afford. Sometimes organic, sometimes not. Eating any kind of fruit and veggies is better than not eating them at all.

Angie - posted on 08/07/2009

Quoting Marabeth:

well its a known fact that their sewage mixes somewhat with their drinking water. its unfortunate because the us gets a lot of produce from mexico.. fortunately i live in a place that has an amazing food supply, oregon. i used to live in cincinnati ohio and i hated it. most food came from everywhere but close by. here, most produce i buy is from cali, washington, oregon or hot houses in british columbia.

once a month oh man, that must take so much planning/organization! i thought once a week was semi-unbearable and took a considerable amount of planning. :)

YEP! :) We buy in bulk...everytime we do go to town...we usually get the nessacities like milk and bread. We get out meat from hunting or butchering cows...we also have chickens...we also have a huge garden so that is where we get our veggies. I grew up with a HUGE food storage...so I'm pretty used to it.

~Jennifer - posted on 08/07/2009

Quoting Kylie:

thats a pretty pessimistic veiw Jenn..i don't think the pollution in the air is anywhere as toxic as the pesticides farmers are spraying on crops. The soil is not all polluted..micro organisms and worm are keeping it alive and fertile. I've never heard about medication in water..tap water and rain water in rural areas is hardly toxic....

http://www.watersupplynews.com/1018_wate...

Of course, this pertains to the US, as it's where I live......

Esther - posted on 08/07/2009

Most of what I buy is organic, but not for any philosophical reason, more because I just really like my organic grocery store. The veggies look better to me and the meat as well and overall, it's just a nicer place to shop than the other supermarket near me. I also do like that the meat I buy there is free range, since that is something I do care about. I'm willing to pay more for that.

Marabeth - posted on 08/07/2009

well its a known fact that their sewage mixes somewhat with their drinking water. its unfortunate because the us gets a lot of produce from mexico.. fortunately i live in a place that has an amazing food supply, oregon. i used to live in cincinnati ohio and i hated it. most food came from everywhere but close by. here, most produce i buy is from cali, washington, oregon or hot houses in british columbia.



once a month oh man, that must take so much planning/organization! i thought once a week was semi-unbearable and took a considerable amount of planning. :)

Angie - posted on 08/07/2009

I agree with the whole Mexico products...i have heard stories they irragate their crops with sewuage. We only make it to the grocery store once a month.

Marabeth - posted on 08/07/2009

Quoting Krista:

I don't particularly believe in organic foods. I wasn't raised on them and I led a completely healthy childhood aside from the normal ailments that come along with it. I don't see how fruits and vegetables that are organic can be MORE expensive given that they aren't being sprayed with anything, which, in turn would make me think......wait, if LESS money is being spent on them then why are they more?

organic food costs more because without the modern pesticides it is much more perishable.  since the shelf life is so much lower more goes bad by the time it gets to the supermarket.  it also must be shipped more quickly than a non-organic item due to its delicate nature.  another reasoning is that for an item to be labeled 'organic'  (theres actually three levels of 'organic' in terms of the FDA allowing the label) it has to meet many guidelines.  you are paying for those procedures and hoops the farmers jump through. 

i don't think it's as black and white as organic is good or bad, period.  i would buy local over organic any day of the week.  things with a high water content i'm more likely to buy organic.  i also don't buy vegetables high in water that were grown in mexico either.. i usually don't buy organic just for the shelf life reason.  with a new baby i only get to grocery shop once a week (i used to go every other day if not every day). 

JL - posted on 08/07/2009

I buy organic milk because I can taste the difference. IMO it has a creamier taste and sense I am not a big milk person it is the only way I will drink it. I buy free range eggs, chicken and turkey. I buy fruits and veggies grown locally.. to support the farmers where I live. I use some green cleaning products for when I am cleaning up everyday messes but for deep cleaning I stick to my bleach cleaners. I do prefer the natural smells of the green cleaners so I use Method spray on my showers...it smells good and keeps my shower clean. I use all natural green products on my dogs to fight off ticks, fleas and mosquitos. The reason being because they work, it is ok if my kids happen to touch the dogs after they have been dosed, and they are so much cheaper then all the other products on the market. I use some organic snacks because of some food sensitivity my youngest has had but most of the stuff I buy is not organic it is just healthier. I use natural pesticide sprays to kill the ants and bugs inside my house. Orange spray does wonders when killing ants and it makes your house smell so good.

I do enjoy clothing made out of organic cotton..it is so much softer, but we don't buy and wear only organic clothing...costs too much and I like fashion too much.

Krista - posted on 08/07/2009

I suppose that would make sense to me.

Angie - posted on 08/07/2009

Oh another thing, I loved the oil for burns and scratches...Kaya got a burn from the wood stove and I can't even see it anymore...

I do love the organic cotton, so much softer!

Sara - posted on 08/07/2009

I think the cost is because organic crops yield less. Supply and demand, basically.

Krista - posted on 08/07/2009

I don't particularly believe in organic foods. I wasn't raised on them and I led a completely healthy childhood aside from the normal ailments that come along with it. I don't see how fruits and vegetables that are organic can be MORE expensive given that they aren't being sprayed with anything, which, in turn would make me think......wait, if LESS money is being spent on them then why are they more?

Angie - posted on 08/07/2009

Quoting Traci:

Quoting Angie:

I tried the organic thing...Melalueca...and it was very, very expensive! I think some things are better than others, I have no problem trying it all out...but I usually stick bleach, 409, stuff like that. Some veggies are much better organic, but they usually spoil faster...So I usually buy the chemical invested veggies and fruits and breads! :)

Yay!!!  Reply with quote is back :)

 

My sis in law sells Melalueca...if anyone's interested, I'll send ya over her way.  The stuff smells great, and the cleaners are very reasonable :)  They work great, too !!!

Melaleuca is a good thing and I loved the products...but be careful you have to have so many points each month which sometimes come to the cost of 70 to 90 dollars a month...I absolutely enjoyed the face wash and the shower cleaner...the candles are great also. We had to cancel our account because we couldn't afford it and also we couldn't get enough points each month, so they charged a bundle to you account anyways. If you are to do it...go in it with someone else, there fore you can get the points. Some months were a waste of money...

Kylie - posted on 08/07/2009

Yeah I'm the same Traci..I'm keen on being environmentally conscious but I can't seem to give up my chemical cleaners..i love toilet duck, pino-clean, windex and mr sheen

Traci - posted on 08/07/2009

I thought about using baking soda and stuff before, but I just love my regulars...the stuff smells great! Pine Sol, Spic and Span, and Mr. Clean Lavender....nothing compares!

Traci - posted on 08/07/2009

Just curious Mary, why won't you cook red meat?

ME - posted on 08/07/2009

Sara...sorry, I conflated "free-range/organic", and "organic"...I only buy free range/organic chicken and turkey, I don't buy red meat or pork at all because I refuse to cook it. If my husband wants to eat red meat, he buys it and cooks it himself.

Kylie - posted on 08/07/2009

thats a pretty pessimistic veiw Jenn..i don't think the pollution in the air is anywhere as toxic as the pesticides farmers are spraying on crops. The soil is not all polluted..micro organisms and worm are keeping it alive and fertile. I've never heard about medication in water..tap water and rain water in rural areas is hardly toxic....

Sara - posted on 08/07/2009

Good point, Jenn...

~Jennifer - posted on 08/07/2009

I can't see how anything can be grown organically when the rain that falls on it from the sky is basically polluted in the first place. They have found levels of medication in ground water and water tables from people flushing pills down the toilet, the air is polluted, the ground is polluted..the food grows in the same soil and uses the rain and ground water to grow......the cows that produce the milk / become beef (same with chickens, pigs, etc...) eat food that's grown in polluted soil / drink polluted water - they're ingesting the toxins anyway....



I don't believe anything can be 'organic' anymore.

Sharon - posted on 08/07/2009

You know, you can clean "green" using bleach, vinegar, bakingsoda, rubbing alcohol, lemon juice and laundry detergent. I rarely use more than those items when cleaning my house.



We have cats & a dog in the house, and it can get a little funky. I love febreeze. One of my concessions to chemicals. Rug cleaners are my other concession. I use oxyclean for spot cleaning but use Resolve to clean small portions of my carpet but larger than 'spot' cleaning.



Besides my kids I have a lot of highly sensitive amphibians & fish in my house. I have to be really careful about airborne chemicals and dusts.

Kylie - posted on 08/07/2009

I buy organic sometimes..i also prefer to grow my own food and everything in my garden is grown organically. I think if all our food was grown organically on a mass scale there would be environmental and supply problems but i believe if people grew a little of their own food and collected rain water to irrigate and composted the veggies and garden scraps to make soil conditioner and worm wee fertilizer then it would take pressure off the environment.
I always buy free-range eggs and chicken because you can taste the difference and i care about the welfare of the animals. Regular store bought broccoli and lettuce is sprayed over 18 times in its growing life before it is picked..the chemicals used are dangerous so i definitely think buying these types of veggies grown organically is worth it. Pumpkins, bananas, avocados etc you can wash really well i don't think it makes a difference.
I buy only organic cereals, milk and baby food when it's on special.

ME - posted on 08/07/2009

Get a book on vinigar and baking soda cleaners...and save the money...My parents buy melalueca as well, and I'm not sure why...when my mom really needs something clean she uses vin. and baking soda just like I do!

Traci - posted on 08/07/2009

Quoting Angie:

I tried the organic thing...Melalueca...and it was very, very expensive! I think some things are better than others, I have no problem trying it all out...but I usually stick bleach, 409, stuff like that. Some veggies are much better organic, but they usually spoil faster...So I usually buy the chemical invested veggies and fruits and breads! :)

Yay!!!  Reply with quote is back :)

My sis in law sells Melalueca...if anyone's interested, I'll send ya over her way.  The stuff smells great, and the cleaners are very reasonable :)  They work great, too !!!

Traci - posted on 08/07/2009

I think it's all a fad. I just saw something the other day that said there is no difference between organic and non organic foods. And the fact that it's all so much more expensive...not for me! I already spend too much on groceries for my family, and I just can't afford to double it. But, for families who do buy organic, it makes them feel better, then good for them. It's probably like a placebo effect. It's all about hype.



They're always finding something that's "going to kill you." If it's not hormones and pesticides, it's something else. Again, that darn media! Always trying to keep us in a state of panic....lol.

Sharon - posted on 08/07/2009

I like the idea of crops grown without horrible pesticides poisoning our environment. But we can't afford to eat the huge variety of vegetables that we do if we bought organic.



I can see why organic veggies are so high priced, they have less to harvest due to bug spoilage. But that doesn't change why I can't afford it.



Hormone injected cows. I tried to look this up but it doesn't seem that the issue is cut & dried.



Would I prefer to buy to naturally raised foods? - yes. Do I? - no.

Angie - posted on 08/07/2009

I tried the organic thing...Melalueca...and it was very, very expensive! I think some things are better than others, I have no problem trying it all out...but I usually stick bleach, 409, stuff like that. Some veggies are much better organic, but they usually spoil faster...So I usually buy the chemical invested veggies and fruits and breads! :)

Sara - posted on 08/07/2009

That's cool, Mary, I'm just discovering the world of organic myself and trying to sort things out! I"m a vegetarian as well, and I am concerned about the treatment of animals. But, for example, I thought a guideline for a cow that produced "organic" milk was that it was supposed to have so much time in the pasture grazing. I have read some things that state that there's no specific guidelines for what constitutes "pasture" time, no regulated amount and such, so really it's quite ambiguous. Not trying to shoot you down in any way, just trying to hash it all out here! :)

ME - posted on 08/07/2009

For me...Organic is not just about the health benefits to humans, real or perceived. Hormones cause cows to to stay hooked up to milking machines constantly, and lot beef that live in cramped conditions standing for their whole lives in pens up to their stomachs in their own feces, don't fare much better; they are unable to live any sort of natural life...as someone who has been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years, I concidered this fact when making the decision about Organic or not...Also, many co's offer on-line coupons or delivery services that lower the cost of Organic Milk, yogurt, icecream, etc. Jewel (which is also Albertson's in some parts of the country) offers their own brand of Organic Milk for about a dollar cheaper than the name brand organics. There are a lot of reasons for making the choice to go organic...IMO...

Sara - posted on 08/07/2009

Everything I have been reading about it says that there is no nutritional difference between organically grown fruits and veggies and conventionally grown fruits and veggies. I have also been thinking about organic milk since my DD will be turning 1 soon and starting on milk, but the research I've seen about that points to the fact that there are really no differences in hormones/antibiotics or anything like that between organic and non-organic milk. I'm starting to think this whole organic thing is a a money making scheme!

ME - posted on 08/07/2009

It depends for me...I do buy organic milk, (and meat for my family, I'm a veg), because I don't approve of the hormones injected into the animals. I also try to buy fruits and veggies with "thin skin" organic...Things like bannanas, avacados, melons, etc. with thick skin, I don't believe are quite as important to buy organic! When my son was tiny, I made all of his food out of organic fruits and veggies...the chemical laden ones seemed more harmful when he was ONLY eating those foods and he was SO little, than they do now, when he eats them in small amounts with other foods. Growing up in the corn belt, I do believe that organic is better for the environment...I've seen the degeneration of the soil, and the cleanups of rivers and lakes...I don't want half the world to starve tho...so, I'm not sure what the solution is...unless everyone becomes a vegetarian...then we would have plenty of food for everyone to eat! ;-)

Michelle - posted on 08/07/2009

I refuse to buy organic, its so over priced and i did some research on it just before i started my daughter on solids and found that is no better for you or your baby to eat organic. Its just a money making scheme.