Organic: costs vs. hidden costs

[Green Life]

Hello everyone!

Buying Organic is something that I strongly believe in. It is just the moral and right thing to do. However, when there are no organic blueberries but there are conventional available and one is craving blueberries, do you just go ahead and buy the conventional, and would that impact your health that much if your really craving them?

There is a sale on conventional strawberries, however, how much am I really saving in health costs to eat highly chemicalized food? The Organic strawberries are over three times the cost, still, I preferr to spend the money I do have on Organic. Surley by doing so, one must save on health problems later in life. Cheap health insurance, I say.

So, back I go again to the blueberries. What would your choice be? To go without or buy conventional?

Frozen blueberries are a second substitute for fresh, though, so perhaps maybe that's what I'll do.

[BerryGirl]

Having been trying out this raw food thing for a few weeks, I can only offer limited advice. I too have tried to buy organic when I can, unless the cost is highly prohibitive (for me, three times the price of non-organic would be prohibitive), the quality is significantly less, or it's simply not available in organic. That turns out to be the case most of the time for me. Even our grocery store that is "more enlightened" still has limited fresh produce organic offerings. For me, my philosophy is the same with things like nuts: buy as good as you can and try to not obsess about the rest. That last part is especially important for me, since I tend to obsess!

[Green Life]

Hello Berrygirl,

Thanks for your post. i have a habit of obsessing over things, too, lol.

So, anyway, see what happens, I guess!

[RowanC]

I think it doesn't matter so much on some things, like avocados or oranges, as long as you wash them well.

But some things are HIGHLY sprayed with pesticide = strawberries are one of them.. along with bell peppers.

And SOME things like CORN and WHEAT actually have the pesticide INSIDE THEM.. Roundup to be specific - and although Corn is wind pollinated, when bees and butterflies try to pollinate these roundup ready plants, they DIE.

If the bees and butterflies are dying.. I'm not eating it! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Go to www.organicconsumers.org for a LOT more information on this.

[Green Life]

Hello Rowan and thanks for your post :)

That's going to be an interesting read.

Conventional strawberries are off my list of things to buy, peppers, also.

Does anyone know about conventional watermelons? It seems to me that their shell is so thick, nothing bad could contaminate them, do you know what I mean?

[bslempress]

According to the Environmental Working Group, when it comes
to conventionally-grown produce, these are the 12 cleanest
kinds you can buy:

Twelve "cleanest non-organic foods"

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (sweet) AVOID: Probably Genetically Modified
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)
We don't recommend basing your diet solely on this list, but it's a
good healthy start towards meals that won't kill your appetite.
Since the EWG reports that more than half of our total dietary
risk from pesticides comes from just 12 foods:

Tweleve "RISKIEST foods
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

http://www.rawfoods.com/articles/twelvelist.html

[Spectatrix]

When I graduate in a couple of months and start making 60k+ a year, THEN I'll start buying more organics. Right now, on a college budget, it's generally not feasible. I figure I already have almost 22 years worth of "pesticide damage", a few more months won't hurt too much.

[Green Life]

Thank you kindly for your posts, bslempress and spectrarix ;)

Wow, that's great information, I wonder where watermelon ranks?

[angelandarose]

And SOME things like CORN and WHEAT actually have the pesticide INSIDE THEM.. Roundup to be specific - and although Corn is wind pollinated, when bees and butterflies try to pollinate these roundup ready plants, they DIE.

If the bees and butterflies are dying.. I'm not eating it! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Go to www.organicconsumers.org for a LOT more information on this.


I was doing a search and this thread came up. Roundup is an herbacide and not a pesticide. So it's not the round up killing the bugs it's the pesticides they spray on the plants.
The way roundup ready works is the plant has been modified to tolorate roundup being sprayed on it. Roundup kills a lot of things so if you can create a plant that is resistant to being killed by roundup while killing everything else it benefits your crop.

My husband just sprayed Roundup all over the place and we had a small fight over it and he swares it's safe and that the plants don't absorb it because if they did we wouldn't have any thing growing at all in the garden. He says it becomes inert when it hits dirt. I've been googling and have yet to come across anything negative about roundup being sprayed around my garden. If anyone can point me to any articles that say anything about the toxicity of Roundup I'd be grateful.

Thanks,
Angie

[karenisraw]

Well, I would go for the frozen organic. I have chemical sensitivities and get depression from non-organic produce or foods. Don't be fooled by the thick skin on a watermelon. I ate a non-organic clemintine and the chemical went right through the skin and into the fruit. I got depression within 3 minutes.

I would try to eat what you want and if it is not available fresh, then try frozen or dehydrated versions. I personally avoid all chemicals if at all possible.

I am lucky to have found a non-profit organization that gives away fresh organic produce twice per week. Last week, I got to choose about $145 worth of avocados, romaine, mixed gourmet greens, cherry tomatos, zuchini, eggplant, strawberries, dill, multi-colored peppers, cucumbers, english cucumbers, mushrooms, bananas and more.

This savings allows me to purchase other items organically such as nuts and sprouting seeds, organic spices, etc.

Chemicals are nothing to take lightly. They cause cancer. Once in a while, you can probably deal with if you have to. If you have no choice but to buy conventional, then buy natural veggie wash for sure and peel the skins off.

I personally think organic should be law.

k

[rawpriestess]

I have taken classes from many raw gurus, and they all say that this is the most important thing in order of importance, if you can get 2 you are doing good, if you can get 3 you are doing great, and if you can get 4, you are perfect.


1. raw
2. ripe
3. fresh
4. organic

this is in order of importance for health

[robertandenith]

I don't want to be harsh on this topic but just think about this:

would you actually get an organic fruit, then spray roundup or a pesticide in it, then wash it. would you eat it then? :confused:

I honestly wouldn't :o

[Green Life]

thank you all for the information. i really think organic is so important.

Green :D life

[robertandenith]

and adding to karenisraw post:

you can also find a co-op or just make one!!!

find a buddy or buddies to join you and you get cheapy organic food here is a link:

http://www.globalorganics.ws/bc_club.aspx

I been wanting to start one, I guess that as soon as I find enough people it might be worth it! :D

[tvillemom]

I would love...LOVE to buy organic for my family! My budget just won't allow it. We are having a hard time just absorbing the cost of extra produce and nuts and stuff from the HFS! (and before you jump to any conclusions, I buy as cheaply as possible, and stretch my nuts I've purchased over an entire month!) For me, right now, it is more important to eat raw, and as fresh as possible.....I'll have to worry about the rest later.
Wendi

[robertandenith]

it's amazing how different we all are!

I rather have a nice cooked meal of whole foods like veggie soup of organic products than conventional raw meal. That's another way to save IF i want to eat ONLY organic. I can make HUGE soups and store in freezer for later use. Another way to help me be raw, I do this for my daughters. I can have their meals (soup) ready while I eat the raw veggies or fruits, because usually when I cook for them we all ended up eating from that cooked meal. But if I have this ready divided in portions, I can easily stick to raw. Ok went off topic here SORRY!!! LOL :p :D

[Sharon in Colorado]

I would love...LOVE to buy organic for my family! My budget just won't allow it. We are having a hard time just absorbing the cost of extra produce and nuts and stuff from the HFS! (and before you jump to any conclusions, I buy as cheaply as possible, and stretch my nuts I've purchased over an entire month!) For me, right now, it is more important to eat raw, and as fresh as possible.....I'll have to worry about the rest later.
Wendi


I agree, it is just not feasible for every person to get all organic food, all the time. Cost and availability are huge factors for many people. MOst of us do what we can based on what we eat, what is available and how much it is going to cost.

I would not spend $6 on a small container of out-of-season organic strawberries, when I can wait for them to come into season. However I do use conventional strawberries purchased frozen for smoothies.

I have heard that blueberries are not highly sprayed, nor is brocolli. There are certain fruits and vegetables which are failry neutral in terms of pesticide exposure.

Since I eat bananas daily I would buy conventional if I needed to. We use tons of oranges and carrots in juice daily. I buy organic when I can, otherwise conventional will do in a pinch.

I usually always buy organic greens, but have on rare occasion used conventional if organic wasn't available.

I am more likely to buy conventional if I need to replenish a highly eaten food in the household which may not be available organically grown.

So I won't go without just because I can't get it organic.

I believe our bodies have been wonderfully designed to fight off all kinds of poisons and toxins they are subjected to on a daily basis, so if we are not able to eat optimally 100% of the time our bodies are still doing the job they are supposed to.

[angelandarose]

I don't want to be harsh on this topic but just think about this:

would you actually get an organic fruit, then spray roundup or a pesticide in it, then wash it. would you eat it then? :confused:

I honestly wouldn't :o


I don't WANT to spray that crap on my food that is why I was asking for articles to prove how bad roundup is. I can find tons of stuff on pesticides but I can't find anything negative about roundup. I want to prove to my husband that this stuff is bad but he doesn't believe it. I want scientific proof that this stuff is bad for humans.

My husband works for the local fertalizer plant and he sprays chemicals all day long. He's been brainwashed to believe all this stuff is OK to put on food fed to the masses. I don't buy it, I want proof it is bad. Not just hearsay, I want PROOF!

Thanks,
Angie

[gatorgrrl]

You just do your absolute best and use your best judgement