How many of you buy organic vs. plain produce?

[menat]

I want to know. If buying organic or not has hindered you from weightloss, getting rid of illnesses or allergies, etc.

My regular grocerie store is a mile away, with only a few oragnic salad type vegetables. But the green leafies, tomatos and most fruits (except pears, apples, grapes and kiwi) are not organic. For me to go to Whole Foods, well it is 10 miles away from me via bus.

I think trying to shop 100% organic will be a pain in the butt for me due to distance.

[Rawzula]

I buy plain produce and wash it off with ozonated water.

My local supermarket has some organic produce, but not much.

For me, plain is cheaper.

[menat]

I guess, I will try to buy organic when I can at the regular grocery store. Maybe a monthly trip to Whole Foods will be a treat for me.

[Shoshannah]

I shop at a thrift (cheap and non organic) produce store, but only buy those items which have thick skins and are peeled: bananas, papaya, avocados, and mangos.

I also shop at an organic food co-op for some of my non-peelable produce but I was unhappy with the quality of their greens.

I buy my greens at Wild Oats and I love them.

Personally, I have not noticed a difference except in my pocketbook. With that being said, I would definitely try to buy the "dirty dozen" as organic as possible and compromise on all the rest... JMHO, FWIW.

[Stina]

I have been to "normal" farms and seen the pesticide spray bottles around. They are legally labeled carcinogens. They do cause cancer. I lived up in Tonasket, Washington where pesticide run off gets into people's drinking water. Cancer rates were extremely high, and people were strangely in denial about it and not willing to talk about it. All of the hippies lived way out of town, up in the mountains, drinking out of well water. I grew up in farmland in MIchigan and saw beautiful land turn into sand with "conventional" style farming. It's depressing. I've been to organic farms, particularly biodynamic ones, that are just sparkling with life. I've also seen Kirlian photography of sprayed produce versus organic produce and that was amazing. I wonder if someone more computer savvy than me could find it on the net and post it. It's amazing.

Unfortunately, a lot of the organics offered in my town are from big corporate organic farms that I"m still somewhat dubious about, not local farms like I'd prefer. I still think the corporate organic is better than not, though. My grandpa had Parkinson's disease, and I'm aware of the fact that I could have a genetic propensity towards a devastating disease that is influenced by pesticides.

I also have a major concern about avoiding genetically-modified food. That means going into a "normal" supermarket and buying produce that is no longer even vegetarian! That's creepy! For example, potatoes that are spliced with a fish gene so the skins are more resilient. That goes against nature and could be one of the most dangerous experiments man has undertaken.

So, I simplify my life in other departments so that I can afford organics. Am I super strict? No. I'm real low-income but it's important to me and the better quality food affects my spiritual Light. I hope this doesn't sound preachy, I just wanted to share my perspective.

[KellyL]

Because of the cost of organic food, I buy a good deal of conventionally grown food. The exceptions are my greens and any organic produce that is on sale.

[Sunshine9]

I agree with you 100% Stina.

My chemistry professor (teaching general chem, nothing environmental) said one day in class that *a piece of every pesticide we are ever exposed to is stored in our livers and body fat.*

That said, I do my best. I eat as close to all organic as I can, and as a student I compromise on a few thick skinned items to save some money. I would say, start with what you have where you are, and do what works.

[Stina]

I take issue with calling genetically-modified food and food sprayed with an array of cancer-causing chemicals conventional. It's not normal. People have been farming organically for thousands of years. It's only been since around world war 2 that they started the chemical warfare via food production.

Call it what it is. It's chemical farming.

Organic is conventional.

[Nurse in the Raw]

I have been buying organic produce from a co-op for about 3 months now and my liver enzymes went down as a result, which means the produce I was eating before (non organic) had a lot of toxins in them and was taxing my liver.

[barose]

I do what I can. 95%-100% of the produce I buy is organic and its not much less affordable; but thats a reflection of the organic, raw food, slow food, buying local, movement that is strong in my area. If anything, I at least buy everything on the dirty dozen list organic. I can taste pesticides even after washing; its in the soil and deep into the food. You cant just wash it all though even little bit helps. Washing is certainly better than not washing. Conventional produce in a raw food diet is better than SAD.

I am able to find some things labeled "pesticide free" and it is cheaper than certified organic and probably just as good. The difference is, that farm did not go through (and pay for) the certification process. Legally, they cant say "organic" but if its pesticide-free, they can indicate that.

[JennyPat]

I am able to find some things labeled "pesticide free" and it is cheaper than certified organic and probably just as good. The difference is, that farm did not go through (and pay for) the certification process. Legally, they cant say "organic" but if its pesticide-free, they can indicate that.

Also "Pesticide-free" might mean that the farm is working towards organic. It takes 5 years of no pesticides or chemicals for a farmer to get certified.

I laughed at my dad the other day, he is a retired conventional farmer. About 15 to 20 years ago he put some of his land, the part around the farmyard, into the CRP program. Which meant that for a certain length of time the land sat idle, with only grass growing on it. Then about 5 or 6 years ago when the land came out of CRP a neighbor asked to rent it, so he could farm it organically.

My dad said to me the other day "I finally figured out dis organic stuff! Dey farm yust like my dad and I used to!" (old norweigan farmer) And he is thrilled with the success the renter is having. Part of the problem with chemical farming, is that the farmers today have been raised using them. And don't know or don't trust farming organically. Most of the farmers I know are barely scratching a living off the farm. 5 years just to be certified, And changing all the learned farming practices, can be daunting! Especially when you have families to feed, and bills to pay.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for Organics! In fact I eat and grow as organically as I can. But I can also see the other side of the coin.

Jenny P

[Elizabeth]

I generally avoid the "dirty dozen" unless I can find/afford them in organic, and focus on either inexpensive organic or the fruits and veggies on the "cleanest" list.

here is a link with the lists and some more info.

http://www.sdearthtimes.com/et0996/et0996s5.html


as far as weight loss..etc., I know that toxins and pesticides are stored in fat, and it makes sense that we would want to reduce our exposure to pesticides/and exogenous toxins in order to release the buffering/"storage" fat and also in order to not have toxins present which require "storage" in vital organs, in the absence of the extra fat. So, I am focusing on increasing my percentages of organic, and plan to eventually stop eating inorganic, with the (possible)exception of the cleanest crops.

[bodaflower]

I always buy organic! =)

[RawVee]

I'm fortunate to have 3 organic grocery stores near me. I shop between the three of them. I've noticed that, truly, the price of things like greens aren't that much cheaper in a regular grocery store that doesn't sell organics.

Now I can taste when something isn't organic and it tastes metallic and chemically, if I may make up a word.

In the long run, it's worth the cost to buy organic rather than suffer the cost of poisoning our systems, I think.

Farmer's markets, "on the edge" organics that are cheaper, and growing your own stuff in your yard or in patio pots are all great ways to make eating raw less expensive.

[bodaflower]

yeah farmer's markest are amazing

it's ridiculous how much produce you can buy there for a little bit of money
they're not going on right now though in phoenix, i think that they start again in a month

hooray!


yes i can definitely tell a different between organic and non-organic produce

i can't eat bananas if they're not organic (just a weird thing i have) or if they're past a certain stage in the ripeness..i just can't bring myself to eat them =p only when they're just done being green

and i had a tomato the other day that wasn't organic....it was really terrible :p i mean now i can understand why people don't want to eat their vegetables when all they know about is conventional tomatoes and baby carrot sticks, they're pretty gross :p

[kristi7mark]

I prefer organic and buy it whenever I can. If I really want a certain food and I can't find the ingredient organic I will compromise.

Up until 8 years ago, I lived in Indian (for 8 years). We had a small family farm there and gardened about an acre and a half of it organically. My neighbors would always ask how I kept it looking so wonderful. They were shocked to find out I used no pesticides or artificial fertilizers. I had the best looking garden around.

When we first moved to Florida, I couldn't find organic produce anywhere. It was horrible. All of the food tasted to me like cartoon food looks. It was like eating rubber every day of my life. I helped to get an organic produce coop going which is still running today under someone else. I still order produce from there. If organics are expensive in your area, you might want to look into finding an organic distributor and starting an organic coop.

To me, not only is organic missing all the bad stuff but it has a much larger amount of minerals than non-organic so it has lots more of the good stuff. This makes it taste better! Organic just tastes great to me! :)

[kristi7mark]

Just to clarify- I used to live in Indiana not Indian

[juliebove]

I get shipments of organic produce most weeks. Occasionally I don't get them when there is too much stuff in there that I don't like or when it's mostly duplicates of what I already have in my garden. I don't use chemicals in my garden, but the seeds I use are not certified organic so I can't technically call that organic.

I do buy additional produce in the stores most weeks and that is not always organic. Although I would prefer organic, I can't always find good, fresh stuff or if I do, I can't always afford it.

[the_lab_rat]

All organic, all the time. No exceptions. If something can't grow without loads of toxic, poisonous, environmentally destructive chemicals, then I have no business eating it. After learning the devastating effects of pesticides on animals and the environment, I refuse to support any farm or company that isn't organic. Why would I spend what little money I have on something that kills wildlife and poisons the Earth? Okay, I won't write a whole big speech about that, because it's slightly off topic and I'd end up writing pages and pages :D

But anyway, I really can't understand why someone wouldn't buy organic. Especially raw people. Why bother eating raw if you're just going to ingest all those toxins?? If it's worth it to you to go raw, which can sometimes be challenging in this SAD world, it should be worth it to buy organic. Organic food isn't that much more expensive. I'm totally broke right now so I do things like shopping at farmers markets and co-ops, and waiting for things to go on sale at places like Whole Foods and other big HFSs. Also, I don't waste money on things like makeup, stylish clothes, and jewelry. Okay, so yes, I'm a tree-hugging hippie, but you don't even have to be that extreme :) If you're having trouble affording organic things, just cut back a little elsewhere.

I know I'm lucky living where I do and always having organic stuff around. I know it's harder in other places...I've visited relatives in tiny towns and I've had to search for the organic stuff. But there's usually something around, or like someone else suggested, making monthly trips to the HFS...you can buy frozen organic fruits and veggies, or freeze the fresh ones you get.

OH, and there have been studies done that show organic produce has much higher levels of all the good things, vitamins and antioxidants and all that good stuff.

...just my 2 cents... or 3 or 4 or 50 :p

[JennyPat]

But anyway, I really can't understand why someone wouldn't buy organic.


Especially raw people. Why bother eating raw if you're just going to ingest all those toxins?? If it's worth it to you to go raw, which can sometimes be challenging in this SAD world, it should be worth it to buy organic. Organic food isn't that much more expensive. I'm totally broke right now so I do things like shopping at farmers markets and co-ops, and waiting for things to go on sale at places like Whole Foods and other big HFSs.


I know I'm lucky living where I do and always having organic stuff around. I know it's harder in other places...I've visited relatives in tiny towns and I've had to search for the organic stuff. But there's usually something around, or like someone else suggested, making monthly trips to the HFS...you can buy frozen organic fruits and veggies, or freeze the fresh ones you get.



There are many reasons, If I could I would eat ALL organic. But in my case I don't have a lot of choices. I live 30 miles from the nearest town, I only shop once every 2 weeks, sometimes twice if I am going to town. In town, we have one small HFS where the produce section is only 6' wide and they get shipments in once a week. This last week I went in the day after the produce truck came in. I wanted apples, but the organic ones were brown, inside and out! The Organic Raspberries, trucked in from California I think, were moldy on the bottom, not all of them but enough so I would not buy them. Price wise the frozen fruit at the HFS is almost twice the price of the regular grocery store. I do shop at the HFS and buy organic as much as possible. SO that we continue to have this resource. It is actually a co-op and I have been a member for many many MANY years! I started shopping there over 30 years ago, and it has improved greatly. But has a long way to go.

We have one farmers Market that runs from June 1st to October 1st on Saturdays until noon. And unlike what I am reading here about farmers markets having cheaper produce. Here the produce is a lot higher than that at the grocery store! On top of that my work prevents me from getting to the market. Last year I made it once. I did get there last week, but all they had ready for fresh produce were June berries. (sort of like a blue berry, they grow wild around here)

By the way, the nearest "Whole Foods" or "Wild Oats" store is about 300 miles away!

Jenny P

[dreamrawalwz]

All organic all the time here too. Well, this started 2 months ago lol. I've done it before. I have chemical sensitivities so it's a big deal to me. After reading just 3 ch. in The Hundred Year Lie I refuse to go back to non-organic. I had a tiny salad off a salad bar from my soon to be college campus and I felt HORRIBLE the rest of the day. Just all...icky lol. If I can't have a certain food that isn't organic, then I just won't eat it! Simple as that. Now, some people do have issues wtih variety. I know I have a small variety and it gets boring, but I guess I make do.

Oh, as someone mentioned above, as far as costs go. My dad just sat down with me the other day with the bill. It was A LOT of money and all for MY organic produce. Well, I said "you can't yell at me because I don't: do make up, buy many clothes, go to the dr., take oTC meds or prescription meds, etc." and he goes "i know. That's why it makes it hard to (bad word) at you" lol. It was in a joking tone, don't worry. Basically....the money I spend is ONLY on food so he can't yell at me about it since I'm not wasting it on other items.

[spiralgirl]

menat,

I buy organic when I can but right now I can't afford too. Usually I get organic avocado's and sell at a local market every Saturday so buy organic kale and beats most weeks. It's really here and there depending if there is a sale or not.

[konmai]

I buy plain since the only grocers I know who sell organic is Giant, but I heard their organic isn't all that organic. :rolleyes: Right now, I'm getting started on my own lil' indoor/outdoor garden. I'm waiting for the tomatoes to go ripe. So I can attack them! :D



Oh, as someone mentioned above, as far as costs go. My dad just sat down with me the other day with the bill. It was A LOT of money and all for MY organic produce. Well, I said "you can't yell at me because I don't: do make up, buy many clothes, go to the dr., take oTC meds or prescription meds, etc." and he goes "i know. That's why it makes it hard to (bad word) at you" lol. It was in a joking tone, don't worry. Basically....the money I spend is ONLY on food so he can't yell at me about it since I'm not wasting it on other items.

You tell him!!! ;)

[barose]

Lab Rat - we ought to thank our lucky stars that we live in an area where buying organic is no problem. Traveling to some parts of this country can be downright impossible if your goal is to eat raw/organic. When my grandfather was alive, going to poverty stricken Detroit was a nightmare, and I still ate SAD at the time (abit no processed or fast food). Finding a green veggie that wasn't already dead/moldy/limp was near impossible in some neighborhoods - forget organic anything. Whole Foods was 30 miles away and a basket of organic strawberries was $7. That was in 2002 so hopefully things have changed slightly. Trust me, there are some places where you can be fresh out of options unless you have lots of $$$.

Please, don't assume those who cant afford organic food is out buying makeup and designer clothes. A lot of those same people who cant buy organic also have trouble paying rent or "regular" conventional food.

[Pierre]

I used to live about 1 km from both the regular grocery store and the HFS. So I got almost all my fruits and veggies organic. The regular store has since shut down, but the HFS is still in business.

Now I live on the other side of town, and the regular store is 3 km away, and the HFS is a long bus ride away. I go there usually on Sundays, and on other days I go to the local store. There's also a store across the street, but it's completely useless. All cooked. Even before raw, I poked my head in, looked around, and left. I've been in there once since, to get change.

[StarFire]

But anyway, I really can't understand why someone wouldn't buy organic. Especially raw people. Why bother eating raw if you're just going to ingest all those toxins?? If it's worth it to you to go raw, which can sometimes be challenging in this SAD world, it should be worth it to buy organic. Organic food isn't that much more expensive. I'm totally broke right now so I do things like shopping at farmers markets and co-ops, and waiting for things to go on sale at places like Whole Foods and other big HFSs. Also, I don't waste money on things like makeup, stylish clothes, and jewelry. Okay, so yes, I'm a tree-hugging hippie, but you don't even have to be that extreme :) If you're having trouble affording organic things, just cut back a little elsewhere.

Aloha LabR! I understand exactly what you're saying, unfortunately - it isn't always a perfect world and there are circumstances that can some of us have to deal with!!

my husband and i have just survived a devastating law suit - and well - $$ is tight right now - we do the best we can. I get what I can (there is an abundance of local fruit growing that we can forage), unfortuantely I am unable to eat a lot of fruit - I have adverse reactions to the sugars in the fruit.

the closest hfs is 20 minutes away by car - we only have one car - and dh has to go to work... This hfs is in a more 'wealthy area' and the prices are very VERY HIGH... ridiculously high! The best farmers markets are 1 hour away by car - again - dh has to work. Occassionally we are able to get to them, but sometimes not! So we do the best we can. We live in a very rural country area, so taking a bus is out... I would much rather eat raw veggies that I can get at the small local market then have to resort to eating vegan, and I just won't do meat.

we have one farmers market here in my little town on Saturdays -but I'm at work and so is dh... sooo.... that's out...

My bff has been buying me some produce and nuts (she just moved to the island and she is much closer to a less expensive hfs) so that's been wonderful. WE did just find out that there is a co-op in the puna area -and the prices are wonderful - only that's a good hour and a half away - and well, they are open only during the times when dh is working. He needs the truck (construction work) so it's not like I can drop him off at work and use the truck for the day... so...

we do the best we can... :o

[the_lab_rat]

barose and StarFire and whoever else replied about this... Um, no, I wasn't implying people who can't afford organic are all out wasting their money on designer stuff. I guess I should've been more clear and said that I don't understand why someone who has access to organic food and at least enough money to get by wouldn't buy organic. Meaning, if they have a choice and can reallocate money from other expenditures, I don't get why they wouldn't.

Yes, I have relatives in places where even finding fresh produce can be a nightmare. And I have lived in places w/o a car and while a student, and buying organic wasn't always possible and was never easy. I'm just saying, sometimes people do have the option, but just make excuses for not doing it. Or, sometimes people have a few organic options, but they look at it as an all-or-nothing thing instead of taking what little organic stuff they can get. I'm not referring to anyone in particular or even to people on this forum, I'm just making a comment about people in general. I've heard a lot of excuses, and it's ridiculous when someone will drive 30 miles to go to a "good" SAD restaurant or a mall or something, but won't drive that far once a month to go to a health food store. (And I've known plenty of people who are like that.)

And yes, I have strong opinions on this (duh! :D ) because so many people make it all about their own health (is organic food better for me?) when they totally neglect the environmental aspect of it. And...I will shush now. :)

[Stina]

I prefer organic and buy it whenever I can. If I really want a certain food and I can't find the ingredient organic I will compromise.

Up until 8 years ago, I lived in Indian (for 8 years). We had a small family farm there and gardened about an acre and a half of it organically. My neighbors would always ask how I kept it looking so wonderful. They were shocked to find out I used no pesticides or artificial fertilizers. I had the best looking garden around.

When we first moved to Florida, I couldn't find organic produce anywhere. It was horrible. All of the food tasted to me like cartoon food looks. It was like eating rubber every day of my life. I helped to get an organic produce coop going which is still running today under someone else. I still order produce from there. If organics are expensive in your area, you might want to look into finding an organic distributor and starting an organic coop.

To me, not only is organic missing all the bad stuff but it has a much larger amount of minerals than non-organic so it has lots more of the good stuff. This makes it taste better! Organic just tastes great to me! :)

Very cool that you got a co-op going under those circumstances. That's the kind of effort it takes. When there's a problem, create a solution!

[dreamrawalwz]

I buy plain since the only grocers I know who sell organic is Giant, but I heard their organic isn't all that organic. :rolleyes: Right now, I'm getting started on my own lil' indoor/outdoor garden. I'm waiting for the tomatoes to go ripe. So I can attack them! :D



You tell him!!! ;)

Giant organics aren't exactly organic!? :eek: I just bought grape tomatoes from there yesterday and I woke up all puffy today! I wonder if there is a connection...

Barose - I know what you mean. I wasn't assuming that those that can't afford organics are out buying those other products. I guess I was just saying in general for those raw or SAD. My sister for example. She used to tell me "we can't afford organic! That's so expensive and the amount of milk the boys go through! Do you know how much that would cost!?" Now here she is with a new Escelade, 3 big screen TVs, 3 more tv's, play stations, a lot of clothes, etc. all for Christmas. Eventually it clicked I guess and she thought "if i can afford all this, I can buy organic!" and she has been for the past few months.

[jamesfarrell]

I was starved on the way to a friends house last night. I drove by burger crap and crapdonalds and I thought about a full stomach full of cheeseburgers. However I said NOPE and drove on. Anyhow, by the time to his house I was ready to kill someone, so I stopped at a place that said fresh vegetables, a typical 5 and dime store. I went to the back and got a tomato and a banana.

I got to my car, this was a DEAD tomato. I mean DEAD DEAD. I ate it anyhow, but it was the WORST TOMATO I'VE EVER HAD.

I felt like going back in the place with a machine gun. They should be EXECUTED for selling such FILTH. There's nothing worse than dead vegetables. Can't stand this damn country.

[kristi7mark]

Very cool that you got a co-op going under those circumstances. That's the kind of effort it takes. When there's a problem, create a solution!

Thanks, Stina! This is pretty much the way I go at life! :)

[barose]

LabRat and Dream - I know what you mean know. I know people like that too. My reaction was to LRat's post about why raw people wouldn’t eat organic - and that there are some people here at RTF that do have a hard time affording raw food, conventional or organic. I though the attach was on them. My apologies.

jamesfarrell - What country are you in??

[jamesfarrell]

I'm in the USA :D Massachusetts.

I try to find farm stands that sell fresh veggies. They seem to not exist. I would not give the grocery stores a penny for any of the garbage they sell if there were some local farm stands.

It's like ordering a salad from a greek Pizza shop. Nothing against greeks, it's all of them. They have no concept of what a fresh vegetable is. I don't think 3/4 of the country does. :(

[barose]

Sounds like you need to come to California - or the west coast in general. We know produce. :D

[darkchild]

I buy 99% organic. There are a few times where I cave in and buy something that isn't or I am not sure about. I'm in the process of putting a greenhouse on my property so that I an have fresh veggies that I "know" are fresh and not sprayed with anything. I do have a garden and I do lots of foraging, so my grocery bill isn't very high right now. I don't know if eating organic has helped me lose weight faster, although I know that my liver has been throwing off lots of toxins from before I went raw. My face, around my mouth and chin, broke out in these really yucky little pimples that my naturopath says come from my liver unloading toxins. I'm sure it's from my body processing fat that was harboring all sorts of disgusting stuff. The fat does just seem to be melting away...so maybe it is from putting only healthy things in.

[jamesfarrell]

Wish I could, if I didn't have a daughter who didn't live with me, I'd be there in a heartbeat. You see, on the east coast, all people care about is stress, garbage food and work. If it weren't for those three things, there would be no east coast. I swear to God, nobody I know can tell the difference between those pink/orange piece of crap tomatos and a live bright red tomato that looks like it's got batteries in it.

[the_lab_rat]

jamesfarrell: I lived in MA for over 5 years :( I know exactly what you mean (although I've heard it has gotten better in terms of health food stores and organics...?) The stores that organic stuff were miles away from me, and even then, the produce had been imported from gosh-knows-where and was often dead by the time it got to the store. Especially in the winter.

barose: I wasn't attacking anyone. Just making a general comment that I don't understand most people's priorities. If I'd been talking specifically to someone here, I would've put their user name in bold and said "hey (insert name here), put down that big screen tv remote, cancel your manicure appointment, and go buy organic already!" :D But yeah, I do understand the money situation, I was a poor starving student for...too long LOL and am currently job hunting, so I know there are times when people don't even have enough money to live, let alone choose where they shop.


I was just thinking, when I used to only eat about 1/4 organic stuff, I had bad skin problems. When I switched to like 99% organic my skin improved so much--not completely (that didn't happen until I became vegan) but enough so that people noticed. I also started losing weight around that time. Can't say for sure it was due to organic food, but I do know if I eat something non-organic now it makes me feel sick, and I can definitely taste the difference.