The Organic Mantra - Who buys Non-Organic

[dlt123]

First let me preface this with the following before I get banned from this board... :D

It seems that it is sometimes frowned upon if you don't use *ALL* Organic in your food preparations... you know, kind of an unspoken veggite rule of passage... AND for the record...


I know that Organic food tastes better and has more nutrients and doesn't contain pesticides or chemicals in it's production and is not genetically modified...

...But it costs so much more than conventional veggies and for a person with limited funds what is the general consensus concerning use of Non-Organic produce in a Raw diet?

In other words, how many will admit or say they use Non-Organic produce with their Raw diet?

Since I've received what I feel are *honest* answers to questions I've posed here, I expect I will get the same response from this question. :)

Like a lot of people, I am finding that Organic is *so* expensive and is usually in smaller bundled quantities as opposed to Non-Organic produce.

Am I really getting less nutrients or undermining my health potential by not using *ALL* Organic produce? I use Organic now, but I'm considering not buying Organic all the time.

What is your general belief and findings on this subject?

Thanks in advance for fielding this question,
Dennis

[RawRoch]

I will admit that I do not buy organic food merely for financial reasons. I make signficantly less money now that I have in the past 8 years so I have to pick my splurges. Right now my current splurge is my savings account for a new house :D. So until I can afford to purchase my produce organic without constantly checking my bank account I will purchase what I can afford. As a side note, I also do not buy any produce that is not on sale to help save more pennies.....for my palace. :)

Tamara

[IamLoved]

I buy what I can afford and don't beat myself up about things that I can not control.

[Amarynth]

As a single mom with three teenage kids, I have to purchase what I can afford. I will occasionally get something organic if there is a good price on it, but for the most part I purchase non-organic produce. :)

[DebB]

I'm sooo looking forward to my organic garden's bounty this year! *Ü*

[Green_Woman]

What I've Learned from 4 years of Raw Experimentation about Organic vs. Non-Organic:

NON-ORGANIC

Pesticide, Fungicide, Herbicide, Insecticide, GMO, Long Distance Traveled, Radiated, Fake Food (Conventional Tomatoes vs. Organic Tomatoes... NOT the same thing structurally or nutritionally, anymore!) = BAD

ORGANIC

Organic, ESPECIALLY Locally-Grown, Spray-Free, Sustainable Growing Practice, Environmentally Better (Organic Farmer work WITH Mother Nature, not AGAINST Her...)... and often organic food just TASTES better, too... = GOOD


More facts on Organic vs. Conventional (http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/09/organic_green.html)



How You Can Buy ORGANIC and Keep It Cheap

Find and Map Out your local FARMER'S MARKETS... depending on your area, you can have a Farmer's Market every day of the week, or at least on weekends. Why Farmer's Markets? Prices are often comparable or LESS than shopping at the Supermarket; Organic produce is affordable; Much of the food can be found LOCALLY-GROWN, which is not just better for your Body but also for your Community; You can befriend the Grower and verify the processes they use for growing their food!

Forage for Wild Edibles.... this one sounds weird, but is actually not difficult. Every city has a park or empty lot where wild edibles grow. Google MARKUS ROTHKRANZ... he has a DVD available educating rawbies on foraging.

Grow Your Own Food... if you have a city yard, grow a tin-can herb garden or grow greens in cinder blocks (http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/09/organic_green.html)! My garden is 4x6' in diameter and is OVERFLOWING with greens, herbs and veggies... it produces constantly and is VERY low maintenance.

[dlt123]

What I've Learned from 4 years of Raw Experimentation about Organic vs. Non-Organic:

NON-ORGANIC

...

ORGANIC

Grow Your Own Food... if you have a city yard, grow a tin-can herb garden or grow greens in cinder blocks! My garden is 4x6' in diameter and is OVERFLOWING with greens, herbs and veggies... it produces constantly and is VERY low maintenance.


Good info... Thanks.

On a side note for those who cannot grow their own gardens, this might be something you can look into...

My local church has allowed members to stake out a section of their community garden to grow their own gardens. I was lucky enough to get a plot.

I plan on growing all organic so I can cut my costs for veggies and am going to grow a ton, hopefully, of veggies. What I can't consume or freeze I will give away to others.

Also, I live near Portland Oregon, and I know that there are a lot of communities that have community gardens. You have to sign up for a plot and you are responsible to keep the weeds down and not steal from other plots.

Check with your local Community Services or Parks and Recreation Department for a list of where these Community Gardens might be found.

This might be a good way for some of you to grow your own garden this season, but be forewarned, others and kids will steal or vandal some plants.

Dennis

[Mad Mex]

NON-ORGANIC [...] = BAD

ORGANIC [...] = GOOD

Does it mean, for all us poor people that we just eat BAD stuff?

I would like to disagree. Yes GW, you are right, oragnic food is to prefer, but if you cannot afford it, you have to choose something else.

As much as I can I go to the organic-stores and ask for "garbage", the leafs of several vegetables, like turnip cabbage, beetroot and others, the people do not use and want. And I pick up wild herbs in the nature, like stinging nettles, bear's garlic and others. Everything to stay raw as possible.

And additionally, I do not believe, that the non-organic shops just sell pure poison. They also take care about the quality.

If it is produced loccally, in my case in Germany I'm not this afraid about non-organic products.

I try not to buy stuff from far far away, because I do not trust the controls in far far away countries. I sold technical stuff from a big asian country and the deliveryguy told me, that he can create ALL official seals.

So, after a lot of organic stuff comes from a big asian country I wouldn't be 100% sure that everything is this kosher like you want it.

Sorry to sound a bit harsh, but I felt a little diminished, especially, if I would like to buy perfect stuff, but cannot afford it this often.

Saludos,

Marcel :cool:

[somelikeitraw]

Great post GW!

I have also found at farmer's markets that some smaller farms grow using organic practices but have not gone through getting certified. They typically have decent prices.

I, myself, wonder about foraging on things grown in a city park. They don't tend to use organic methods on the non-wild things growing there and that would effect the wild things growing there. By all means, I would forage on a good hike though! Thanks for the tip!

That said, I eat organic unless I'm out at a SAD restaurant and then the produce usually isn't organic :(. Recently we went to an Islands restaurant (burgers and salads) but in the past when I have ordered a salad without all the meat and other gook they layer on it, they have charged me the same price! I just can't bring myself to pay it when I could get something so much better tasting and much better for me instead, so I just sat there and chatted while everyone else ate. I find that organic tastes WORLDS better than non-organic. Somewhere I read about a list of foods that are a high priority to eat organic. Strawberries was on the list. I think it's foods that really suck up the bad stuff more than others, although that doesn't really make sense to me as they all seem to. Still, I find myself loathe to spend $20.00 for an organic watermelon! The non-organic just don't taste good to me anymore though, so I wait until watermelon season when even the organic price is more reasonable and then I pig out. There's something to be said for eating with the seasons ;)

[somelikeitraw]

Mad Mex - I think you are right. Eating raw is better than SAD and eating organic is preferable, if possible. I think GW gives some great tips about eating organic in a less expensive way.

[Mad Mex]

Ï'm not condemning her, I do already most of the tips and more she gave.

What hit me, was the comment, that non-organic is BAD, like I said, preferable, but I do not follow rawfood as a rawfoodfanatic, I see the grey between the black and white.

If I do not do it with joy I cannot do it right, pressure in anyway ever cannot be right, so I see it easy.

Saludos,

Marcel :cool:

[somelikeitraw]

If I do not do it with joy I cannot do it right, pressure in anyway ever cannot be right, so I see it easy.

This is so right!!! Life is meant to be lived in joy!

[Green_Woman]

MadMex - It's difficult to find conventionally-grown food that has not been either slathered in toxic chemicals, or radiated (heated, therefore - NOT Raw)... however, as others above mentioned already: Conventional WHOLE FOOD is STILL preferable over a SAD diet! :D


if you cannot afford it, you have to choose something else.

Until recently, I agreed with this!

Now I say, if you can't "afford" the best for your Body, then you need to a) change your thinking about money because the Universe has a limitless supply to award the open mind and/or b) change your thinking about your HEALTH, because your HEALTH is more important than your Cable TV, car payment and shoes. :D

In other words, often, you can "find" the extra money in your budget to go to the Farmer's Market or start your own garden rather than indulging a chain story in the modern "conventional" food system. :)

I say this - and everything - without judgment, as I felt I "had" to buy conventional (cheap) "raw food" for a few years myself. It's only been VERY recently that a handful of raw friends have helped me find ways to eat TRULY living foods, in an affordable manner - and in one of the most expensive places to live in the USA (Southern California).

I'm passing on what I've learned - and I leave you and everyone who reads what I write to pick and choose what you want from what I say/do/write. :D


Sorry to sound a bit harsh, but I felt a little diminished

Something I've learned to embrace wholeheartedly, especially in reference to Me "versus" Others in Life.... "I am not responsible for Others' reaction to me - I am only responsible for my response to them!" Also, "Leave others to their Otherness, and focus on You."

[T-Bird]

Sorry folk - time to burst the myth here.

Organic does NOT mean what it used to mean. And you need to understand a little of the history behind the movement.

30-50 years ago-organic growing was a grass roots, hippy-farmer fantasy - according to the new ways of thinking at the time. And they waited for organic farmers to fail - because they couldn't compete with modern techniques.

But the organic folks did good, made a living, and then surprise - people wanted to buy their products - some - willing to pay a premium. Then things started turning....now it was profitable, maybe too profitable. Organic growing went through certification to prove their produce met the standard so they could charge the premium price to consumer.

But where money is made - big business follows. They lobby and have an effect on what is necessary for organic certification.

So now organic growing is big business, but the standard is diluted - and it's being done for pure profit - not for the love of it. So these money growers only do the bare minimum to maintain certification.

Big Agribusiness is working to further lower standards for organic certification. So they can be certified, charge the premium, and do very little differently from standard crops.....

Meanwhile - Getting certified takes time and money, many of the small careful farmers who do this from the heart - can't afford and don't bother with certification. These farmers sell first to folks they know and who know them. No certification needed, and their practices are superior to many larger farms who carry certification.

Some of their high quiality produce might be available to you , while you pass it up for something certified and inferior.

Get to know where your food comes from! Ask your grocers!! Contact the farms. Research this.

Organic certification isn't a litmus test anymore. It's unfortunate, but where there's money - there's crookery.

[Green_Woman]

T-Bird's comments + my previous statement "Organic, ESPECIALLY Locally-Grown" = GOOD


;)

It's why I buy 75% of my produce from Farmer's Markets and grow what I can... because even "Organic" ain't fool proof.

If you REALLY want to get into the "history of the movement", read IN DEFENSE OF FOOD by Michael Pollan... it's a wee bit shocking (to some) just how RECENTLY we've even had a distinction between Organic/Conventional... Conventional, chemical-slathered and Genetically-modified food is a new invention. Organic, true organic, is old as dirt... my generation, especially, seems to have forgotten there was ever anything before 1990. :D

[lovenlife]

Here is some food for thought put out by our very own Denise.

Sometimes we can be so right about something, we are dead right. Always good to be open in most of life i guess. Taken from her blog here http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/04/30/the-lowdown-on-organic-foo/#more-175


Check out these misconceptions.

Myth 1. Buying organic means you’re supporting small farms, family-owned businesses, your next-door neighbor Hank who grows chemical-free cucumbers, and all those other nice people who battle big, evil, pesticide-spraying corporations.

If only this were true! The reality is that most producers of organic food also crank out billions of dollars worth of conventional items. Rather than caring tenderly for the earth and its inhabitants, some of these companies simply realized that they can make a prettier penny cashing in on the organics niche, selling less product for a higher cost. Take Cascadian Farm, for example—maker of the organic frozen fruit you’ve probably seen lining the shelves of your grocer’s freezer. Far from a quaint family-run farm, Cascadian Farm is owned by General Mills. Yep, that’s right: the same mega-corp that makes fruit roll-ups, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Gushers candy, Lucky Charms, Hamburger Helper, and a laundry list of other foods that don’t belong near anyone’s lips.


Cascadian Farm organic blueberries... brought to you by the makers of the Pillsbury Dough Boy
Bottom line: unless you’re getting your organic food straight from a farm or at a farmers’ market, chances are you’re still padding the pockets of those giant unsavory companies.

Myth 2. Organic food doesn’t contain any harmful or toxic substances.

Unfortunately, this is not only a common myth, but a potentially dangerous one because it implies organic food is safe to eat without washing. How far from the truth this is! Organic does not mean “pesticide free” or “chemical free.” Organic growers do shun synthetic chemicals, but many make liberal use of organic fungicides and pesticides—often at much higher concentrations than conventional growers use, since organic pesticides are generally less effective than synthetic ones. Organic produce can carry residues of nicotine (used as an insecticide), pyrethrum (“a likely human carcinogen,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency), rotenone (a potent carcinogen)… the list goes on. About half of the most common organic pesticides used have cancer-causing properties, according to Bruce Ames (inventor of the famous Ames toxicology test), and the ones that don’t are frequently harmful or lethal to birds, fish, and small mammals.

Myth 3. All conventional produce has pesticide residue when you eat it.

Thanks to the wonders of technology, this is no longer the case. Some modern synthetic pesticides (known as “non-persistent pesticides”) have such a rapid break-down rate that by the time they leave the farm, they’re no longer detectable on the fruits and vegetables they originally coated. Depending on where your food is sourced, conventional produce may have even less pesticide residue than organically-grown varieties.

Why does everyone say organic food isn’t as toxic as conventional?

For many years, it was simply assumed that organic, botanically-derived pesticides wouldn’t cause any harm to the human body—the whole “natural is healthy” mantra. In fact, organic pesticides weren’t even the subject of toxicology studies until fairly recently; only synthetic pesticides were examined for their damaging and carcinogenic effects. Once the research spotlight fell on organic chemicals, their own dangers became apparent—but due to pervading myths and pressure from the highly lucrative organic niche, this information hasn’t received the attention it deserves.

In other words…

Don’t freak out if you can’t afford a completely organic diet. Although organic foods do seem to taste better much of the time and are often grown in better soils (which is the reason for the better taste), you aren’t dooming yourself to a toxic overload if you eat some—or even entirely—conventionally grown food. And when it comes to nutritional content of your fruits and veggies, organic-versus-conventional matters less than freshness—the total transit time from the tree or bush to your dinner plate. Spinach, for instance, loses half of its folate within a week of being picked. Yikes, right?

Bye-bye, toxins

Whether your purchases are organic or conventional, you can remove some lingering pesticide residue with a homemade or store-bought produce wash. Try spritzing your fruits and veggies with a mixture of 90% water and 10% food-grade hydrogen peroxide, then scrub those puppies clean with a sponge or vegetable scrubber. Alternatively, you can use a spray made from a mixture of water (1 cup), baking soda (2 tablespoons), vinegar (1 cup), and grapefruit seed extract (20 drops)—or even double the recipe, pour it into a pot, and let your food sit in it for a few minutes before washing it off thoroughly with warm water. If you can find a chemical-free fruit and veggie wash containing grapefruit seed extract at the store, that can do the job as well.

Be aware, though, that as soon as you wash any produce in this manner, it won’t store for very long before going bad—so wait until you’re ready to eat your fruits and veggies before giving them the de-pesticiding treatment.

What’s safest to eat?

Some foods generally require less pesticides and fungicides than others, whether grown conventionally or organically, simply because pests don’t attack them much. The absolute safest raw foods to eat, in terms of low pesticide residue, are…

(Drum roll please)

Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Corn (fresh/raw)
Kiwi
Mangoes
Onions
Papaya
Pineapple
Sweet peas
Sweet potatoes
Watermelon
Some other not-so-bad choices include:

Cauliflower
Grapefruit
Honeydew melons
Plums
Raspberries
Tangerines
Tomatoes
And on the flip side, the most pesticide-laden raw foods include:

Apples
Bell peppers
Carrots
Celery
Cherries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Strawberries
Note: you don’t need to completely give up the foods on the last list (I’m definitely never bidding farewell to my beloved strawberries), but it’d be wise not to center your diet on them—unless you have a source of truly pesticide-free varieties.

Additional tips

Get to know your source. If you shop at a co-ops or farmers’ market, you’ll be able to track down specific farms fairly easily—meaning you can contact your food source directly and inquire about their pesticide and fungicide use.

Grow your own and forage. Whenever possible, take your food production into your own hands: pick wild edibles, grow herbs or greens on your windowsill, plant strawberries in your garden—whatever your climate and living situation allows.

A 100% chemical-free diet might not always be practical or possible, but with proper planning

[lovenlife]

I personally was blown away by the fact that General Mills sells Cascadian Farms Organics...makers of the dough boy!

Just like when Clorox bought Burts Bees.

[Green_Woman]

Myth 1. Buying organic means you’re supporting small farms, family-owned businesses, your next-door neighbor Hank who grows chemical-free cucumbers, and all those other nice people who battle big, evil, pesticide-spraying corporations.

It's only a misconception if you embrace it.

I tend to only think the food is coming from Hank next door, if I've met Hank at the local market, shook his hand, and seen his grubby fingernails. ;)

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

It depends on the time of the year really. During the winter it's hard to get organic high quality produce around here.

Right now I'm living mostly off wild greens and imported organic fruit, and some non organic veggies. But in the summer and autumn I probably eat close to 100% organic, with a high percentage of wild, home grown and locally grown.

[Conscious Midwife]

I've been to a few Organic Growers Association meetings plus done a little rewserch and from what I gathered:

There aren't enough inspectors to go around to keep all growers honest

Imports are what they and their maybe fair trade issues that override our need for organic

Many growers still fertilize with animal byproducts and use other non vegan inputs in the soil which could pose a dilemma for ethical vegans

Farming practices for pest and weed control may not always be kosher

[xPIXIEx]

Hardly ever do I buy organic. Why?

Bananas: .39/lb conventional & .99/lb organic
Collard Greens: Around 2.89 for a big bunch of conventional & for an organic bunch that is MAYBE 1/3 of the conventional bunch-same price!
Cauliflower: Less than $2 for conventional head & right at $5 for organic
Avocados: .69 each for conventional & 1.50 for organic (that's the SALE price)
Tomatoes: I can get conventional for a little over $1-$1.99 lb & the sale price for organic tomatoes this week is $3.48 lb.


That's just a few things that are on my regular grocery list. There is quite a big difference in the prices. A very undeniable difference. Some people struggle to purchase conventional produce. Grabbing organic instead is going to be impossible. My husband makes decent money, so we don't struggle buying all the raw food that we buy, but we are definitely spending quite a bit more than before. If we were to buy organic, we'd either be spending double (or more) the amount of money or getting half the amount of groceries. Ha, neither is going to happen. And I'm not going to stress about it. Conventional produce may be "bad" for you, but so is stress. So, I'll buy what I can buy and do what I can. If it was so bad, I don't think my husband and I would feel as great as we do. Sure, organic is better, but conventional is better than nothing.

Some may have "wiggle room" in their budget. Some may not. Giving up a vehicle can be feasible in some areas. Others, not so much. It is what it is and you do what you can do. :)

[Green_Woman]

Sure, organic is better, but conventional is better than nothing [raw].

Precisely what Alissa says...

[Ekin]

You know for some people like me it's about being able to find organic produce! I live in Turkey for 5 months and in the UK for 7 months. In the UK it is not a problem at all, although I'm a student and on a tight budget, I buy organic as much as I can. But here, in my city it's so hard to find organic and even when I find it, it's usually not fresh. So I convinced my parents to grow our own fruits and vegetables and we'll be doing that this summer hopefully.

Of course I feel better when I'm eating organic but I'm not beating myself when I can't, instead I give good energies to my food.

[Evie]

Organic is the best way to go for health purposes. But, I also have four teenage sons who eat ALOT. I have tried just the organic eating...but there is to much month at the end of the money. I have tried farmer's markets. But, the farmers markets in my area are just as if not more expensive than the stores. It is a challenge....this I understand. What I find sad.... all of the food and services which are good for us...are unattainable for everyone. It is a challenge get beyond using conventional foods and doctors. The best is worth more, but unattainable for everyone.

[klomasius]

Like most things in nature, it's grey rather than black and white.

Some is better than none, most is better than some and all is better than most...


But at what point does someone's 'non organic' diet become 'bad'?

I eat around 75-80% organic, I have a local wholefoods, a great organic section in a market I can easily access and a great farmers market that I can buy stuff at whilst looking down at the garden where much of it is grown.

I AM LUCKY!

I have NEVER forgotten what it was like to be a poor student, to worry about HOW MUCH food I can buy to sustain me rather than if it's organic or not.

I am constantly aware that people I talk to, from all around the world are in so many different situations, some that make getting or growing organic produce difficult or sometimes virtually impossible for so many reasons.

Conventional fresh produce does not = BAD. It just equals a lesser quality (in many cases) produce, BUT... it's all relative!

Fresh, raw conventional or SAD cooked? I can tell you now which one is orders of magnitude better than the other!

So anyone who cannot afford to buy or does not have access to organic produce or means to grow their own, don't take the crap that others throw at you!

With all things, point yourself in the right direction down the path you want to head and start walking (as slowly or as quickly as YOU CAN) in the right direction. You will get to your destination eventually.

There are so many ways to cheaply and easily introduce organic food into your diet, but I for one will NEVER put you down for not buying or growing it!

[somelikeitraw]

There are so many ways to cheaply and easily introduce organic food into your diet, but I for one will NEVER put you down for not buying or growing it!
I don't think anyone meant to put anyone else down. I know I didn't mean to. We all do what we can with what we have. Some of us are luckier to live in areas that better support this lifestyle.

[klomasius]

Nah it's all good, not directed at anyone in particular.

I've just seen on this and other boards a distinct lack of understanding of different life positions and a lack of empathy in regard to this subject over and over again, and it bugs me.

We need to cultivate an understanding of the different points on the path that others might be at, and what their life situations might be. It's a basic human skill we could all develop more.

[DopeRawAbundance]

What I've Learned from 4 years of Raw Experimentation about Organic vs. Non-Organic:

NON-ORGANIC

Pesticide, Fungicide, Herbicide, Insecticide, GMO, Long Distance Traveled, Radiated, Fake Food (Conventional Tomatoes vs. Organic Tomatoes... NOT the same thing structurally or nutritionally, anymore!) = BAD

ORGANIC

Organic, ESPECIALLY Locally-Grown, Spray-Free, Sustainable Growing Practice, Environmentally Better (Organic Farmer work WITH Mother Nature, not AGAINST Her...)... and often organic food just TASTES better, too... = GOOD


More facts on Organic vs. Conventional (http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/09/organic_green.html)



How You Can Buy ORGANIC and Keep It Cheap

Find and Map Out your local FARMER'S MARKETS... depending on your area, you can have a Farmer's Market every day of the week, or at least on weekends. Why Farmer's Markets? Prices are often comparable or LESS than shopping at the Supermarket; Organic produce is affordable; Much of the food can be found LOCALLY-GROWN, which is not just better for your Body but also for your Community; You can befriend the Grower and verify the processes they use for growing their food!

Forage for Wild Edibles.... this one sounds weird, but is actually not difficult. Every city has a park or empty lot where wild edibles grow. Google MARKUS ROTHKRANZ... he has a DVD available educating rawbies on foraging.

Grow Your Own Food... if you have a city yard, grow a tin-can herb garden or grow greens in cinder blocks (http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/09/organic_green.html)! My garden is 4x6' in diameter and is OVERFLOWING with greens, herbs and veggies... it produces constantly and is VERY low maintenance.
Just wanted to quote this post because I wholeheartedly agree with it. As you pointed out, local organic is not only the best way to go, its how food should be. It shouldn't be the minority.

It goes some'n like this:

Wild Food > Homegrown Food > Locally Grown Food > Storebought Organic Food > Food treated with poisons (the majority unfortunately) > Frankenfood (GMOs)

As David Wolfe put it, the solution to many of the problems we face in the world today: grow your own food!

[somelikeitraw]

We need to cultivate an understanding of the different points on the path that others might be at, and what their life situations might be. It's a basic human skill we could all develop more.

I could not agree more! :D

[somelikeitraw]

Frankenfood (GMOs)

ROFLOL! Too funny, but yet sad at the same time.

[dlt123]

We need to cultivate an understanding of the different points on the path that others might be at, and what their life situations might be. It's a basic human skill we could all develop more.


I could not agree more! :D


+2

I agree somelikeitraw and klomasius,

Dennis

[dlt123]

We need to cultivate an understanding of the different points on the path that others might be at, and what their life situations might be. It's a basic human skill we could all develop more.

Precisely what Alissa says...

+2

Dennis

[Green_Woman]

I was actually quoting the following as what Alissa says:


[O]rganic is better, but conventional is better than nothing [raw].

:)

[Eva]

Today I'm working on my CSA membership application for the local farm - found out they even take 3 installments on request - and in the end - I will end up with (uncertified yet) organic, super fresh, locally grown produce for 24 weeks.

Not bad!

I've read you can often end up paying HALF the cost with a CSA than the store just because you gave them the advance support.

I'm pretty stoked about it. Saving money is kind of a big deal. It ain't exactly cheap living on Martha's Vineyard - try $2.50 for non-organic avocados some stores. It's crazy. Although - last week they were on sale for 88 cents and you better believe I took them up on the sale even though the avocados were not organic!

We all make choices, bite by bite, and it's all good. Organic is often better, local is almost always better, but in the end, I feel deeply that raw food is good food!

[Eva]

Wild Food > Homegrown Food > Locally Grown Food > Storebought Organic Food > Food treated with poisons (the majority unfortunately) > Frankenfood (GMOs)



This is GREAT, by the way!

[RawKnitster]

Much as I'd like to be all organic, it simply isn't possible. Compromises must be made. I'm not paying $4.50 for an organic red pepper when a conventionally grown red pepper costs $1.50. The compromise is I buy the nonorganic and don't eat peppers as often as I would like to. Same with other "dirtier" produce like celery and strawberries.

Some foods don't matter as much if they are not organic. If it has a thick peel, like bananas, oranges, avocados, etc., it really doesn't need to be organic.

The two areas I won't compromise are grapes and greens. The grapes I can do without. The greens, I'm willing pay double or more for organic, and drive 5 miles to a good organic grocery to get it. (Farmer's Markets are only open 3 months a year here.) Organic produce at most regular grocery stores is old and rather pathetic looking. If it is old, it has already lost so many nutrients that eating the fresher non-organic produce would be better.

T-bird is right. Organic doesn't mean what it used to. As I understand it, produce can still be organic even if using chemicals as long as certain rules are followed like, not to often and not so many days before harvest. Organic dates are dusted with sulphur, just like non-organic dates.

A person could go crazy worrying about it. Doing the best we can is all that matters.

[Rawzula]

I buy mostly non-organic, because it's cheaper.

I would love to buy 100% organic, but my budget simply won't allow for it

For now, I am content with eating mostly non-organic.