Organically Speaking

Up until last year, "organic" to me was just a buzz word. Of course, I understood the principles of organic farming, and completely got the idea behind using products free of harmful pesticides, etc. But I still associated eating "organically" with vegans, hippies and wealthy eccentrics.

Then I had a baby, and everything changed. Early on I made a commitment to only give my daughter homemade, 100% organic baby food. Other mommies in my mommy group were doing it, so I figured it couldn't be that hard , albeit time consuming. Thus began my education into the world of organics. As it turns out, there's a whole world of organic products available to the average consumer - but more about that later.

I started out buying organic fruit and veg from both the local farmers market, as well as Trader Joe's and Henry's. The first thing I noticed was the significant price increase. Since I shop for a living, I have a pretty good handle on grocery item pricing, and I endured a bit of sticker shock when I began shopping organically. Upon researching this I discovered that the added costs are due largely to a bunch of bureaucratic red tape. It turns out that getting "USDA certified" as an organic producer is very expensive and time consuming. Farmers also require a lot more labor to farm organically since they're not just dumping a bunch of chemicals and fertilizer on their crops to do the work for them. Many farms who don't have the funds to go through the certification process but who still utilize organic farming practices label their produce "non-certified organic", or "naturally farmed". Often times these products are less expensive and every bit as wholesome, so I began looking for these bargains when possible. And don't get me wrong - the price increase on the whole was not so significant as to deter me from my course of action. For example, at Trader Joe's I can purchase a bag of Organic Bartlett Pears for 3.19, and they hang out right next to their friends the non-organic Bartlett Pears for 2.99. In this situation you ask yourself - is it worth it to spend .20 extra cents for a heaping helping of peace of mind.

You'll also begin to notice that organic produce just doesn't look like regular produce. There are a few reasons for that. BigAg farms use a lot of smoke and mirrors to make their produce look shiny and happy. They start of by genetically engineering fruits and vegetables that are made to withstand weather and long truck hauls in refrigerated cabins. Have you tasted a grocery store tomato lately? It may look pretty, but it tastes like a tennis ball. Next, they pump fertilizer and pesticides into the soil so the crops grow super fast without pesky interruption. By the time produce reaches the grocery store, studies have shown there may be up to 30 different chemicals that have come in contact with their root system - that get sucked up into the produce and coat the surfaces. Yummy. And finally, a lovely coating of wax helps non-organic produce look so darn shiny and beautiful. Meanwhile, next door in the organic section you see fruit and veg with natural blemishes, authentic shapes and coloring, smaller quantities, and often smaller sizes. Beets , for example are an interesting side by side comparison. Organic beets are the size of golf balls, while non-organic beets look like grapefruits - thanks to laboratory engineering and chemical fertilizers.

The differences really stack up when you begin to actually eat these items. Nutritionally, there's just no arguing that organic produce is on top. It's believed that organic food contains 50% more nutrients than non-organic food. Genetically modified food is bred for speed and durability, and not nutritive content. SO do the math - you actually have to eat more non-organic fruits and vegetables to get the daily required nutrition. That starts to bring the price difference into perspective. Then you have the pesticide issue, which is and should be the most alarming aspect of big agriculture. Since the US began farming with pesticides around the time of World War II, Americans have consumed an atrocious amount of chemicals in their fruits and veggies. Even if you scour and scrub them on the outside, these harmful chemicals have leached into the produce themselves, and become part of their DNA. There is ABSOLUTELY NO COINCIDENCE that since the introduction of these pesticides into our diets - our society is riddled with cancer, diabetes, autism and other developmental disorders. Before World War II we were not a diseased nation. Now we are the sickest group of people on the planet. It's pretty frightening. And it's simple to understand - what we put into our bodies is what we get out of them. So fill your body with unnatural chemicals and you get a sick, diseased body. Fill your body with wholesome, unadulterated nutrients and you get a healthy body.

Then there's the taste factor - a nice little benefit to eating organically is the incredible TASTE. As a chef, I'm obviously obsessed with flavor, and let me tell you how AMAZED I was at the superior taste, texture and mouth feel of organic food. It was kind of like a re-awakening of my palate, especially the fruit items. Holy cow.

And so began my love affair with organics. It started with fruit and vegetables, but soon spilled over into the arena of grains, dairy products, and meat. I found myself buying these items for myself and our customers whenever possible - after all, if I was committed to feeding my daughter a hormone and pesticide free diet, why wouldn't I extend myself the same courtesy? And here is the truly amazing by-product : I feel better. Seriously, I've noticed a difference. I just hope I didn't do too much damage eating all of that junk all those years.

I do want to mention that I am a realist by nature, and so I had to take baby steps to get to this point. I would say in all honestly that my diet is only still 40-50% organic. It's nearly impossible to be 100%, and I'm just not that "Granola", as they say. But making small changes in my diet has lead to other changes, and I feel good about that. I'm opting for natural cleaning products, for one. They work just as well and they aren't going to make me or my family sick. Plus I'm attempting to switch to beauty and baby products that are made with natural ingredients. It's a slow burn, and don't worry - I'm not going to be living in a tree anytime soon.

Anyway, I hope you will consider the benefits of incorporating organic products into your life even in small amounts. It's never too late to start. As we , the consumers, demand more and more organics in the market - the price will come down and the other farmers will be forced to re-asses their growing practices. Sounds like a win win to me.

For more information about Organics, visit these links:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255
http://www.mofga.org/tabid/166/Default.aspx
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/organic_health_062903.cfm
http://naturalbias.com/7-major-reasons-to-go-organic/