Weigh the difference: Organic certified or local?

While I consider myself relatively health conscious, I am not particularly impressed with the concept of ORGANIC. It doesn't meet my standards of what's considered Kosher. Within the science of so-called organic farming there is great leeway for variation. My personal brand of organic growing for my backyard crops is to use filtered water and add only homemade compost that has been treated by my worms. Others might argue.

To answer your question... I choose neither and both. Sometimes I go to our local farmers market (2x per month), but more often than not I buy what is on sale at our local discount supermarket. At this time in life, cash is king.

 

Faced with the choice I'd have to say organic. What most people are saying about local being more sustainable I completely agree with. Don't get me wrong, I think that we need to do everything we possible can to help our poor mother earth.
However when I look at my own habits I feel I am doing everything I can (not including food) to help out. So if I was given this choice, I'd go organic. Simply because my body is my divine temple and I want nothing but the freshest organic foods in my system.
But like I said before i'd never have to make that choice because of my wonderful coop.

good luck annie! hope to be working with you soon...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_food

 

There's organic and then there's organic. I have a neighbor that sells what he calls organic vegetables, but if you look around his garden he uses Sevin Dust like he thinks it's safe to sprinkle on his oatmeal every morning.

 

In one of my environmental studies classes we had a handout that indicated which fruits and veggies are less likely to carry the pollutants or pesticides in them. I searched everywhere for it, but cannot find it, so I'll just tell you the basics of it. Anything with a skin you do not eat is less likely to carry pollutants or herbicides/pesticides. These include: Oranges, cucumbers, bananas, zucchini, squash. Anything with a skin that is eaten or without a skin, will carry these pollutants.

 

It is my understanding that greens are the most likely to have AG cemical or pollutants present, so add those to the skinless and eaten skin list.

 

Check this page out
http://eartheasy.com/eat_pesticides_produce.htm

Have a wander through the Eartheasy site. It is based in Canada so it is primarily relavent to North America, but can be useful to people in other countries. Greg does try -time permiting- to answer emails.He also puts ourt a newsletter.