Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 9:40:14 GMT -5
Do you spend the extra money and buy organic things (food, personal care items)?
I am starting to prefer organic more and more, but wondering if it is worth it.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,622
|
Post by swamp on May 5, 2016 9:43:49 GMT -5
No. I think it's a racket.
|
|
NomoreDramaQ1015
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:26:32 GMT -5
Posts: 48,103
|
Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 5, 2016 9:47:00 GMT -5
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 9:47:30 GMT -5
I'm in the "it's a racket" group too, so no. I don't.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 9:49:46 GMT -5
I live next to a farm that is certified organic. I've had many a beer with that neighbor around the bonfire and even he thinks it's a joke. They pesticides they can use are from a limited list, but he says he has to use them way more often to get half the produce, but he doesn't care because he can charge 4X as much for the veggies.
|
|
Wisconsin Beth
Distinguished Associate
No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 11:59:36 GMT -5
Posts: 30,626
|
organic
May 5, 2016 9:51:23 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Wisconsin Beth on May 5, 2016 9:51:23 GMT -5
My dh does. I go along with it.
It's funny because 10 years ago he was very much in the "it's a scam" and it was a rather abrupt switch around 6 years ago.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 9:53:11 GMT -5
Interesting. The organic food store that is 60 miles away does have awesome produce.
|
|
Opti
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 10:45:38 GMT -5
Posts: 42,246
Location: New Jersey
Mini-Profile Name Color: c28523
Mini-Profile Text Color: 990033
|
Post by Opti on May 5, 2016 10:00:05 GMT -5
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 10:01:21 GMT -5
Not true about potatoes at all... they are one of the most highly sprayed crops out there.
|
|
gregintenn
Senior Member
Resident hillbilly
Joined: Dec 28, 2015 17:07:59 GMT -5
Posts: 2,840
|
organic
May 5, 2016 10:03:25 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by gregintenn on May 5, 2016 10:03:25 GMT -5
It's a scam.
|
|
Opti
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 10:45:38 GMT -5
Posts: 42,246
Location: New Jersey
Mini-Profile Name Color: c28523
Mini-Profile Text Color: 990033
|
organic
May 5, 2016 10:03:34 GMT -5
Post by Opti on May 5, 2016 10:03:34 GMT -5
Not true about potatoes at all... they are one of the most highly sprayed crops out there. I sit corrected. Like I said, I've changed my preferences based on those lists. I buy conventional onions and look for the most reasonably priced organic potatoes.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
organic
May 5, 2016 10:06:07 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 10:06:07 GMT -5
Sorry if i came on strong, lol Potatoes give me the heebie jeebies. Have you read the Omnivore's dilemma? There is a part where Michael Pollen actually begins to questions wehther GMOs might be preferrable if it meant less spray on potatoes. Of course if we didn't insist on such monocultures it might not be a problem... Correction... that's actually in Botany of Desire not Omnivore's Dillmma... I love Michael Pollen
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,494
|
Post by Tiny on May 5, 2016 10:27:32 GMT -5
I think the "organic" stuff at the grocery is a bunch of whoo-ey (yeah, it might have been grown under good conditions but the food grow was still selected based on how well it lasts thru all the mechanical processing -- it was still sent to a giant processing plant and had to travel and might be days to weeks old before I get it.) I do not specifically seek out 'organic' veggies or fruit.
That said... I did join a local CSA (which is certified organic) because - well, the veggies actually have flavor! and they are more or less "local" it's pricey but I learned how to use (right away or freeze) every bit of stuff that comes in the box.
I now know the difference between actual "fresh" produce (harvested within the last 3 days) and "fresh from the grocery store!" produce.
It's amazing how "perfect" and "uniform" and sometimes "Ginormous" the veggies at the grocery are - even the organic stuff at Whole Foods -- it's creepy. Bigger is NOT always better when it comes to veggies/greens... no wonder no one likes veggies... the stuff at the local grocery isn't very good (tough, oversized greens, or veggies that are dried out - because they were harvested weeks before hand...)
The thing with produce beyond just something being "organic" is what variety is grown... most veggies produced need to be able to withstand mechanical harvesting, and then mechanical processing, and then survive for days (or weeks) in cold storage BEFORE they even get to the consumer's grocery cart.
I realize we can't all live in 'farm country' - I live in a place were you need to drive nearly 2 hours (on highways) before you are out of the "concrete jungle" or "Forts" (a Fort is what the outer rings of suburbia look like - roads running thru subdivisions that are enclosed by miles of wooden privacy fences OR by densely covered berms (evergreens, trees and shrubs).
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 10:31:19 GMT -5
If i can get the dirty dozen organic and local, i do that. If not, i go organic before local because i know that they had to abide by certain rules to get that label. If its not dirty dozen, i'll go local before organic.
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,494
|
organic
May 5, 2016 10:35:48 GMT -5
Post by Tiny on May 5, 2016 10:35:48 GMT -5
FWIW: I don't always have the time at the grocery store to 'research' what the "organic" blurb on the produce (or packaged good) actually means as pertains to that particular product. I'd hate to pay more for something I thought I was getting when I wasn't getting it.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Oct 13, 2024 23:25:18 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
organic
May 5, 2016 10:47:10 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on May 5, 2016 10:47:10 GMT -5
Organic labling is pretty consistent in what it means across the board. www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/labeling. Oh, that reminds me, i also buy things that are often gmo, like zuchinni, organic even if they don't make the dirty dozen list, because i know, being organic, they can't be gmo. Here is the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 list if you've never seen it. Its a good guide of where to start, IF you want to. No pressure www.ewg.org/foodnews/
|
|
chiver78
Administrator
Current Events Admin
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 13:04:45 GMT -5
Posts: 39,504
|
Post by chiver78 on May 5, 2016 10:53:12 GMT -5
If i can get the dirty dozen organic and local, i do that. If not, i go organic before local because i know that they had to abide by certain rules to get that label. If its not dirty dozen, i'll go local before organic. ^this is pretty much what I try to do.
|
|
Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,494
|
organic
May 5, 2016 11:01:04 GMT -5
Post by Tiny on May 5, 2016 11:01:04 GMT -5
Here's an interesting article: finance.yahoo.com/news/food-revolution-minting-millionaires-141245502.htmlThe thing about 'American consumerism' is that we've grown to expect consistency - every Name Brand store should look like, feel like, sell the same stuff - no matter where it is in the country. We're also use to having exactly what we want when we want it... so perfectly sweet ripe strawberries in the middle of winter... Are consumers willing to eat seasonally? or regionally? Do grocery stores really need to display EVERY type of veggie under the sun year round? Will consumers be Ok with "What do you mean the store isn't going to stock Bok Choy!!! OMG! I'll starve!!! The world is going end! My lifestyle will be diminished!!! Yeah, Ok, to date I have never bought Bok Choy (and I'm not sure what it is)... but I MIGHT want it!!!!)" FYI: I know what Bok Choy is (it's wonderfully crisp and tasty from my Farm Box) ...
|
|
|
Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on May 5, 2016 11:20:29 GMT -5
We had a CSA box a couple of summers ago. While I really liked the produce that we got in it, the problem was that most of it needed to be either eaten or processed in 2 days. I think that the only items we were able to keep around longer were beets and carrots (which is lucky as we got a LOT of these).
For 2 people, what we received was about a week's worth of food. But getting through spinach, kale, salad greens and the other stuff (we got a LOT of greens which went bad in less than 2 days) was damn near impossible.
The veggies did taste better, but it was at the expense of their longevity. I suspect that this reason alone is the main one that they taste better. Veggie strains are planted according to what has the best flavor, not necessarily what lasts the longest. So when you compare those products of a CSA - that are likely picked the day before distributed - vs a supermarket, you are comparing apples and oranges. They have different goals in mind.
I wish that there was a balance, but I'm not sure what it is. I don't have the time to shop daily for food, most don't. I'd also like to be able to eat fresh food, so there is definitely a compromise.
|
|
milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
|
Post by milee on May 5, 2016 11:37:36 GMT -5
I do a mix, depending on how much of a food we eat and where it falls on the Dirty Dozen list.
Here are some examples at either extreme: Youngest son eats at least one apple a day, sometimes two. Apples usually rank high on the Dirty Dozen list. So I buy organic apples. Even though we don't eat them every day, we eat a fair amount of leafy greens (spinach, kale) that have a lot of surface area to collect pesticide plus can be tricky to 100% wash, so I get organic leafy greens.
We don't eat squash very often and it's not usually on the Dirty Dozen list. So I buy the freshest squash I can find and don't worry about organic.
I think organic "junk food" like cookies, potato chips, soda and things like that are just plain silly. But we don't eat much of that so they would also fall into the category of things I wouldn't worry about buying organic.
Some of this is influenced by growing up around farms in the 70s and remembering how incredibly concentrated and toxic the pesticides and fertilizers were. Heck, even on the local golf courses, they'd fertilize or pest treat the grass a couple of times a month and each time they did, they'd have to go around and collect all the dead birds, rabbits and whatever else was unlucky enough to be around when the treatment happened. Around here two of the more prevalent crops are celery and strawberries. I still can barely eat celery because I associate it with a chemical smell that was so strong your eyes would water just driving past. The strawberry tending was done by mostly illegal migrant labor and for years nobody connected the dots on why so many illegal migrant women were having babies with awful birth defects. Now that they have made the connection, they are more careful. But that means you drive by the strawberry fields and the people spraying look like they are wearing hazmat suits. It's tough to reconcile the idea that it's perfectly harmless to eat something that has to be applied by a person in a hazmat suit.
|
|
swamp
Community Leader
THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 16:03:22 GMT -5
Posts: 45,622
|
Post by swamp on May 5, 2016 11:39:48 GMT -5
We have a garden. We grow organic. We don't treat the veggies because it's so small we don't need to. I still think it's a racket.
|
|
resolution
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 13:09:56 GMT -5
Posts: 7,247
Mini-Profile Name Color: 305b2b
|
organic
May 5, 2016 11:51:34 GMT -5
Post by resolution on May 5, 2016 11:51:34 GMT -5
I buy organic when I can, but a lot of time the organic in our local grocer is already rotting on the shelf, so if I bought it would just throw it out the next day. I have been too lazy to sign up for a csa and drive a couple towns over to pick things up.
|
|
MJ2.0
Senior Associate
Joined: Jul 24, 2014 10:27:09 GMT -5
Posts: 11,049
|
Post by MJ2.0 on May 5, 2016 12:10:39 GMT -5
I'm on a tight budget, so it's whatever's on sale/the cheapest at the grocery store or farmers market. I'll worry about organic foods when I can afford to.
|
|
milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
|
organic
May 5, 2016 12:13:23 GMT -5
Post by milee on May 5, 2016 12:13:23 GMT -5
"I think this is an interesting era in food - we are playing around with a lot of things and the effects are unknown."
Agree. It's nice to have more options and also more info... although sometimes I think we have many more questions than answers.
At the risk of lighting a huge bonfire, although I tend to like and support ideas of using less pesticide and certain fertilizers, I'm neutral on the GMO thing. IMHO people react in a very visceral, blanket fashion to the idea of GMO; I think there are going to be some GMOs that are incredibly helpful and others that will be harmful and it's something to be open minded about rather than dismissing it out of hand.
That last paragraph isn't a reply to Anne81 or implying she's said anything at all about GMOs. It's just a topic I think about since it often comes up in conjunction with organic foods and people tend to fall in certain fault lines - people who support organic think GMOs are frankenfoods that will destroy the planet if we don't stop the evil now vs. people who think organic is hooey and think GMOs are a positive development that can help us solve our problems. I don't really fall squarely into either camp.
|
|
justme
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 10, 2012 13:12:47 GMT -5
Posts: 14,618
|
Post by justme on May 5, 2016 12:14:47 GMT -5
I buy organic but not everything organic.
I buy potatoes organic cuz a 3 lb bag costs the same as a 5 lb bag and living solo I rarely make it through 3 before it goes bad.
I often buy my lettuce organic, but that's cuz it's less than a dollar more and often looks way better then conventional.
I bought organic heavy cream the other day because it was only thirty cents more and figured why not.
I prefer grass fed beef because I think it tastes way better, it's usually organic.
I usually buy organic eggs because their yolks are brighter and I think they taste better. Cage free eggs are cheaper and often the same upside as organic but some cage free aren't better than regular so I usually stick with organic then play roulette.
I buy some beauty products that are organic or have organic ingredients. But I do that because they tend to have less ingredients and less chemical ingredients and that's better for my sensitive skin.
|
|
ArchietheDragon
Junior Associate
Joined: Jul 7, 2014 14:29:23 GMT -5
Posts: 6,380
|
Post by ArchietheDragon on May 5, 2016 12:20:59 GMT -5
I buy things like organic corn chips, which is just ridiculous and meaningless.
I tend not to buy organic produce. I am strictly in the camp of it I can't see it, it can't hurt me.
|
|
jeep108
Well-Known Member
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 20:20:19 GMT -5
Posts: 1,056
|
organic
May 5, 2016 12:24:26 GMT -5
Post by jeep108 on May 5, 2016 12:24:26 GMT -5
If I'm at Costco I will get organic produce. If it's on sale at the grocery store I will buy it. But I don't go out of my way to buy it.
|
|
gregintenn
Senior Member
Resident hillbilly
Joined: Dec 28, 2015 17:07:59 GMT -5
Posts: 2,840
|
organic
May 5, 2016 12:27:11 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by gregintenn on May 5, 2016 12:27:11 GMT -5
How do you tell if a vegetable is orgasmic?
|
|
ArchietheDragon
Junior Associate
Joined: Jul 7, 2014 14:29:23 GMT -5
Posts: 6,380
|
Post by ArchietheDragon on May 5, 2016 12:28:11 GMT -5
How do you tell if a vegetable is orgasmic? If it comes when you call it?
|
|
milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
|
Post by milee on May 5, 2016 12:33:43 GMT -5
I think about GMO's a lot too and think there's not enough information to make a good evaluation so we are staying away from them. Anecdotally we went to England a few year ago where GMO foods are much less prevalent and DH was healthier and able to eat at restaurants. There's a journal article that essentially says there is no scientific consensus on GMO's because it's a large and varied category, long term studies haven't been conducted, researchers are hampered by lack of access to proprietary information, and even tracking the foods they are in is difficult. My sense of it is that like in most things there is a trade off. GMO's and large scale farming have made food much more affordable for millions of people. Some nutrition, even with drawbacks, is better than none. Organic farming is probably not going to feed the billions of people on the planet efficiently though it may be more sustainable for the soil long term. This is a map of how much people in countries spend on food as a percentage of income. In the US spending on food fell about half as a percentage of income from the 1960's. Agreed. For me, the most interesting potentials for GMOs are to increase the healthy composition of certain foods and also to decrease the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that are used. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is growing... decreasing the fertilizer runoff throughout the Midwest and South is key for our continued ocean health down here.
|
|