Organic??

[FarmerChick]

anyone buy organic items to supp their food?

I know we all grow veggies, raise critters etc but wondering who buys organic items on top of that?

 

[Wifezilla]

Sometimes. The organic label has been co opted by big business on a lot of levels. Local where you know the practices of the farmer is best. The one thing organic does tell is whether or not GMO corn or soy is involved. Other than that, the organic label means less and less every year.

 

[JRmom]

Can't afford the "label".

 

[Wifezilla]

Well, that too

 

[Wannabefree]

I do, when we can. Mainly small things like herbs and spices, a few veggies we don't grow, whole grains, and whatever else we for whatever reason do not produce ourselves.

 

[~gd]

anyone buy organic items to supp their food?

I know we all grow veggies, raise critters etc but wondering who buys organic items on top of that?

Not me! know why?In August 2008 the NOP announced that 15 of 30 federally accredited organic certifiers had been placed on probation for various violations of USDA organic standards.

I'll buy Local but won't pay more for organic, I don't like the odds above.

 

[calendula]

The organic section in our store is very small, costs twice as much, and the produce is usually getting moldy or sprouting something. There just isn't a big enough of a demand in my area for organic foods. Sometimes, if there are things on sale I'll buy organic. I also try to shop at the Farmer's Market when I can, but even then, you don't know what local people put on their stuff. I will normally just wash well any produce I happen to buy and peel it if possible.

 

[Wannabefree]

anyone buy organic items to supp their food?

I know we all grow veggies, raise critters etc but wondering who buys organic items on top of that?

Not me! know why?In August 2008 the NOP announced that 15 of 30 federally accredited organic certifiers had been placed on probation for various violations of USDA organic standards.

I'll buy Local but won't pay more for organic, I don't like the odds above.

Most of our local IS organic I know what you mean, but we generally know the individual who grows our food here, and can ask questions. Except with things like sugar, pepper, etc. :/ Who knows what processes it has been through we get as close to the farmer as possible though at all times.

 

[Farmfresh]

I DO buy organic.

Of course I grow what I can and buy what I can from the farm market where it is grown chemical/spray free by most of the sellers. When I shop at the store I buy organic wherever possible and when affordable. I know the "label" has people that don't follow the rules all of the time, but they are still far better and more conscientious than the other guys.

I especially try to buy skin ON fruits like plums, apples, grapes and cherries as organic. Things like bananas that I always peel ... not usually. I prefer organic dairy and cheese, but I simply can not afford to buy it because we drink so much. :/

 

[moolie]

Like WBF and FF above, we buy as close to the source as possible and we eat pretty fresh.

All veggies and fruits we don't grow ourselves come from our year-round farmer's market and we only shop local producers (some stalls sell imported and are just like the grocery store). We only buy produce that we know is not chemically treated for bugs or weeds, I'm sure not all the fertilizer is "organic" but I'm ok with that. We only buy BC apples, pears, and soft fruits (peaches, plums, berries if not local) and these come from Blush Lane who have orchards in BC (near a town where I used to live when I was a kid). Citrus fruit is tough, because it can't be grown in Canada, but we don't actually eat it very often--just the odd lemon or lime for cooking, oranges and grapefruits when we get a craving, and "Christmas oranges" or satsumas/mandarins--for all of these we buy "organic" from the grocery store.

All meat comes from local farmers who pasture raise their bison, pork, and chicken (and beef occasionally).

We get our cheese from Sylvan Star which is a local dairy that makes international award-winning cheeses. They also sell free-run eggs from their chickens.

I have a friend who sells Epicure herbs and spices, and they are grown in Victoria BC (or sustainably sourced elsewhere like the sea salt and baking chocolate) so they are about as local as I can get for those.

We bake our own bread from local organic wheat, spelt, rye, oats, and millet--Alberta is a huge grain producing province so local grain is a no-brainer. We buy the first 3 as flour, as we don't mill our own grains, but hubs (our bread baker) may get into that some day as well.

It's not always easy, or cheap, but we find that if we buy what is in season we don't pay much more than grocery store prices. I find that it's when you start buying pre-packaged food that prices really go up--I bought a box of crackers to serve with some home-made hummus at a bbq recently and I was shocked at what they cost these days (hadn't bought crackers in about 4 years--they used to be so cheap!)