Organic Foods

[Tom J]

What that article tells me is, if I don't grow my own organic food, I don't expect to be sure I get organic any place else!!

Tom J

[The Cook]

There has been some conversation on rec.food.cooking about organic foods and especially Calmar's entry into the fray.

Someone posted this link.

I think most of the group here will be interested.

[Billy]

Next best thing to growing it yourself is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where you can look the growers inn the eyes, ask your questions, and see their crops.

[Charlie]

wind down, this return to local economies. People need to begin to support, and participate in, their local economy now, in order to get things rolling and have people familiar with ways that have been abandoned.

For sure, quality food, locally produced by hand and with care and love, is going to be more expensive, but we currently are underpaying for our food and as result of eating cheap foodlike substances, we are reaping the "benefits" of being one of the most unhealthy nations on earth, which only benefits..."them"...bigag and bigpharma. Not only do the majority of us not know about healthy food, we don't know how to effing prepare food. We have been led astray and abdicated our responsibility to ourselves and our children. It's sickening in more ways than one.

Check out this amazing young chef, both this article and the TED video. I remember his show on FoodnetWork and was highly impressed.

He hits right between the eyes with a large hammer. Excellant delivery.

TED video gets right to the presentation...the Alternet article is a transcript with video following.

Check out the other offerings on TED...

Charlie

[gardenlen]

g'day tom,

yes you grow your own and you know what you are eating, i am in australia and i have no confidence that the organic certification system is delivering anything more than more expensive food. and when you see the fresh orgianic stuff on the shop shelves in the "organic" section there is no guarantee that it is so? to me it all looks exactly the same product.

[jremstuart]

Organic foods protect from heart disease and cancer, as they contain Phenolic compounds. Organic food ensures high food quality, which other conventional foods cannot give. Organic food is natural and fresh, and thus, it is tasty. Many people prefer to grow organic food in their home gardens, because it costs about 20% more than the conventional food. Organic gardening uses organic seeds, organic fertilizers, compost, organic root stimulators, and organic pest control. It has been claimed by health experts that organic food is more nutritious. Some of the features that can be associated with organic food are quality, good taste, proper selection of crop varieties etc.

[Gary Woods]

And today's award for best "Preaching to the choir" goes to....

Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

[Billy]

Many plants contain phenolic compounds, organic or not.

crops, such as bell peppers, show no difference at all.

It can be organic, and still have E. coli O157:H7 on it. It can be organic and have reduced nutrients because of agricultural practices, i.e. lack of fertilizing, or watering, or because of the weather the crop experienced.

It can be organic even if it is old and moldy.

It usually is, but not always (see 2nd url above).

The typical cardboard tomatoes that are grow for their durability in shipping, and long shelf life, can be grown organically. This typically happens at markets such as Whole Foods in the United States, because while providing organic produce, they still employ the old industrial paradigm of buying in large lots, storing in warehouses, and shipping long distances to their markets. Nutrients are lost in the time it takes to get from field to shelf. Shipping exposes produce to possible contamination, uses fossil fuels, and degrades the environment.

I don't view the above Pollyanna approach to "organic" food as being helpful, because it opens the door to refutation by non-organic distributors.

What we call organic food was the norm in the 30s and 40s, before the "Green Revolution" of petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides. The "organic" movement is just trying to get back to "real" food, without pesticides, herbicides, and destroying the environment.

If you want food that is healthy for you, and the environment, shop at a local CSA farm.

[phorbin]

...(whisper) we know. --feel better now that's off your chest?

...(still whispering) you are not posting to gardenbanter.uk. You are posting to rec.gardens.edible USENET _through_ gardenbanter.uk.