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“Switching to organic is tough for many families who don’t want to pay higher prices or give up their favorite foods,” writes Tara Parker-Pope at The New York Times. “But by choosing organic versions of just a few foods that you eat often, you can increase the percentage of organic food in your diet without big changes to your shopping cart or your spending.”
Last fall, Parker-Pope spoke with pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene, who suggested five organic foods that can have a large impact on a family diet with minimal strain to the pocketbook:
- Milk. Some people are reluctant to drink mass-produced milk for fear of being exposed to antibiotics and hormones. Organic milk can cost twice as much as the regular stuff, though, which leads some to question if the benefits are worth it.
- Potatoes. According to the article, a commercially-farmed potato “has one of the highest pesticide counts” of all vegetables.
- Peanut butter. I’m a recent convert to grinding my own peanut butter at the health food store. It tastes great. (Though it needs a bit of salt.)
- Ketchup. Organic ketchup has double the antioxidants of normal ketchup. (That’s a good thing.)
- Apples. Kris and I grow our own apples, so I can attest to how difficult it is to grow good fruit without chemicals. Your average apple in the grocery store has probably been sprayed a dozen times. Organic fruit costs a little more — and isn’t as pretty — but brings peace of mind.
If you’re interested in budgeting organic foods into your life, start with just a few items to make the transition easier.
Actually, starting slowly is a great way to ease into most financial changes. If you’ve decided to contribute 10% of your income to your church (or favorite charity), consider starting with 3%, and then moving to 6% after a few months. If you’ve decided to start a Roth IRA, schedule a $25 monthly contribution. When you know that this is doable, bump the contribution to $50, and then to $100. Small steps can lead to big changes.
[The New York Times: Five easy ways to go organic]
This article is about Choices, Food Wednesday, 27th February 2008 (by J.D. Roth)
February 27th, 2008 at 11:14 am
My ‘moonlighting’ job involves web research in the field of environmental health, and as I learn more about the toxins that are found in our foods (and, of course, in our bodies) I’m trying to be more aware of what I’m eating.
I can see that I still have more to learn! For example, I wasn’t aware that potatoes have one of the higher pesticide counts! I use potatoes as a staple (along with rice and beans) in my debt-reducing/savings-increasing/frugal-living plan. A 10-lb pound of potatoes costs less than a fast-food hamburger, and can help feed me for a month.
I’m starting to think more about the ‘health’ cost of my frugal grocery shopping too, though. More trips to the co-op (and the farmers’ markets, when they re-open) may be in order, in spite of the higher cost. Becoming financial secure won’t be worth a hill of beans if I’ve not taken care of my health.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I met some organic farmers a few years ago, a husband and wife. They were relatively new (but successful) in the organic business and had interesting things to say about the industry, what classifies as “organic,” how farmers try to beat the system, etc.
But what I remember most from my dinner with them was that they told me, “If you can only eat two organic foods, choose strawberries and peanuts.” They explained that since these foods are grown on/below-ground, the non-organic versions soak up a lot more pesticides than above-ground fruits and vegetables. I guess potatoes should be added to that list as well!
I buy most of my produce from a Mom and Pop fruit stand in my neighborhood. They are slowly adding more organics so I’m adding more to my diet as well.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:36 am
My mother only uses pesticides on the potatoes in her garden. Otherwise she says the bugs will eat them. Every two weeks I get a box of organic veggies and fruit, mostly local if available, for $25. It’s great. I went apple picking in September and my friend said apples are usually sprayed early in the season, but I don’t know what that means really.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:59 am
As much as I’d like my diet to be organic-only, one of the only foods I eat exclusively organic are eggs. They just TASTE better and they are so much better for you. And what a peace of mind knowing the hens were raised cage-free, vegetarian-fed, and are hormone-free.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
When I was a journalist, I started working on a story (which I never finished, it was on spec) about organic apples versus those grown using integrated pest management (IPM), which involves limited and targeted spraying. A guy from a local orchard that practiced IPM had lab results from the University of Massachusetts showing higher pesticide residues on organic apples sold at Whole Foods market than the residues on this guy’s IPM apples, although that seemed to be due to wind-drifted pesticides affecting the particular crop of organics in the store. (Which itself is a cautionary tale: if you have one organic orchard surrounded by many acres of conventional orchards, chances are good that the organics will have pesticide residues.)
Basically, the story was that IPM allows growers to grow great-quality apples using very little or no pesticides or artificial fertilizers. So while I do get organic apples when they look good and are affordable, IPM apples are a good alternative and are often better quality (and cheaper). They’re just not as widely available.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Locally grown produce is more important/ better than “organic.” Find a local CSA and have farm fresh goodies delivered weekly; also supports the local/ regional economy better.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
How does organic milk taste? No difference? I’ve never had it but I have this weird opinion that it would taste, um, weird, like I was sucking it right from the teet.
Someone tell me I’m wrong!
I suppose another healthy alternative to milk is soy milk; another milk I’ve never tried.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
i am able to get goat milk here. surely it’s different than cow milk, but more digestable also. i will assuure youu though, organic milk tastes the same, but more nutrients. also the goat milk i get is raw, unpasturized, also much better for you. if you are lucky enough to find raw, organic cow milk in your area - go for it
February 27th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Josh, I’d assume it’d taste about the same. Less pus maybe? (it’s such a gross thought, but I still drink milk…) Ick.
Organic apples taste about the same….you just don’t have to worry as much about what’s in them. Or you do, considering what Brad said. Same with organic carrots and whatnot. I’d assume milk is about the same.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I second sal’s comments on the CSA! I just joined one that offers 100% locally grown, oraganic produce, and although the upfront costs can be big ($425 in my case), it will provide me with enough food to freeze and can to enjoy year round at a 20% savings to what I spent at the farmer’s market last year.
For more on “local” vs. “organic” check out anything written by Michael Pollan.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Better than organic milk, and cheaper too is Raw milk. You can find a local dairy to get it from and it tastes AWESOME. You could never go back to pasteurized or even organic if you taste raw milk.
Great advice though - I would suggest organic butter too, since pesticides tend to stick around the fatty organs of the animals.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I don’t care how much organic dairy and eggs cost - I couldn’t live with myself if I bought factory farmed stuff, perpetuating animal suffering just to save a bit of change. Although free-range (but not organic) is a slightly cheaper, but still relatively ethical, alternative.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I don’t understand this love for organic food. There are ZERO health benefits to organics. Will someone please point me to any scientific study that definitively demonstrates that organics are more healthy than regular food products? I just don’t think it’s worth the pricey premium you pay.
-Raymond
February 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
@ Sal, I would hesitate to recommend unpasteurized milk to all, it should be avoided by the young, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
@Josh any time I’ve had organic milk (purchased when the grocery store is out of regular milk) there has been no noticeable difference other than a slightly sour after taste when I realise I’ve paid twice as much for it!
February 27th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Cost has definitely kept us from going organic. Interesting about the ketchup, didn’t know that.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
So organic milk costs TWICE as much, but switching to it is an “easy” change?
Am I the only one not getting the logic here?
February 27th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Organic milk tastes exactly the same as regular milk. I switched about six months ago, because I was tired of buying milk and having half of the carton go bad in my refrigerator a week before the expiration date. The organic milk at my supermarket (a store brand) always has a longer expiration date, and is packaged in paper cartons instead of plastic, which limits the amount of fluorescent light absorbed by the milk inside.
Sure, it’s a little more expensive, but I actually DRINK the entire half-gallon of milk, instead of throwing half of it away, so it’s a much better value.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I haven’t noticed any difference with organic food other than price. I did notice a big difference in selecting a grocer that had better quality produce.
I should mention that I do buy organic lettuce because it seems to last a week whereas the normal stuff lasts two days. Really, I just choose the best quality I can notice.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I know there are cost reasons, and maybe I’m being old fashioned, but I think it’s funny how people want proof that organic is better for you. Shouldn’t the question be whether or not the chemicals found in inorganic stuff is bad for you? It just seems to be a bit like someone breathing in smoggy air and asking for proof that fresh air is better.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I would rather save my money and buy local farmers crops then to try and buy “organic”. I would suggest to use local food to anyone!
February 27th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
One of our local grocery chains has it’s generic brand selling organics too! “Roundy’s” Sold at both Copps & Pick’n'Save, for those of you in the Wisconsin area!
It’s a great way to add some organics into your diet, & they are only a LITTLE more expensive (example: $.99 vs $1.29). And to those who wish to extolt local vs. organic: Both are good, but you can’t always afford both.
I got into the organic-wanting, once i realized i was allergic to some food pesticides (those used in apples, and carrots for example). Not all, so i don’t have to go over board, and they’re fine once they’re cooked… still, one of the best things i got out of college was learning i could eat a raw apple!
February 27th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I’ve always heard that if you have to buy one organic food, make it berries, because berries don’t have a hard peel, so the pesticides soak in.
That being said, I don’t eat a lot of organic food, but I do try to buy local as much as I can.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
@ Carrie, I have read a lot about raw milk and spoken with some organic dairy farmers as well. The consensus seems to be that although the dairy farmers drank raw milk as children and came out fine, most of them would not want to risk distributing it to people outside their own family. There are too many risks of contamination, and for this reason raw milk is illegal to sell in many states. (Some consumers get around this by buying a percentage of a cow, thus “owning” the cow and buying “their own” milk). But already I have heard of e.Coli and other infections resulting from unpasteurized milk and juice. I love raw orange juice with a passion but I would never give it to my kids, and purchase it very rarely.
I view it the same way I view vaccinations for children. There once existed a public health threat, causing us to enact a certain process, and in an attempt to make life more “natural”, some people have forgotten what the threat and how serious it was.
Just my two cents.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I go for the organic foods myself…they really do taste better. The milk is the same, but w/o the hormones, etc. Oh, try looking for non-homogenized milk. (the homogenizing process is not good for your heart) and if you have to get pasteurized (like in Colorado) try Vat pasteurized.
Oh, and did you know that the orange color in Cheddar cheese is added coloring….organic cheddar cheese is white.
If you question Why Organics, think about this…is it natural to have your foods sprayed w/ pesticides, injected w/ hormones, and meat fed to vegetarian animals…? In order for your body to work properly and to the best of its capacity you need whole, natural, and healthy foods. Why put unnatural and synthetic foods into your body?
February 27th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
@ Money Blue Book … do your own research. There are a number of studies showing that organically grown produce has fewer toxins and more nutrients. More than that, organically managed soil is more productive and hosts considerably greater biodiversity. JD pointed to one of these studies with his comments about the antioxidants in organically produced ketchup and another with his observations about the pesticide residue in potatoes. The evidence is abundant, although you will sometimes have to read between the lines on studies conducted by the agri-chem giants.
Let me pose the question another way … how much pesticide residue do you find acceptable on food your children might eat?
February 27th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
This is somewhat related to this post, but I thought it was so interesting, I couldnt’ help but share it. The link goes to photos of different families around the world sitting with their groceries for a week. The differences in cost and what is purchased is astounding.
http://ambersbug.gaia.com/blog/2007/11/what_is_eaten_in_one_week
February 27th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
While organic milk tastes the same to me as regular, I find the Organic Valley cream tastes much richer than the ordinary stuff.
For some good advice on when it’s worth spending the extra bucks on organics, check out the Environmental Working Group’s shopper’s guide.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Raw milk is playing with fire.
Like it or not, please realize what comes out a cow’s rear is pretty liquid - when the cow’s hosed down, some of that goes in your milk, which is why you want even organic milk to be pasteurized.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I had no idea about the ketchup thing at all! That’s pretty neat info.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I like the idea of organics, but for the most part, cost is prohibitive. I’d say the same about farmer’s markets, because where I live (Washington DC area), they really are more expensive than the regular store, and aren’t always local. Here they seem to jack up the prices since it’s something trendy and they can.
That said. . . I have found a chain of local supermarkets that tries to use local produce whenever possible, and sells it at competitive prices. It turns out that not only does my money stay local, it really is the best bargain on produce I can find.
As for organics, there are a couple that really are worth the price: Milk and peanut butter.
In the U.S., most dairy cattle are raised on enough hormones to make it so that milk is pretty much just water, sugar, and fat, with few nutrients. If you drink organic milk, however, even the low fat varieties taste better and are very thick. I’d say 1% organic milk is about as fulfilling as regular whole milk. I’d even go so far as to say that organic milk tastes better than the processed variety.
Yes, organic milk is more expensive, but not as much as you’d think. Note that it tends to be packaged in cardboard, making it last far longer than regular plastic carton milk. Also, Costco has started selling it in 3 carton packs, bringing the price down significantly per unit.
As for peanut butter, well, that’s another story borne out of dieting attempts. I was looking for peanut butter that didn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it, and at the time, organic was the way to go. It was more expensive, but since I hardly eat peanut butter, I didn’t mind. The oil on top part was a bit gross, but once you stir it in and keep it in the refrigerator, that problem goes away. Also, since it’s a bit thicker, I’m more inclined to use less of it. The fact that it’s organic really just makes me feel better at that point.
On another note about peanut butter, there’s one more thing to watch out for. Some organic peanut butter still has sweetener in it, and some is just peanuts and salt. The sweeter stuff is sweetened with cane sugar, so it tastes better and is healthier than HFCS, but is still full of sugar. Also, some stores have started selling “old fashioned” peanut butter, which is not organic, but is also just peanuts and salt. I’ve taken to buying this stuff, because it is cheaper than organic, and well, I care more about lack of sugar than I do lack of pesticides.
Just some thoughts.
~EEE~
February 27th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
If you are starting to incorporate organic foods into your diet, be sure to only buy organic products that are necessary. For example, organic bananas and oranges provide no health benefits. However, any dairy, meats or certain fruits and vegetables like blueberries, spinach and lettuce, are certainly worth the extra money required to switch to organic.
If you click on my name, it will link you to an article with more details entitled “When Eating Organic Pays Off and Doesn’t.”
Lisa
February 27th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Great advice! Especially the last part (starting slowly).
February 27th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
This is a tough one because the milk and potatoes are both so much more expensive than the non-organic. I looked at organic potatoes one day and they were $4.99 for 1 lb. that is one meal for my family. I can’t pay $4.99 for one meal of potatoes, when the non-organic is around $.50 a pound. The price difference is too much. I do grow my own and this year plan to do more. Milk is the same, it is double the non-organic and with a big family that adds up to a lot. We do what we can though.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I hear you, Raymond. There’s a lot of assumptions being made about organic food right now that are not (as far as I can tell) backed up by scientific evidence.
Ebola is “organic.: So are the plagues that wiped out Europe.
To me, this whole thing seems like another fad. Yeah, maybe I’ll die sooner than organic-food-junkies, but then again, maybe I won’t? If I end up living longer and healthier than organic-food-junkies, don’t hate me for smirking. If you all end up healthier than me, kudos to you.
Anyways, my own suspicions are based on studies say that the key to a longer, healthier life is just eating a whole lot less. Of everything.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Organic milk tastes much better to me — it tastes cleaner.
The same is true with maverick ranch ground beef — I’ve actually had to get used to it, because it smells different and tastes different to me.
And — hah! I’ve really gone over to the other side. I can’t stand the taste of flavored yogurt anymore. Plain, organic yogurt tastes so much better.
I’ve noticed that the less corn syrup and processed food I eat, the more I notice these taste differences. Also, I periodically take a course of herbal detox pills and it’s really made my sense of smell and taste more acute.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Having just read Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, it seems that ‘organic’ is not as meaningful as people would hope. Many organic food companies have industrialized to the extent that it would hard to find substantial differences in taste, nutrition, or (unfortunately for all of you who get peace of mind from this) the treatment of animals.
I would recommend checking Pollan out in general. He makes a lot of eye-opening points about how what we perceive to save on cheap and easy food has actually come at a horrendous cost to our health, the environment, and our humanity.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Not sure if this was mentioned yet, but if you are environmentally minded, make sure your organic food is grown locally. Organic food that is shipped in has higher economic and ecological costs than local foods.
I am skeptical of some of the claims that organic food proponents make, so until I start seeing better science on the organic food benefits, I’ll stick with what is affordable.
I should point out that the human body is equipped with a liver, which can deal with a certain amount of toxicity. It’s when you go past that limit or your liver is damaged that you need to worry.
February 27th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
My order of produce-buying goes something like this:
1. farmers market
2. organic, local
3. organic, far away
4. commercially-produced, local
5. commercially-produced, far away
The farther away a fruit is from you, the earlier it was picked from the tree or ground and therefore not as sweet or packed with nutrients.
Even if healthier food costs more, the long-term benefits (i.e. longer life, less illnesses, more energy) outweigh the initial savings.
You can also eat less of quality food than more of not-so-great food.
February 27th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
In my opinion, best thing about organic ketchup is the lack of corn syrup. My mother is allergic to corn and was very happy to find most organic ketchup uses sugar. That really is more healthy.
February 27th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I’ve been a vegetarian and have been consuming increasingly larger percentages of organic foods for 5 years now. I’m also a RN with a decent background in nutrition.
I read a lot about food and nutrition and feel comfortable in accepting the consensus that organic is truly better. I grew up on a farm and watched the older generations who poo-poohed the idea that good food couldn’t be grown without industrial fertilizers and pesticides.
I also watched MANY family members and close family friends who were also farmers develop and die from a multitude of different cancers including primary liver, prostate, metastatic bone cancers, thyroid cancer and more. My life experiences, observations and my scientific education have led me to believe that this organic movement is one that is well worth the expense and effort of joining. Besides, in my case, since I don’t buy meat, I’ve more than enough to buy the more expensive organic veggie alternatives.
I have also read several articles discussing the fact that organic veggies are more nutrient dense than their conventional counterparts. This is because unlike the artificially grown stuff, organics grow the way nature intended and at the rate nature intended - that is they aren’t forced to grow to enormous size in half the normal time. They themselves are more healthy because they fight off disease and parasites themselves rather than having chemicals doing it for them.
As for milk - regardless of it’s type - it’s not something meant to be consumed by humans regardless. The fact that it was ever in the “Food Pyramid” is more a matter of the powerful dairy lobby than it’s actual nutritional benefit. On the contrary, a study done as a German university in the past couple years implicated cows milk consumption by humans early in life as being a causative factor in Type-I diabetes. It seems the foreign (to humans) protein in milk in some instances may be initiating some sort of autoimmune reaction. Many other maladies are also attributable to milk as well.
There are books such as “Don’t Drink Your Milk” as well as writings by the late Dr. Spock and Dr. Neal Barnard of PCRM discussing how “milk is for cows”.
But back to organic, I certainly believe the pros far outweigh the cons. The health, environmental and ethical benefits are certainly worthy of consideration.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
The “buy local” argument so many of you are pushing confuses me. Where do you live that you can buy produce in February that is exclusively local?
I live in Missouri, and I love avocados. Should I never eat an avocado, because they can’t be grown locally?
I always get a kick out of hearing people I know who proudly claim that they shop at the big open market in town and therefore buy locally and better quality produce. In actuality, the produce at the open market is EXACTLY the same produce at the grocery store (they all buy from the same distributors). It is certainly cheaper at the open market, but they are still bananas from Ecuador or tomatoes from Chile, etc.
I’m all for buying locally grown veggies in the summer and especially growing my own, but let’s not kid ourselves - our winter diet would look much different if we only ate local produce!
February 27th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
We’ve tried organic foods, vegetables, fruits, and especially the milk spoil a lot faster than “regular” foods. It is amazing how much of a difference the preservatives make. So the organic food is more expensive and spoils faster - not a good combination for our household. Thanks for the ideas about getting the most bang for the buck!
February 27th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I no longer buy organic milk. My main concern was the artificial recombinant bovine growth hormone; now our local milk producers no longer use it. Lighter on the budget.
I usually just use the “dirty dozen” produce list and buy those items organic, the rest conventional.
February 27th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Not all Organic is Created equal. Especially when it comes from an animal (milk, meat, eggs.)
For example, some organic milk is only a small step up from the regular milk. Still better than regular milk but for pennies more (between organics that is) you may be able to get something from cows that go out to pasture instead of cows that are close to factory farmed in tight quarters and fed organic feed.
Here’s a good resource for comparing the quality of major brands:
http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html
February 27th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I’ve read some disturbing reports on the fungus in organic peanut butter.
Yes, less dangerous if you grind it yourself, but with out the spraying its a health risk. That organic stuff that sits on the shelves growing its evil brew.
February 27th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
you’ve been blogged on this entry!
February 28th, 2008 at 1:09 am
We are eating about 80% organic/local products.
I’m not going into the discussion if organic is okay or not, this was about switching to organic and budgeting.
We used the following ’strategy’. We cut drastically on meat consumption, you could say that we became ‘parttime-vegetarians’. That saved us a lot of money. We also reduced our dairy consumption. 1 Pack (1.5 liters) of milk and yoghurt each, for the entire week. That saved money too.
All that saved money could now be spend on fresh organic/local food. Eggs and cheese still brings us B12 vitamins, and more green vegetables gives us enough calcium. So that compensates the previous steps a bit.
And of course, the meat and milk that we do eat are also organic!
I realize it can be quite a big step for people to give up meat and such. But try to eat less meat, and use the saved money for organic food. That’s my advice then. Thanks!
February 28th, 2008 at 2:46 am
I’ve tried some organic products, aside from vegetables - dairy, cereal mixes, biscuits, spreadables, snacks. And bread, especially: pre-sliced bread. well, I can’t go back to any non-organic psb, which tastes funny to me now, while the organic version is almost as good as bread from the bakery. All of these things have good ingredients in it and a lovely taste. Just try.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:30 am
We get our milk from a local dairy in glass bottles, it’s not organic but they don’t use the hormones so I find it a good compromise. No hormones and local plus when you bring back the bottles you get a discount on the next purchase. I do find it tastes better than regular milk, even the 1% is creamier to me in comparison.
We grow a bunch of our own food in summer and we do that organically, saves us a lot of money at the store and the kids love to nibble right off the vine.
But teaching them about organics has bitten me once or twice in the pocketbook. Organic strawberries were so expenisve one day, I said let’s buy regular, but right in the store they recited right back to me what I’ve been teaching them. No pesticides, better for the earth, no one wants to eat/drink chemicals (we have a well so we’re real careful about our groundwater), they taste better…oh well, at least they listen to me! It cost me a few bucks to learn that lesson!
February 28th, 2008 at 4:53 am
We drink local, organic raw milk. It is delicious, well worth the cost (it’s $6 a gallon, less than pasteurized organic milk in the stores but more than regular milk).
Raw milk is one of our budget splurges. We live very frugally… but we spend $36 on milk every week. BUT, we spend $0 on health care sick visits in a typical year and we are extremely healthy.
For us, it makes sense financially and physically.
PS I have a couple posts about raw milk on my blog.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:14 am
I’m a little late to the discussion, but I’d recommend a book I”m reading right now “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan. It’s an interesting read about the industrialization of food, and what it’s done to our health.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:16 am
Meijer in the midwest has shifted all their milk to rBGH-free stuff. I mean, within the last month or so–two gallons ago, the label was different, and then I bought I new one and hey, what’s that new picture on it? oh the caption says it’s rBGH free now. Cool.
Calder Dairy from Milan, Michigan treats their cows a LOT better than the organic farmers do. Organic farmers, if the cow gets sick, they have limited ways of treating it, so they just keep milking the cow until it dies because it costs less to buy a new cow than to treat it within the organics standards. There are MANY dairy farmers who will pull the cow from milk production, treat the illness with antibiotics if appropriate, and wait the specified period of time for the antibiotics to be out of their system, which is longer than the USDA organics standards. Organic milk is rarely antibiotic-free.
Buying from a farmer’s market can be expensive, especially for those who may buy their food with government assistance. However, many farmers practice organic farming methods, but refuse to go thru the hassle and cost of being certified. Do your research.
For those who prefer local produce, consider spending one weekend a month over the summer canning. I have friends who have a canning party every Saturday from April to November, and each week is a different food, depending on what’s in season and what’s available in large quantities. They go thru the local food co-op for their deliveries (because it’s easier than buying from a bunch of the same farmers that the co-op orders from), everyone who shows chips in or brings their own, plus a dish to pass! This would be a GREAT project for those who attend churches with huge commercial kitchens that go unused.
It’s also easy to find non-organic beef and chicken that has been treated better than organic ones. But it requires you to do your own research into the companies whose products you buy. If you have a farm locally the raises and butchers animals for food, see if you can visit their facilities–take the kids! Great free field trip. If you like what you see, find out how to buy their meat, even if it’s not organic. If there isn’t anything in your area, then research the ones readily available in your usual grocery store.
PS: Organic doesn’t mean the animals weren’t abused. Read the USDA guidelines on what qualifies as organic. Make your own judgments, but think very hard about what is completely ignored about those guidelines.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:28 am
I didn’t read all of the comments, but from what I read, I’m with Money Blue Book on this. I have seen scientific studies that show that organic food has less pesticide residue, BUT I have not seen any studies proving that the small amount of pesticide residue on my non-organic food causes any detriment to my health. I cannot make any comment on the difference in nutrients because I have not read up on it (I am sick of hearing about antioxidants though!).
Moreover, I have seen no studies that really show definitive proof that the hormones or antibiotics in meat are causing me problems either.
I am not saying that Organic is bad for those who want peace of mind, but I am just skeptical that it is as much better as some people want you to believe.
I would focus more on ridding processeed foods from your life before focusing on organics.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Maria,
Are you really attributing your $0 spent on health care sick visits in a year to the raw milk you drink? That would be a very silly correlation to make.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:49 am
Why all the concern about difference in taste between organic and non-organic? Do you understand that organic means less chemicals? There is evidence to prove that the pesticides and herbicides are causing serious harm to our environment and to our bodies. I for one am unable to detect much difference in taste but as far as the milk I consume, I do not want to ingest the bovine growth hormone or the antibiotics in non-organic milk. As far as cost goes, milk is slightly more expensive, but produce, if you avoid the overpriced chains like Whole Foods, is equal to and sometimes less expensive than the corporate markets. I live in the midwest (Jewel and Dominicks are the local grocers) and there non-organic produce is usually much more expensive than the organic items we purchase at Trader Joes (where we do 98% of our shopping). During the summer months we join a farming co-op just a couple of miles from where we live. For about $28/ week we get a box load of vegetables grown without chemicals by a local farmer. Sure we spend a few dollars more than we would in the store but we get a much larger variety and the flavor is by far much better than anything store bought. We have three small children and they fight over who gets the broccoli every week so believe me when I tell you it is good stuff.
We also maintain our own garden every year using nothing but organic mushroom compost and water. A 2 inch layer of the compost turned into the soil every spring and regular watering always yields the largest zucchinis and cucumbers (some over a foot long and 4 inches in diameter) and more tomatoes than we can possibly give away to friends and families. Our garden is always the envy of all our neighbors who still insist on using sprays and fertilizers. They just don’t get it.
Sure we spend a little extra $$ on organics whenever possible, but we do it for the health and well-being of our family, both physically and mentally. If you really think about it, we are a society that has no trouble spending hundreds, even thousands of dollars on pleasure and entertainment (think mp3 players, flat screen tvs, sporting events and music concerts) don;t we owe it to ourselves to take the same attitude towards our health?
February 28th, 2008 at 6:09 am
We buy a CSA from a local farmer, which we like for a number of reasons: the food is organic, local, we get to visit the farm (so our city kids can see what vegetable plants look like, beyond our homegrown tomatoes), we have to use or lose the veggies and fruits every week, and we pay less than retail, and the farmer gets more than wholesale. We hit the local farmer’s market and food coop to fill in for what the CSA provides.
In the winter, we eat seasonal produce, like apples, pears, citrus (not local, but not from S. America, either), broccoli, squash, cauliflower, etc. We have a couple of fun cookbooks that are organized around the seasons.
If you’re goal is to eat as cheaply as possible, then organics probably won’t appeal to you. However, I find that the less convenience food we eat, the more money we have for organics/local produce at the local coop. Local food just tastes better, because it’s a day or two old when you get it — not a week or more from thousands of miles away. JMHO, though.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Just about every misconception about organic is in this comment thread (and some of them were also in TPP’s original article). It’s about the environment — health benefits of organic have not yet been proven, though it does make intuitive sense that many organic foods may be more nutritious, and pesticides and chemicals are damaging to health. But as Dr. Alan Greene and others will tell you, there ARE clear risks to children from legally acceptable pesticide residues in some conventional foods. Begin by spending money for organic on the foods and beverages your kids eat and drink most.
http://www.lainie.typepad.com/organic
February 28th, 2008 at 8:42 am
for the nay-sayers and those who just don’t seem to “get it,” read Micheal Pollans, In Defense of Food - as several other have noted above. if you want to argue that the earth is flat, do it somewhere else.
February 28th, 2008 at 8:57 am
It’s an investment in your health. What could be more important?
Ian
February 28th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Interesting! I just wrote about this topic myself, but from a slightly different perspective. I have found that being frugal AND green at the same time can be very challenging.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Bill and Courtney:
In dealing with raw milk, you’ve can’t go to just any dairy farmer. Cows that are pasture-fed can’t support e-coli in their gut if they aren’t getting any grain at all. Grain changes their intestinal flora. The typical dairy farmer feeding on grain and doing things the Big Dairy way isn’t going to be very clean or careful, so no wonder they wouldn’t give it to their own families. That’s not the case for those doing it a different way.
Obviously, big dairy farmers aren’t going to be pasture-feeding, because it makes the milk supply isn’t as prolific or steady on grass. They also aren’t going to carefully wipe down each cow’s teats by hand: they’ll hose them down if they clean them at all.
Courtney, you’ve “heard of outbreaks caused by raw milk”. If you look at the real facts, there haven’t been any in many decades–but there have been MANY caused by pasteurized milk, because all the antibodies present in milk are also killed by pasteurization. So if the milk gets contaminated after pasteurization, it’s dead and can’t kill the pathogens.
Many years ago, like over 100 years ago, big-city dairies were feeding cows on the spent hops from nearby breweries. These were downer cows–very sick, and their unpasteurized milk caused all kinds of outbreaks. The kind of cows whose meat was just recalled in the biggest-ever recall.
The obvious answer was to stop raising animals like that, and raise them in a healthy way. A group of physicians proposed just that, and made the standard for Doctor’s Certified Milk. It was not pasteurized and would be prescribed for many different conditions, right up to WWII.
But big dairies didn’t want to have to undertake all the testing and cleaning that certification would require. So they started pushing for pasteurization. Pasteur himself said he never intended it for use on milk! It reduces the nutrient content and destroys milk’s self-protective qualities.
Most small dairy farms and most doctors were against the efforts for mass pasteurization, but the big dairy concerns had better lobbyists. It’s a matter of record; links at the website below.
Plus its taste is great–complex, sweet–kind of like melted ice cream. We once had a couple of gallons where the cow had eaten some mint. Then it tasted faintly like mint ice cream. I added some chocolate syrup. Mmmmm.
Real information with links to good studies is at http://www.realmilk.com .
February 28th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I’ve found that buying organic food from a local CSA is cheaper than buying conventional produce from the grocery store. We pay $23 a week and get enough to feed an army!
Also, since you pay your CSA in the winter for the next season’s food (I just made my payment the other day) you are hedging against rising food costs. It’s a good deal all around.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
@ Triple E
1) I do not understand the raised on hormones comment. It takes about 2 years to raise a female dairy animal before she will produce any milk. What she is “raised on” does not have any bearing on what the milk tastes like or make up of the product.
2) All raw milk before processing is about 87% water to begin with. The type of dairy breed, varying amounts of the feed ingredients, or different feeding methods can alter the fat/protein levels.
@Scott B
1) Do you realize that every time you drink milk you “ingest” bovine growth hormone whether it is organic or not? No milk is “free” because all dairy cattle release this hormone naturally to produce milk. What some farmers do is supplement this hormone to maintain or increase production.
2) As far as antibiotics go, we have very sensitive tests for this. Each tank of milk is tested before it leaves the farm and all cows that have received antibiotic treatment(they are kept separate) have to pass a test before they are put back into the main herd. If the milk tests positive(very rare, if at all) the entire tank literally goes down the drain.
@womanwithmanyhats
I work on a 500 cow dairy in central NY and we milk the cows 3 times per day. 6000 teats are individually dipped with a solution to clean and prepare the teat for milking. Then each teat is is wiped with a clean towel(1 towel/cow) I don’t know how bigger farms do it but that is how we do it every day.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
[...] was excited to read what Get Rich Slowly had to say about An Easy Way to Go Organic. J.D. referenced a New York Times article that suggested switching to the organic version of five [...]
February 29th, 2008 at 9:11 am
as long as cow milk is of topic, it should also be known that cow milk is not really very good or digestible for humans anyway. goat milk is much more aligned wit human physiology. if youu can find it in youur area, you’re lucky. btw, no, i’m not a goat farmer.
February 29th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I’ve found only a few items that taste different when they are organic. Heinz organic ketchup has made me eat ketchup again, instead of just buying it for the kids - mmmm. Organic, free-range chicken eggs taste so much better that I find them worth the cost $3.99 and up, even though we go through a dozen almost every week.
Organic milk tastes like regular milk, unless it is ultra-pastuerized. We find the ultra-pastuerized milk has a slightly cooked flavor, and my daughter won’t drink it. The best-tasting milk we ever bought came in those glass bottles from a local dairy (not organic), but after dropping one bottle and spending hours cleaning up the shards from every corner of the kitchen, we switched back to plastic jugs.
Until recently, the organic carrots at our local store cost only 10 cents more than the standard carrots. Now they are much more expensive - what happened?
March 1st, 2008 at 4:52 pm
This is a little late, yet no one has mentioned any info on baby food being oganic. Is it necessary ?
March 1st, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I follow the “Dirty Dozen” list. I try to buy these organically. The Environment Working Group said this, “…people can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the top twelve most contaminated
fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead….” I don’t worry as much about buying other one organically.
Dirty Dozen
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes (Imported)
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes
http://www.foodnews.org/pdf/EWG_pesticide.pdf
April 20th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Dear Friends, Go look in the potato bin. See all those slightly wizzened, sprouty potatoes you won’t use? Cut ‘em up in small bits, with an “eye” on each piece. Leave them out on the counter for two or three days for a callus (hard skin) to form on the cut areas. Go outside in the yard, scuff up a bit of soil in a sunny place. Lay the potatoes on the earth (do not plant) and put spoiled hay, dried leaves and grass clippings, or straw (what we use) on top, about 6″ to 8″ deep. Leave them. The potato plants will sprout from the eyes. Roots will go into the scuffed up soil, the plants will grow through the thick mulch. Come mid June, you pull aside the mulch gently and harvest small potatoes. Put mulch back. You can continue to harvest potatoes all season. When the frost kills the vines, remove the mulch, gently dig the area, and you will find some nice potatoes underground. So far have not had any problem with bugs, the potato patch is moved to a different spot in the vegetable garden every year. There’s nothing like eating your own, pest free, cost free potatoes. This year I must confess that I went to the Korean market and bought 10 extra pounds of the most sprouty potatoes I could find, $1.69/5 pound sack, and put in an extra row of potatoes. With food costs skyrocketing, I’m going to leave this row of potatoes untouched until the frost, then harvest them all and store in a cool place for winter use. Usually we eat our own potatoes through October. Planning to have our own through New Year’s Dinner this coming year. Five pounds of sprouted potqatoes will supply 25/35 pounds of fresh potatoes.
PS. It’s dandelion season. If you don’t have a dog and don’t use pesticides on your grass, you can harvest the fresh dandelion greens while the buds are small tight balls. Wash in numerous changes of water in a dishpan (so you can toss the wash water onto the garden!) and cook Pa. Dutch style with sweet/sour hot bacon dressing, over boiled potatoes and hard cooked sliced eggs, This is delicous, LOADED with minerals and fiber, cheap. If you don’t get around to this, when the dandelions bloom, you can make dandelion wine with the flower heads. By blooming time the greens are too bitter to eat.