Organics

I knew this would be an eventual entry as I have pretty strong feelings about it...

Time Magazine just had an article about Organic Food in a recent issue and the beginning annoyed me a bit, but then it got better, but just wanted mention a couple points.

Before I start, I completely agree that  food choices are totally a lifestyle choice.  It's just really important to know the facts.

The main reason to eat organic food is NOT because the food is supposed to "taste better" or "have more vitamins".  I think that is a common misconception people have.  Food tasting better may be a "side effect"; however, the more important reason is that it is chemical, pesticide and (whatever else) free food.  Also, it's better for the planet.  Up to 10 million tons of chemical fertilizer per year are poured onto fields to cultivate corn alone - scary!  The toxic runoffs are poisoning the Gulf of Mexico.  Beef  raised in industrial conditions are dosed with antibiotics and growth boosting hormones, leaving chemical residues in meat and milk.  Melvin recently asked my why I bought organic butter.  Um, well, what do you think butter is made of?

Also, the fact that you can find 'out of season' foods available in all seasons means that crops must be grown in one place and are flown all over the world to those demanding year-round strawberries, plums, etc.  This leaves a major carbon footprint on our Earth.  I was very surprised to find clementines available in the summer last year.  They used to only be available in November (and maybe October) when I was growing up.

Some other misconceptions:

"All-Natural" does not equal pesticide or antibiotic/hormone free.  It is just like "low-fat" means it is 3 grams OR LESS fat than a regular product.

"Farmer's Market" does not equal organic.  It is nice to support local farmers though.

"Grass-Fed" does not mean the animal was able to graze grass through their lifetime.  If you are interested in eating "free" animals, you want to look for "Grass-Finished" meats.

"Free Range" is a very abused term in the market. It simply indicates that chicken are not in cages, but doesn't mean they are outside of the "building".  Those that saw Food, Inc. know what I'm talking about.

I could go on, but I won't.  I don't eat ALL organic, but try as best as we can for most of our foods cooked at home.  It is just way too hard to know the source of the foods served at restaurants.  I have to say the main reason is for our kids (Julian eats better than we do).  As a parent, there is just that need to protect them from everything...including pesticides.