Why Organic Foods?

Way back in 1994 (back in the days when I still watched TV) I saw a news magazine program, where 5 or 6 families with small children were documented grocery shopping. The camera crew filmed the parents lovingly filling up their shopping carts with fresh produce to feed to their families.  Then those foods were taken to a lab to be tested, and the cameras continued to film as the mothers and fathers received the news that the fresh foods which they thought were so healthy were covered in pesticides.  I remember one of the moms cried.  She was trying so hard to give her small child a healthy start in life.  Imagine her disappointment and frustration.

That program changed my life.  I began scrubbing everything with soap.  But it wasn't enough.  So then I began looking for organic produce, but it hadn't really caught on yet.  So I stopped eating produce.  As if that would actually protect me in a world gone mad for chemicals.

When I moved to Olympia, I became determined to grow my own food.  I started a back yard garden, and I was so happy, until I noticed my neighbor who had his garden on the other side of the fence was using chemicals and since he used a hose with a spray nozzle to water...well, you can imagine.  He was washing all his chemicals into my garden. I was too timid (back then; certainly not now) to ask him to find another way to water, or to stop using chemicals.

So I gave up that idea.  And I went back to trying to find organic produce.

We have a beautiful local food co-op in Olympia, and it's been around for a while, but in those days-every time I would check it out, the produce was in really bad shape, and I couldn't believe they would actually sell it.  Because even I could tell that there was no nutrients in food that looked that bad.  Eventually, the organic food industry caught on, and I began to see more of it.  And that happened just in time.  Because something else was happening.

I learned about Monsanto in 1999, I think it was.  A friend of mine educated me about GMOs.  She told me about soybeans being developed, and corn, and potatoes.  She told me about the science.  About how there was no way to know how it would affect our bodies.  And then she told me that the real danger was in developing food that could be patented.  That meant Monsanto and other biotech corporations could control the food supply.  I began to realize that there was more at stake than trying to reduce my pesticide consumption.

Olympia Food Co-op

I joined the food co-op shortly after that, determined only to buy organic from then on.  And I also began to shop at the last remaining locally owned grocery stores and to buy at the farmer's market.  I was determined to do this, because I could see that the large grocery chains were systematically driving the local business out, and that it was another way of controlling the food supply.  Which ultimately leads to fewer and fewer choices.

The more I educated myself, the more resolved I was to fight corporate food and biotech using my buying choices as a weapon.  

For many people who are still buying what is (inaccurately) referred to as conventional (because what's conventional about pesticides?)  the biggest resistance to buying organic seems to be the price.  

If you believe that the higher price tag on organic foods is because it's some kind of trendy boutique food eaten by suckers who are buying into a fad, please get to know your local organic food grower and you will find that nothing could be further from the truth.

Farming is hard work. And for small farms, it is expensive. Research the history of government subsidies in farming. Subsidies create a false price on food. That is why "conventional" foods bought at corporate grocery stores are sold cheaply.  In reality it costs more to produce food sustainably, because the government is not subsidizing those farmers.  We as consumers must support organic farming, if we wish to see it survive.

Also, ask your local farmer about government regulations and certification fees.  Then you will begin to see that this isn't a luxury item, but the authentic cost of growing food.

And let's remember that our farmers are part of our local community and they have bills to pay, and must support their families, just as the rest of us do.

There are more really good reasons to invest your food dollars in buying organic.  Think about your health.

Even if you eat almost 100% organic foods, you are still affected by the way foods are grown.  Pesticides are air born, and they get into the water.  Non sustainable growing methods create a stress on the land. Research why biodiversity is desirable for the environment.  Sustainable growing methods encourage biodiversity, creating healthy ecosystems, which we all benefit from...

These are just a few reasons why organic foods are the smart choice.

Olympia Farmer's Market
Olympia, WA.  USA

Food issues are a passion of mine and have been for a long time.

I am excited that more people are getting wise about their food.

Key words:

Local

Sustainable

Organic

Humane

Fair Trade

Support your local farm family.