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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Organic delusions

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Laura McKenzie" <laurabrownmckenzie@worldnet.att.net>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Organic delusions
  • Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:03:05 -0500

Dedicated organic consumers tend to buy locally and not at Walmart so the niche Walmart thinks it is going to corner will be a shaky one at best. Families thinking about buying organic and who see no problem with buying from Walmart might be tempted to buy organic but I don't think they will do so on a regular basis. I agree too that organic standards are going to be diluted to drive down prices and this will probably happen soon. Then dedicated organic consumers will be even more driven to buy locally where they can see how their food is grown and *not* buy from Walmart.

As more people try organic at Walmart stores I wonder if they will be inspired to learn more. If consumers are better educated, buying locally will seem quite reasonable to most of them.

You all, one thing to keep in mind is that many people are in a situation like mine. I live in a rural area of Alabama that is in transition to being "a quaint place to live...". McMansions are sprouting up and forest and field are disappearing. We're set to lose another 400 acres along a pristine creek in a few months to 800 dwellings. I must travel 34 miles to buy "locally" grown produce. This farmer's market is "upscale" where tomatoes (not organic) are sold at a dollar each and half a pound of blueberries go for $8. Another farmer's market is 40 miles away. Most people selling at that market are actually re-sellers and their produce is poor. I can travel 4 miles to a very very small grocery to pay about 140% the normal price on most foods with not one organic anything or locally grown anything on the shelf or I can travel 8 miles to buy Walmart food.

We tried to start a farmer's market here. Everything the farmers brought was bought with the exception being the people who brought mostly bushels of yellow squash. Still the farmers did not return and the market fell apart. NONE were organic.

For some reason there is a perception in my area that it is impossible (IMPOSSIBLE) to grow organic. Because I'm still working very hard to make my gardens decent due to very poor soil, I have been able to do little to change that perception. Hopefully this season or next I can change that perception. I'm making steady gains : )


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Laura's Homeschooling, Garden, and Genealogy Site
is found here: http://home.att.net/~ekyorigins
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