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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] The Musts and Myths of Organic and Locally Grown

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  • From: Dieter Brand <diebrand@yahoo.com>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] The Musts and Myths of Organic and Locally Grown
  • Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:14:53 -0700 (PDT)

I’m not really up to date on the details, but I have the impression
that organic certification by and large does work in Europe. Anyway,
there is no alternative to certification, however cumbersome, if we
want a market for organic produce. And there is a limit to locally
grown. Where I live there is no market for organic food, people
buy whatever is cheapest. While some of the urban centres, where
there is a market for organic food, don’t have enough hinterland
to produce it.
 
Dieter Brand
Portugal

TradingPostPaul <tradingpost@riseup.net> wrote:

Far as I'm concerned, locally means as close to home as possible, the
neighborhood or nearest settlement. Finding other local growers is good.
Quibbling over exact distance is arbitrary and pointless. Local AND
naturally grown is obviously better. Eating in season is more nutritious
generally, but also cheaper. Certified organic meat, eggs, and dairy are
expensive, and usually there's no way to know whether the animals are
humanely raised and really grass fed or free range.

Eliot Coleman has pointed out that certified organic does not involve any
testing whatsoever - that would be prohibitively expensive. It's all a
front end process.

Besides, you can't test for synthetic fertilizers. And the standards are so
watered down now that organic is almost meaningless. It's nothing but an
expensive paperwork trail, and I've read that no large or small producer
has ever had their certification pulled yet for cutting corners. And what
about imports? Trust Mexico to certify their organic tomatoes? And organic
anything from China or Honduras? Gimme a break!

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 6/28/2007 at 12:40 PM Kathy wrote:

>The Musts and Myths of Organic and Locally Grown
>Posted Tue, Jun 26, 2007, 10:01 am PDT
>POST A COMMENT »
>So you've been known to occasionally spend extra on organic milk, mosey
>over to the free-range meat section, and make an effort to support your
>local farms by buying berries from a roadside fruit stand. Still, I'm
>betting the farm that if you're confused about when to go local, when you
>should go organic, and when it's all just baloney, you're not alone.
>
>I reached out to two experts in the field for some solid answers. Joy
>Bauer, nutritionist extraordinaire, breaks down the musts and myths of
>organic and local, while Ryan Hardy, the fresh-market-obsessed chef at The
>Montagna in Aspen, provides five easy ways to include the best of both
>into our diets. I hope this helps you figure out the best ways to bring
>farm-fresh food closer to your home.
>
>WHAT IS LOCALLY GROWN?
>Locally grown means seasonal food from small farms. Some say it applies
>only to foods grown within a 100-mile radius; others stretch it to 250
>miles.
>
>MUSTS: Seasonal fruits, seasonal vegetables, milk and dairy. WHY? Local
>crops harvested at their peak of freshness and flavor offer superior
>nutrient density, and buying produce from local growers reduces the
>environmental impact and costs of transporting product.
>
>MYTHS: Local food is not necessarily organically grown. However, there is
>truth to many local farmers' claims that they do not use pesticides. WHY?
>They just can't advertise themselves as certified organic unless they've
>gone through the certification process, which is lengthy and expensive.
>
>WHAT'S ORGANIC?
>For plants, organic means grown on certified organic land without
>synthetic fertilizers or chemicals (like pesticides). Genetic modification
>and irradiation are also off-limits. For animals, organic means access to
>the outdoors, only organic feed for at least a year, and no antibiotics or
>growth hormones.
>
>MUSTS: Apples, cherries, grapes (especially if they're imported),
>nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, bell peppers,
>celery, potatoes, spinach, beef, poultry and dairy. WHY? Because these
>fruits and veggies have been found to contain the most pesticide residue,
>even after being washed, and organic meats and dairy (though much more
>expensive) reduce your exposure to toxins, including the one that causes
>mad cow disease.
>
>MYTHS You don't need to worry about buying these organic: bananas, kiwi,
>mangoes, papaya, pineapple, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower,
>corn, onion, sweet peas, and seafood. WHY? Because these fruits and
>veggies tend not to carry pesticide residue, and seafood has no USDA
>organic certification standards (so "organic seafood" doesn't mean much).
>
>Now that you've got the dirt on organic and local, check out Chef Ryan
>Hardy's 5 easy ways to bring the benefits of both to your table:
>
>1. Go to farmer's markets. The farmer's market may not always easily fit
>into your busy schedule, but taking 30 minutes to buy good foods for your
>family is worth the time.
>2. Demand it at your local store. Ask your local grocer to get in products
>you want -- be specific and follow up.
>3. Talk with local chefs who use local, organic ingredients. Chefs are
>notoriously picky about finding the right product. Ask about the
>ingredients they use.... You'll probably find out that most are easily
>obtainable.
>4. Buy what's in season. Food is at its cheapest when it's at its best --
>so take advantage and eat fresh fruits and vegetables when they're at
>their peak.
>5. Eat more greens. Farm-fresh salad greens are exciting additions to all
>kinds of dishes, not just salads. Try adding them to pasta, serving them
>under a steak, or simply sandwiching them with goat cheese between bread.
>
>
>Leave a comment
>28 Comments
>
>
>
>"Let food be thy medicine and
>let medicine be thy food"
>http://vanokat.wholefoodfarmacy.com/2005/ga_home.asp
>



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