No More Excuses. Eat Organically.

Linda McNair

Being my first post, I figured it would be a good idea to tell you why Trent and I decided to embark on this organic adventure back in 2005. Most of our friends and family thought we were nuts. I guess that’s what happens when you’re unconventional!

Overabundance of Food. You can read more details about us on our website, but in short, we left full-time jobs in the high tech world to help families and schools eat healthier, support local organic farming and do our part in saving the planet.We are not people who sit on the sidelines. We want to be part of the solution. We hope you are inspired to do the same.

Full Disclosure: We still do our old jobs as consultants and enjoy working with our clients. As you can imagine, our passion for organics doesn’t pay the bills — yet. But, we believe that if you do what you love, eventually, the universe will provide.

HELP! I’m an Organic Newbie!

I know when Spring is in the air when I start getting asked about what to plant in the garden and why it should be done organically. I’ve answered these questions a lot over the years, in different ways, but have never taken the time to write things down. And now that I am, I realize that there are so many reasons, I simply don’t know where to begin. I also recognized that I had to dig deep because when I talk about it, I become very passionate – I stand up, wave my arms around while I’m talking, my voice rises in enthusiasm, and my eyes glisten. Where does this reaction come from?

After a lot of thought, I turned to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I’m sure you’re all familiar with it, but what Abraham Maslow studied (circa 1943) about humans is that we have very basic needs that must be met first before we can realize any needs higher up in the pyramid. In other words, we need to be able to breath, eat, drink, have a roof over our heads, sleep, avoid sickness and disease, create income, care for our families and pets before we can further develop friendships and intimacy with our loved ones or focus on personal achievements or self-actualization. Makes sense, right?

Eating organically is about fulfilling your very basic needs – eating well and staying healthy – for yourself and your family. And guess what? You’re helping the planet too, so you’re securing the safety of your children and grandchildren.

Teaching them why it’s important, and putting it into practice, will continue this legacy for generations to come.

You may think I’m a crazy hippie. Yes, maybe. But, I prefer to call myself a huppie – a combination of a yuppie and hippie – who would like to explain her point.

How bad is conventional produce?

The next time you serve any type of fruit or vegetable that is grown by an industrialized farm, spray it with bug repellant before you put it on the table.

You really think I’ve lost it, right? But, that’s what you’re putting into your body, and those of your friends and loved ones, when you buy conventional produce. If you grow your own, but spray your garden with pesticides to keep the bugs from eating your fabulous harvest before you do, you’re doing the same thing.

Now you’re thinking, conventional produce is the most practical way to eat. How bad can these pesticides possibly be? If you’re the analytical type, here are some stats for you, taken from one of my favorite organizations and websites, Sustainable Table (www.sustainabletable.org):

• According to the EPA, over 1 billion tons of pesticides are used in the U.S. every year to eliminate pests. These chemicals are known to damage the environment and human health.
• The American Association of Poison Control Centers estimates that in 2002, 69,000 children suffered from pesticide related poisoning or exposure to poisonous pesticides.
• According to the EPA, agricultural practices are responsible for 70% of all pollution in U.S. rivers and streams.
• Many operations consume water at an unsustainable rate, causing aquifer depletion and ground subsidence.
• Conventional produce is shipped an average of 1,500 miles before reaching consumers.

That’s right. In addition to poisoning our bodies and the soil, that poor tomato you’re eating has guzzled up an enormous amount of fossil fuels and power.

It was probably picked when it was green in Mexico or Chile, then flown in and put on a truck where it drove for hundreds of miles before getting to your grocery store. And who knows how long it’s been sitting there before you put it in your cart.

How good is organic produce?

Organic farmers are committed to growing food in a natural manner – free of pesticides – and harvesting it when the time is right. Our farming practices protect our land and water from being poisoned, which means we all have safe water to drink and nutrient-rich soil that continues to yield healthy produce to eat.

We’re less reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels because we sell our products to local stores, at our farm stands or farmers markets, or through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. When you buy our products, you are supporting your local economy. And when you eat our products, your taste buds will dance because the flavor is undeniably delicious.

With all of these benefits, why isn’t everyone eating organic food? The biggest excuse is that it’s too expensive. The reason for the cost is the economies of scale. At least 30% of our crops don’t make it to you. Nature does its thing, of course, and we let it. Organic farming is laborious. We plant crops seasonally and harvest them when it’s time. That means we watch over our crops every day, harvest every day, and deliver every day. Finally, the demand for organic produce isn’t big enough to push the prices down – yet.

Do you often you wonder why that piece of produce looks so perfect? Why it has that waxy coating? Why it can sit in your fruit bowl or refrigerator for what seems like forever? Conventional produce is cheaper because most of it isn’t spoiled due to pesticide spraying or genetic modification. It is harvested in large volumes all at once on a certain schedule – whether it is ready to eat or not. Most of the time, it is not ripened by nature, and therefore lacks its full nutrients and of course, taste. By the way, all of these pesticides depletes all of the nutrients in the soil, so yet another chemical is put into the earth – synthetic fertilizers. In order to continue to grow produce, the cycle of these chemicals continues year after year. The more national land we poison, the more dependent we become on buying from outside of our country.

How can I go organic — affordably?

With the economic issues we’re facing these days, it’s hard for me to sell the idea that investing in healthy food today will pay off in dividends tomorrow – for example, less health issues and medical expenses or a safer planet for ourselves, our kids and future generations. Families are trying to save precious cash.

If you want to make an affordable change now, buy conventional items that naturally protect themselves from absorbing most of the pesticides — bananas, melons and most citrus – and invest in those that cannot, such as organic apples, grapes, berries, pears, lettuce and tomatoes. The skins of these items are thin and easily absorb toxins that no amount of scrubbing or washing can remove. I really enjoyed this recent article on the Dr. Mom blog. Dr. Colleen Trombley-VanHoogstraat goes through her thought process when she’s grocery shopping and her advice is terrific.

Some of you might think we’re all doomed anyway, and there’s no way you can make a difference. Well you can in three very simple ways:

1. Buy fresh, buy local.
   It’s the mantra organic farmers have been chanting forever. Buy direct by going to your local farmers markets or through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in your area. Patronize restaurants that buy from local sources. Even chains like Fresh Choice are adopting local business practices because they realize the financial and community benefits
2. Buy organic at your grocery store.
   If your market doesn’t carry organic food, ask them why. If they do, check where it came from and if it’s packaged in yet another plastic container or it came in from anywhere outside of a 100-mile radius, ask why. That store is there to serve you, remember? Participate in what they are feeding you and your family.
3. Grow your own.
   It’s like a classic piece of clothing; it never goes out of style. Even David Rockefeller, who has created the amazing Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in New York (www.stonebarnscenter.org) states in their must-read report – “Taking Root: Five Seasons of Growth 2004-2008” – “An alternative food culture is emerging. There is an increasing interest in growing at least some of our own food.”

Involve The Next Generation

Handful of Healthy Food

As a parent of a six- and 13-year-old, I’m telling you from experience that you can get kids away from the computer, TV, iPod and gaming machine and involve them in the process.

I promise that they will at least try, if not eat, what they grow. Why? Because they’ll be proud and curious. And then the taste of fresh, organic produce will seal the deal.

Your next excuse is probably “I don’t have the time.” Here’s my advice: make your kids responsible for the garden – feed the dog, make your bed, and check the garden for stuff we can pick today.

If your final excuse is “I don’t know how to garden” or “I kill everything I grow,” here comes our plug.

Try My First Organics seed starting kits (www.myfirstorganics.com). For only $14.99, you have everything you need to begin your adventure on your windowsill. It takes 5 minutes to start, it’s a natural, interactive and fun activity that lasts for months, and you’ll save money!

How much? Well, I went to my local Safeway today and a pint of organic cherry tomatoes, about 36 of them, goes for $4.79. Each tomato plant, and you get 8 of them in our kit, produces hundreds of fruit. Your kit pays for itself after harvesting just one plant. Plus, you’ll enjoy several pickings throughout the season.

Tags: buy fresh, buy local, conventional produce, CSA, farmers market, fossil fuels, grow your own food, organic, organic growing, Organic Shopping, pesticides