Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Our take on local and organic food

The Doctor and I are not against eating organic but we would like to share a little about how we feel about the issue. We are most certainly not organic eaters or even completely local eaters. We are striving to get to the point where we can live off and with the land. It is a long process to learn how to farm.

In the past people were taught by their parents (who had been taught by their parents and so forth) and usually the family farm, with equipment, was passed down. Now a days you not only have to learn it all but you also need the finances to be able to afford to purchase the land, equipment and have the time (which=$) to be able to learn and work with the land.

We enjoy what we do and think that is extremely important for our son and our community to live with the land. We are learning as we go with lots of help from others and hope to be able to share with our community along the way.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding on organic:

1.We personally know someone who paid to get their organic certification without really being organic...I'm sure this is not the only time this has happened.
2. Organic doesn't not equal healthy, corn-free, and does not mean WITHOUT pesticides or fungicides, but rather without SYNTHETIC fungicides or pesticides.
3. Even if you talk with someone at the farmers market and they tell you they are organic that doesn't mean that they are being truthful. Yes this is sad, but it is the reality we all have to deal with.

I recently read this article from one of the blogs I follow and think its important to share:
Root Simple: A Raw Deal: Photo from Aajonus Vonderplanitz's website http://unhealthyfamilyfarm.com/ of eggs at Healthy Family Farms in Hohberg Poultry Ranch box...

We feel growing our own food and purchasing things from farmers we know and have visited the farm is the best option out there. This of course is not possible for everyone so organic is a good option to have on the table. I think what everyone should take out of this is to educate yourself about healthy eating habits and what is going on in the world and not just believe the first thing you hear or read.

We struggle on a tight budget every month and understand how hard it can be to pay the expensive price of local or organic food even knowing that it is so so worth it. The time and energy good farmers put in deserves a reward and a pay check. I struggle every time I cannot buy local...sometimes providing a roof over your kids head is more important.

We are trying to make a lifestyle change, it will take a long time and will be a life time goal. We hope to change our lives, our sons life and change our community or at least provide a different perspective.

Don't forget to enter our first giveaway, an assortment of seeds! All you have to do is take a guess at what our mistake was. :)

2 comments:

becky3086 said...

I think this was a very good post. I tend to think buying local is more important than buying organic but I can't buy local all the time. I do try to buy something local at least once a week. I think that still helps.

Stoney Acres said...

Great post!! I tend to agree with you. When we can afford it we buy organic, but if there is a choice between local (but not organic) and organic, we always choose the local product. We feel that it is super important for us to support local growers and keep some farms happy and making money even in the city (or at least the suburbs).

One nice thing about having a big garden is that we really don't buy a lot of produce at the store. Other than bananas and a few carrots we really don't buy much.

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