Behind The Organic Label

My dad always used to be very sniffy when it came to Organic food, “they just throw a bit of dirt on it and jack up the price,” he’d mutter as he tucked into a large pork pie. My dad also says (albeit with a smidge of humor,) that vegetables are horribly overrated and for the most part, extremely unpleasant to eat. Moreover, he’s a chocoholic and in remarkably good health at the tender age of 85! As you may guess, I’m a huge advocate of Organic food and did have to explain to my lovely cynical father, that there’s more to “organic” than the label. So what does it actually mean? We all know the obvious – that’s it’s grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides – given the recent study, which showed a connection between ADHD and pesticides – that is a very good thing. Organic also means that:

1. The farmer must not use any genetically modified seesds

2. Must not use sewage sludge

3. Must not use radiation

Assuming that a farmer has a third party USDA certification inspector, who holds him accountable to these rules, I’ll pay the extra for sure! I’m very happy to know that my strawberries weren’t fertilized with “biosolids” AKA recycled human poop! I’d rather my food wasn’t blasted with irradiation, which can destroy valuable nutrients, and because the long term effects of GMO foods on human health haven’t been studied, I try to avoid them.

This is not to say that many small scale farmers who don’t have the USDA organic certification, are to be avoided. On the contrary, if you can find a good farmer’s market and get to know a producer well – even ask if you can come and visit the farm, you might be in really good hands. The “organic” certification is very expensive and many small farmers, who have excellent growing practices, just can’t afford it. Ask if they use a pesticide spray at any time during the growing season, and what they fertilize their crops with. Any farmer with good practices will be more than happy to answer your questions and many will wax lyrical about what they do. I always ask if I can come and visit (even if I don’t intend to,) as if I notice any reticence, a little red flag goes up.

Another warning sign is seeing a stall with fruits and veggies that are not in season. You’re much better off at the stall which has a small offering of odd-shaped fruits and veggies. If you’ve ever grown produce, you’ll know that they rarely come out looking perfect.

The best thing you can do all the way around, is get to know or at least understand where your food comes from. Closer to home is obviously the way to go, as the sooner you eat it after it’s picked, the more nutrients it will contain.

If you can’t find the organic produce you want, consider buying frozen organic fruits and veggies. I make smoothies every morning and can only find really great organic berries for about 2 months of the year, so I buy frozen organic blueberries and strawberries to throw in the blender.

Remember the top 10 produce items to buy organic should be: Strawberries, peaches, nectarines, pears, apples, celery, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, spinach, and lettuce.

When I find a small farmer I like, I never begrudge the extra few pennies that I may have to pay. If you’ve ever spent time on a small organic farm and you get to see the back-breaking work involved and that most farmers barely break even, you’ll want to support them in every way you can for helping you to eat a healthier diet.

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