Yes, we all eat organic animal, dairy and dirty dozen. I'm specifically concerned about early development in girls from hormones.

Yes.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Pretty much everything is organic. The meat is more expensive, especially the bison, but we source eggs from a farmer friend for only $3/dozen and just eat less meat which is better for you anyway.

We have an extensive garden so we control what goes onto and into it. Heirlooms and other varieties have enhanced flavor and nutrition. We also buy Rancho Gordo instead of Bob's Red Mill, for example. If we weren't able to do that, plenty of services and local food co-ops will ship. Foodocracy crates are fun, too.

It matters to us from a moral standpoint as well as health and environmental. We care how the animals live and are treated and that whoever we are buying from is paid fairly and not exposed to chemicals. I'm aware they still use some. There are many ways to do "organic" and netting fruit trees is different than spraying, organic certification approved or not.

Organic and grassfed beef and milk have more omega-3 in them and taste better. We can afford it and believe in the health benefits.

What’s wrong with Bob’s Red Mill? And I’m not sure how Rancho Gordo is a substitute for Bob’s - RG sells beans and a few other random items, I don’t think they sell oats, grains, baking flours, etc.

Yes. Pretty much everything is organic. The meat is more expensive, especially the bison, but we source eggs from a farmer friend for only $3/dozen and just eat less meat which is better for you anyway.

We have an extensive garden so we control what goes onto and into it. Heirlooms and other varieties have enhanced flavor and nutrition. We also buy Rancho Gordo instead of Bob's Red Mill, for example. If we weren't able to do that, plenty of services and local food co-ops will ship. Foodocracy crates are fun, too.

It matters to us from a moral standpoint as well as health and environmental. We care how the animals live and are treated and that whoever we are buying from is paid fairly and not exposed to chemicals. I'm aware they still use some. There are many ways to do "organic" and netting fruit trees is different than spraying, organic certification approved or not.

Organic and grassfed beef and milk have more omega-3 in them and taste better. We can afford it and believe in the health benefits.

I work with producers (mainly row crops (grains), and dairy producers) that have organic as well as conventional production methods. And indirectly work with poultry processors. I feed my kids organic when possible, but no one should feel guilty if they don't do organic, local, etc.

But just to clear up some common misconceptions. Organic farmers cannot use synthetic chemicals (like Roundup for weed control) or pesticides. So to battle weeds and pests, their first line of defense are practices that protect soil health--like diversity of cropping systems (they'll rotate many different types of crops) and integrated pest management (for example, introducing ladybugs to control other bugs). Many (but not all) will till the soil, which is not great for climate change as it releases soil carbon--though more are starting to experiment with no-till systems. Organic growers can use other substances. For example, when storing grain, they can't spray common chemical insect killers. They can use diatomaceous earth.

When it comes to animal protein, organic producers cannot administer antibiotics to their animals--if one gets sick, they have to remove it from the herd. Antibiotics are helpful for treating sick animals, but the widespread overuse of them in conventional animal operations is more about promoting superfast weight gain, and controlling disease in big CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations). Here is a good study on the difference in pesticide (and other residues) found in conventional milk vs organic. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6792142/

Organic practices also help protect farm workers, who are not exposed to the chemicals and antibiotics. Organic does not, unfortunately, have standards on things like fair worker pay.

For me, I prioritize organic dairy products, organic or local fruits/vegetables (the berries, apples etc mentioned upthread), and then grains/packed foods if I can. Buying local is good too, if you can. But these days, just getting veggies and whole foods on the table and into the kids is a triumph.

For meat and dairy, I try to go beyond organic. So I get pasture eggs, fully grass fed and finished organic beef, etc.

For most fruits, vegetables, and grains, I try for organic and non-GMO, priorities being berries, soft fleshed fruit and veg, oatmeal. The one vegetable I now do NOT buy organic is broccoli, unless it’s frozen. If we are getting homegrown vegetables from neighbors or buying local, I’m not too fussed about organic.

But I figure non organic fresh fruit or vegetables are healthier than organic processed food like Annie’s vegetable and fruit bars or whatever, so we mostly try to minimize overly processed foods and stick to recognizable foods rather than food products.

Anonymous wrote:I buy as much local and/or certified humane animal products as possible, because I'm not a fan of factory farming. Other than that, I don't give AF.

I generally avoid grass fed beef because it tastes gross.

To you, because you are used to grain-fed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We buy organic milk and we do buy pastured raised eggs but that’s it. I will only buy if I’m sale then. I don’t see the point of spending more money for organic if it’s not healthier. It doesn’t seem worth it to pay almost double in grocery bills for organic foods.

It’s the kind of thing that affects your health after long term exposure. You won’t know until you have cancer or something chronic.

This is not based on any real science. There is no research to back what you are saying. If there is, please link it.

No. They are way too expensive and I looked into it and according to many findings, they are sprayed with crap, that is just different, as in not regulated, as the other produce. Organic meat is also not that great, it is not pasture raised cow, it is same miserable cow with no space to move as the cheaper one. Now I do buy grass fed beef from Lidl as it is cheaper.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We buy organic milk and we do buy pastured raised eggs but that’s it. I will only buy if I’m sale then. I don’t see the point of spending more money for organic if it’s not healthier. It doesn’t seem worth it to pay almost double in grocery bills for organic foods.

It’s the kind of thing that affects your health after long term exposure. You won’t know until you have cancer or something chronic.

Yes I do. I had severe endometriosis. Switched to organic. They said there is no cure for endo, but seven years after my surgery I had no regrowth. My surgeon checked me and said it is extremely rare and unexpected. One theory is that it is caused by estrogen dominance, which is exacerbated by endocrine disrupting pesticides and hormones in our food.

There has been a recent rise in colon cancer among young people. Doctors suspect the reason is our food supply. I try to buy from local farmers who don’t spray, even organic pesticides. The best is to talk to people who grow food and find out what their approach is. We don’t spend money on other stuff but I feel that this is about health and the environment.

We buy organic eggs and milk to avoid antibiotic and hormone from animals, also organic rice to avoid chemical and organic corn and soy bean so it’s non gmo. Other things like vegetables and fruit we don’t buy organic, but we do wash them using veggie wash, and buy unbleached flour so there’s no bleach.

Anonymous wrote:I don't. I believe it's more of a marketing gimmick with no health benefits.

Tell that to the farmers covered in Round Up everyday. A gimmick, Jesus.

Yes, I only feed my kid and myself and my family organic - that’s the rule in our household and the regular stuff is the exception. If you can afford it, what do you have to lose? Just go to a yes organic market or whole food or a local organic store and shop there only. I’m in middle of CT and I still found an organic only store and our giant has some additions organic options too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do if it's equally convenient to get it. For meat, I am pretty nsistent on antibiotic free, hormone free stuff, not factory farmed.
For fruits and vegetables, there's a pretty well accepted list of the "dirty dozen" where organic makes more of a difference because the fruit is thin skinned and absorbs more chemicals.
For meat, organic is hard because the field on which they graze has to have been organic for a certain number of years--but the important thing is just to look for meat sources that don't feed their animals a lot of chemicals and antibiotics.
We quit organic milk in favor of local milk.

Are you under the impression that organic produce is grown without pesticides? Are you aware that common organic pesticides are just as dangerous (in high concentrations) as synthetic pesticides. Did you realize that chrysanthemum, from which pyrethrin is derived, is the same chemical that you get as a prescription lice treatment?

Wash your fruit.

I’ll take my chances with organic. Nothing is as dangerous as roundup type products on fruit and vegetables.