Certified Organic: The Best Choice Today for a Better Tomorrow
By Lee M. Leffler, The Newsletter Gal (www.newslettergal.com)
Published in Everybody’s News, September 1997, pages 5-6, Fairfield, Iowa.
Revised and Updated June 2009.
Organic food means more than just food grown in harmony with nature, without chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. When you buy organic food, you’re also voting for the health of the earth and the people.
Why do people buy organic food? A sampling of shoppers at Everybody’s Whole Foods Store (Fairfield, Iowa) and farmers at the Fairfield Farmer’s Market (on the Fairfield Town Square) revealed that people who buy organic food care about the quality of their food. They want tasty, nutritious food, free of potentially hazardous residues from pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. They enjoy the better taste, texture and nutrition of organic food, and want to avoid the potential hazards of genetically engineered foods.
No Chemicals
Lugging bags full of fresh organic broccoli, green beans, parsley, cilantro, and tomatoes through Everybody’s checkout, Elinor Hall said, “I don’t want the pesticides poisoning my body. These chemicals aren’t natural. Why would I want to put anything in my body that wasn’t natural when I have a choice?”
Bob Blankenship, buying bread at Everybody’s, said he buys organic food because he is concerned about cancer-causing elements in the environment, including in his diet. He had just read how much cancer rates have increased since 1959 (25% of people could expect to get cancer in 1959—now the expectation is 40%).
Better Flavor
Many consumers report that organic food tastes better.
Several people who ate strawberries from Everybody’s Whole Foods Store this spring reported that they were plump, ripe, sweet and delicious. Jeff Aaron says he is disgusted with non-organic strawberries from the regular supermarket that are “grown more for the visual aesthetics than the taste. They taste terrible—as bitter as grapefruit.”
When the Noodle House restaurant started serving organic vegetables this winter, Wendy Higgins began relishing the spinach won-ton soup with tofu filling. “It is so delicious and so simple. Organic vegetables have so much more life and more flavor.” Many customers noted that the soup made with organic spinach was much tastier and fresher than the non-organic version.
Better Texture
Shoppers found organic produce to have a better texture, too. “Organic tomatoes are not like those baseball tomatoes they have in regular stores that are crunchy and hard,” said Bob Blankenship.
A shopper who did not wish to remain anonymous said he bought non-organic apples from another store, and then tried the organic apples at Everybody’s Whole Foods Store. “The organic apples are so much tastier and crisper. There is just no comparison. And the price was only a few cents more per pound.”
Better Nutrition
Organic food tends to have more nutrients than chemically-produced food.
Mary Clark drives from Ottumwa to Fairfield to buy organic food. She has even studied organic food. “Organic food has more minerals, more vitamins. The fiber is more filling,” she said.
“Fruits and vegetables, particularly those that are organically grown, are high in vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols, and are low in calories,” according to Robert Crayhon in his book Robert Crayhon’s Nutrition Made Simple: A Comprehensive Guide to the Latest Findings in Optimal Nutrition
Chemical farming usually allows the soil to be depleted of nutrients and trace minerals. The crops are fed chemical fertilizers that add no organic matter back to the soil.
Organic farming involves enriching the soil with natural fertilizers, such as manure. At the farmer’s market on the Fairfield square, organic farmer Diana Runyan said her family keeps “happy hens” as composting machines. The hens eat kitchen scraps and their composted manure is spread on the fields.
The Runyan’s Jersey cow, Rachel, also contributes fertilizer. The cow was named after Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
Mary Jo Carter from Carter Farm, who also sells her vegetables at the farmer’s market, thinks of sheep manure as “gold” because it’s so valuable on her farm.
Mary says organic farmers often rotate crops. “Corn takes a lot out of soil, so planting beans the next year helps restore balance.”
Bill and Diana Runyan will not grow tomatoes in the same place each year.
“Next year, we’ll plant squash in that spot,” said Diana. “This also helps prevent pests from getting a foothold because you keep them moving.”
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No Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering was mentioned by shoppers as one of the main reasons to buy organic food. The concerns over genetic engineering include the possibilities of unknown toxins, allergens and side effects from directly altering genetic code, as well as moral objections to tampering with nature’s integrity. More information is available at the Friend of the Earth website.
Accompanying 13-month-old Avery Mullenneaux to buy organic ice cream was his father, Matt. “It’s very important to buy all organic food and not genetically engineered food,” said Matt. Avery shouted from his stroller, and Matt said “He’s an organic boy.”
The National Organic Standards for organic foods do not allow the use of genetically engineered seeds or products.
Chip Hoyt, eating at nearby Hykie’s Falafil, said, “I try to buy organic food because it’s not genetically engineered. If you have a choice, I think organic food is a good idea.” Hykie’s Falafil serves some organic food.
Nancy and Stephen Black insist on organic food for themselves and their son Keenan. Their daughter died, possibly as a result of a vaccination. They do no want to take the chance of eating genetically engineered food when the risks are unknown. “At some point, you’d think people would learn that we have done too much against nature already,” said Nancy.
Price—An Issue or Non-issue
Organic food may cost more. At the Farmer’s Market, the price of organic produce is reasonable because the food is in season and locally grown.
Buying in bulk from places like the Better Yet Food Co-op in Fairfield can help with the price as well. Easter’s and Hy-vee both carry a selection of organic produce and packaged foods. And Everybody’s Whole Food Store has a wide variety of organic produce, with good prices on most organic produce that is in season. Buying produce in season, of course, helps with both price and quality.
For Elinor Hall, price is not an issue. “I used to think organic food was prohibitively expensive, but I decided that what we put in our bodies is more important than how much is costs. It turns out that here at Everybody’s, organic food doesn’t cost much more. Sometimes it’s even cheaper … Once I developed the mindset that there was nothing more important than putting food a pure as possible into our bodies, then the price really wasn’t an issue.”
The restaurant at Everybody’s offers reasonably priced, mostly-organic buffets. The Noodle House has not raised its prices since adding organic vegetables and tofu to its menu. Other restaurants in Fairfield are gradually adding more organic foods in response to local concern over genetic engineering, and the prices have remained stable. The buffet cafeteria at the Maharishi University of Management campus is 100% organic.
Rachel Wendell, a diner at Hykie’s Falafil, said “I think that everything should be organic, but it’s not. Organic food can be expensive. I buy (non-organic) food at the regular grocery store and I wash it very, very well, and I always eat fresh food. That’s the best I can do.”
Organic food tends to cost more in part because, according to certified organic farmer Mary Jo Carter, “it takes more time.” She puts extra effort into preventing pest and weed problems. For example, she gives her plants a strong start by carefully cultivating the soil with composted organic matter before planting.
Doug Phillips, an organic farmer at the farmer’s market, nurtures the crops. “We weed, lay munch with straw or grass clippings. That adds food to the soil and handles the weed,” said Phillips. His truck reads “Live to Grow—Grow to Live.” Phillips said pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilizers “aren’t necessary. Growing food without chemicals is pretty straightforward and has been done for hundreds and hundreds of years and it works.”
What’s in a Label?
Everybody’s Whole Food Store carries thousands of organic products, including organic coffee, baby food, condiments, bread, pizza, fresh and frozen produce, frozen poultry, cereal, tea, juice, tofu, non-dairy cheese, non-meat hot dogs and just about everything else. Carefully check the labels to be sure.
Learn to read labels. Not all foods in a whole food market are organic. The label should say “certified organic” or “USDA Organic.” Read the ingredients. Any ingredient that has the word “organic” in front is organic, and any ingredient without that word is probably not organic. The ingredients are listed in order of prominence: there is more of the first ingredient listed than the next one listed.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented the National Organic Standards in 2002. These standards were developed by farmers, the food industry and the US government. Certified USDA Organic foods are grown and processed without synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, most conventional pesticides, genetic engineering, or ionizing radiation. Animal products are made without antibiotics and growth hormones, processed without radiation, and the animals are fed only organic products.
The best USDA Certified Organic foods are either completely organic or 95% organic. The USDA seal can be applied to single-ingredient foods, such as a vegetable or fruit. Processed products, such as cereal and other packaged foods, can be “100% Organic,” meaning that all the ingredients are organic (except certain very basic ingredients that cannot be organic, like water and salt). “Organic Cereal” means that 95% to 100% of the ingredients are organic.
Secondary are products that contain organic ingredients. Be careful. While a packaged food may have organic ingredients, the non-organic ingredients may be on the lists of foods that contain high pesticide residues or most likely to be genetically modified.
“Natural” does not mean organic. Neither does “pure” or “100% juice.”
Maharishi Ayur-Ved teas are wildcrafted, meaning they are made from wildly growing plants that have not been sprayed with pesticides. This is not on the label. Many food companies offer such information through their toll-free phone numbers or on their websites.
Food that is not certified organic is not guaranteed to be organic. If food is not certified, you have to trust the food growers and processors to tell you the truth.
In the produce department at Everybody’s Whole Foods Store, non-organic vegetables are placed in a special section near the entrance. The rest of the produce, about 90% of it, is labeled organic.
A wide variety of milk, yogurt, ice cream and cheese is available at Everybody’s Whole Foods Store, and most is labeled organic. If genetic engineering is a concern, avoid brands that may contain milk from cows injected with Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). BGH is genetically engineered. A helpful list is posted next to the big dairy cooler near the produce section. Several bulletin boards on genetic engineering are located at the ends of the aisles near the freezers.
If you cannot find something you need, just ask. “We actively solicit suggestions,” said Everybody’s Whole Foods Store co-owner John Day. A well-attended suggestion box is near the bulk foods.
Better Food for a Better World
Talk to an organic farmer about their work and you will learn why they feel good about it.
“I just love what I’m doing,” said Mary Jo Carter, giving tastes of freshly-picked snow peas to passers-by. She makes sure her seeds are not genetically engineered, and even takes an interest in “heirloom” seeds. Heirloom seeds are strains that have been grown for many years. “They are genetically ideal. No need to mess with them,” she says.
Some tomatoes have been genetically engineered to ripen more slowly and withstand long voyages, so we can have year-round tomatoes. Mary says, “I can see the desire for tomatoes all year … but I think more people are looking for taste, quality, and freshness, rather than something that will last on the shelf for a long time.”
Diana Runyan from the Fairfield farmer’s market says, “We came here to live a life in balance with nature. To us, organic farming is the smart, sensible thing to do. The closer to nature you get, the more it has to teach you.” Farming allowed Diana and her husband, Bill, to stay at home and home-school their four daughters. “We’re farming organically so we can teach it to our children. That way, the knowledge isn’t lost.”
Organic food is the fastest-growing segment of the food market. Before the massive shift to chemical farming after World War II, organic food had sustained people for eons. Organic food will be around as long as people want a healthier alternative to chemical farming. And when chemical- and genetically engineered-based farming has ended, organic food will simply be known as food—the sustainer of all life.
Keeping Organic Produce Fresh
Organic produce is not preserved with fungicides and wax, so use these tips to help keep your organic produce fresher longer:
- Many vegetables, especially broccoli and zucchini, do not keep well in plastic bags. Place a paper towel on the bottom of the vegetable crisper or drawer in your refrigerator and put fresh produce on top of the paper towel. Clean the drawer once a week.
- Dry everything before refrigerating. Shake dry or pat with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. If vegetables lay flat on top of each other, and if they are moist, they may rot rapidly.
- Asparagus will only last a day or two in plastic, then it will get a “fishy” spoiled smell. To keep it fresh, cut or break off part of the woody ends (be sure not to break off the succulent buds). Stand the asparagus up in a jar of water and place in the refrigerator. If you wish, you can bunch the asparagus together loosely with elastic bands and cover the tips and stems with a square of waxed paper. Use an elastic band to hold the waxed paper in place.
- Cilantro and parsley is kept fresh by cutting off the bottom of the stems, standing the herb in a jar of water, and wrapping in a paper towel. Place in refrigerator.
Thanks to Janet Harvey for these tips.
