Life Changes: Month 2
For the month of June, I am tackling a somewhat easy life changing step. We will begin to eat produce that has been grown/delivered in a more environmentally sound way. What does that entail exactly? We will be trying to eat as much organic and/or locally grown produce.
We have purchased a share from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, One Straw Farm. What exactly is a CSA? In a nutshell, consumers pay upfront for a set number of weeks of produce from a local farm. The farmers get the upfront costs and a reliable stream of customers; the consumers get a pretty good deal and know that they are supporting local farms. We are expecting our first shipment of locally-grown, organic produce next Thursday.
For us, we are sharing a share with some neighbors. For $270 we will get 4 portions of whatever is in harvest and it is locally grown. This will last for 24 weeks. It works out to about $10/week or $40/month on locally-grown, organic produce. We would be hard pressed to find similar deals in the local groceries or farmers markets. All we will need to do is go once a week to our pick up site and select the produce.
This program is not without risk however. You get strange foods which is great if you are adventurous. Not so great if you are not. I hear that the first month is almost exclusively greens. I am quite sure I have never eaten greens let alone cooked them. Thankfully our CSA provides recipes, cooking information, etc on their web site. After all, they have a vested interest in making this all work for us as well.
If you are interested in a CSA for next season, you can find directories for CSAs at the two links below.
http://www.localharvest.org/
http://www.wilson.edu/wilson/asp/content.asp?id=1567
We will also be supplementing our CSA with trips to the local farmers markets. For small trips, I can visit the market in my small town on Wednesdays. For larger trips, I prefer to go into Baltimore to the big farmers market on Sundays. Either way, I know that I am getting fresh produce, locally-grown.
I have found that the organic produce is more expensive at our markets. But if you ask most farmers about their pest management practices you will find that the majority try to keep things as simple and clean as possible. That elusive organic label tends to be very expensive to obtain and many farms just do not see the value in it. Once I find my favorite farm stands for the season, I tend to stick with them.
If you are interested in locating your local farmers market, you can find directories at the two links below.
http://farmersmarket.com/
http://www.localharvest.org/
Finally, I have a small, but ample, herb and vegetable garden in my backyard. I am growing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupes, and an assortment of herbs in my small plot. For the price of a few seeds, I have already begun to harvest my own organic, locally-grown produce direct. It is a rush to go out to our little yard and pluck a few lettuce leaves for a sandwich or some basil and oregano for sauce.
I have repeatedly mentioned buying organic produce. As I just stated, many farms may meet this label without actually having it. When the USDA implemented the organic program in 2002, farms earning a paltry $5,000 a year or more were told that to maintain their organic labeling they would have to pay high fees and fill out extensive paperwork each year. For many farms this was not a viable option. In addition, some farmers were required to create organic farm plans and then still wait 3 years before they could obtain the label organic, despite having been running an organic farm for years past. Because of this, talking to your local growers is paramount to ensuring that you get the best produce for the money, label or not. (http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704160360).
In addition to the organic label, consumers may be interested in knowing about the actual farming methods, seed preservation, what kind of wages are they paying their employees, and how far the food has traveled to get to your table.
A few interesting articles I stumbled upon are found below.
http://www.alternet.org/environment/140001/the_ugly_truth_behind_organic_food/
http://lainie.typepad.com/organic/organic_farmers/
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704160360
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/organic.html
Buying and eating organic produce will not solve all the world's ills. For the premium that you pay, you do not always get better foods. The organic label is not a guarantee for the produce to be better tasting, healthier, or better for the environment. Consumers need to be watchful, thoughtful, and more responsible in their shopping.
The Environmental Working Group has tested produce repeatedly over the years and has come up with a list of food that are better of buying organic and foods that are no different from their conventional counterparts. (http://foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf).
Worst Foods (Buy Organic)
Best Foods (Buy Conventional)
Peach
Onion
Apple
Avocado
Bell Pepper
Sweet Corn
Celery
Pineapple
Nectarine
Mango
Strawberries
Asparagus
Cherries
Sweet Peas
Kale
Kiwi
Lettuce
Cabbage
Grapes (Imported)
Eggplant
Carrot
Papaya
Pear
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potato
There are many ways that this simple step of taking responsibility for the produce I put on my table can be achieved. Hopefully by the end of the month, I will be well on my way to teaching my children what it means to be better stewards of the Earth.
We have purchased a share from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, One Straw Farm. What exactly is a CSA? In a nutshell, consumers pay upfront for a set number of weeks of produce from a local farm. The farmers get the upfront costs and a reliable stream of customers; the consumers get a pretty good deal and know that they are supporting local farms. We are expecting our first shipment of locally-grown, organic produce next Thursday.
For us, we are sharing a share with some neighbors. For $270 we will get 4 portions of whatever is in harvest and it is locally grown. This will last for 24 weeks. It works out to about $10/week or $40/month on locally-grown, organic produce. We would be hard pressed to find similar deals in the local groceries or farmers markets. All we will need to do is go once a week to our pick up site and select the produce.
This program is not without risk however. You get strange foods which is great if you are adventurous. Not so great if you are not. I hear that the first month is almost exclusively greens. I am quite sure I have never eaten greens let alone cooked them. Thankfully our CSA provides recipes, cooking information, etc on their web site. After all, they have a vested interest in making this all work for us as well.
If you are interested in a CSA for next season, you can find directories for CSAs at the two links below.
http://www.localharvest.org/
http://www.wilson.edu/wilson/asp/content.asp?id=1567
We will also be supplementing our CSA with trips to the local farmers markets. For small trips, I can visit the market in my small town on Wednesdays. For larger trips, I prefer to go into Baltimore to the big farmers market on Sundays. Either way, I know that I am getting fresh produce, locally-grown.
I have found that the organic produce is more expensive at our markets. But if you ask most farmers about their pest management practices you will find that the majority try to keep things as simple and clean as possible. That elusive organic label tends to be very expensive to obtain and many farms just do not see the value in it. Once I find my favorite farm stands for the season, I tend to stick with them.
If you are interested in locating your local farmers market, you can find directories at the two links below.
http://farmersmarket.com/
http://www.localharvest.org/
Finally, I have a small, but ample, herb and vegetable garden in my backyard. I am growing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupes, and an assortment of herbs in my small plot. For the price of a few seeds, I have already begun to harvest my own organic, locally-grown produce direct. It is a rush to go out to our little yard and pluck a few lettuce leaves for a sandwich or some basil and oregano for sauce.
I have repeatedly mentioned buying organic produce. As I just stated, many farms may meet this label without actually having it. When the USDA implemented the organic program in 2002, farms earning a paltry $5,000 a year or more were told that to maintain their organic labeling they would have to pay high fees and fill out extensive paperwork each year. For many farms this was not a viable option. In addition, some farmers were required to create organic farm plans and then still wait 3 years before they could obtain the label organic, despite having been running an organic farm for years past. Because of this, talking to your local growers is paramount to ensuring that you get the best produce for the money, label or not. (http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704160360).
In addition to the organic label, consumers may be interested in knowing about the actual farming methods, seed preservation, what kind of wages are they paying their employees, and how far the food has traveled to get to your table.
A few interesting articles I stumbled upon are found below.
http://www.alternet.org/environment/140001/the_ugly_truth_behind_organic_food/
http://lainie.typepad.com/organic/organic_farmers/
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007704160360
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/organic.html
Buying and eating organic produce will not solve all the world's ills. For the premium that you pay, you do not always get better foods. The organic label is not a guarantee for the produce to be better tasting, healthier, or better for the environment. Consumers need to be watchful, thoughtful, and more responsible in their shopping.
The Environmental Working Group has tested produce repeatedly over the years and has come up with a list of food that are better of buying organic and foods that are no different from their conventional counterparts. (http://foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf).
Worst Foods (Buy Organic)
Best Foods (Buy Conventional)
Peach
Onion
Apple
Avocado
Bell Pepper
Sweet Corn
Celery
Pineapple
Nectarine
Mango
Strawberries
Asparagus
Cherries
Sweet Peas
Kale
Kiwi
Lettuce
Cabbage
Grapes (Imported)
Eggplant
Carrot
Papaya
Pear
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potato
There are many ways that this simple step of taking responsibility for the produce I put on my table can be achieved. Hopefully by the end of the month, I will be well on my way to teaching my children what it means to be better stewards of the Earth.