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We have had numerous discussions about grocery shopping and how you go about it especially when you’re living on a budget but after watching The Future of Food on Hulu (highly recommended just be aware that it’s 1:28 long), Kim has suggested that we go the full way into organic shopping and give up the unhealthy options available elsewhere. Being that I know several of you are into CSAs (like we experimented with last summer) and several others shop at local co-ops and farmer’s markets, I am looking for a discussion about how you would go about shopping if you were going to go 100% organic.
The documentary available on Hulu above describes (one-sided) about the dangers and atrocities that genetically engineered vegetables can and have caused the world. After explaining that it may be the cause of the rise in food allergies in children and alleges that it may be the cause of homelessness and hunger for the ~800 million people who go hungry every day world-wide, it goes on to suggest that switching to organic and sustainable agriculture is one of the best ways that Americans can fight the problem in the United States.
While I have read several books on the topic and plan to read at least two more in the coming weeks (after a suggestion last night by reader Sandy), Kim has only read The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating which sits on our bookshelf at home. The documentary has opened her eyes and she has agreed to up the budget and work in some items we would need to purchase in order to make this sort of thing work. We plan on clearing out room in the garage and adding a chest freezer so that we can buy organic, grass-fed meats in bulk and save ourselves from the dangers inherent in eating mass-farmed meats available at rock-bottom prices at the local stores. I also plan on scouring the farmer’s markets and utilizing local co-ops to get the rest of our shopping done as well as supplementing it with our own homegrown produce–to the best of our ability and small available space. With that in mind, I am still fuzzy on where else I can look for ideas without going with a CSA as I didn’t feel my money was well spent last summer.
So, what would you do to get going on this plan? What stores do you most often frequent? What farms do you suggest for bulk meats like pork, chicken, and beef? Do you have any vegetable canning or freezing suggestions that you use in your own home to get you through the winter seasons? Go ahead and feel free to offer your suggestions. I really am looking for any and all tips and I’m sure others would be quite interested as well.
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April 28th, 2009 at 7:32 am
We’ve done a lot of gardening in the last several years. While I like the organic aspect, I’ve done it more because I like the process of gardening, and I enjoy growing my own food when it can provide more variety at a lower price than you can get at the grocery store, farmers market, or co-op.
The first year I gardened, I wanted to grow some of everything. I planted okra, potatoes, onions, corn, squash, etc. I realized I really don’t like okra, the ants infested the corn, and I now think that onions and potatoes are already so cheap and easy to get in the grocery store, there’s no reason to grow my own. Now I focus more on growing the foods I really want to eat or cook with, which would be difficult to get otherwise.
I grow a lot of herbs. I can make any kind of fresh pesto and freeze it to last all year. If I were to buy enough basil to do this at the co-op, it would be extremely expensive.
I also order seeds from organizations like Seeds of Change or SeedSaver’s Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. SeedSaver’s collects seeds from gardeners and farmers around the world, and grows these regularly to sell to fellow gardeners. I would be interested in reading the books you mentioned, but I really don’t have a problem with GM crops in that they allow many people in poorer countries to eat well and nutritionally. I do, however, have a problem with agricultural monoculture. It’s dangerous in that it makes our food supply vulnerable to disease. For example, the potato famine hit Ireland so hard because they were mostly growing just one variety of potato. Similarly, there’s a fungus that is destroying the banana we all know, which is the only variety that ships well. So eventually they’ll need to find or design a better banana, or we won’t be able to get them here any more. By growing heirloom varieties, I can, in my own way, support biodiversity.
On a more personal level, I enjoy 6 different kinds of tomatoes, of all colors and sizes, every summer. I can grow my own habaneros and make my own hot sauce and salsa, grow eastern European and Italian sweet red peppers that are meant to be roasted, and last year I discovered little colorful peppers from Africa that are medium-spicy and very flavorful. This year I’m experimenting with 4 different kinds of garlic. I tried this before, and we had garlic taste tests – made 4 different kinds of garlic butter, spread it on a baguette, and tasted the differences.
So, gardening is a lot of fun. I want to hear how your experiment goes. I always meant to take that next step and become a member of the Mississippi Market coop, and thought that it would be so convenient, healthy, and fairly inexpensive to buy organic meat in bulk (like a 1/4 cow or something), freeze it, and have it on hand when you want it.
Good luck, and have fun!
April 28th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Bill, I will be the first to confess that this type of lifestyle is lightyears from where I am at. However my wife and I have slowly moved to eating healthier, and mixing in some organic foods as we go.
A book you may want to pick up is Animal, Vegtable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. While her and her family took what you are doing to a bit more extreme level, they had a nearly identical goal to what you are trying to do. She is one of my wifes favorite authors.
http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Vegetable-Miracle-Year-Food/dp/0060852569/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1240926606&sr=8-1
April 28th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Chad,
Thanks for the suggestion. I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle last year and that was what spurred me to do a CSA last year. In addition to that both Kim and I recently read Jackie Clay’s Starting Over Chronicles of a Self-Reliant Woman which is about a woman who homesteads in Northern MN and lives nearly 100% off-grid (well water, no electricity aside from generator power, etc).
While Clay’s book isn’t the best read ever, it was interesting to peer into the life of someone who works so very hard at doing everything for themselves in Minnesota–something very similar to AVM but closer to home.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:39 am
We split a half a cow from our CSA (harmony valley) last fall and have enjoyed it so far, but looking forward to grilling more this summer. I’d definitely do it again, and hopefully get a pig next time as well.
Good luck with this. We’ve definitely increased our local and organic purchases over the last few years, but still give in to the occasional cravings of non-healthy junk and convenience foods.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Around here, we eat lots of organic stuff, but I worry less about “organic” than about sustainable farming and humane treatment of the animals I snarf down. I do a lot of our grocery shopping at Valley Natural Foods, and I particularly love the chicken and meat from Prairie Pride farm in Mankato. They are represented at the local farmer’s market (Burnsville, if I remember correctly) in the summer, too.
I’m going to watch The Future of Foods as soon as I have an hour and 28 minutes! Have you seen King Corn? Another informative one about our country’s food system and its dependence on corn that is so modified that it’s barely even food.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I really can’t be a locavore as long I live in Minnesota; the majority of what I like to eat and drink isn’t grown here. :)
April 28th, 2009 at 9:56 am
We have tried to make major changes to be more healthy in what my family eats. Since we have two small kids, we felt that meat and veggies would be the most important place to start. For the past year and a half we have been buying 1/2 cow from Moonstone Farms in Montevideo, MN (http://www.prairiefare.com/moonstone/).
The beef from this particular farm in Western Minnesota is described below. It is also only $2.10 per lb. (plus the processing of about $.75/lb). Minnesota has many other farms that offer the same or similar beef options. They also provide beef to Bryant-Lake Bowl in the cities if you ever wanted to try it out for yourself. I will be the first to tell you that is does take a little getting used to, the grass-fed beef, but once you adjust, it is hard to eat anything other. The ground beef is so lean that no draining is required for making things like spaghetti or tacos. We have also learned that the beef is much better tasting if you order it in late Summer/early Fall rather than Spring. Not only do we feel it is better for us, it is also a great way to purchase beef for much less than the processed crap at your local store. T-Bones and Ribeyes for about $3/lb.
“Moonstone grass-fed beef is raised for you on 100% grass and hay without pesticides, antibiotics, hormones or genetic engineering. We are committed to land stewardship, contented livestock, clean water and wholesome, healthy food. We are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and certified by Food Alliance Midwest. Among the goals that serve as our guide to decision making is that we will take a lesson from the great prairies that preceded European immigration to western Minnesota. Our 240 acres now support continuous living cover in the form of grazing and hay acres, 40 planted acres of 42 woody species, woods and water. We are students and teachers of holistic management, permaculture design, and sustainable community. We are slowly and continually learning what is required of us to live well in this place, while leaving it in even better condition than when we arrived.”
April 28th, 2009 at 10:40 am
We purchase a cow each year from a local farmer in Iowa, near where my parents live, and split it with three families. I dont know much about what is good and bad, or what time of year, but I found what Tim W said above very interesting.
This last year we purchased a Holstein instead of whatever we normally buy, and the steak was far more tender and flavorful. I dont know if this was due to the breed, or possibly the time of year or something.
April 28th, 2009 at 11:39 am
when you tack on the label ‘organic’, plan on paying more at the register than non organic.
bb
April 28th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
There is a difference between local grown and organic but sometimes they are one in the same. If you don’t care what farm specifically the choices are vast. Smaller farms are more willing to work with people about buying specific products in bulk. Though there are certainly large ones that are nice. Buying half a cow or a whole cow is a great way to make meat last a long time. The best thing to do is to get a large chest freezer for all your produce.
I am not personally big into the organic/grown locally food thing but I know a lot of people who are. I even know some organic farmers. (Dairy, Chicken and Eggs, Pork, Apples) They belong to a group called Grown Locally. (It’s located in NE Iowa) You can buy weekly or biweekly deliveries to your home of whatever is fresh and it comes with recipes. (Which is good for the random vegetables I’ve never heard of.) I don’t know if there is a similar group in the south metro but it’s entirely possible. I should search around…
April 28th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Until they find a way to make organic Coca Cola, count me OUT! ;)
April 28th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Pepsi has a “natural” soda. ;-)
April 28th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Wow, what a lot of good information. We are not all organic and our excuse has been money; however, Michael Pollen says “eat less, of better quality.” This is supposed to be more nutritious as well as more satisfying, so maybe we will finish converting this summer. Our family eats next to no processed (industrial) food and some organics already; the last bit would be switching to the grass-fed animals and going completely organic.
The King Corn book sounds interesting – Omnivore’s Dilemma is very revealing about the corn thing, as well. Monoculture is really not doing anyone a service, especially the soil. Add to that the fact that the taxpayers pay subsidies to corn farmers so that ADM and Cargill can buy their corn at rock-bottom prices – this translates into us just giving our money to these companies.
There is no rational health-related argument for eating industrial meat and processed crap food. Corn-fed beef is sick cow that is way too high in Omega 6 EFAs. They put the cows on growth hormones so that they can hurry up and butcher them before they die of being fed an unnatural diet. Where do these hormones go??? They don’t just disappear after butchering (or milking). Look at some home movies from the sixties and seventies – the teenage girls are mostly very slim and flat-chested; it makes me realize that we are EATING the growth hormones. Very sobering.
April 28th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Not exactly the same topic, but still interesting:
http://snipurl.com/gy8lc
April 28th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Be careful when using media of the past to compare with what people look like today. A lot of what is visible in yesterdays and todays media is simply driven by what advertisers find sell product, driven by the current generations ideal. There aren’t really that many women as you think that have a naturally large chest.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I’m a grad student (and thus, insanely poor) and I get by shopping at co-ops about 95% of the time. These things are key for me:
Get produce in the bulk bags when possible: apples, oranges, carrots, onions, etc. It is usually around $1/lb in these bags
Check out the seasonal coupon books at the co-op (current one is April-May) and check out which coupons coincide with the monthly deals. For example, this month organic moon ravioli were on sale for $2.50 and there was a coupon in that book for $.50 off. $2 isn’t bad for a meal for two.
Whenever something you eat a lot of is on sale, go crazy and buy a lot of it. For example, Muir Glen’s pasta sauce was on a sale a couple months ago for $2 less than regular price so I bought about a dozen of them. I did the same with salad dressing.
Make your own bread (best book ever: http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Reinharts-Whole-Grain-Breads/dp/1580087590)
Buy a blue sky guide (I bought 3). There are a lot of great coupons in there and you can usually get the book for $15. There is a coupon for at least $5 off at each of the area co-ops so you can make it back quickly.
Eat more yams…mostly because they’re cheap and delicious.
Start making your own food if you already don’t. Packaged food is just expensive…although I do eat a lot of those packaged Indian food with some bulk quinoa.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Very interesting posts! I have to admit that I am an organic ignoramous.
Has anyone considered eating less meat? I’m not a vegetarian and I am definitely not anywhere near as knowledgeable on this subject as the other folks here, but could we (and the planet) maybe be a little healthier if we didn’t eat half a cow? I sometimes wonder how we will feed the planet if the world population really hits nine billion or so as projected. Organic farming sounds very cool, but is it feasible to feed nine billion folks that way??
April 28th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
John, that’s just it — no, it’s not feasible. Organic farming doesn’t scale too well; when done on a large scale, you not only have the problems of the lower (not always, but on average) crop yields per area farmed, but also the environmental impacts parallel those of conventional farming. Not to mention that modern population densities and distributions in some areas make this unfeasible as well.
That is not to say that there aren’t some great ideas in this thread, though. I personally won’t go organic for moral reasons, but there are nonetheless some big issues with some modern food production methods, and I’m all for trying to source food locally whenever it’s doable (if only someone could genetically modify coffee so that it could grow here…). Plus, growing your own vegetables and buying meat in bulk for freezing is very cost-effective.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Oh, and your point about eating less meat is a good one as well. There’s nothing wrong with eating meat per se, but it plays a larger role in most people’s diets (in the U.S., at least) than it should. Were I to change my mind and go organic, I would likely go vegetarian for the most part.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Kudos, please buy all the organic products you can to support the organic farms out there.. My partent’s farm is 100% organic which is about 3000 acres in Northern Minnesota.. Living in Fertile, MN you don’t have a chance to get the organic products like you do down in the cities, so i loved reading your plan about how to buy more organic food. Feel free to buy all the organic blue corn chips you can, you might just be eating some of the organic blue corn we grew on the Todahl Farm!
April 28th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
While I can’t say I’ve gone 100% organic, I have been trying to get more organic items at shopping time. I’ve switched to Horizon Farms milk, which is nice, because regular milk used to not agree with me at all. Also, I try and get organic produce when possible, even chips, yup, good old organic blue corn chips. – I still stick with my Egg Beaters and Gold’n'Plump chicken as trying to eat healthier.
The thing is, if you are shopping to ensure if you get something that says ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ that it has the organic approval seal on it -I’ve been getting some great advice from the significant other *smile*
I think between buying more organic foods, and making my meals up at home, I do not think I’ve eaten any pre-packaged meal short of a frozen pizza since last fall.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:09 am
John & Tim, regarding consuming less meat….see my link above.
April 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Here are a couple of links on this subject:
http://www.studlife.com/forum/organic-still-better-than-conventional-1.1642109
http://www.studlife.com/forum/ignorance-organic-s-biggest-hurdle-1.1652435
Tim, the second one addresses the issue you raise regarding the feasibility of feeding the entire planet organically.
April 29th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Here’s another one: http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=5936
By chance I picked up a book yesterday while at the Central Library reserving another that is your typical one-sided (and quite similar to the video I linked in the post above) argument in favor of organic methods. But apparently, at least according to the overview of research done by the University of Michigan (the real U of M), “organic farming can yield up to three times as much food on individual farms in developing countries, as low-intensive methods on the same land,” and, “in developed countries, yields were almost equal on organic and conventional farms.”
I cannot see the original data because I’m not willing to pay $20 to see the actual research so take it with a grain of salt but this is what is echoed in numerous pieces of media I have taken in on the topic.
In the end, I don’t know what to believe but at least I know that I won’t be eating food that was sprayed by chemicals owned by multinational conglomerates who have revenues that exceed many countries’ GDP, just so that the seeds (the seeds for fucks sake!) can germinate.
April 29th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
ps i forgot http://www.mambosprouts.com
April 29th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Dave–Just watched that video. A little depressing but very interesting. I have to admit that I eat a lot of frankenfood. I eat a lot of fruits and some vegies, but I also scarf down a lot o crap.
Good topic Bill!
April 30th, 2009 at 8:53 am
I am curious about the UMichigan study. I’ve seen it referenced before, but I would like to read more about the methodology.
Regarding chemical use, well, that’s one of the (theoretical) benefits of using genetically modified crops: making them resistant to pests and not requiring chemical fertilizers. That companies like Monsanto are using it to screw over farmers and commit other ethical abuses is a very bad thing, don’t get me wrong. But that’s not a problem with the technology, that’s an issue with laws and business practices.
April 30th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Tim,
It’s not that GM crops aren’t a good idea of those reasons. The problem is that it creates a monoculture which allows a problem (whether it be weeds or insects or whatever) to completely decimate that particular crop.
When you’re talking about bananas, probably not a big deal but when you’re talking about wheat or corn (being that our entire country is obsessed with its use in just about everything) then it’s a huge concern.
April 30th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Yes, monocultures are bad however they’re done. There’s no question about that.
April 30th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Yeah…but OH SO TASTY!
May 1st, 2009 at 12:29 am
When my son was diagnosed with celiac a couple of years ago, it forced my family into making some big changes in our lifestyle and diet. We eat a lot less prepared food now and fast food is basically out of the question. Even restaurants are tough, especially in the south suburbs (oh, if there was only an option like Pizza Luce’s gluten-free nights down here).
But I digress.
It’s been an interesting education, because many of the things that are hyped in organic foods (whole grains), aren’t helpful for us. But we’ve really learned to experiment with locally grown vegetables and meats.
We’ve thought seriously about the CSA option, and that’s something we might do this year. Great thread here, and lots of good info.
May 2nd, 2009 at 7:01 am
[...] has some other suggestion, Thousand Hills Cattle Company will be our choice for beef. Following a suggestion from TimW on the previous thread, we’re going to wait until September before we buy in bulk. Kim has [...]
July 22nd, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Monocultures FTW: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/22/138610585/yes-we-do-have-bananas-for-now