LocalHarvest
Newsletter, August 27, 2012
Twenty years ago, I packed up
two suitcases and moved from Minnesota
toNorthern California to work as an
intern with CAFF, a statewidesustainable
farm organization. My first project was to squint my way through heavy books of data at the Department of Pesticide Regulation, cataloging howmany tons of each of the most toxic pesticides were being sprayed on California's main crops. The numbers were staggering, and on the rise.
It didn't take long for me to see the value of eating organic food and
adjustmy food purchases accordingly. But that was 20 years ago. This month I got to wondering, have things changed? I called Jim Riddle, Organic OutreachCoordinator, University of MN - Southwest Research and Outreach Center, and asked him to give me an update.
Riddle's overview of the last two decades falls into three areas: a
new hazard, greater structure, and more data. The new danger, of course, is being wrought by genetically modified organisms (GMOs), just under development in the1990s, but now estimated to be found in 70% of food on grocery store shelves.(The rise of GMOs - and the fight against them - will be the topic of a futureLH newsletter.) The increased structure Riddle mentions is provided by the National Organic Program, which in 2000 created a single, national definitionof "organic." The organic standards have many fans, as well as quite a few opponents.
Many people turn to organic food out of concern for what pesticides do to our natural resources, and their impact on human health. Compared to 20 years ago, Riddle says, we have greater documentation of both the ways organic systems protect groundwater, and the increased nutritional value of organic foods. Recent studies have consistently shown that organic foods have higher vitamin,mineral, and anti-oxidant levels, and lower nitrate levels. Riddle concludes,"Choosing organic is an investment in our
health."
The case for organic is strong,
and with over 75% of Americans buying
some organic products, it seems that
most of us agree. Few of us buy organic
food exclusively, though, so we have
to make choices at the grocery store.
Asked how he spends a limited budget
for organic, Riddle said that he
prioritizesorganic dairy, which he calls a
"gateway organic product." Dairy gets
the topspot for a few reasons: cows
on organic farms eat fresh grass, so
their milkis higher in healthy amino
acids. Eating organic milk and dairy
products alsoallows us - and our
children - to avoid pesticide residues which
make their wayfrom the cows'
grain to the milk, and dodges the infamous rBGH
(bovine growthhormone). If
organic dairy is outside your budget, you would
do well to lookfor products
labeled "rBGH free."
After dairy, Riddle recommends making sure that fruits and vegetables that are consumed raw and not peeled are organic. Planting a garden, as many of us do, will make in-season, organic produce plentiful, stretch our food dollars, and teach the next generation a valuable skill. For those who don't have space for a garden, shopping for fresh, local foods at the farmers market is economical and delicious. Whatever you do, warns Riddle, "stay away from highly processed,highly packaged foods - you're wasting your food dollars, whether it’s organic or not." Amen! From his vantage point as an organic educator, Jim Riddle sees that consumers' beliefs are changing. "People in the U.S. are placing more value on the food they eat and how it's grown."
Until next time, take good care and eat well.
Erin
Erin
Barnett
Director
LocalHarvest