on Jun 14th, 2007Organic and affordable
As much as I admire Anthony Bourdain, I disagree with his sentiment, expressed in Kitchen Confidential, about organic foods. In a nutshell, he’s not impressed and said something along the lines of, Just because it’s grown in manure doesn’t make it better.
That’s true, of course, but for me organics go way beyond that. Not only does organic produce taste better than stuff that travels thousands of miles to get to me, organics are healthier, support sustainable farming and help the environment by eliminating a cross-country trek.
But here’s the catch, and you know what it is: the cost. It’s often prohibitive.
Newsweek today posted a Web exclusive called Organic Shopping on a Budget (link has expired), which offers some truly helpful strategies. What I like about this piece is its focus on getting the most bang for the buck. For instance, if your child drinks a lot of milk but eats little mayo, go organic only for the milk. I think the article is worth at least a glance.
Also, in Aspen this week to celebrate the 25th Annual Food and Wine Classic, the magazine has inaugurated Grow for Good, a campaign to raise $1 million for a national initiative called Farm to Table, to encourage local growers and sustainable agriculture.
And if you’re not aware of all the farmers’ markets in your area, just click on my Useful Links page and scroll down to Reference. The first listing is a database which, based on searches for my area, is complete and up to date.     USDA link broken.
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Bravo! Also, the more people who shop organic and encourage a small-farm friendly farm bill, the less expensive organics will become!
Excellent point - thanks!