Categories: FABTags: Earth Day, Green Scene, Organic Products

The Skinny on Organic Products

Posted on April 22, 2009 - 1:08pm by becky

Happy Earth Day! In celebration of this amazing planet we live on, I thought it would be nice to clear the air - so to speak - on organic products.

You may be wondering as I have in the past if buying organically grown products is actually better for the environment or just the customer, or maybe a bit of both. Well I learned some tips and thought it would be nice to share them with you.

What does organic mean?

First off, let's break it down. What is organic? Organic crops are raised in a more natural way, without the use of pesticides, additives, antibiotics, sludge-based fertilizers (ewww, that just sounds gross!), or GMO's (genetically modified organism); practices generally performed on factory farms.

As a general rule, all natural (non-synthetic) substances are allowed in organic production and all synthetic substances are prohibited. - National Organic Program -

Where can I find organically grown products? And how can I be sure it's really organic?

Organic products are popping up all over the place. Organics can be found at your local grocery store, even in super chain stores like Target and Wal-Mart. You can also go to your local farmer's market (click on the link to find your local market), or if you don't want to go to the market you can always find a slew of organics at your local health food stores like Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Mother's Market, and Whole Foods.

Be sure when buying that you pay attention to the labels and look for the official seal of approval. The government regulates what is and is not an organic product, but that doesn't mean that those trying to make a buck are just slapping "Organic" on their products. So when you shop be sure to look for the USDA Organic Seal.

What It Means When You Buy Organic

Buying "organic" products means that at least 95% of the ingredients used in growing the product are organic. A label with "100 percent organic" contains (100%) only organic ingredients.

Processed products that contain at least 70% of organic ingredients will say "made with organic ingredients" or will list up to three of the organic ingredients used to make it.

What are the benefits of eating organic?

Organic farmers use less energy, less water resources, and NO pesticides. Organic farmers rarely have to burn their fields, because their soil stays rich in content, moisture and nutrients due to careful management of land and using only natural organic matter to cultivate and grow their crops. - GoOrganic.com -

According to a leading microbiologist, organic produce contains as much as 300% more nutrients than non-organic!! And its said that organic food tastes better! A Washington State University study found that organic apples tasted sweeter and had better texture and firmness compared to conventionally grown (a.k.a. anything not organic) apples.

Chew on this: The pesticides used in conventional produce contain carcinogens - yep, those things that cause cancer! Just think about it, over time, the pesticides used on fruit and veggies gets sprayed and released in the air, it also gets absorbed in the water used to hydrate produce, then it is ingested by us humans and we release it again into the environment through our own ways of waste. You can see how eating organic really is GREENER! You not only benefit yourself, but you are bettering the planet too!

Can meats be organically grown?

Yes! It's one of the most important kinds to buy organic! When meats are labeled organic it means the animals were fed organic feed and are given access to the outdoors! That is a whole 'nother story though!

Should I buy all organic all of the time now?

Not necessarily but there are some things that you should buy organic all of the time. Here's a quick list:

apples

cherries

celery

bell peppers

imported grapes

nectarines

peaches

pears

potatoes

red raspberries

strawberries

spinach

lemons

limes

bananas

There's even more to buy organic, for a complete list click here!

Local Harvest.org is a great place to find not only your local farmer's market but also features helpful tips on what fruits and vegetables are in season. They also feature an online market!