Why Local Organic Produce is Best!
I am going to talk about the differences between organic and conventional foods, explain why local organic produce is best, and share some delicious recipes!
Have you ever tasted a strawberry from a local organic farm? If you haven’t you need to go find some ASAP. The first time I tasted a freshly picked local strawberry was in New York at a local farmers market. IT WAS LIFE CHANGING! It was bursting with juice and flavor. The inside was vibrant red with almost no white, like you see in store-bought strawberries. I think my oldest daughter and I finished them all off within 15 minutes. I couldn’t believe this tiny strawberry had so much flavor compared to the bigger strawberries you get at the store. This experience was a huge blossoming moment for me and my desire to find healthy, nutrient-dense food for my family.
Differences Between Organic and Conventional
There is a big difference between organic and conventionally grown produce, CHEMICALS. Organic farms cannot spray any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, while conventional farms are allowed. Sometimes organic farms have pest and weed problems and have to handle them with mulch, predator release, and sometimes are allowed to use plant & mineral-based sprays and very rarely USDA organic approved synthetic sprays to avoid crop loss. There is ample amount of scientific data that explains the health risks of these synthetic pesticides and herbicides, here is one example. But it isn’t just the prevention of chemicals on the farm that makes organic such a superior option. There are also other measures that organic farmers take to create a healthy farm, such as conserving biodiversity, enhancing soil health, and maintaining ecological balance. These practices can aid the farmer to grow healthy and nutritious produce while also helping the environment. Another practice that organic farms are prohibited from using are GMO seeds. GMOs(genetically modified organisms) were created to help plants tolerate pests and herbicides to prevent crop loss. Now the FDA claims that GMO grown crops can actually save the farmer money by reducing the need for tilling weeds and pesticides which lowers labor costs and apparently carbon dioxide. It makes sense why they use them, but people have been becoming more and more concerned with the use of GMOs on the environment and their health. People have also been becoming more aware of how their bodies were feeling after ingesting these GMO foods. There are no “scientifically known” health risks about GMOs but you don’t need science to tell you these GMO foods are harmful when you can rely on your own common sense. An African news channel did a wonderful story on this here. Here is the USDA Organic Practices Factsheet if you want to look more into organic practices.
EWG Shopper Guide
Now sometimes we can’t afford organic because it is usually a dollar or two more. So I like to use this guide to help me decipher which conventional produce is least sprayed with harmful chemicals. You can download this guide yourself and keep it in your pocket or purse- Download HERE
Nutritional Value
Besides the chemicals and the GMOs, conventionally grown crops still have to be just as nutritious as organic, right? Well, not necessarily. Since organic farms and conventional farms differ not just with chemicals but also soil health, preventative practices, and overall farm ecological balance it can be shown in the quality of the produce like a study found- here. Multiple scientific studies were reviewed regarding nutritional value of organic and conventional foods and the review found that eating more organic foods can reduce your exposure to pesticides and associated side effects while also increasing health benefits for the human body. It makes sense to me that produce grown on a healthy, balanced farm would taste better and have more nutrients than one grown on a farm that is sprayed with harmful chemicals and uses genetic modification to make bigger and more colorful produce for the grocery store shelves.
The Importance of Farmers Markets
I had mentioned that I ate that delicious strawberry from a local farmers market. Not only did that encounter make me eager to find better produce but also to support my local community and the environment by buying local, seasonal foods. Seasonal foods are foods that are only grown during your local seasons. For example, here in Wisconsin usually farmers markets are only open from late spring (May) to late fall (October). Eating like this means you are getting the freshest, most nutritious foods you can get in your community while also creating relationships with your local farmers and shortening your food chain. Produce from the farmers market is usually cheaper than store-bought too! Last year I had 2$ left at my local farmers market and I asked the farmer what I could get and she gave me 8 ZUCCHINI!
There is also no need for a local farmer to spray or coat their produce with any shelf stabilizers like Apeel. This makes produce shiny and last longer in the produce section. It is said to be safe to eat but id rather eat produce with no coating on it whenever I can.
Ive never seen such beautifully grown produce other than at a farmers market. It has such a superior taste than grocery store produce that has been shipped from all over. Eating local organic foods is better for you, the farmers, and the local community. Some farms even have CSA shares where you pay the farmer a subscription for weekly seasonal produce already picked out for you! I subscribed to a CSA back in NY and it was extremely convenient and delicious! They would even include a recipe or two for whatever produce was growing that week. Check where local farmers markets & CSAs are in your area- HERE.
How to Cook with Seasonal Produce
Sometimes having limited produce due to it not being in season can get a bit overwhelming and terrifying. I wanted to make sure I could use this beautiful seasonal produce and not have it go to waste. One great way to utilize your abundance of local produce is getting cookbooks. Especially if you are a bit new to cooking, like I was 8 years ago, cookbooks can save you in the kitchen. They also arm you with knowledge on how to swap this for that and to be able to alter dishes to suit your families needs. Cooking with whole food is a new found love of mine and I enjoy every part of it.
Some cookbooks that I recommend are:
The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook
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*We all deserve to eat real food that is affordable, healthy, and delicious! I hope I have informed you enough for you to be able to start questioning the foods you are buying and eating. Don’t be scammed by marketing strategies and fancy labels. Connect with your farmers and start shortening your food chain. As always continue to look into these topics yourself to become more confident with your health!
References Other Than Linked Sources
NPIC. (2023). Pesticide Ingredients Used in Organic Agriculture. Retrieved from http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/organic.html
