Organic Foods

Organic foods are those that are produced without harmful pesticides, fertilizers or dare I say it, human waste or sewage sludge. Conventional or traditionally grown foods are the exact opposite using chemicals, insecticides and hormones to grow plants and animal livestock.

I have been considering going “organic” for the last few months. I think the clincher for me occurred after a trip to one of my favorite grocery stores, which I love to go to because the meat is very reasonable.

However, I noticed that the chicken breasts started getting bigger and bigger, almost to the point where I thought they had gotten “implants.” It just didn’t seem right.

Another instance happened after I had bought some tomatoes at another store. After about a week I had one tomato left in the fridge. Another week went by, then another, and I noticed that the tomato still looked the same as the day I first bought it.

Needless to say I never ate that tomato, but I was curious to know how much longer it would have lasted. I was getting ready to charge it rent.

Organic farming is a process where farmers follow practices that are designed to promote soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. In other words, organic farmers don’t use conventional methods to fertilize their crops or prevent livestock disease.

Some of their processes include

• Applying natural fertilizers such as manure or compost to feed soil and plants
• Using beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease
• Rotating crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds
• Giving animals organic feed and allowing them access to the outdoors
• Utilizing preventive measures such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing to help minimize disease

I haven’t had the opportunity to try a lot of organically produced foods, however, when I was a kid my grandparents had a garden out in the country, where they grew everything from green beans to watermelons.

We kids used to help out with the “shucking” of the corn, squealing at the discovery of an occasional worm or caterpillar hiding under the husks.

Personally I am still on the fence. Although traditionally processed foods cost less, I am still a bit “skittish” about what is actually in them, or what is being used to manufacture them.

The whole genetically engineered meat thing is also another concern of mine, so I may just do a combination of both, with my focus being on buying the freshest foods at prices that are affordable.

Oh how I yearn for the days when my grandparents would come back from the garden with their tiny watermelons, warped squash and pale corn. Looking back I must admit that was some of the best produce I ever had, worms and all.

Research for this article was obtained at MayoClinic.com and is for informational purposes only.