Organic Food Blog

The only way to be sure that the food you’re eating is organic, short of growing it yourself (or buying it from someone you trust not to have soaked it in pesticides), is looking for certification marks, like the USDA Organic Seal, pictured here. Elsewhere, similar government regulations and third-party inspectors certify that food is produced to certain standards; in Australia, it’s the NASAA Organic Standards, in Japan, the JAS Standards must be met. In the United States, In the United States, the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.A. § 6501-22) required that the USDA develop national standards for organic products. The regulations (7 C.F.R. Part 205) are enforced by the USDA through the National Organic Program under this act. These laws essentially require that any product that claims to be organic must have been manufactured and handled according to specific NOP requirements. A USDA Organic seal identifies products with at least 95% organic ingredients.

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All I seem to hear on the radio and TV no matter what channel is how our countries economy is going down hill. But according to The Natural Marketing Institute Organic Food sales are actually increasing and organic farmers and markets are seeing sales rise higher than ever. Why we ask arethe more expensive organic foods being purchased in such hard times. Well many would argue the prices of the non organic foods are rising and most would say why not pay a little more and have the best. After all Organic does provide for a much healthier lifestyle. So now is a better time than any to start buying organic or make the switch from the mediocre to the best!

Heres a quick and easy tip to help you grow the best Organic fruits and veggies possible. As we all know Organic means they are grown with no fertilizers or pesticides etc. Use of a compost bed will suppy these helpful ailments in a natural manner and is costless. Who can resist trying this at home when it is free to you. Heres what to do.

1. Find a spot atleast 2 feet from your house, structures, or fences etc.

2. Plan on making a bed as large as you want and determine a permanent spot where it can develop without harm. Remember the bed will be 1/4th of thes size when its finished. (it will shrink).

3. Add things such as pine straw, leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps (no meat, grease or bones), bonemeal, even cofee grinds or hair can be added.

4. Plan on turning and mixing your ingredients in your compost bed once a week usually with a shovel or pitch fork.

5. When your compost is ready to be added to you beds and garden it should have a sweet woodsy smell to it and be easily ground through your fingers. If it has a bad odor or is clumped it usually means it didnt get enough oxygen.

Hopefully this will help you to enhance the growth of your garden or flower beds. Natural compost helps the water holding capability of the soil and adds nutrients and nitrogen to the soil which it vital in the growth of you plants.

Look for the word "organic" on vegetables or pieces of fruit, or on the sign above the organic produce display. The word "organic" may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient foods. Foods labeled "100 percent organic " must contain only organic ingredients. Products containing at least 70-percent organic content can be labeled "made with organic ingredients ." Those foods labeled simply "organic " must have at least 95-percent organic ingredients, by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt. Anyone who knowingly sells or labels a product "organic" that is not produced and handled in accordance with these regulations can face a civil penalty of up to $10,000.

Foods grown and processed according to the federal standards will in most cases bear the seal "USDA Organic ." As its use is voluntary, companies may choose not to display the seal.

If you see a food that is labeled "transitional ," that means the farmer produced it during the three-year conversion period from conventional to organic.

Many people complain about the price of organic foods and wonder how to eat healthy and organically without breaking the bank. Specifically for those who have a family, eating 100% organic can be a strain on the budget. Until it becomes a more affordable option, here are some tips on making the switch to organic without emptying your pocketbook:

* Take it one food group at a time: You can start by beginning to eat organically in one specific food department, such as fruit or vegetables or meat. In many cases, it comes down to which foods contain more pesticides than others. For example, vegetables such as oranges or broccoli have been known to contain less pesticides than say apples, which contains more pesticides than many other fruits and vegetables. So perhaps it would pay to buy organic apples to mix in with your other fruit.

* Milk is another good switch: These days, milk contains very high levels of artifical ingredients, hormones, pesticides and more. In fact, some of the problems found in children today during their developing years has been attributed to all of the additives in cow’s milk. Switching to organic milk can perhaps help you and your children to avoid some of the health problems that may come along with drinking regular cow’s milk.

These are easy tips that can begin your family’s switch to organic without busting your budget. In fact, you may not notice a difference and in time, you can switch over more as prices become more affordable.

In this fast-food culture, there are so many reasons to go organic when it comes to your food. After all, obesity and a host of other related diseases have shown us the drawbacks to eating foods high in fat and low in essential nutrients and proteins. But when it comes down to it, there are a number of reasons to go organic in addition to preserving your health. Consider this:

• Organic foods are good for the environment. This is important because the steps we take now to protect our planet can have an impact on future generations. When farmers grow organic foods, they avoid using harmful chemicals and pesticides that can not only have long-term harmful effects in humans, but other species as well. Farmers who grow organic foods grow a generous, natural mix of fruits and vegetables that encourage diversity and balance in our delicate ecosystem.
• Organic farmers tend to treat their livestock better — in fact, their general health and well-being are a top priority for organic farmers. You will find less issues with mistreatment and unsafe living conditions. Animals are not exposed to harmful chemicals on a daily basis.

So the next time you buy organic, remember that you are not just doing your body a favor, you are doing something good for the environment and the world around you.

In the light of these studies, it is surprising that few studies have compared the health consequences of eating organic and conventionally grown produce. Any fruits and vegetables are better than none. In a study, those who ate the fewest plant foods had the highest cancer rates, and those who ate the most produce had the least cancer. Most pesticides are fat-soluble. If you eat plants that have been treated with them, you ingest a tiny amount of residue that accumulates in your fatty tissues, such as female breast tissue. But the real problem develops when you eat animal fat.

Food animals accumulate pesticides in their fat tissues throughout their lives. By the time people eat them, they have much higher levels than any of the feed plants they ate. When people eat meat, they consume most of the pesticides the animals ate. The higher up the food chain you eat, the more toxic chemicals you ingest. The cleanest produce is organic. Even organically grown fruits, vegetables, grains and beans may pick up some pesticide contamination because of chemicals in groundwater, in the air from neighbouring nonorganic farms or from fumigation of trucks and warehouses. But compared with conventionally grown produce, organic fruits and vegetables are significantly cleaner. If you opt for organic fruits and vegetables, the good news is that they are more available than ever. Health food stores, farmer’s markets and even some supermarkets now carry items called organic. So what are you waiting for?

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