Do you guys buy organic?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Some organic is good but it's mostly a marketing ploy IMO: get people to pay more for the same old stuff.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Many organic growing practices are aimed at maintaining or building good soil and do not rely on oil-derived fertilizer, even if they are oil dependent in all the other ways including tractors, harvesters, combines, over the road delivery, packaging, etc. But it is important to renew the soil, to maintain a healthy tilth and soil ecosystem. So, while I do not purchase organically grown stuff myself, I think it is a good thing today if we want to continue growing food on the same soil. I thank those of you who do buy this way.

[disneysteve]

I buy a few things organic. We buy DD organic cheese because she's vegetarian and most conventional cheeses are not vegetarian.

As for produce, I usually buy organic spinach only because it's actually cheaper than the conventional at our store. They have the organic in bulk and only have the regular in the prepackaged bags.

Other than that, I'll pick organic if it is the same price or less but otherwise I'll shop based on price first.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I want to add that for organic I've tried pointing this out to CRAZY moms who buy only organic...an Organic Fruit snack or cheeto is still a fruit snack and CHEETO! I mean just because it's Annie's bunny gummies or Pirate's Booty doesn't mean it's good for you! Or Whole Foods Organic OREOS!

The number of people who feed their kids crap because it says organic is ridiculous. I don't feed my kids only organic but instead i feel them an apple or banana or cheese stick instead of organic snack crap. I'm more into the whole food and real food than crappy organic snacks of which there is a ton of.

Just because it says organic doesn't mean you should be eating it. Only one friend understood that (she's nuts about food organic everything but no sugar, no processed, etc) and she said she can't stand it when people offer her kids organic junk food and tell her it's okay it's organic.

[disneysteve]

I want to add that for organic I've tried pointing this out to CRAZY moms who buy only organic...an Organic Fruit snack or cheeto is still a fruit snack and CHEETO!

Just because it says organic doesn't mean you should be eating it.

Couldn't agree more! I have the same issue with my patients eating sugar-free, fat-free stuff. Sorry but sugar-free ice cream is still ice cream and will still make you fat. Snack Well cookies are still cookies and will still make you fat.

[bjl584]

When I can, I garden my own veggies.

I'm planting a garden this year. I enjoy gardening and finally have a big enough yard to plant one. I guess that could be considered organic since I'm growing it myself and won't be using pesticides or chemicals.

Eventually, I'm going to get a chicken coup and raise chickens for eggs. My cousin has chickens. They are fairly easy to care for and they aren't a big upfront or ongoing investment to keep.

[ginene]

I buy organic apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and honey. Other than that, no.

[msomnipotent]

I buy organic fruits and vegetables, but I would rather buy a conventional apple from somewhere like New Zealand than an organic from China. If they don't have that, then we buy a different organic fruit/veg or do without. It helps that we have 10 or more grocery stores within a 10 min drive from my house and all of them stock something organic. Yes, one of those stores is a Whole Foods, but I read their sale papers and I can sometimes get an organic fruit there cheaper than a conventional at another store. Apples routinely sell for either very close or cheaper than conventional when in season here. I have no idea why someone would prefer a conventional one at that price point. There isn't a difference in taste. We also have a small vegetable garden that we keep organic. Having said that, I have no qualms about ordering a pepperoni pizza and not wondering in the slightest about the ingredients. All things in moderation.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Ah, just had a dessert of home canned peaches from our own trees! July in a jar. No spray, no way.

Lunch included sweet potato dug from the garden in November.

Breakfast was a wild spinach (leaves foraged last summer) omlet.

[NormanR]

We try to buy organic when we can but honestly the prices can be ridiculous. Sometimes I find it hard to justify spending an extra two dollars on strawberries when you see organic and regular side by side. My wife is very health conscious so she tends to insist that we do it when we can!

[Thares1939]

Can we only depend on organic?

[niniwoj]

I try to buy organic everytime I know it is more expensive but i think that our health is more important than money.

[Fishindude77]

I consider the organic label to mostly just be a scam to charge more money for the same stuff.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

You've said that twice, Fishindude77. How about if you explain why you think it is a rip-off?

I concede that there are times when I suspect that the things labeled "organic" are not really so. If true, that would be a rip-off. Honey, for example, how can that be organic when there are no leashes on the honey bees to keep them off non-organically grown flowers?

[Fishindude77]

Here is the Wikipedia description of organic -
Organic foods are foods produced by methods that comply with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide; however, organic farming in general, features practices that strive to foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Organizations regulating organic products may choose to restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in farming. In general, organic foods are also usually not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives.

These lines kind of jump out at me:
STANDARDS VARY WORLDWIDE
MAY CHOOSE TO RESTRICT THE USE OF CERTAIN PESTICIDES

You can get the same stuff at your local farmers market or your own garden much cheaper, without having to walk into one of these fancy new yuppie groceries where everything is labeled "organic".