I’m going to give you my perspective on the situation. While I feel like I’m fairly well-informed, I am by no means an expert. In fact, I don’t think anyone really is. It’s a matter of getting the information and making a decision that’s best for you and your family.
I think, first of all, it’s important to understand the difference between organic and local, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of both.
Organic Food
Organic farmers are committed to growing food based on principles that support a healthy environment and safe food. In order to be labeled “organic” food must meet strict government standards including, but not limited to: protecting the environment (decreasing pollution and increasing biodiversity), maintaining long-term soil fertility, handling food with care to protect the integrity of the product, using renewable resources and recycling materials & resources to the greatest extent possible. Food is farmed without the use of (as much as possible) things like synthetic herbicides, pesticides and growth hormones.
The new Canadian organic standards and regulations define organic agriculture. The regulations came into force June 30, 2009.
The Downside
It has been argued that, when you get your peppers shipped in from Mexico mid-January, the fuel emissions create pollution that may outweigh the benefits of organic farming. There have also been many reports that there is no nutritional benefit to eating organic food, despite a strong belief that organic food is more nutritious. I have a few thoughts about this…..another blog, I think?!
Local
This definition is vague. There is no standardized agreement on what constitutes “local”. With reference to The 100 Mile Challenge, I like to think of local as within 100-150 miles (240 km).
Anyone who has ever had a vegetable garden knows that local food is fresh and seasonal….and it just tastes so good! When you purchase locally, you help to support your local economy and reduce the environmental impact of shipping food thousands of miles…..not to mention the degradation of food as it sits, in shipping, waiting to be consumed!
The Downside
Eating local dramatically affects our options. Unless you live in California, it’s tough to eat local all the time. We’re used to eating globally, and let’s be honest, we like the variety. Check out The 100 Mile Challenge with Alisa and James to see just how tough it can be!
Regardless of the opinion, the science supporting either is still not so good. Each of these options seems to address one (0r more) aspects of the “sustainability” issue….but not all. On top of that, can either of these farming ideals feed billions? A question that remains unanswered.
So what do you do? Support the farmer who rejects pesticides and works hard to reduce, reuse and recycle OR the farmer close to home providing fresh, local food without all that Middle Eastern Oil?
I have two "solutions"
From June through October we get our produce through Community Shared Agriculture, otherwise known as a CSA.
The Idea?
You join with others in your community to fund a local farm. Each family purchases a “share” at the beginning of the season. Then throughout the growing season, you reap the benefits of your share. In early June you begin to receive mostly greens but, by August, your weekly bins are choc-a-bloc with locally grown organic fare….continuing on into the fall. The shares run from $350-450 based on a sliding scale. You don’t get to choose what the farmer grows and you are at the mercy of the weather…..a calculated risk I suppose, but for affordable, organic, and locally grown food, I don’t think you could ask for more!
This year, our CSA is Root Radical. Click here to learn more. I am hoping to do a feature on this CSA later in the summer, so stayed tuned.
Through the winter we order most of our our organics through Desert Lake Gardens (a DLG box pictured above) or Wendy's Mobile Market. Both of these online shops deliver, to our door, a combination of local and harder to get organic veggies, fruit, baked goods, meat and more! You can pick and choose what you order so you are in control. I tend to like the mixed boxes though, I love the surprise!
Eating a combination of local and organic makes me feel more rooted (pardon the pun) in our community and connected to the food we eat. I feel good feeding my family food that is, hopefully, contributing to a healthier planet and a healthier economy.
This is hardly a complete picture of the situation, just a glimpse into the issue and one small opinion on how you can get the best of both worlds.
Anyone else have an opinion?
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