Originally Published September 29, 2004 -- Your Wellness
Guide
Get On The Organic
Bandwagon
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|
What
was once perhaps thought of as a far-off trend, organic food is here
to stay. “People are embracing organic foods for the right
reasons. They understand the connection between what they eat and
their health, the earth’s health, and farms’ health,” says Anna
Lappe, founder of
www.eatgrub.org.
Lappe says
that there are three reasons for this new understanding — more public
education about organics, increased organic food availability, and global
awareness about agricultural practices. |
Large
grocery store chains now carry more and more organic options, adding to
the variety found at natural health food stores and co-ops. Additionally,
the availability and popularity of farmers markets, growing support of
Community Supported Agriculture farms (CSAs are like having a membership
to an organic farm so that it regularly supplies a portion of your food,
such as produce or meat), and a renewed interest in growing your own food
are bringing fresher and often more nutritious options to your table.
MaryJane
Butters, who owns a well-respected five acre organic farm in Idaho and a
thriving mail order catalog business (www.maryjanesfarm.com),
is a food advocate. “There should be a face to everything we buy,” says
Butters.
Speaking of
the main reasons why Koenig sees people purchasing organics, “They do it
for a reason. Sometimes they want to be healthier or because their doctor
recommended it. People also read and become more knowledgeable, then they
make a conscious decision to support and buy into what organic is.”
Larry Hamwey
of Earthbound Farm,
www.ebfarm.com, says “It’s not quantity
of food but quality of food. Consumers are reading labels and looking
into organic versus non-organic. And consumers are wanting to buy organic
where they shop, whether it be the supermarket, club store, or natural
food store.”
Here are
tips for you to take action and try organics today:
Learn More
About Organics
— Go to the USDA’s organic site for basic information:
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/brochure.html.
Read about organic news and activist-oriented efforts at
www.organicconsumers.org.
Shop Organic
— Organic is everywhere. The more you support organics through your
purchases, the more prices will decrease and availability will improve.
Purchase products that carry the official USDA Certified Organic seal.
Support Your
Organic Farmers
— If you want to support your local farmer, check out
www.localharvest.org — search by your zip
code for local CSAs and a bounty of other organic farm resources. Your
newspaper will also likely list local farmer market schedules, and many
supermarkets not only carry organic but also often list a schedule of
local farmer deliveries to their store (if not, suggest your grocery store
support local farmers).
Plant An
Organic Garden
— This can be in a small patio garden or a plot in your backyard. Go to
www.seedsofchange.com for ideas and
supplies. If you live in an urban area, consider creating a community
garden — ideas at
www.greenguerillas.org Another gardening
resource is
www.agraquest.com, a company that sells
natural pest management products.
Terra
Wellington
is a
national authority on creating a wellness lifestyle.
www.terrawellington.com
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Wellington
