31. Posted by LISA B on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 9:53 am PDT

Thanks so much for this report. Earlier this year I decided to give up on eating commercially raised beef, chicken, pork, and turkey and I've been a total veg-head ever since. When discussing it with one of my friends, she told me one reason she could never make the switch is because "fruits and vegetables are so much more expensive than the meat" at the grocery store. I was shocked the misconception. I wish everyone could get a quick lesson on responsible eating, and the effect that our food choices really have not only on our bodies, but also our environments.

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32. Posted by newamercomp on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 9:56 am PDT

jaynesld: Organic milk is NOT better for you. It is just as bad as non-organic. The best and only milk me and my family drinks is RAW milk. Never pastuerized or homoginized. www.tennesseansforrawmilk.com www.realmilk.com www.rawmilk.org Are three good places to start when trying to understand the difference between healthy RAW milk and milk that is the direct cause of sickness.

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33. Posted by Nic on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:01 am PDT

Eat organic bananas! Do a taste test, compare organic and non-organic bananas. Trust me.

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34. Posted by Glenda R on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:13 am PDT

Hi all, Organic milk IS pasturized. Sadly, the previous commentor is uneducated in that area. Just read the label on the carton.

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35. Posted by Amber B on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:20 am PDT

"Organic" is not anything new, it is the way things were done long ago before there was an option to use pesticidies. What is new is using pesticidies and hormones to produce "better" foods. Maybe we need to go back to the beginning and start over!!

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36. Posted by celeb234 on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:22 am PDT

i'd like to see the research and studies conducted that show organic food kills more people.

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37. Posted by megypye@sbcglobal.net on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:25 am PDT

All of this talk about the expense of organic food has me wondering if people go to farmer's markets. The produce at most is cheaper than regular (not organic) at the grocery store, unless we're talking about canned produce which is a whole other story. Stick to farmer's markets in less affluent neighborhoods, they keep their prices low to feed the community they serve. The same vendors make the cycle of farmer's markets in my area, raising and lowering their proces depending on the clientele. You need to look around and be smart about what you get for your money.

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38. Posted by stafanicole on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:29 am PDT

I don't understand how people can say they won't buy organic or locally produced food because its too expensive.. in this consumer crazy society people prefer to save money buying bad cheap food produced in bulk in mega farms so they have more money left over for what? a newer car? to pay off the credit card? if there is anything I am willing to spend money on is supporting local small farms that produce fresh and organic food..

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39. Posted by beth on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:32 am PDT

we growed a garden 4years ago and we had a great crop no pesicides no sprays was the best we ever had my friends supply fresh fruits n veges grown the same way know your grower

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40. Posted by Tell ya later on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:37 am PDT

For approximately the last 15-20 years 3% of the worlds population has been feeding the other 97%. I'm sure not going to complain about their methods in doing so. I buy some organic and other foods that are still grown w/ pesticides. I feel no better or worse which ever I choose... Nor do i notice a difference in my family over the time...

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41. Posted by sebastian L on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:45 am PDT

hey everybody...get a life...!

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42. Posted by amandasoarsfree on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:48 am PDT

Peace. I am a raw (living) foodie. This means I try to consume only foods in their natural state.If a food must be cooked to eat it I avoid it as much as my human vice for temptation allows! So for me eatting organic is essential. While I live modestly, price is essential as well. My suggestion is to do what I do. Shop around your local stores. Many areas have small health food stores with nothing but organic produce. Often if one compares price, organics are the same and surprisingly cheaper than the pesticide filled counterparts. Locate stores like Trader Joe's which boasts many very fairly priced organic fruits/veggies. Dont buy the $15/lb. almonds at Whole foods for instance, buy their reasonably priced alternative proteins such as flax seeds, sunflower seeds etc. Utilize the bulk dry goods section available frequently in these blessed stores and save on packaging...even bring your own containers from home and refill them. Look at the bounty and wonder available around you. The food of the Gods, better than the Kings and Queens of old had available. Drink purified water, filter your household water to support your healthful attempts (the body's skin is your largest organ-sorry fellas- so bathing/washing laundry in pure water reduces absorbing chlorine, etc...) Consider drinking milk from a cows teat? Humans are meant to drink milk in infancy (human milk). Calcium is readily available in living foods. Vitamins as well-no supplements are necessary. Our Creator provides for us handsomely. Try eatting as nature intended for a bit and see your health, stamina, attitude, shine! You may, as I, never go back. Doctor visits will become a distant memory, as illness evaporates. Live food, live bodies... If you must pay slighly more to ensure you aren't being poisoned, does it not make sense to eat food not full of pesticides etc...Rethink for yourself and examine with common sense your eatting habits. Love is All...Peace Everything Else. Bon Apetit'! Go Organic/Raw!!! Check out P.E.T.A. for free brochures, CD's, etc...for informative info.

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43. Posted by ces957 on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 10:50 am PDT

Whether or not you choose to go organic is your choice, but everyone should try to support local farms and farmer's markets. You can speak to the farmer and find out exactly how they grow their produce or raise their cattle. Check out this website -www.localharvest.org - it's a great site to find local farmer's markets, CSA, co-ops, etc. I'm not some "crazy hippie: either - I'm just trying to support local growers, and eat better.

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44. Posted by mpionus on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:08 am PDT

Organic is a crock. It's NOT environmentally friendly and it's NOT any healthier than "normal" foods. It's not environmentally friendly because a farmer has to use 3 times the land to produce the same amount of product as someone who uses technology. Furthermore, the amount of "organic fertilizer" used creates greenhouse emissions far larger than that of a farmer who uses technology and then ships their product halfway across the country. It's not any healthier because, guess what, the FDA wouldn't approve the chemicals, pesticides, hormones and the like if they weren't 100% SAFE. You aren't loading your body full of toxins if you eat the normal stuff. Organic is just a crock used to bilk ppl into paying 3 times as much for the same product.

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45. Posted by designlmc on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:13 am PDT

The amount of ignorance about food in many of these comments boggles the mind. 1) The rise in cancers and other diseases that were not as prevalent 50-75 years ago when our food sources were less industrialized, as well as the low incidence of these diseases in countries without agri-business should be eye-opening. 2) The carefree use of antibiotics in the meat industry (which is used because the methodology of the industry produces mass amounts of disease which needs to be treated) is alarming the medical community as more and more strains of disease are becoming antibiotic resistant. 3) By supporting small local farmers (organic certification not always necessary), you reduce your carbon footprint and dependence on oil. 4) You can support local farms by joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) - google it and find a farm near you where you can purchase a share or 1/2 share. 5) Please see "The Future of Food" and "Fast Food Nation" for a glimpse as to what is going on with your food supply. 6) Finally, I understand how expensive it is to feed a family, however when we switched to organic and stopped buying all that boxed crap so often used to placate kids, our food bill actually when *down*. If all you can afford to feed your kid is junk, then maybe you need to be educated on good nutrition. Hormones in your child's milk is not worth the couple of bucks you'll be saving.

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46. Posted by Nick on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:15 am PDT

Great. What about the negatives of organic? Am I going to find ants in my broccoli? I'd rather eat pesticides than say a worm in my apple.

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47. Posted by dragonlady20042000 on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:22 am PDT

no matter what, organic or not, that lettuce you bought at the grocery store was most likely hand picked by someone. that someone being paid minimum wage or less....you better wash it good coz who knows where their hands were last!!!

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48. Posted by Capitalistic Egoist on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:23 am PDT

For every organic food you all eat, I eat three non-organic items.

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49. Posted by Scout485 on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:26 am PDT

What a crock! Worrying about Mad Cow disease-get real. There is no known transmission of mad cow disease in the US, and incidents of the disease in cows is extremely rare. Sounds like the author has been reading the tabloids.

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50. Posted by sub16_5k on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:35 am PDT

I think most are missing the point when it comes to buying organic foods. I don't eat them because of nutrional value and taste. I eat them because their production is much heathier for the planet, and therefore healthier for everyone. Non-organic farming consumes more crude oil in the manufacture and application of chemical fertilizers than any other industry in the US. Pesticides are also a major source of water pollution.

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51. Posted by Lee on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:41 am PDT

Just because something is organic does not mean that fertilizers and pesticides are not used. The pesticides used are things that can be found naturally and are therefore organic, but that doesn't mean they are any better for you. Here is an example of a so-called organic pesticide which has been shown to cause parkinsonian symptoms with extended consumption... http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/research/parkinsonsweb/greenamyre_summary.htm

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52. Posted by THE Ranger on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:45 am PDT

There should be no confusion between "local" and "organic". Local is local. Period. People with common sense KNOW what's local, whether it is 50, 100, or 250 miles. "Organic" is the same way. People with common sense know "organic" is a label for food for fools with more money than common sense.

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53. Posted by lil'duckie on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:47 am PDT

I think going organic is better for everyone no matter what!

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54. Posted by namiko on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 11:57 am PDT

Not only is organic better for you because it doesn't use pesticides (although they might not make you sick instantly, they aren't good for your body in the long run), but organic is also better for the environment. Locally grown is the best, it doesn't have to travel as far so is therefore better for the environment, and it is fresher and therefore tastes better.

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55. Posted by markmyblessing on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 12:07 pm PDT

As the wife of an organic chicken farmer, having just recently converted from "natural" turkeys, it has amazed me at all the marketing and various "fees' involved and where the monies go. Having grown turkeys for 57 years, in all ways, marketing is a big deal in what the consumer wants to believe or hear vs. truth and facts. I personally try to eat things grown locally, as I like knowing that my produce etc. is fresh not sitting in a truck for so many days. Having a larger family, it isn't always financially wise to buy all organic, but I do what I can. We have access to milk straight from the dairy, almost any fruit from our trees, and this year while I didn't plant a garden many I know are so willing to share. Yes, someone is making money on the "organic" or "natural" labels, and I promise you it isn't the farmer! We're just trying to get the consumers to remember that the green beans they buy had a starting place before the can on the shelf! Remember, "Farmers Farm, so You Can Eat".

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56. Posted by Rosanna on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 12:09 pm PDT

I wish the negitive comments would at least try to back it up...oh and just because something is rare doesn't mean it's ok

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57. Posted by organichoney on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 12:15 pm PDT

Hey what about honey?

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58. Posted by Amber B on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 12:16 pm PDT

I don't think most people that buy organic see it as a panacea type solution to health problems...I know that I don't. And even though it is expensive, I still do it. Why? 1. Regardless of the various health claims, I do not wish to support industrial agricultural practices that destroy ecosystems and are cruel to animals. And yes, I've done my homework, I've SEEN some of these facilities. It is enough to make a person ill. 2. While there may not be conclusive proof for it yet, many of the pesticide chemicals (which are usually synthetic these days and not necessarily plant based) are already suspected of being carcinogenic. Ewww. No thanks for me. I don't care if I can't prove it, even the thought of unnecessary cancer inducing synthetic chemicals coursing through my system is disgusting. 3. Those same pesticides DO get into the ground water. I don't relish the thought of drinking them either, so I'm going to discourage their use at all by not buying products that "require" them to produce. 4. The claims that organic is actually killing people...is absurd. There are organic methods that are better established than any chemical on the market, and just as effective. People have been farming and ranching for thousands of years, and these commercial developments are so new...say, the last 100 years or so...that we have comparatively little idea of the effects of their long term use. "Conventional" farming is not very conventional, really...it is industrial. 5. The prices on organic are high, but mostly they seem that way because the government subsidizes industrially grown foods and it artificially keeps prices low. There are lobbyists in DC that are there to make sure it stays that way. There are also lobbyists trying to get organic foods subsidized equally, but they are not successful yet. And last but most importantly for me personally: 6. My mother is an avid gardener who uses nothing but pure organic methods...and she has the healthiest, best tasting plants I have ever seen. Her garden is a living argument for organic growing methods, seeing (and tasting) such a thing is believing. But those are my reasons, for my choices. Whether anyone else agrees with them isn't really my concern.

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59. Posted by Meg on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 12:18 pm PDT

I eat only organic foods. There is a definite difference in taste and freshness. The one thing that concerns me though is, I saw a news spot on organic and its frightening...only because the dreaded walmart is getting the standards of organic changed to a lower standard so that it is cost effective for them to compete with the organics of say WholeFoods. I wonder...is organic truly going to organic anymore?

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60. Posted by scryer_360 on Thu, Jun 28, 2007, 1:15 pm PDT

Oh as to carcinogens and cancer: Sun causes cancer. In fact, if you keep atop of the news, you might be scared into thinking everything causes cancer. Ask any health-professional this: where does cancer come from anyway? They wont tell you cigarettes or pesticides: you are born, in a way, with cancer. Its in our genetic code. Thats why so much cancer research is on the genetic, not the mechanical, level. Simply put to end cancer we would need to alter the human genetic code or at least suppress certain genes. Also: the Baby Boomers have now been inducing in foods that were treated with pesticides for the past 60 years. All fingers point that they will live longer than any generation before them. If pesticides, being as prevalent as they were until this decade, were going to kill anyone, we'd already see a massive amount of cancer in their ranks. To this date, the only harmful carcinogenic source that has received any rapid media attention has been cigarettes. They simply make it easier for cancer to arise. To the woman who said the pesticides were thought to be carcinogenic: like you said, there is no proof. And I wonder who first started, or at least heavily pumps, those claims? Could it be the $30 billion a year natural foods business? And what studies are taking place to prove those sources are carcinogenic? Wait, did not the FD-freaking-A approve those years ago, even under the stricter public eye following the late seventies backlash against US environmental standards?

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