Do you buy organic?
I was wondering if everyone here buys organic food? Or grows organic food? If not, I am wondering what factors effect these choices.
When I first woke up my local health food store didn't sell fresh produce, nor the greencgrocer and it hadn't yet filtered into the supermarkets yet. Now (in the UK at least) it is really easy to buy organic foods.
I am surprised to find organisations that have strong environmentally friendly credentials still serving up non-organic food as standard. One of the biggest reasons that the oceans are in such a dire condition (see article here: http://www.wri.org/stories/2011/06/shocking-new-report-confirms-threats-... )
is because of acidification caused by leaching chemicals from agriculture.
These days we are informed. We really do have a choice.



We each have a choice
Great point Trinity - thanks for provoking the question. As you say, there has just been a major article in many of the world's newspapers about impending catastrophe in our oceans - equivalent to the main five in pre-history where much of the life on our planet was wiped out. A big cause of that is the pollution from fertilizers and pesticides used in Industrial Agriculture methods for the production of non-organic and GM foods. Many evolving people are talking about revolution. It begins not by fighting the system, but instead choosing not to be a part of it. Buying mainly organic food - amongst other things - would have a huge impact. Yes indeed, we each have a choice!
Chris
Buying organic
I raise my hand
I mean I do.
I even have a 'magical' story about it. I buy organic for a couple of years already. When I moved to Binyamina, I didn't check anything, like where will I buy food, where what is here. Because this place is like a 'ghost town', still, remote and really not so modern.
So after a while I found out I have an organic small cute store 15 minutes from where I live (this is highly nontrivial for the ghost town! I think I created it hhh).
About choice:
While the internal changes reflect on the external, I find that many times the opposite works too. For example what I eat, read, hear, etc reflects itself on the internal (for example reduces the noise).
I also feel that this is not only a choice for what is happening with me, this is one of the ways to 'vote' for a change. It won't help anything to go and shout on the streets about how awful things are. But if each one will make his inner choice based on a deep feeling, and not out of denial of what's going on and will take the responsibility we each have, then 1+1+1+1+...+1 can be many people.
And while many forget, but the system is self-feeding loop, where each one of us is a chain that can either feed it or not. If nobody buys medications, chemical toiletries, artificially grown food, then it will be over. No demand - no prioduction - no pollution. Over. Until then we're in the loop. The way to deal with loops is finding some weak spot and breaking it there.
So while I don't fight anything or not against anything, still I can feel that I myself contribute to such weak spot in this chain already, by buying organic food and natural cleansing products for example, by coming every time with my own bags, so I don't take plastic bags, by not buying stuff in plastic boxes/bottles (if I can), etc
-------
Example to a choice I made this week and about how the system is based on fear-control and simply lie:
I was prescribed a medication for the pretty venomous sting with major allergical reaction and a burn-like wound. I stood 20 minutes in the pharmacy, looking at the piece of paper with names that would suit to name scary monsters in some horror movie to make kids cry and hide under the bed... They said I will suffer badly and that it will take more than 2-3 weeks to heal on my own, which means I go to the retreat wounded, or 4-5 days with antibiotics and steroids.
I went away. Then came back, I was not sure I am not tightening around this idea of poisoning the body with chemicals, plus 'voting' for all this horrible farmaceutical industry, where more than 90% of medications are simply not needed. There are natural options! The list is endless, I explored it, starting from fever reducers, anticeptics, etc to antidepressants.
But it was clear. I went away. And guess what: It heals on its own OKAY! and rather fast, with calendula, chammomile and aloe vera I use instead of... wait a minute... aha chloramphenicol, prednisolone and silver sulfadiazine!
(these are real!)
Yes, I could feel it clearly. THIS is what is making the difference. And there is so much we can do.
But.. no tightening, it can become a lifestyle, and I was pupmed out of a it to couple of times to feel how I built attachement around it, so...
Yes, I buy as much organic
Yes, I buy as much organic food as possible and hope to grow it and life a more self-sustaining life in the future. I'm not sure the organic certification standards are monitored very well here, I know it's an issue. But there is also a strong movement towards locally grown foods (farmer's markets are huge here - the "in thing" to do on weekends), organic yes, but the "think global, buy local" seems to be the stronger trend, almost as if it's taken for granted that it's organic.
Yulia, I'm so sorry about your sting, that sounds awful:( I wanted to tell you about this miraculous stuff called Res-Q ointment - which is great for all kinds of bug bites, stings, rashes, itching, burns, skin irritations. Burt's Bees makes it, not sure if you have them there or maybe you know about it? I've actually never been a fan of their products but my mom kept telling me about this stuff and I was amazed how it works miraculously on any skin issues, especially bug bites. It's all natural with different oils, comfrey, lavender, vitamin E, rosemary. I was so impressed with it I now always keep a tin of it with me! I hope you're feeling better soon:) xoxo
love,
L
Corporate Organic vs Local Organic
I do buy organic food from the local farmers market, but I almost never buy corporate organics. Why it comes to organics on the level of mass production I truly doubt the legitimacy of their claims. On top of that, I implore people to see corporations taking advantage of those of us who would choose to live a healthier, more earthly way of eating. For these corporations, the "organic food industry" is one of the biggest scams going.
I mean, what is organic food really? Is it naturally grown, no pesticides used? Farmed by the human hand, as opposed to machines burning fossil fuels? I can assure you that corporate organics DO use pesticides (albeit natural pesticides), and they definitely use fuel burning machinery to harvest vast crops of supposed organic food.
Ultimately, I want people to eat local organics for the real reason: supporting small local farmers who grow their food with love, and maintain the "living organism" that is the farm.
So I ask everyone out there who is drawn to this way of eating to be wary of the myths of organics, especially with regards to corporate organics: there is virtually no taste difference between the taste of organic and non-organic, the nutritional value IS the same in both organic and non-organic, pesticides are used, and corporate organic farming IS not any better for our environment.
I urge everyone to buy from your small local farmers, this is where you will find "true" organic food, not the "false" organics of a corporation you find on the shelf at the grocery store.
Just a note about genetically modified foods: they are everywhere, there is not a single food on the planet which has not undergone genetic modification over the past 500 years, so try not to get hung up on something that is inescapable.
Happy Eating
Ron
Hybrid or GMO?
Hi Ron,
It's wonderful to know that you like to honour local organic.
Just a few thoughts on your last paragraph...
There is a difference between GMO and hybridised food. Unless you are meaning something eles here?
Hybridised plants involve cross breeding, either naturally between crops or by growers (to try and find a 'better' variety). This is often done by cross pollination either intentionally or just happens.
Seedless fruits tend to be hybridised (because people don't like seeds in their fruit) but that doesn't necessarily mean they have been modified at a genetic level. Beans, wheat, corn and carrots are some of the most commonly used hybridised foods. They've been selectively grown for preference of taste or cropping potential etc. Many hybridised foods will revert back to their original parent if given the chance (GMO altered food cannot revert back to the original parent because they have been changed at a genetic level).
Genetically modified food has been altered artifically at a molecular level. This is very different to the hyridisation that has happened to most of the food we buy. For example you could get a tomato with a 'cold tolerant' gene from a fish that would never find it's way into the tomato naturally.
Hybridised isn't great (although it is a different league to GMO's)... I don't grow hybridised crops if I can help it and try to find heirloom varieties instead.
Genetic modification (whether food, plant, animal or human) does cause me concern.
Trinity
x
GMO
I agree completely, however, seeds and pollen are carried for thousands of miles on wind currents and GMO fields contaminate other fields. So unless foods are grown in a secluded environment (ie greenhouse, etc) then it has had contact with GM organic compounds, thus altering their DNA.
And yes, I agree completely, that genetic modification of anything is quite a troublesome thought. Recently they have found a way to attack Leukemia through the use of an altered Aids virus which supposed targets the cancerous blood cells. I'm very skeptical of this sort of genetic tampering.