Local vs. Organic

Buy local or insist on organic?

Figuring out how best to feed our families and ourselves can be difficult. Should we “go local” and buy our produce at the farmers’ market or through (those supporters commit to purchase produce from local farmers—we have one CSA that drops off food at Glover Park Hardware) even though many vendors don’t always offer organic produce? Or should we stick with the organic produce at Whole Foods or even if it’s coming from Chile or New Zealand? Here’s what it means, and some of the pros and cons:

Local. Generally “local” is defined as produce originating from farms no more than 100 miles away. The most commonly cited benefits of eating local are

• Freshness (produce is picked ripe)

• Greater flavor

• Higher nutrients (another benefit of avoiding truck/plane transport and warehousing)

• Much smaller environmental footprint

• Support for local farms rather than agri­businesses

Organic. Organically grown food is grown and processed without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and is increasing in popularity. According to the Organic Trade Association’s industry survey, sales of organic fruits and vegetables sales increased from 2009-2010 by 11 and reached $9.5 billion. Among the oft-cited benefits of eating organic are

• Avoiding or reducing pesticides that have been linked in laboratory studies to birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects

• Limiting pesticide exposure for children whose organs are still developing

• Less toxins in the body

• Better for the environment

All well and good, but we live in an area that doesn’t make it easy to eat 100% organic or 100% local. Organic produce can be 30–40% more expensive than conventional produce, and the availability of local produce is severely limited in colder months.

Enjoy Local Produce While You Can.

Happily, however, we are now entering warmer seasons. I encourage you to shop the Glover Park Farmers’ Market (Saturday mornings at beginning May 7) and get to know the people who work the stands. Ask them about their policies on pesticides and fertilizers. Some will tell you that although they do not use pesticides, they are not certified organic because certification is an enormous commitment of time and money. Most small farmers simply can’t afford it.

In the meantime, the list below can help guide you and suggest when organic is crucial. Nearly all of the data used below took into account how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples were washed and bananas peeled before testing).

Dirty Dozen (most contaminated);

celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale & collard greens, potatoes, grapes (imported).

Safe Foods (least contaminated);

onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwis, cabbage, eggplant, antelope, watermelon.

Source: Foodnews.org. Environmental Working Group offers the above list in a downloadable wallet size.

Martha Rebour

Certified Nutrition Counselor, ANC

Certified Holistic Health Coach, AADP

Questions or comments? Please e-mail Martha@RestoringBalanceNow.com or visit RestoringBalanceNow.com