A Catalogue Of Sustainable Achievements
A great argument for switching to organic, non-GM foods.
There is a revolution going on in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America, a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. The Future of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.
Visit thefutureoffood.com
Eating locally is getting easier and easier as more companies pick up on the fact that that’s what people want.
The NY Times has a great piece up right now about being a locavore, remote gardening, cow-pooling, and other great new terms.
Dig it:
NY Times: A Locally Grown Diet With Fuss but No Muss.
So, we think we have a winner in the ongoing Local vs. Organic debate.
And it’s:……
Local, by a judges decision in the fourth round.
Local if you can get it, near if you can’t. Organic if possible, and eat the rest with the awareness of what you’re getting into.
Love to All,
Team SuperForest
Hey!
So, the spectacular SuperForester Christine emailed me her thoughts regarding my post about Organic vs. Local food with 2 enthusiastic thumbs up to supporting our farmers and to “always go local if you can!”
Ok…so if it seems too hard to get to your local green market every week, here are 3 ways to get locally grown produce (and even local organic produce) into your kitchen, if you live in New York City:
1. Urban Organic.
They are a home delivery service of strictly Organic produce that is 80% local.
Here is how they work:
“We bulk-buy our produce, groceries and dairy goods from organic farmers’ cooperatives, distributors and individual farmers. Eighty percent of our products are from the local farmers market; we try to give our local farmers as much of our business as possible. All of our supplies are certified organic by the USDA, whose stringent standards ensure that no chemicals have been used in the production process. All of our produce is Certified Organic!”
They offer 3 size boxes (ranging in price from $24.99-$44.99) so you can get a small amount if you live alone or enough to feed a family.
2. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
A CSA is a partnership between a city group and a local farmer. During the winter and spring months, the farmer sells shares of their upcoming harvest to families, groups or institutions in the area. The money goes towards the farmers costs for growing and delivering the upcoming seasons produce to the CSA members. There is then, typically, a neighborhood drop off/pickup location where you go to pick up your fruits and vegetables, once a week (Although some CSA groups offer delivery service).
There are a lot of CSA’s all over the city. Here is a map to find your local CSA:
CSA’s aren’t necessarily organic, but some are. Check your local area and find out the farming practices of the farm they work with, if that is important to you. For example, Roxbury Farm is a CSA that drops off in Harlem that practices biodynamic farming.
3. Good Ol’ Fresh Direct: Fresh Direct, another food delivery service has a section dedicated to local produce, meat, fish, cheese and wine. They also have a strictly organic section. If your next question is what about all the gas they are using to deliver this local produce to your home, doesn’t that kinda go against the idea of buying local? Well, they are on their way to dealing with that issue:
“FreshDirect has partnered with Tri-State Biodiesel, a NYC-based company dedicated to providing the region with clean, renewable biodiesel sources. Tri-State uses cooking oil donated from our kitchen for use in non-toxic diesel fuel.
We’re now fueling half our fleet with a 5% biodiesel blend, and in the next year, we plan to fuel 100% of our delivery fleet with biodiesel. This action will both reduce our emissions and cut back our use of fossil fuel products. “
I love that they use the oil from their own kitchen. How very SuperForest.
So, there are some options for that Localvore inside of you that don’t necessitate running upstate to get that scrumptious apple.
n
Niki posted a great thought this week about the dilemma of choosing between locally grown food and organically grown food.
It is a very interesting topic, and one that eludes easy answers. SuperForester P.J. has commented and aims to simplify.
Here are her thoughts…
P. J. said…
Hi Niki,
I agree, in the fight of Organic vs. Local Food, yeah it’s too close to call. But at least you and your baby are eating healthy and aware of what you put in your body.
Here’s what I think:
Of course local organic food is the best, hands down! Especially if you grow your own food! But when it comes to the everyday conscious consumer, it’s a tough decision.
I personally go for the local farm foods when possible, I don’t have a Whole Foods store anywhere near me, but I do live in Central California, so I can’t really complain, the fruit here is great.
I grow my own fruits and some herbs and exhcange some of my bounty with family, friends and neighbors. But I think local is better, at least you know who’s door to go knock down, I mean knock on if there is some type of chemical poising or salmonella outbreak. It(local farming) allows itself for change at the ground (grassroots)level (pun intended).
Don’t get me wrong, I like and buy organic too (only if its from CA), the food is simply more beautiful when its all natural, especially broccoli! And we eat with the eyes first, right? But if it is flown in from another country, I think … hmmm.. some native farmer’s land was taken away (United Fruit Company, ring a bell?) to grow “Organic” produce, to be shipped miles and miles away so a pretentious shopper(me)can buy one bunch of broccoli and feel she has done a good deed, a person that lives in a land of excess and can afford to shop for quality. Then I think, those people in that community could be enjoying it right off the tree. I know I feel proud when I eat fruit from my hometown and from my garden right off the tree, I think everyone should know that feeling. But again I am fortunate and biased, I live in California. But I know there are various edibles that are native to each region, it’s time to start cultivating those gifts and start working within our communities to bring quality, local and safe food to the table.
Isn’t organic supposed to mean simple?
Definitions of Organic:
-”Simple, healthful, and close to nature”
-”Resembling a living organism in organization or development; interconnected”
-”Constituting an integral part of a whole; fundamental”
oh, and
-”Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals”
local it is!
just my two cents,
Niki, please continue writing about this.
all the best!
-PJ
Hello All,
A group of us were talking the other day and a delightful new meme came out, namely: “Organic” is the new “Cappuccino”
Used to be, you’d visit someplace and think: “Boy, it’s really great here, if only I could get a decent cappuccino.”
Now it’s the same way, just for organic food.
Soon it will be organic, local food.
Good times await us all.
Love,
SF
SuperForest is a positivity blog.
SuperForesters are all over planet Earth, all united in exploring how to redefine "environmentalism" and "sustainability" to encompass every aspect of our lives. Everything you find on this website has been personally created to uplift and inspire you.
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