Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Kinda like coffee, one day it's good for you because of new information, the next day it's bad for you according to "new information".

Truth is (pun intended) neither have any bearing on what is. We may not know if it is good or bad...but it is what it is...and that's the truth. Nothing subjective about it.

Personally I "Feel" like organic is better...but...

Thought about this all evening...

I can certainly see how monotheism, polytheism, gnosticism, antitheism or atheism would affects ones sense of absolute truth...it would have to...very enlightning.

Perspectives I had not fully considered...didn't change my mind a bit, it did however provoke thought...thanks for the perspective.

Wow, this thread went to a weird place.

Those are the interesting ones...

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure there was a study by the FDA showing that vegetables grown on land with many years of chemical fertilizers had significantly depleted vitamin & mineral content. However, while I can find quotes like this:



... I can't find links to actual studies showing anything in particular. Even information pages from universities, who should know better, only say "studies have shown" without any particular bibliography. In organic farming propaganda, the above 75% depletion statistic has been quoted many times without any underlying reference. I begin to suspect that someone made it up, kind of like the "7 glasses of water per day" thing.

Where I do find credited studies about vitamin/mineral depletion and produce, the documented differences are minor. So, "needs more study" stage indeed.

What I do find solid, multiple sources for is a linkage between organic fertilizers and soil fertility and pest control (e.g. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/296/5 ... 4.abstract, http://aem.highwire.org/content/71/12/8335.abstract). That is, there are multiple papers by reputable journals showing that organic fertilizer results in beneficial microflora in the soil which prevents soil depletion and actually reduces harmful pests since more of their predators and competitors are present.

So organic foods do seem to promote long-term health of our cropland, which seems worth paying an extra $0.20/lbs. And then there's the pesticide thing.

As someone who has been a Reform Jew, an Orthodox Jew, a Neo-Pagan and a Buddhist ... yes, yes it does.

Here's another thought-provoking question: if an absolute truth exists, but cannot be observed, in what way is it the truth?

(... walks off, clapping one hand, to chop down a tree in the middle of the forest ... )

I only wish it were just an extra 20 cents/lb here. I have been struggling to reign in our food costs, especially since we are down to one income again. I buy as much organic/local produce as I can, but it's put a serious kibosh on purchasing anything fun, and our meat consumption is down considerably too (which is probably not a bad thing). But the costs here are generally 2-3 times more (and sometimes 5-6) for organic vs. conventional foods. Thankfully the farmer's markets have started. I am putting in a few things in my garden, especially herbs, which really cost a lot considering how easy they are to grow.

I'm also back to baking my own bread again, $4.00 a loaf is just not in the budget when I can make bread for probably less than $1. (And get better bread.) But I digress (seems to happen a lot in this thread).

Darcie -- I heard that! as the kids say around here. I've been prioritizing the organic purchases for a while now. Things that are high on the food chain or on the "dirty dozen" list get top priority. Things that are especially harmful to the people who have to do the farm work, like greens or potatoes, are a bit lower. The rest gets purchased according to availability and price. As for local, well, "local" is pretty relative in metro Detroit. I live in Southfield and shop in Farmington. These cities got their names because they used to be the communities that fed Detroit before the exodus. Now all they grow is strip malls and housing developments. The closest farms are well up in the thumb. That, added to budget and time constraints, means that being a locavore is just a pleasant pipe dream at the moment.

Huh, wow. It actually varies a bit here, I guess. Some things cost the same, some are 20 cents more, some are twice as much. I don't know anything which is more than twice as much. There's also a lot of things which our grocer doesn't stock any non-organic varieties of.

I suspect that I pay considerably more per pound for most produce than most of y'all though. For example, organic lettuce is only $0.30 more because lettuce is $2/head in the first place. Even Russet potatoes are $0.60/lbs. What's produce cost in the Midwest?

Here are average prices from my local supermarket (might be cheaper at Wal-mart; I wouldn't know). Read 'em and weep (or jump for joy depending):

Head Lettuce: conventional $1.59 to $1.99
organic $1.99 to $3.00

Bag 'o' lettuce: conventional $2.50-$3.00
organic $3.99 to $5.00

Green bell pepper: conventional $0.59 to $1.00 each
organic $2.00 and up

Russet potatoes: conventional $0.60 to $1.00/pound (sometimes on sale cheaper)
organic $1.79/pound and up

Whole Milk (gallon): conventional $3.25 to $3.50
organic $6.50

Onions: conventional $0.79 to $1.49/pound
organic $??? they don't carry them

Strawberries (in season): conventional $2.00-$3.00/quart
organic $5.00/quart

Celery: conventional $1.49-$1.99
organic $1.99-$2.50 (quite a few times this winter organic celery was cheaper...one anomaly)

Carrots: conventional $0.99/pound
organic $1.50/pound and up