Going organic?

[jolenegreen]

Hi everyone. Hubby and I decided to slowly switch our diets over to organic..I have a whole bunch of questions but of course now that I sit to ask them I cant think of them all! LOL! Well..my first problem is we really want to switch to organic but the area we live in (western NY) really dont carry any organic foods. We have a Tops which has a few sections of organic..some veggies and some cereal and thats about it. We also have a local store which only carries a small section of organic..and a TINY produce section...mainly lettuce, celery, kiwis, apples and oranges. We have a SMALL Weagmanns...never been to a big one before...but there is a couple Aisles of organic foods there...not sure about meat and stuff like that Im not sure that they carry it. So for the most part we dont have organic food near us...any thoughts on this? I did just google local farms near us and it seems there is a RAW milk farm, a organic beef farm and an organic chicken and eggs farm...oh we also have a local goat cheese and milk farm
Also just wondering what makes food organic..like if I were to grow produce myself in the summertime in my own garden would it be organic? Is it organic ONLY becuase I dont use pesticides or is there something else that makes it organic..FIY we are going organic due to pesticides and our health and the health of our children
MILK- Raw? If I am correct this means no pasturization right? I am use to drinking pasturized Whole milk or silk soy milk...will there be a great difference in the taste? And is there anything I should know about storing Raw milk? Does it go bad quick? ect...I se Silk does make an organic...no sure as though I have seen it at a store near me but maby...I know they do carry Horizon Organic milk though
Any info would be wonderful! I would love to become a vegetarian as well but hubby likes his meat! Im not to fond of meat...I could live without it really. LOL! I cant believe the price of organic meats! WOW!
Any info or thoughts would be great! THANKS

[sunnysandiegan]

All terrific questions!

I'd recommend reading through the thread titled Why are you organic? since it has a lot of links to online articles and book titles and movie titles. Those contain a lot of your answers and will help you define what type of food you want for your family a little more clearly and give you tips on where to find it, based on what is important to you.

[snowbunny]

So for the most part we dont have organic food near us...any thoughts on this?
Try to find farmers markets - difficult this time of year - as many small farms are not certified organic but do grow according to standard Organic methods. Local harvest and ordering online also present a good option as well.

Also just wondering what makes food organic..like if I were to grow produce myself in the summertime in my own garden would it be organic?
The produce you grow on your own would most likely be organic provided you use soil that is not treated and you don't add synthetic chemicals.

Is it organic ONLY becuase I dont use pesticides or is there something else that makes it organic..
Organic foods are foods grown or raised without synthetic inputs - that is, without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Current organic standards still allow the use of organic field inputs. To become certified organic, fields must be free of these inputs for at least three years, subject to inspection and the farmer must usually pay a good wad of money for certification.


MILK- Raw? If I am correct this means no pasturization right?
[/B]
Yes, and non-homogenized. Ideally it would be grass-fed.

I am use to drinking pasturized Whole milk or silk soy milk...will there be a great difference in the taste?
Whole raw milk tastes much better than pasteurized and infinitely better than soy milk.

And is there anything I should know about storing Raw milk? Does it go bad quick?
Store it in the fridge. It'll keep - once opened - for about a week or so. It can keep - unopened - for 10 - 14 days in my experience but if it smells off, don't drink it. If left at room temperature it will clabber (turn into a yogurt-like food) as opposed to rotting.

I se Silk does make an organic...no sure as though I have seen it at a store near me but maby...I know they do carry Horizon Organic milk though
Any info would be wonderful!
I wouldn't do Silk - it's a pretty processed fooda and I wouldn't do Horizon either - they're pretty darn close to a factory farm despite the organic label.

I would love to become a vegetarian as well but hubby likes his meat! Im not to fond of meat...I could live without it really. LOL! I cant believe the price of organic meats! WOW!
Any info or thoughts would be great! THANKS
Vegetarianism does not automatically equate to better health. Purchasing pasture-raised and grass-fed meats directly from the farmer and in bulk makes for much less expensive purchases.

[jolenegreen]

Great thanks for all the info...so for milk I want to stick to the Raw? Is that my best option? And also wondering about ordering online? Anyone know of any good sites? Its winter here so its not likliey I can go out a make a garden, LOL! I did do some research and there are def more organic farms around me than I thought...but none of them offer produce in the winter. I could def get my meat from them though....we hace organic beef, turkey, chicken, pig and game birds near us!

We also have a goats milk and cheese farm (organic)...wondering what is better for us, Raw cows milk or raw goast milk? Thanks everyone!

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by jolenegreen

Great thanks for all the info...so for milk I want to stick to the Raw? Is that my best option? And also wondering about ordering online? Anyone know of any good sites? Its winter here so its not likliey I can go out a make a garden, LOL! I did do some research and there are def more organic farms around me than I thought...but none of them offer produce in the winter. I could def get my meat from them though....we hace organic beef, turkey, chicken, pig and game birds near us!

We also have a goats milk and cheese farm (organic)...wondering what is better for us, Raw cows milk or raw goast milk? Thanks everyone!

Both raw cow and raw goat can be great. It really depends on personal preference although there is some info out there that raw goat milk is a bit easier for most people to digest (that being said, raw milk of any kind including cow is a whole lot easier to digest than any pasteurized milk).

You might check out the Traditional Foods sub-forum. Lots of good raw milk over there. We only do raw milk in our home and we will never go back

Since you're just getting started, here are a few resources:
--Real Food by Nina Planck (book--you can get it at almost any bookstore, library, online, etc.)

Great whole foods blogs:
www.nourishedkitchen.com (MDC mama's awesome blog)
www.cheeseslave.com
www.kellythekitchenkop.com
www.thriftyorganic.com
www.thenourshinggourmet.com (the most incredible easy & frugal recipes)

[jolenegreen]

Thanks so much!!!

[elus0814]

I grew up in Rochester and have lived there for most of the past year. The larger Wegmans stores are great places to shop for organic food. They carry organic chicken and beef as well and at very reasonable prices for organic. Now that I've moved away I still shop there and bring coolers and boxes to take the food home (several states away). It might be worth it for you to take a monthly trip to a larger Wegmans. I haven't had much luck finding organics at Tops. If you are near Rochester you can go to Lori's Natural Foods and if you are near Buffalo try the Lexington coop, it's downtown but it's a nice store. Also check out Local Harvest for farmer's markets and farms in the area that you can visit.

[jolenegreen]

Thanks so much! I am about 1 1/2 hours from Rochester....not sure if there is a bigger Weagmans between here and there but taking a cooler would be a great idea!Where in Rochester is the Loris Natural foods? Im pretty familiar with Rochester as my husbands family lives there so we visit every couple months!
I have been reading all the wonderful sites everyone has given me..I have found an organic beef farm near me and wondered if this is they "TYPE" of beef I want? I was kind of skeptical becuase it is being sent to a factory? LMK what u ladies think please?
http://sunnycovefarm.com/sunny-cove-...s-fed-beef.htm

[jolenegreen]