So if you had to go local vs. organic which would it be?

[Ldavis24]

Keeping mind these things
1.The local food that you are buying (meat, veggies/fruit,dairy) would not be organic at all (either govt cert or you know it is organic just not labeled). It would be completely conventionally grown using pesticides etc...

2. The organic food you bought was not local but within your region for the most part (think North East for example).

I ask this in part because I know some people are die-hard locavores and others are more concerned with using whole foods and organic produce, meat dairy etc with less regard to where it was grown regionally.

I often read of people saying "well get it local!"... I have 2 problems with that, 1. where I am there is hardly anything (and I have searched a lot, both online and actually calling places, driving around and through word of mouth) locally grown or raised and what I have found is not organic for the most part, either certified or just from the farmer telling it is.

I don't generally buy any processed foods so this really only is in regard to whole foods. I would much rather buy a head of lettuce that was grown organically from several states away than one that I can get down the road and I know was covered in pesticides and who knows what else. That is me though. How does everyone else handle this situation? I know I can't be the only one to have to deal with it.

These days I am becoming more and more educated/obsessed with the food my family eats and this is just a continuation of that thought process. I know that local food is good for, well everyone locally but frankly sometimes I feel like I am more interested in my family not eating pesticides and s**t so I can feel good about helping farmer John down the road kwim? Or am I way off base....

Oh before I forget, I am well aware of the problem with national organic standards and what they do and do not really mean. That is also something I wrestle with, because just seeing the organic label is far from good enough any more! Also I am gardening next year but due to circumstances this season I can only do herbs (moving very soon and other stuff)
Thanks in advance for all the responses, I know this got really rambly

[robugmum]

Have you looked into CSA's or other buying clubs in your town? Often the best way to find these products that are ethically raised/sustainably grown (note, NOT necessarily certified organic) is to forge relationships with farmers or third party groups that work with farmers on your behalf. Also, some crops are more heavily sprayed than others . You could make these decisions based on each individual type of product.

[moss]

local--not everyone gets the 'organic' certification because of all the hoops that they have to jump thru to do so. if i'm buying at a farmgate/local market, i get a really good idea of how that food comes to be.

ps, you can always grow sprouts in your windowsill if you're worried about pesticides on your local lettucie bits.

[JudiAU]

Organic by a landslide then....no pesticides in me, my kids, or the ground. No brutality to animals who are providing me with milk or meat or eggs. A bit of fossil fuel to get it to me.

I know and buy from some farmers who aren't certified but I only them the exception. Otherwise, conventional junk is still junk even if it goes from my garden.

[cristeen]

If, as you specified, all your local options are most definitely conventionally grown, then I'd probably go with the less local organics - but skip the imports. I would try to get as local as possible.

I'm lucky in that we have plenty of local organic (certified or not) options, so it's not a matter of ethics... I can actually comparison shop based on price or appearance/ripeness.

[Arduinna]

organic over local in general, but for peaches I'm buying local because I'm sorry you just can't get a good store bought peach IMO LOL

[snarky]

I buy local, and that is mainly because I buy for freshness/flavour. The local fruit market has a wide array of fruits and veggies that are fresher, tastier, and more affordable than their more widely traveled organic brothers.

[Viola]

I think it really depends on what the food is. For me, usually the point of local is that it is grown on smaller scale farms, and isn't going to be completely conventionally grown even if it can't qualify as organic. When I lived in So CA I could drive big big strawberry fields and smell the chemicals on them, and honestly, I'd rather buy strawberries that are organic and grown in another state then eat conventional strawberries. But I might eat non-organic locally grown stuff if I felt like the pesticide contamination risk wasn't as great.

[serenbat]

"well get it local!"

- most of mine is non-certified organic!!!

[hildare]

i vote for local. here's why:
local growers do tend to use way less pesticides- if at all- than agri-business, even organic agri business
you can ask if the produce is sprayed, etc. and get a straight answer.
labor rights of workers are important to me. agri businesses can exploit workers. local folks tend not to do that.
you can have a relationship with local folks. you never know who's growing your food with industrial agriculture.
locally grown food can possess nutrients from local soil, which some people believe are healthful for someone in a given location. (who knows about that bit, though?)
local food supports regular people trying to make it with small farms. industrial agri-business is a series of buy outs, and unless they're cooperatively owned (i look for this when buying) you could be buying from a mega corporation who could be using lots of pesticides- just not on their organic brand by a deceptive name.

hopefully as other pp's suggested, you can locate a farmer's market or csa or even start your own cooperative for purchasing. or.. if you can.. even if it's just one tomato plant in a container, grow yer own! it rocks!!!

[Ldavis24]

Originally Posted by serenbat

- most of mine is non-certified organic!!!

but my point is that if you don't even have that option. I know that many good farmers grow non-cert organic and you can just talk to them about it, but there are many small farmers who don't kwim?

As far as imports, what about certain things that you can really only get imported? Also where is the line drawn, could you handle never drinking lovely french wine or something (theoretical as I don't drink at all)....I am curious if people give up certain things or have a few special exceptions for imports. I became obsessed with the 100 mile challenge tv special and was thoroughly impressed with just how much effort it can take to eat like that, but my first thought was, where would I get pepper and tea!

It is so frustrating where we live at the moment, the closest place to get raw milk year round is over an hour away for crying out loud! This choosing between local and organic is something I have to deal with every time I go shopping for food and I figure I am not the only one with this dilemma. Seafood is about the only thing we can get fresh and local on a daily basis being basically surrounded by the ocean

Thanks for all the input mamas, I love love love reading about what other people do for their families.

Oh i just wanted to say that I am an avid gardener but this season due to moving circumstances I cannot garden my usual crop of, tomatos, peas, carrots, potatos, lettuce, corn, peppers, squash, pumpkins, spices, etc...Can't do the CSA either so really this is a frustrating issue because normally I wouldn't have this problem!

[hildare]

Originally Posted by Ldavis24

As far as imports, what about certain things that you can really only get imported? Also where is the line drawn, could you handle never drinking lovely french wine or something (theoretical as I don't drink at all)....I am curious if people give up certain things or have a few special exceptions for imports. I became obsessed with the 100 mile challenge tv special and was thoroughly impressed with just how much effort it can take to eat like that, but my first thought was, where would I get pepper and tea!

this is totally true, you do have to make exceptions. i am a die hard diy-er, but we still have to (ok we don't have to.. but i'm an addict..) get things like green coffee beans as imports, even though we roast. we do make our own booze, though, which is wicked fun. i don't think there are very many people who live perfect local dining lives. our world is too fractured to do that. we just do our best.

[Jaesun's Dad]

local, I'm very skeptical of the mass commerce adopted labels: "Green", "Organic" these days to begin with.

[Ldavis24]

Originally Posted by hildare

this is totally true, you do have to make exceptions. i am a die hard diy-er, but we still have to (ok we don't have to.. but i'm an addict..) get things like green coffee beans as imports, even though we roast. we do make our own booze, though, which is wicked fun. i don't think there are very many people who live perfect local dining lives. our world is too fractured to do that. we just do our best.

Ha this made me think of my ultimate addiction. This one kind of chocolate from Iceland. I feel crazy just thinking about it and how good it is!

[serenbat]

but there are many small farmers who don't kwim?

to us it is far more about pesticides

I see noting wrong is imports, it been going on for thousands of years.

I travel over an hour for milk, our local RAW milk cows are feed pesticide grass. It's a trade off we make.