Are no vegetable or fruits better than non-organic? - Page 2

[nyssaneala]

Originally Posted by MrsGregory 

Indeed, when I think "pastured pork", I think of a pig, happily rummaging through a meadow, eating mushrooms and apples, and romping and frolicking and having a grand life before some jerk comes along and eats him.

There are lots of pigs and boars happily rummaging through meadows and forests, decimating the ecosystem. Wild pigs are actually an invasive species, and are a huge problem in certain areas of the country. The Ossabaw Island feral pigs are one example. Right now, the only thing keeping them from going extinct is a dedicated group of farmers off-island who breed them for heritage pork. The state of Georgia wants to eradicate the wild Ossabaw pigs on the island completely, since they disrupt the nests and eat the eggs of loggerhead turtles on the island, another endangered species.

[MrsGregory]

I know nothing about raising pork.  I do know that I'm not picturing wild pigs ravaging entire communities when I am searching for a healthier, more humanely sourced pork product. 
 

[marsupial-mom]

Originally Posted by MrsGregory 

Indeed, when I think "pastured pork", I think of a pig, happily rummaging through a meadow, eating mushrooms and apples, and romping and frolicking and having a grand life before some jerk comes along and eats him.

FYI unlike the label "organic" which has a legal definition and is regulated by the USDA, the labels "pastured" or "pasture-raised" are not regulated labels. Although "pastured" implies that the animals were raised outdoors on pasture, since the term is not regulated or certified, there is no way to ensure if any claim is accurate. You would have to actually visit the farm to see for yourself. I encourage anyone curious about animal welfare or the safety of meat to visit the sources of their animal products in person and see it firsthand.

[MrsGregory]

Exactly.

This is the big hold up.  I like the idea of visiting farms... I've identified several farms in the area that sell all week and have most of what I'm looking for. 

(I'm limited also by the fact that I am a NYer in Texas.  We cook differently, to put it mildly.)

I just haven't saddled up the Subaru and headed to those farms yet. 

What's the hold up, you ask?

Funny, I was just mentioning in the accomplishment thread... 

I have grown more and more terrified of the rural areas.

I'm not looking forward to embarrassing myself when a pig squeal unexpectedly on my tour and I scream and jump and run for my car.  So... no ethical pork just yet.

I'm working up to it.

[stik]

I just moved out of AZ, and my limited experience with Javelinas has not made me feel more comfortable around pigs.  I should probably put some time and effort into ethically sourcing bacon, since we eat it so rarely we can afford to pay a premium when we do, but we otherwise avoid both pigs and pork. 

I was intrigued by the notion that the ecologically correct thing to do with pigs is exploit their ability to turn garbage into food.  I'm not super-keen on eating garbage-fed pigs, but the potential for managing waste-disposal and hunger at the same time makes me want to find a good way to get over that psychological hurdle.
 

[MeepyCat]

MrsGregory, pigs are scary. They're big. And not at all shy.

I used to work for a company that owned vineyards. Feral big control was a huge issue - unless intensively herded, pastured pigs get away. They barrel right through fences, and they are a menace to agriculture. The company I worked for dealt, to the extent that they could, by supplying farm workers with ammo and tell them they could do what they liked with the pork. I'm sure some of it was sold to high-end establishments, but I think the methodology doesn't constitute ethical slaughter.

[MrsGregory]

But the pig in Charlotte's Web was so sweet and cuddly!

...

So, what is the alternative to the commonly available sardine-pigs that are slaughtered horribly?  Aside from forgoing pork products, that is? 

I'm glad I'm learning about pigs here, and not within 5 feet of a pig on some farm.

[MichelleZB]

Eat a combo of organic and non-organic, based on pesticide ratings!

ALSO: you know there's a cheap way to get pesticide-free, locally-grown produce: grow your own!

I know what the excuses are. You don't have a garden, you're really busy, etc. But there's a middle ground between turning your backyard into a farm and no veggies at all. For instance: sprouts! Everyone has time to have a sprouter on their kitchen counter! Kids love doing the sprouting. I got a sprouter and some organic sprouting seeds at my local health food store. It took me months to get through a five dollar bag of seeds, and each crop of sprouts is great in salads, sandwiches, or just to munch on. Recommended!