[Periwinkle]

I frequently grapple with the pros/cons of buying local vs. organic. For me, it's often one or the other. I have a great farm stand near my home and I have a Whole Foods. The farm stand is great but it only operates once a week and plus it has next to nothing for 6 months of the year -- i.e., obviously it's the late spring to early fall months that are bustling due to the local growing season. It also involves choosing among a small subset of all the groceries I need for a week. In the summer when the farm stand has the largest selection, they have tomatoes, corn, cucumber and squashes, melons, berries, lettuces, etc., but don't have kiwi, avocado, grapes, potatoes, bananas, and a lot of other produce we eat on an almost daily basis. And the only animal products they have are cheddar cheese and eggs. Also, the items they sell are NOT organic but I know some of the farms and they have tolerable practices, e.g., not spraying after fruit appears or before harvest, etc. As for Whole Foods, they have the packaged organic food we buy and also the other produce, although most of it comes from far away and tends to be large corporations (e.g., Earthbound Farms, Hain Celestial, Stonyfield, the dreaded Horizon, etc.). Add to the problem that it's a PITA to go to 2 (or more) places every week to do my grocery shopping.

I have recently been thinking that from an environmental perspective, local is probably better hands down, even if it's not organic. But from a health perspective, I wonder too. For example, nutrients deteriorate rapidly after they're picked, and the stuff I buy from Whole Foods is probably days older than what I buy at my local farm stand. Also, I wonder what happens to the produce after it's picked... washing (who knows what the water quality is), packaging in plastic, sitting in an exhaust filled distribution center, and weathering a long trip in the back of a truck on a highway... this has GOT to get into the produce somehow, kwim?

I used to be a 100% organic fan, but more and more I am realizing that buying locally is probably just as or even more important. I think where we are now is buying local first and foremost (even if not organic) and buying organic after that.

What do you do? Anyone have any research etc. on this?

 

[MidwifeErika]

I don't have any research on this, but it makes total sence to me that even non-organic, but local maybe better than organic and from far away. I tend to buy my produce through the summer at the farmer's market from vendors that I know the practices of and agree with even if they aren't certified organic. The fresher food certainly tastes better to me, the color looks better, the produce smells stronger, so I figure it must be more nutrient dense. I am also a huge fan of supporting the little guy, the family farms that are shutting down more and more all the time. I like the fact that the $$$ goes directly to them rather than a large corperation. (and it helps that sometimes the vendors are willing to swap their veggies for my homemade soap!)

You could always pick and choose what kinds of produce you are willing to go non-organic on.... things that you could peel, things you feel you can wash clean, etc.

 

[weliveintheforest]

I struggle with this as well, and I hadn't even thought of how old the organic veggies must be... ugh! Luckily it is not as much of an issue in the summer when there is lots of local organic stuff.

 

[frogguruami]

I have chosen to purchase the items that are most affected by pesticides in organic varieties only. Everything else I choose local first and then organic if I can't find it from a local source.

 

[Livi's Mama]

Recently there was a study done in England that showed locally grown non-organic is much better for the planet than shipped-in organic. But like you said, there's the very personal factor of what is on the local food you are putting in your mouth. I still go with local. I figure the people at the farmer's market might not be organic, but they also are unlikely to spray randomly & heavily like the mega-growers do. Miracle-gro may not be great for the environment, but it's probably better than what's sprayed out the back of a crop-duster. I think you're right on.

 

[abranger]

Local almost always trumps organic

Read 'The Omnivores Dilema' by Michael Pollan