Answers to the Top 5 Questions About Organic Food
Order Medifast and SaveYou’ve no doubt seen organic produce and meat at the grocery store. And, you’ve no doubt noticed that the price tag is a bit higher. But, what you might not know is just exactly how food qualifies as organic. You might also be unsure as to whether buying organic food is really better for you, and whether it’s really worth the cost. Here are the answers to your most basic questions about organic food.
- What does organic mean?
Organic gardening is not new. In fact, it’s been around forever. Organic gardening is simply gardening that uses only natural products for fertilizing and for removing disease and pests. It has been around for years, because it is, in fact, the original way of gardening. All gardeners were organic ones before chemical pesticides and fertilizers were available.
- Why go organic?
Organic food has gained popularity primarily because people have become concerned about what commercial fertilizers, pest control products and products for removing plant disease are doing to the food we’re eating and the water we’re drinking. Some commercial fertilizers and pest controls have been linked to cancer and other diseases. When we eat foods that have been grown using these products, we may be exposing ourselves to harmful toxins. In addition, these products wind up in the water supply because they are in the soil and the plants.
- How do I know that my food is really organic?
Buying from trusted sources is the best way to ensure that you’re really getting organic food. There are several large grocery chains that carry organic food. These stores, like Whole Foods and Fresh Market have made their reputations on carrying truly fresh and organic foods.
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Another great way to go organic is to shop local farmers markets. You can get to know the local farmers you’re buying from and develop a relationship. Other buyers in your area can help you identify the best farmers. Buying local is also a great way to save money on organic foods. Since the foods don’t have to travel so far, there are lower fuel costs added, which means lower overall cost to the consumer.
You may also see the symbol “certified organic”. This symbol means that your farmer has gone through the process of having his farm certified as an organic producer.
- Why is organic food more expensive?
Organic food is more expensive to you because it’s more expensive to produce. Because gardeners don’t use pesticides to kill weeds, they do more hand weeding. Because they don’t use chemicals, they run a greater risk of losing their crops. Organic composts and manure are used by organic farmers to fertilize their crops. These fertilizers are more expensive to ship than ordinary chemical fertilizers.
- What about organic meat?
Organic meat means meat that has been fed organically grown natural feed. For example, cows are naturally vegetarians, but in industrial meat production cows are fed animal by-products, where as organic cows are grass fed. In addition, organically raised animals are not given the anti-biotics that are so heavily used in industrial meat production.