The lies of Big Organic

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Friday, June 6. 2014

The Biggest Myths About Organic Farming.

I refuse to eat or buy anything with an "organic" label. It's just stupid, Gwyneth Paltrow stupid. Well, I have smoked some organic weed, but only when the good stuff wasn't available and, anyway, I didn't inhale it - and it didn't make me stupid enough to want Ben & Jerry's.

Posted by The News Junkie in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 10:58 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (0)

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While the nutritional profiles may be the same, the chances of organic produce tasting better, are in my experience, much better than those of regular produce. Organic potatoes are almost always amazingly better in particular, but all root vegetables, as well as eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, and many others are usually simply tastier.

#1 Joe Ynot on 2014-06-06 11:28 (Reply)

With a blind tasting of the same plant?

#1.1 Bird Dog on 2014-06-06 11:31 (Reply)

Yeah, it sounds like someone is not controlling for variety.

I eat organic tomatoes and cucumbers in the summer. Mostly because I have to do something with those leaves and grass clippings and then need to clear out the bin in the Spring. I grow tomatoes because I can grow delicate heirloom varieties that taste better. And I grow cucumbers because there is little better than a cool cucumber right off the vine in the hot sun. Later, they aren't as good.

#1.1.1 JKB on 2014-06-06 11:39 (Reply)

In all honesty, no. I have done some side-by-sides, but mostly it's of the "the eggplant is so much better this week" kind of thing. With potatoes, it's extremely noticeable.

And, of course, the vagaries of season, age, soil, etc. means there will be plenty of exceptions. I've also noticed that when a fruit or vegetable is in its peek season, there is much less of a difference.

Except with potatoes.

#1.1.2 Joe Ynot on 2014-06-06 15:08 (Reply)

I know the organic labels are BS because the fruit and vegetables aren't full of bugs.

I have a couple of truly organic plum trees out back. You can tell they are organic because almost every plum has at least one worm in it.

I'm thinking of spraying this fall and again after they flower next spring so my family, not the worms, get to eat plums.

#2 NJSoldier on 2014-06-06 11:42 (Reply)

I grow my own potatoes. Don't need to use anything on them to keep them pest-free, so I am raising them organically just by accident. The potatoes I grew in my own yard (red potatoes, russetts and yukon golds) tasted no differently to me than the ones I've bought from the store (non-organic always...I don't have enough extra $ to spend on pricey organic foods). So, sorry, but I don't believe you could tell the difference between organic or non-organic potatoes.

#3 MissT on 2014-06-06 17:25 (Reply)

Oh, there was ONE difference...freshness. My homegrown potatoes were definitely fresher than the ones I get at the store (firmer and with more moisture inside). But is that any surprise? Mine traveled from my garden to my kitchen in one day.

#4 MissT on 2014-06-06 17:28 (Reply)

Okay, that was informative. I find the idea that organic pesticides being automatically safer than synthetic is... broken. There are some very nasty "all natural" elements that I'd rather not ingest.

The big upside for me is the regular stuff is both more available and cheaper - and for some reason seems to last longer in the refrigerator (not sure why that might be???)

So does this apply to "organic" milk? Is my "knowledge" of the effects of hormones & antibiotics feed to cattle in need of adjustment?

On a slightly related topic, I will note that my distaste for GMO crops was never to do with safety, it has to do with how Patents are enforced in ag, and the simple fact that there is no way to control the propagation, there for possibly infecting someone's land who didn't want it - and should have the choice. An example would be some Oregon "Non-GMO" growers who export where to places where GMO is not legal, or requires explicit labeling; got GMO volunteers (which isn't supposed to happen - yet it does) - infecting their crop spoiling the entire harvest for export purposes.

Land owners should have a choice - if they want to grow organic - no pesticides, then I view it as the neighbors responsibility to not overspray on to the "organic" crops. Same thing with GMO - you plant it - you figure out how to keep it on your property (good luck with that).

#5 Not Rick on 2014-06-06 20:05 (Reply)

For what it's worth the various food producers from farmers to middlemen to the chain food stores send the better produce to the high end buyers and consumers. There is some really good produce grown on large farms especially fruit and citrus but it gets sent off to the big money buyers many of them overseas. A fair comparison between organic produce and non-organic produce should be between the best from both sources. But if you buy your potatoes or apples from the local grocery store it won't, usually, be the best of the non-organic crop.

#6 GoneWithTheWind on 2014-06-06 20:27 (Reply)

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Friday, June 6. 2014

The lies of Big Organic