Why Organic?

[SisterFlash]

Congratulations SeaChick on your fight. You are doing great!!!

I also have had environmental/chemical damage

Another good book is Fatal Harvest.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

This is definitely a personal choice brought on by many personal convictions!
I agree you don't always know what you’re buying!!!

I buy BlueSeal certified organic

I don't sell my eggs as organic
1)I start mine off with regular chick started for the medication
2)I give them cracked corn in winter (not organic)
3)I give them non-organic fruits & vegetables from the supermarket once a week in winter!

(you do have to jump through some hoops to be certified organic)

people want them because they are pastured & they do eat mostly organic!

I feed my chickens how I eat I believe they are balanced and as healthy as can be!

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
This is awesome. I find myself surrounded by so many like-minded friends here.


So Lazy J Farms - starting to see a pattern here? Get the idea how important this is to people? And if you can find a way to drive down the cost of organic, you corner a huge and growing market.

BTW, look into the use of petroleum products in the creation of fertilizer, and videos such as http://www.powerofcommunity.org. We are in an energy crisis - many call it Peak Oil. If/when the oil supplies really become diminished, the availability of manufactured fertilizers will become scarce and expensive. It is critical that we achieve widespread use of natural growing methods.

That video shows how Cuba switched over to an organic commitment, nationwide, to get away from the use of chemical fertilizers. This occurred in the early 90's after the fall of the Soviet Union, and the US interfered with Cuba's oil supply. It is an outstanding film and a fascinating story.

We have begun to produce a large amount of compost. We have a section of our yard that is roughly 8x14 for composting, surrounded by pallets. We compost lawn clippings, oak and other deciduous leaves, and unsellable produce from the local markets which the local markets and produce distributor discard. Part of that strategy is to introduce the chicken litter to the composting operation. None of what we are doing is particularly scientific, but the more organic / chemical-free material we can use, the better we will feel about it.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
Yes I see a theme, but I disagree with your reasoning. I am all for people making choices for their lives and applaud you for taking responsibility for your food. More people should take that interest. However some of the reasons given are not based on sound reasoning or scientific data.

Jim

 

[greginshasta]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

However some of the reasons given are not based on sound reasoning or scientific data.

Well, I'm not here to ask anyone to approve why I make my choices. But I moved to the mountains so I could afford to live on sufficient land to make those choices. I am, however, interested in knowing what part of what I or others have expressed that you disagree with.​

 

[1acrefarm]

I don't need scientific data. I have used the chemicals in the past. My tomatoes for instance grew good. The fertilizer cost me money and did not seem to improve the soil. I use whats available from home to improve the soil now. My tomatoes grow excellent and taste much better for it. My soil gets darker and needs alot less to no input the next year. I go by personal results not lab results. I will not buy chemical nitrogen just to throw what I have in the landfill. When my chickens get to eat more of what I grow my eggs taste better as well. Nutritional differences I could not tell you without lab reports though.

 

[MNKris]

Jim, the long and short of rhe reasoning is "IT IS THE IN THING". Most of these people have no idea what they are feeding, organic or not.
I had a friend that had a small truck garden, which he raised plain old veggies. Which he sold at the farmers market. A few years before he passed, he notice some people selling the same types of veggies only at twice the price. Checking this out he found they called their veggies "organic". During the week he made some organic signs and sold all his veggies as organic from the day on. Never did he change his way of growing them. I do understand those sold in stores today can be tested, but are they. The same goes for the organic feed some feed their animals, half the field is sold as feed and the other half is organic.

Shame on your friend for not knowing what organic is and then trying to use it to his advantage. You can't just put a sign out there and legally call something organic. Even vegetables have to be raised by certified organic seed to be called organic, regardless whether the vegetables were raised without pesticides. The land they are grown on also has to be certified unless you are a small enough business (under $2000 in sales) and you can provide proof that the land is truly organic. At least that is how it is in MN with our laws. If you sell at farmer's markets, etc. you must be certified here in MN. Also, for chickens, which we used to raise organically, if you sell processed meat birds, you need to be inspected and licensed by an organic organization inspection to make sure your entire process is also organic. If you have someone else process your birds, they must be certified. There is a lot of paperwork involved. If you are not certified, here in MN you can buy a license from the state that allows you to label your products "Minnesota Grown", but that in no way implies organic, or even without pesticides.

As far as Why Organic? Organic is a chosen way of life. It is very difficult to be fully organic, but every little bit can't hurt, at least that is what we believe.

1) If you search the web, you can find a lot of benefits to organic ways of life. Europeans have set a good example for us to follow, especially in Germany. You can also read a about organic benefits that have been studied at John Hopkins.

2) Pesticides are a big problem for both the consumer and the environment. With all the lakes here in MN, we see plenty of runoff problems and it is continually a topic of polical debate. We have also seen a steady incline in 6 legged or other types of deformities in frogs. All researchers in our area say amphibians are the animals to watch when concerned about environmental hazards.

3) Runoff Concerns We have also chosen to drive a Jetta TDI that uses a bio-diesel blend. Our tractor also runs on bio-diesel blend. We actually make our bio-diesel by using old frying oil from a local restaurant at a cost of about $.87/gallon. It's work, a little chemistry, but also very good for recycling. Our car gets 45-50 mpg depending how fast I drive

4) Genetically modified material is also a concern. There isn't a lot known about what long term effects this will have on humans or animals consumed by humans.

Organic is more expensive because you generally get less production out of the same space due to lack of fertilization, weed/pest control, no synthetic modification, etc.

We grow our own garden (not fully organic, but without pesticides) and raise a lot of our own fruit so we can control the salt and sugar levels that are used during their preservation processing. We can a LOT of our own beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, etc. so we know where it came from. We use organic seeds when we can find them, but not always and we try to buy heirloom varieties (non-modified) otherwise.

5) In order to fully benefit from organic, you have to try really hard to eliminate modern marterials like plastics, instead choosing glass, natural cotton, etc. No dyes, unnatural chemicals. Right down to the clothes in your closet, tooth paste, dish soap, etc. We don't get it all right, but we keep working towards it.

OK. Speech done.​

 

[CovenantCreek]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

However some of the reasons given are not based on sound reasoning or scientific data.

Perhaps you have a problem with the fact that we haven't cited or quoted our research sources, but that doesn't mean our reasoning is any less sound. Here are some sources for you to start your own research:

1. http://attra.ncat.org/ National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
2. http://sare.org/ Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
3. http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2002/jun/science/kb_organic.html Environmental Science and Technology
4. http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/2004/Arsenic-Chicken-Roxarsone4jan04.htm article regarding arsenic levels in commercially grown chicken

No matter how we stated our reasons for preferring organic methods over more cost-effective methods, those reasons are all valid and supported by a variety of studies and research.​

 

[betejean]

We started growing our own vegetables and herbs in 2005, and added chickens to our 'crop' two months ago. The reasons for doing this has been stated many times over in the previous posts. There are a lot of people with the same mind set as Jim, and the fellow that lied at the farmers market. Slowly people are starting to realize the health dangers that thinking presents. to themselves and others.

We live in an area that has a lot of "dairys"( only considered that because they milk the cows), but in reality they are inhumain feed lots, or 'milk factories'. Many of the farmers in this area use airplanes to spew the pesticides on their crops from the air, sharing the poisons to all neighbors down wind. Slowly, very slowly due to many hours spent in county commissioners and city council meetings by people that would like to eat unpoisoned food and breathe clean air there is a beginning of more 'organic' practices.

We shoppers need also to help change the shopping practice of only buying perfect vegetables, and out of season produce. When we do we will force the stocking of more 'organic' foods. Then the price will leval out. More and more farmers markets are beginning to insist on those selling 'organic' produce and other products to register a certificate as such with them proving they are certified to stop such untruthful selling practices.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Bioaccumulation.

A lot of toxins are fat soluble, which means that the purity of the feed you feed your chicken is even more important than the purity of the produce that you feed yourself.

http://www.reneeloux.com/go_organic/dirty_dozen.html

Those of you who are foregoing organic milk should think again. Milk and butter are probably the most important organic products to buy (aside from meat and eggs).

It's all about the fat! It has also been shown that the more fat you carry on your body, the higher your risk of cancer.

Edited to clarify that SOME PESTICIDES ARE FAT SOLUBLE and will therefore BIOACCUMULATE. To further clarify -- fat soluble toxins cannot be easily excreted from the body, like those that are water soluble