Shifting Towards Organic

Not so long ago, my only focus at the grocery store was that final total I had to hand over to the cashier. What a rush, to get a cart full of all kinds of canned/frozen/prepackaged foods, hand over a fistful of coupons and tally up the loss leaders, and walk out spending a pittance. I never really gave the actual cost of these kinds of foods a thought.

Like long-term. High fructose corn syrup (or any corn syrups, for that matter) and their relationship with diabetes and obesity.

Antibiotics in dairy and their connection with resistant super-bugs, like MRSA, C. diff, and the newest baddie, VRE. Do you think it's a coincidence?

What about the ethical treatment of animals argument? I'm not quite ready for any paint-throwing, but it's worth it to me to spend $2.25 a dozen on eggs I buy from a farmer, especially since I can see his chickens scratching and pecking in their roomy coop. Reading how chickens that give us grocery store eggs are forced to live makes me ill.

So this week we've started taking some steps towards organic.

1.) We're joining with other like-minded locals and forming a CSA, the Miami River Foods Project. Last Sunday evening they held a meeting at a local coffeehouse and we discussed what we can do to get off the ground. I love that we're rewarding local farmers for doing things the right way - local, sustainable, ethical. I love that my cheese won't have rBGH. My fruits won't be imported from California. That I'm playing a role in the upkeep of my local community while feeding myself and my family healthy foods.

2.) We've also signed up for the Happy Box, a produce CSA out of Fulton Farms. I'm really excited to see what's brought to our door in the Locavore box - believe it or not, there was some produce on the list that this "weekend foodie" didn't recognize, like tat soi. $20 a week for 10-15 lbs of local, fresh, organic produce? That doesn't sound so spendthrift, does it?

3.) And tomorrow's project, making a garbage can compost bin. I'm really excited about this! Every year Yasar grows the most delicious, beautiful tomatoes...using Miracle Grow. We've got to be able to do something comparable using scraps from our kitchen instead of chemicals.

One thing I find myself pondering lately is how "frugal" and "eco-friendly" often dovetail with each other.

So that's what's going on in our home this last week. We're switching gears from "cheap" to "organic". It's a process, to be sure, and we don't expect it to happen all at once. But once you've been informed, it's hard to look at that grocery cart full of processed foods without forking the sign of the Evil Eye at it!

Something I wanted to add quick - I've just received membership to the National Consumer Panel and brought my scanner home yesterday. I'd originally applied to Homescan for the cool prizes, but now, after watching the DVD and really understanding how it works, it's more important to have my voice heard - the voice of someone not spending money on chemicals, additives, and antibiotics. It's an opportunity to let food manufacturers know that quality is important, despite the additional costs involved. Yes, I'm forfeiting my privacy. But to me, it seems to be worth it.