Organic Food

10/18/13

What is in our food? Most of the time, ingredient lists are not enough. Is the food we eat grown using chemicals that are harmful? Is the farming done sustainably? How many miles did the food travel from where it was grown to my plate? Recently, these questions have been asked by many consumers around the world. This has lead to local and organic foods popping up in grocery stores in large quantities. The "buy local and organic" fad is beginning to set into today's society, and with that comes an easily accessible wide array of local organic foods to buy.

Organic foods are becoming more prevalent through a variety of avenues. The first being through C.S.A.'s, or Community Supported Agriculture. There has been a large influx of these popping up in the greater Albany area as well as other locations. There are many benefits to this type of farming, both for farmers as well as consumers. The farmers are able to gain a fan base of sorts where they get mostly locals visiting their farms and buying their produce. This helps the farmer greatly because it helps them sell their produce while showing them that their is a market for what they are growing. It reassures the farmer that their farm will be supported by the local community.

The consumer also greatly benefits for a number of reasons. Consumers have a fantastic opportunity to eat healthy, extra fresh produce from a local farm. This way, the consumer can be conscious in who they are buying from, and be supporting their local economy, at the same time greatly reducing "food miles". By reducing the distance the food travels between where it is grown to your dinner plate is a great way to help the environment. Another great advantage of these farms is through the farmer-consumer relationship that grows and builds throughout the season. The consumers can interact with the farmers, giving them feedback which help the experience for both parties in the long run. In the same vein, farmers can take that feedback and improve on their services which leads to their business also growing.

Co-ops are another way that many consumers are taking charge in knowing where their food is produced and making sure it is grown responsibly. These are community run grocery stores where the community works for, and controls the products that are sold. This is a great way to sell only local foods, supporting the local economy greatly and, once again, reducing food miles. These co-ops are also great for consumers because they supply discounts for community members that work at the co-op for designated amounts of time. Not only does this support local economies and farmers, but it also helps reduce the prices of many products.

Many consumers are also supporting the organic trend by only buying from certified organic foods as well as GMO-free foods in their local super markets. The local organic fad has not stopped with just supporting local and organic businesses, but has also moved outwards to supporting companies that do not use GMOs in their products. Whether for health reasons, or personal reasons against a company, many people have been hesitant to try GMO foods. This, in conjunction with the widespread movement towards local economies has largely helped many local farms and hindered some of the food giants.

Overall, more and more communities are supporting their local farmers and economies. Not only is this benefiting the farmers and consumers through cheaper, healthier food, but it also an environmentally friendly way to buy produce. By reducing how far foods travels before we eat it, we are saving tons of gasoline that would otherwise be used for travel, sometimes upwards of fifteen-hundred (1500) miles. Buying local foods through C.S.A.'s, Co-ops, and other suppliers is one of the easiest and most effective ways we as consumers can influence our local economies, markets and produce selections.

"Going green doesn't start with doing green acts - it starts with a shift in consciousness. This shift allows you to recognize that with every choice you make, you are voting either for or against the kind of world you wish to see. When you assume this as a way of being, your choices become easier..." (Ian Somerhalder)