organic v conventional growing

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/science/earth/study-questions-advantages-of-organic-meat-and-produce.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120904

let's talk about this article/study. 

first of all, ladies and gentlemen, certified organic produce does NOT mean chemical free. nowhere, in anyone's definition, does it say organic equals chemical free. this is a definition the public has given organic. certified organic farms are allowed to spray certain chemicals, ones that are less harmful, but nonetheless, chemicals. 

second of all, chemical sprays, or lack of, have NOTHING to do with the nutritional value of the produce. what gives produce a high nutritional value is two things - its freshness and its soil quality. as soon as produce is picked, it starts to lose its nutrients. so the sooner you consume that item, the more nutrition you will get. this is where buying locally and directly from the farmer comes in. soil quality also plays a major role in produce nutrition. if the soil on a farm is dead, void of organic matter and nutrients itself, it has nothing to give the produce plants, and therefore the produce. 

third of all, for everyone buying organic food for the health of themselves...shame on you. while i agree, i would prefer to go out into a field, pick a sugar pea off the plant and eat it without fear of what has been sprayed on it, this is not why i buy, and grow, organic. chemical farming does such harm to the environment it is a wonder we even still have an environment. industrialized farmers completely kill the soil, so nothing will grow (can't have a random thistle growing in the field, let alone an earthworm). then, in order to get their crop to grow (since the soil is dead), they have to add fertilizers. and what happens when it rains? you get runoff. since there is little in the field, but the crop, to keep the soil in place, it just runs away and with it much of that fertilizer. and where does it go? the streams, the lakes, the rivers. all those fish and other aquatic life don't appreciate the chemicals. and let's not forget all the herbicides and insecticides that are sprayed. some of that ends up on the plants, some in the air, some in the soil, some in the water. rachel carson would be so disappointed that we haven't improved our farming ways for the better of the environment and its wildlife. 

organic meat - i don't even know what that is, do you? what does grass fed beef mean? most people think grass fed means the animals eat grass and it is healthier for them. while it is true that grass fed meat has less saturated fat, many grass fed beef farms give their animals grain at some point. and does anyone think to ask if the grass the animals are eating is unsprayed? no, not usually. and does anyone think to ask how long mothers and calves are kept together? no... sheep and lambs? no... grass fed also doesn't mean pastured raised. the animals might be stuck in a barn somewhere eating hay, not roaming free on green pastures. my point is, you have to be able to talk with the farmer and ask them questions about their practices. the factory farms have given grain feed a bad name. and it is a bad thing, if that is all the animal is getting. they need a balanced diet, just like people. buy local and know your farmer. ask questions. most farmers like to talk about their practices.

while on the subject of meat, i am going to talk about our animal production. i don't very much since i deal mostly with the produce, but i sell our meat at market and i see the animals all around. we raise all the sheep, the ram, all the cows and the bull on the farm. lambs are with their moms for a couple of months, calves are with their moms for almost six months. lambs and calves are out on pasture almost from birth (depending on the weather and when they are born). they have grass in the pasture or hay in barn. they also have access to grain - corn, soy, wheat, etc - that is all grown organically on our farm. oh and the hay is grown organically on the farm, also the straw used for bedding. our pastures are never sprayed with chemicals. and we never grow GMOs. pigs and chicks are bought at a very young age and raised naturally and humanely from then on. most of our chickens are raised on pasture, but again it depends on the weather. pigs are not on pasture because, anyone who knows pigs, knows how destructive they can be. they are raised in a protected area...plenty of access to fresh air, sunlight and lots of our leftover produce. i always say, they eat better than many people in lancaster county. they LOVE tomatoes, melons, winter squash and pumpkins and sweet corn, but they will eat just about anything. you want to talk about organic meat...i think what we do is pretty organic. 

what this article did was point out many facts that most people had forgotten. many consumers make assumptions and don't get to know the truth. they forget that what is important is the health of the environment, the health of the meat animals while they are alive and where their money is going. support local farms. ask questions. know what your money is going to support. you have at least three food votes a day. make them count.