Feels like ages since I have posted something of value, inspiring or note-worthy but alas I don't have much.
Melissa and I did attend the "Live Green Expo" recently in Richardson. It was a hippy hemp fest to a point but found it rather bland for our lifestyle because we are not home owners. Most of the booths and vendors were geared to those who are not apartment dwellers. Living in an apartment does not lend itself well to composting, solar panel installation or gardening on a large enough scale to eliminate grocery store visits. We did see some of the other local Farmer's Markets other than the Dallas market which was cool. We stumbled on a one called Newflower Farmer's Market in Plano. This place is cool. Lots of fresh veggies and more organic stuff than you can shake a hippie at. We were both impressed at the quality and flavor of the organic foods we bought. First thing we noticed....most of the organics are smaller in physical size but the flavor is amazing. For example, we eat lettuce, Romaine to be exact and have been buying packs from Wal-Mart or Sam's Club and it has just been regular lettuce and what we have expected. Then we decided to try the organic Romaine and was blown away with how flavorful it was in comparison. The texture was different, it had less water and more flavor. We found that with other things too like bananas and red onions. Now as Americans we have been trained to think "bigger is better" but in this case not so much. Also, I only cook for 2 people. Size of the veggies doesn't really matter. I make a ton of veggies every dinner and we always seems to have enough. What really gets me is the price. They use LESS or NOTHING extra to make this thing grow yet you grow it smaller AND charge me more? It seems produce is not immune to fancy marketing. It is more expensive but after a while you get used to it but there is still a part of you that thinks "Damn, I can get a 3-pack of Romaine at Wal-Mart with heads twice that size for half the price." It's a tough mental challenge to overcome no doubt.
Is organic more healthy? Is it worth the price? Can I continue to buy organic just on taste alone? Am I really helping a local farmer? Am I just conforming to another trend? How does buying more expensive organic produce help me? Can I afford it? Am I doing nothing more than helping large produce growers get richer by buying what THEY claim is organic? Am I the victim of fancy marketing? WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME???
Those are all the questions that swim in my head when we buy organics. Most of them I can't answer with 100% confidence. My culinary training tells me to buy the best to cook with because it will produce the best outcome. Meh...sometimes that's the case and sometimes not. Flavor is such a subjective thing. I buy store brand olive oil as an example. Tastes great, still first cold pressing of the olives but $3 less per bottle than Colavita. I'm still not convinced that organics are healthier or better. They taste great but beyond that I couldn't tell you.
Again, it boils down to this: Buy healthy and buy what you can afford. Stay away from crap, exercise and be active. If you can't buy an organic cucumber then buy the regular one. Just make sure you buy one. Vote with your wallet and vote as often as possible. Voting has been the way making decisions in this country for hundreds of years but for some reason we choose to not use the one thing that speaks louder than a voice, a ballot or a campaign......our money.
