Systemic Chemicals

Vegetables treated with chemicals and pesticides can sometimes be washed off. However, it's not the case with fruits and vegetables treated with systemic chemicals. 

Systemic chemical absorbs into the tissue of a plant through the root. The chemicals are in the plant, not on it. Unlike with traditional insecticides, you can’t wash or peel off systemic pesticide residues because they’re in the plant’s tissues, not on their exteriors. Systemic may be absorbed, injected, or fed into the plant. The chemicals  circulate through the plant’s tissues, killing the insects that feed on them.  

"          ", said Tina Smith, Nevada organic farmer 

Top Ten Vegetables not to Buy Conventionally.

Non organic fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides to ensure the best produce. Chemicals are sprayed on the plant to control the damage of the crop and to produce more.  Shopping for only organic foods would be the ideal, but not everyone's budget allows them to buy everything organic.  It is important to think carefully about which fruits and vegetables to spend the extra money on. Some fruits and vegetables-especially ones with thick skin, such as cantaloupes, avocados, bananas, pineapple and oranges-are just as healthy in their non-organic forms. Here is the list of top ten vegetables that should be bought organic.

1. Bell Peppers

2. Celery

3. Kale

4. Lettuce

5. Carrots

6. Collard Greens

7. Spinach

8. Potatoes

9. Green Beans

10. Summer Squash, e.g. zucchini

Bell peppers have 86% of chemical absorption rate. When growing bell peppers, farmers use pesticides to get rid of the ants and other insects. Celery contains 94% of the chemicals sprayed on it making it a number one threat to your health. Lettuce, spinach, and kale are treated with pesticides, which can be difficult to wash off. Most of the salad greens grow so low to the ground, so tend to absorb chemicals from directly from the soil.  

Not everyone’s budget allows them to purchase everything organically. It's important to prioritize and buy produce that's necessary to be organic in order to avoid harmful pesticides and chemicals. 

Why do we pay more for Organic?

Ice cream stores will charge extra for additional toppings. Extra slice of cheese on your on a sandwich would cost a dollar or two more to add. You would assume that organic food would cost less to produce than food with added extras. Organic farming is  a lot more complex than most would think. 

There is enormous amount that goes into organic food production. Organic farmers don't use chemicals or pesticides in their soil, which means they have to deal with weeds. They hire workers to do hand weeding, which can be costly. Organic farmers also run a higher risk of losing their crop because of the limited soil and plant treatments. "There aren't as many tools in the toolbox to deal with pest outbreaks or diseases," said Nancy Creamer, director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems at North Carolina State University. 

When you grow organic fruits and vegetables, crop rotation is necessary to keep the soil healthy. Conventional farmers on the other hand, can use every acre every year to grow the crops. 

Organic Certification process requires additional administrative costs.   However, farmers can apply for a government grant to reduce the cost of the certification fees. 

Finally, the demand for organic food is greater than the supply. Most grocery stores don't even carry organic produce, and if they do it's topically more  pricey than conventional produce.  If there were more organic farmers in the country the cost of the organic food would go down. 

Organic Farming is complex and labor intensive.  It requires extra work, money, and time.  

An Organic Food Fiasco

Organic foods baffled many people all over the nation. Some believe that eating organic is a better way to go, while others think that organic foods is the waste of money.  Is it worth paying extra money for organic label, or stick with the regular "non organic" food? 

According to the USDA, organically grown food is grown without any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetic engineering, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Weeds are controlled naturally through crop rotation, hand weeding, mulching, and tilling rather than through chemical herbicides. The preparation of organic foods is highly regulated. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. 

As mentioned earlier, organically grown foods do not contain pesticides.  Pesticides are chemicals such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and are widely used in conventional agriculture. Children and pregnant women are most vulnerable to pesticide exposure. Children's bodies and brain are not fully developed, so an early pesticide exposure can cause developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and motor dysfunction. Most people have a build-up of pesticide exposure. The chemicals in fruits and vegetables could lead to health issues such as headaches, birth defects, and added strain on weakened immune systems.

An Organic food usually fresher and tastier than a non organic. Due to the number added preservative, non organic food has a longer lasting shelf life. Organic food contains no preservative. It doesn't last as long, but it's natural and fresh. 

Organic farming increases soil fertility, reduces pollution in air water and soil, and uses less energy. Harsh chemicals and pesticides can be very harmful, and even deadly to small animals and birds. 

Switching to organic foods is a personal choice. If you're concerned about eating foods that contain chemicals and pesticides then maybe it is worth paying the extra buck or two for an organic label. 

Why subscribe to CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture is a program designed to support and preserve local farms. The program offers wonderful benefits to those who subscribe to it. 

CSA subscribers become connected to their communities. It is a good way to meet other people who are interested in buying local fresh organic food. The program provides an opportunity to get to know the farmers who actually grow the food. 

One of the greatest things about the CSA program is freshly picked seasonal produce. Every season has its own harvest. Most of the time the produce that customers receive in their baskets is picked on the same day of the delivery. Now, you can't say the same thing about the produce at the grocery store. It is a surprise factor however. Typically, consumers never know what they are going to get each week. How many can say they've eaten a rolly Polly Squash or an Armenian cucumber? With CSA, consumers can try unfamiliar foods and master new recipes.

People who receive weekly CSA share usually consume more fruits and vegetables than they did before subscribing. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests that Americans consume at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily, but a 2007 study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reported that Americans are not meeting these minimum levels. 

Community Supported Agriculture program is a way to live a healthier lifestyle and an opportunity to experience seasonal harvest.  

What is CSA?

U.S. farmers adopted a new idea in farming that provides families with high-quality, seasonal produce grown on local, sustainable farms.  Community Supported Agriculture also known as CSA is a unique way for small farmers to make a living and consumers receive fresh fruits and vegetables.  

Here is how CSA program works.  A farmer offers public a certain amount of shares. The shares usually consist of a box or a basket of organic fruits and vegetables. A person who is interested in the share subscribes to the membership, and in exchange, receives a basket full of weekly seasonal produce throughout the farming season. Typically, consumers subscribe to CSA season at time, some places offer week to week subscription. It depends on the supplier. Some farmers produce enough fruits and vegetables to feed hundreds of people every week, season after season. The smaller farms have to take it a week at a time. 

 Nevada's CSA program offers three seasons: spring, summer, and autumn.  The spring season brings forth lettuces, spinach, baby greens, stir fry green mix, basil, cilantro, peas, beets, carrots, and asparagus. Summer includes tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, zucchini, and summer squash, fruit, berries, and more. Autumn subscribers receive winter squash, potatoes, pie pumpkins, onions, garlic, spinach and other fresh goodness. Different states provide different opportunities for people.   

CSA program feeds thousands of families every week with fresh, high quality produce. 

Bringing Community Together

A farmers market is one of the best ways to bring a community together. It's a place where people can go to buy fresh produce, visit with friends, listen to a life band, and eat delicious market food. Farmers’ markets are usually open air affairs, where shoppers can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, unlike supermarkets where people exposed to artificial lighting and recycled air.  You see a gentleman holding corn on the cob while tapping his foot to the sound of the life band. Ladies are laughing. Children are dancing. Everyone is in good spirit. 

Farmers markets help bring life into towns and cities. Once a week, people have an opportunity to come together as community to relax and to enjoy each other’s company. Shoppers have a chance to interact with farmers. When people come every week, they develop trust and friendship with their farmers. 

Last but not least, Farmers markets attract business to retailers in the local area.  

W H Smith and Debenhams of Winchester both reported a statistic which shows businesses that are located closest to the market locations have profit increase by up to 30% on farmers market days.

Farmers market is an excellent way to bring a local community together, where people can relax, laugh, shop, dance, and simply just enjoy each other's company. 

Benefit of Farmers Market: Low Prices

Last week when I went to a local farmers market, I noticed something that completely surprised me. I had a $8 farmers market budget last week. I didn't think $8 could get me much stuff. However, for $8 I bought a cantaloupe, giant green pepper, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, apples, and two cucumbers! Normally, I would spend over $15 on the same stuff at the grocery store. The prices of organic produce is outrages in the grocery stores. Organic produce is much cheaper to purchase at farmers markets. 

  

In a study of California farmers' markets, titled “California Farmers Markets Price Perceptions 54 percent of sellers at California farmers' markets “actually charged lower prices than supermarkets on a cumulative 345 items.” Another 44 percent said they set prices equivalent to supermarkets on a “a cumulative 259 produce items.”

   

Farmers market is a good way to save money on fresh produce. You'll be surprised how much stuff can buy for less than ten dollars

Benefits of a Farmers market: Naturally ripened process

Growing up, I had the opportunity to experience farmers markets from both the customer's and vendor's perspective. As I got older, I realized that there a many benefits to buying your produce at local farmers markets. 

The fruits and vegetables that you find at farmers markets are grown locally and picked when ripened. Naturally ripened produce produces a better taste, texture, and aroma.  Produce in the grocery stores is often picked unripe and ripened artificially with gas emission system or ethylene generator systems. Artificially ripened produce loses its nutritional value.  Food left to ripen on the plant will contain more nutrients and have a better flavor than food that is harvested early and ripened artificially. Produce at farmers markets is usually picked on the day of the market. At farmers markets fruits and vegetables are guaranteed to be fresh and nutritionally valuable.

 Each season brings forth a verity of vegetables and fruits. With spring comes lettuce, and fresh greens. Summer brings a verity of summer squash, tomatoes, carrots, berries, peppers, and more. In the fall, you'll find winter squash, potatoes, pumpkins, cantaloupe, and juicy apples.