Organic veg

chloe99_2

he he he - did I really say I got loads of squashes - I must have been daydreaming - I got ONE this year!!

I do agree with Caterine, especially about the air miles thing, buying organic green beans from china doesn;t somehow seem quite "organic" although you are still limiting chemicals consumed I guess.

About the pesticides etc - if you go to soil association website you can get some information about what can and can't be included on organic veg. I have a feeling that full scale (and irresponsible) commercial growers can spray their goods with literally hundreds and hundreds of different chemicals, whereas organics is limited to a small number, and I presume they are those which have been proved safe to humans and environment? So yes, there may well be a small overlap, but the overlap should be those additives proven to be free from harms. The other thing is soil improvement, again I think commercial growers can use loads of stuff and I understood that ultimately the crops aren't really growing in the soil as much as growing off the chemical additives, whereas organic crops grow from the good of the soil which has been more naturally improved.

The other thing I've discoved is that on the Farmer's Market you have big scale growers who spray a lot and try to trick you into thinking they don't (I know, I've been taken for a mug before now :-[ ), you have registered organic growers, you also (if you're really lucky) may find a grower who hasn't sprayed for a few years but who doesn't yet qualify to label his stuff organic so he can't charge as much. And finally, you get genuine local inorganic growers who are trying to produce food responsibly. For example, I go to one stall and ask the farmer if anything is organic. He tells me he's not organic BUT, such and such veggies haven't been sprayed for anything as they didn't need it, and such and such has only been sprayed once with an antifungal spray 13 weeks ago etc So, many of these farmers are trying to grow responsibly (and I don't mean the ones that supply the supermarkets), and they don't spray preventatively. You can support local growers in this way, and minimise the chemicals, without the organic premium or the air miles.

This was only going to be a quick post but I think I got carried away!! ::) ::) ::)

chloe99_2

Anyone who knows, please tell me more about the book mentioned in this thread (forgot its name now).

anavandaalen

Anyone who knows, please tell me more about the book mentioned in this thread  (forgot its name now).

The book is called 'Not on the label'. I read it and I think it is brilliant. Very informative and a real eye opener. You can buy it from Amazon for £6.39.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0141015667/qid=1103472850/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-2430028-8779005

metro_gnome

From what I gather, big chains such as Tescos will reject a growers whole batch of produce because they are not the right size/ have an insect crawling around etc. Surely this makes growers paranoid and likely to use even more pesticides than the basic amount necessary? Also, I gather that imported food can be from countries where pesticides that are banned here are still available, and used......

gritts

Anyone know the best place (cheapest) to buy organic (preferably free range) meat??

Organic veggies are comparitively easy to get if you search your area plus they do not have to be expensive. Meat on the other hand costs a fortune!

Any recommended sites appreciated.

George_Bray

I
At the end of the day these people are out to make money. If they think they can make more money by organic or freerange they will do it.

I agree 100%. There are so many VERY gullible people out there, very happy to spend twice what they need because of a label which good advertising has duped them into believing offers some vague and unproven advantage.

Trying2Save_3

I've got an allotment too - it's hard work, but great fun. I surprised myself and managed to grow quite a variety of veg. Everything tastes great! Everybody helps each other out with advice and how and when to plant and we swop seeds and veg. All the surplus is sold at the local farmers market and the money goes toward keeping the paths clear and getting a couple of skips once a year. It's the best thing I ever done.

competitionscafe

Anyone know the best place (cheapest) to buy organic (preferably free range) meat??

Organic veggies are comparitively easy to get if you search your area plus they do not have to be expensive. Meat on the other hand costs a fortune!

Any recommended sites appreciated.

Unfortunately cheap and organic meat don't usually go together - however if you eat meat I think it's worth paying more and knowing that the animal was humanely raised, fed a natural diet, etc.  You can always eat less meat (which is healthier anyway) and/or go for the cheaper cuts - slow cooked stews are ideal winter meals and cuts like oxtail are delicious.  I am also prepared to pay a bit more to support a small producer rather than a big supermarket whose main concern is profits and shareholders...

Of course just because it says 'organic' or 'free range' doesn't mean that the highest standards of welfare and production are assured - you need to dig a little deeper -but at least with small producers, they are happy to answer questions on the phone or by e-mail and many even let you visit the farm.  

As for sites/suppliers - I have tried (and would recommend)  :  

Swaddles ( http://www.swaddles.co.uk ) great bacon, chicken stock; etc.  

The organic farmers market (which is great because you can combine products from different suppliers like Well Hung Meat; Providence, etc) for a mixed order of meat, poultry, veg, etc and if you order over £50 delivery is free. http://www.theorganicfarmersmarket.co.uk/

Real Meat is another good one.
http://www.realmeatco.sageweb.co.uk/

Have not tried yet, but look promising:

SheepDrove:
http://www.sheepdrove.com/fam.htm

Rother Valley:
http://www.rothervalleyorganics.com/

Happy Meats:
http://www.happymeats.co.uk/

There are many more suppliers recommended in Rick Steins Food Heroes   - search online at:  [ http://www.rickstein.com/rick_foodheroes_produce.asp ] and in the River Cottage Meat book [ http://www.rivercottage.net/haveyoursay/ ]  

For those who read 'not on the label' - then I can highly recommend Shopped by Scottish journalist and author Joanna Blythman  - very thought provoking, enlightening and interesting.  Reviews at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007158033

Finally, there is an interesting article here regarding organic food: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,9950,1363968,00.html
and a quote from it regarding permitted additives:
"Only 27 additives are permitted under the Soil Association certification scheme (compared to 297 for non-organic products),and they are those considered both irreplaceable by natural alternatives and safe."

tiff

I've bumped this up for people in the Old Style forum talking about organic veg boxes.