Organic or local meat

Mojisola

Ste_C wrote: »

The qualification criteria for Organic food still leaves a lot to be desired. A lot of food which can be officially classifed as organic is really not that much different to 'ordinary' food. I'm in favour of organic food, but my main point was that just because a chicken is classed as organic it doesn't necessarily mean it has had a good standard of life.

There are a lot of holes in the organic system which means some producers can get away with doing very little.

I would be interested in some examples. Have you ever seen the Organic Standards that have to be complied with before achieving organic status?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Biodynamic (Demeter Standard) is even stricter - and having seen how 65 year old biodynamic farmers tend towards looking to be in their late 30s - early 40s - it works for me!

Volcano

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Biodynamic (Demeter Standard) is even stricter -

This has to be some kind of ridiculous joke, surely? To quote from their current price list:

Horn Silica

is finely ground quartz meal energized through spending the summer in the soil inside a cow horn.

!!!!!!

A bit of reading about the founder of this 'system' (Rudolf Steiner) reveals some very odd philosophy. While he advocated less chemical fertilizers and a more 'natural' way of producing food, his other beliefs are just bonkers. From Wikipedia:

Other aspects of biodynamic farming inspired by Steiner's lectures include timing activities such as planting in relation to the movement patterns of the moon and planets and applying "preparations", which consist of natural materials which have been processed in specific ways, to soil, compost piles, and plants with the intention of engaging non-physical beings and elemental forces.

Makes the Organic Standards look positively mundane!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner#Biodynamic_farming_.26_gardening
http://www.biodynamic.org.uk/farming-gardening/preparations.html

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I didn't say anything about whether or not it stands up to scientific scrutiny, I just said the requirements were stricter.

So, no dear, no joke.

Debt_Free_Chick

DonnaP wrote: »

I have a choice to buy either locally produced/slaughtered free range meat from a butchers or organic meat from a supermarket. I really want to buy organic for lots of reasons, but prefer buying locally reared and slaughterd meat from a butcher.

I don't want price to be the only deciding factor, so what do others do with this same dilemma?

Donna

I talked to my butcher about the meat, where and how it was reared; where it's slaughtered; how long it's hung for etc etc

Organic vs non-organic is not simply "black or white". It's not the case that all non-organic meat is poorly produced and/or pumped with chemicals/drugs. Many farmers - especially smaller ones - produce along organic guidelines, without actually applying for organic "status". I grow my own veg to organic standards, but I can't label them as organic (although I don't sell/market them anyway).

So talk to the butcher about the meat he's selling. And if he can't satisfy you as to the meat's provenance, then find another butcher. Beware - some butchers just buy meat from a wholesaler and therefore can't tell you anything about its provenance. Rows of pre-cut meat, very red and bloody looking are sure sign of this. My butcher has no meat on display - I ask for a cut of whatever, he goes into the cold store, returns with the carcass and butchers it there and then! And whilst he's doing so, tells me which farm produced it - after 7 years, I've got to know all the farms that supply him, so I'm interested in knowing.

So .... I think the key is to find a good butcher, talk to him about the meat and then make your own - informed - decision.

HTH

Volcano

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I didn't say anything about whether or not it stands up to scientific scrutiny, I just said the requirements were stricter.

That makes it sound much more credible......