Butterfly Sparks Designs

Saturday, October 4, 2008

...someone figure it out already!...

anyone read this article today? thoughts?

my only non-negotiable is organic milk, specifically for my girls... 

3 comments:

ManUtd17 said...

Can't say I'm surprised by the findings underpinning the article. It is interesting to me as well that the spokesperson for the organic association commented on "consumers seeing a link" as opposed to "research finding a link."

Kate McDonald said...

I did read the article.. I have read several other similar articles... there has to be a better way to certify organic foods!

www.katemcdonald.wordpress.com

Brooke Hammel said...

ahhh... a subject near and dear to my heart.

Here's my thoughts on it - bottom line is, if you add a processing step anywhere in the natural flow of things to bring milk, meat, eggs, grains, etc to your table, you are creating an environmental and nutritional (negative) impact. You need to see the movie Fast Food Nation (not Super Size me... an absolute must for anyone who wants to get a feel for the overall picture of the food industry - you can watch on Netflix online or rent it from them). What you're supporting when you purchase organically grown/farmed products is an overall healthier, less impactful process for bringing food to your family. Whereas with the meat processing industry, you have illegal untrained workers slaughtering and processing your meat in an unethical work environment, with animals that are not 100% healthy at the time of slaughter (proven), the organic farmer keeps his cows happy and healthy and out to pasture in order to stave off disease and any need for antibiotics - the entire process is done on a smaller scale, with higher quality feed and workers, which results in a higher quality food.

And as far as nutritional value is concerned, of COURSE the mainstream food industry wants you to know that - or THINK that - because the rise in demand for organic farming practices is a threat and expense to those larger farms owned by huge companies like Tyson or whatever. And though I like Fox News for a news source, they are big free market capitalists by heart and would publish a story like this because it's good for the economy. I just don't think this is a good and accurate picture. Nutritional value accounts for the actual make up of the food, but there is no doubt, growth hormones in dairy and meats, "unhappy animals", as I call them, produce a lower quality food product. I personally get my milk and eggs straight from the farm (unhomogenized, unpasteurized) and think it is absolutely delicious.

Okay... that's my shpeel... I'm off my soap box now! :)