The answer to the question of, "Where can I get healthy produce?" has for a while now been organic products, and since 2000 the percentage of Americans who buy organic produce once a week has gone up 17 percent. An article in Time Magazine by John Cloud offers a new solution to organic--local produce.
The idea behind local produce, is that purchasing food that is grown less than 100 miles away from where you live is better for the environment.
Every Wednesday and Sunday the Santa Monica Farmer's Market comes to the Third Street Promenade, and is frequented by celebrities, santa monica residents and restaurant owners. Delicious food but it can be pricey! Photo courtesy of clairity at flickr.
Buying local produce doesn't always mean the products you purchase are free from pesticides and hormones; but purchasing from a local farmer means supporting your local economy and cutting down on the carbon footprint of importing food from all around the world. It also means buying produce only when it's in season, and sometimes (especially in Santa Monica) it means spending more on produce than you would at the grocery store.
Buying organic food means food free from all the stuff thats not only harmful to the environment but also potentially harmful to your body. Organic products may be free of additives, hormones or pesticides, but I've noticed that organic fruit seems to go bad faster, doesn't always taste better, and often costs more.
So what's the solution? Local? Organic? Local AND Organic? Or damn it all and go to the grocery store?
I want to know, in an ideal world where would you get your produce, and where do you get it now? Sound off in the comments.
Member Comments
by danbrian on September 18, 2009 at 8:38 AM
I live and work in Santa Monica, CA and they have a farmer's market every Wed. The place is perfect to get your organic on. I bought some cucumbers there this week that I'm going to pickle with my fiance this weekend. Oh, how my life has changed...
by mah011 on September 18, 2009 at 9:20 AM
I'm a member of a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm, which also happens to be organically certified. So my veggies are local *and* organic!! While the initial payment is a bit spendy, I think the investment is well worth while. Also, I think our produce lasts longer because it is local, and most of the time was literally picked the day before I bring it home.
by Krisserin on September 18, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Ideally, I'd love to buy my veggies at the farmers market every week, but it seems like the prices they ask for some of their produce is astounding! Especially if you want to buy cheese (4 oz of Goat Cheese for 9 dollars? you gotta be kidding me). I tend to buy things like tomatoes and avocados at the farmers market, and things like bananas and lettuce at the grocery store.
by amber37206 on September 18, 2009 at 11:37 AM
I live in Nashville and I'm fortunately close to a neighborhood farmers market in addition to the big farmers market downtown. The neighborhood market features meat, produce, dairy products and eggs from local organic farms. I have a small garden plot in my backyard where I practice square foot gardening which yields more food per square foot than traditional row gardening. I have grown my own lettuce, radishes, basil, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, squash, and cantaloupe all within a 32 square foot plot. I like to eat local as much as possible, and luckily we have a long growing season here in Middle TN. There are things I get at the grocery store like organic oranges. I prefer organic mostly because organic foods simply taste better. The absence of pesticides is an added bonus. I'm very thankful that organics in my area are reasonably priced. I know it's not like that everywhere. My hope is that as the demand for organics increases, the cost will become more affordable to more and more people. I think that if we as a society give more attention to the long-term value in healthy food, we can once again have many thriving independent local farms, thus making healthy food affordable and available to everyone.
by alecmcpherson on September 18, 2009 at 3:06 PM
This time of year, I grow my own organic veggies
by amw_0328 on September 18, 2009 at 5:03 PM
i have 'grown' my own produce, but i'm honestly not very good at reliably getting enough to eat in a week. so, I get my produce (and even fresh made goat cheese) from a CSA each week. I know the produce is local, fresh, and organic and i get a TON of fruits and veggies for pennies on the dollar for what i could get at the grocery store ($350 for 12 weeks and i get enough for a family of 3 to 4 = $30/week). what i don't eat in the week, i freeze or can for use in the winter months after the growing season is over.
i don't understand the whole 'organic fruit goes bad faster' or 'doesn't taste better' statement. how long are fruit or vegetables expected to last exactly? i grew up in a household where bought what you needed (perishables) for a few days (basically 2x/week), not a few weeks. and as for the taste - produce that has been doused with chemicals, picked before its ripe, and shipped around the world, in my humble opinion, tastes like cardboard. i'd rather just not eat it, but to each his own i guess.
by dan722 on September 18, 2009 at 6:09 PM
local farmers market, when in season
by etiamaudax on September 18, 2009 at 6:17 PM
These are my primary sources:
my (100% organic) home garden in season
my (100% organic) local CSA from May-December
my (ditto!) winter organic produce co-operative from December to May
and our two local grower's markets, one of which is year-round.
Occasionally I also buy from a friend who is a greengrocer, and about once a month I visit a large Asian supermarket for specialty items... ginger just doesn't grow locally, or fresh rambutan, or sweet tamarind!
by Jehane on September 18, 2009 at 6:50 PM
I used to buy organic when I was working. Now, I just can't budget it in if I want to eat. My theory on why organic seems to spoil faster is that 1. people don't buy it as much as the conventional produce so it sits on the shelf longer and 2.often, conventional produce is irradiated. Killing off any microbes that live on the surface of the produce would allow it a longer shelf life.
Personally, I prefer produce that is local as it is generally allowed to sit on the vine until it is ripe, rather than getting picked early and artificially ripened through gas. Anything allowed to ripen fully will have it's full complement of nutrients and taste.
by jlaydbak on September 18, 2009 at 7:29 PM
There is this fantastic produce store near where I live. It's mostly local with signs that say where it's from. Some of it is organic, but not all of it, and I'd rather get local produce than organic.
by ikkiichiyuu on September 18, 2009 at 8:52 PM
I live in Asia! NTUC/Cold Storage/Shop 'N' Save - all supermarket chains(: But nope, I don't buy organic. In an ideal world, I would live in an organic world surrounded by organic veggies and if I want meat, get it from animals which actually move around, not poor hormone infested ones constrained to a cage exactly thier size): Seriously, all our health would improve by so much. And I wouldn't have to avoid fish for mercury contents.
by joygant on September 18, 2009 at 10:07 PM
I buy my produce from a variety of locations. Here in South Jersey, we have a lot of roadside farm stands, and that's a great place to buy local (non-organic) produce. We also have a few discount produce/deli places that sell great produce at rock bottom prices... usually stuff that's local, leftover, or just small but still good. Of course, I also buy a lot of produce at the grocery store as well, but my grocer always sells what's local when it's available. They also have a decent selection of organic at my store as well, and about half of it is CHEAPER than the non-organic produce. Go figure!
by Bobyn42 on September 19, 2009 at 8:14 AM
If I could afford to go organic, I would but the truth of the matter is that right now the extra cost is not worth the benefits. I try to have at least one type of fruit and veggie in the house at all times which I normally buy at the grocery store because of convenience. Some mornings I will stop by the local farmer's market and pick up a couple of things. The way I figure, our culture has been eating products with pesticides and hormones for decades (I wouldn't go as far as centuries) and eating the non-organic option is better than nothing. Maybe it's just my location, central Minnesota, that the non-organic option in stores is less expensive than the organic.
by j3nn.net on September 19, 2009 at 8:23 AM
In a perfect world I'd get my veggies from my garden and greenhouse. I don't have either at the moment, so I settle for the grocery store and farmer's market on occasion. :(
by lesliemoniot on September 19, 2009 at 9:38 AM
I think it's tough, and I live in a great state for local organic produce. Colorado is known for it's Palisade peaches, but being that I'm on a tight budget, I find it's best to shop at a combination of farmer's market, natural market, and super market. Knowing that local, in season, organic is the ideal for produce, all of these places will offer a variety of options that meet (or don't meet) these requirements for a variety of prices. You just have to make the best choices, based on what you want. In the end, you make the decision and you have to be happy with it. For example, I prefer organic dairy products, which are often 2-3 dollars more than non-organic, but that's worth it to me. However, a bunch of bananas probably isn't, because they have a thick skin that pesticides don't penetrate as much. It's your call.
by pageone206 on September 19, 2009 at 9:50 AM
I buy my vegetables. from the supermarket. Whether or not they have been treated with pesticides is not important to me. I buy only pre-washed, pre-cut, and pre-packaged vegetables; I eat them raw with hummus as a dip. I also use spinach leaves instead of lettuce for sandwiches. I figure it's better than not eating vegetables at all.
by EminMN on September 19, 2009 at 10:24 AM
I buy my produce at my local farmers market during the summer months and in the grocery store during the winter time. Its more economical. I guess I am not too worried about whether or not my veggies are organic. I am sure I was putting worse things in my body before I started dieting... Thats why I am over weight :)
by CaleighK on September 19, 2009 at 1:13 PM
I have a small veggie garden and get some produce this way but I shop our local farmers market and co-op that carries local, organic produce. When I have the money (as it can be a bit pricey in my area ) I join a CSA. While I support organic growing methods & such, I buy local first, than organic. Luckily most of my local produce IS organic so Im not forced to choose beteen the two very often.
by TreeC on September 19, 2009 at 3:03 PM
I live in New England. I get a farm share once a week and go to the Farmer's Market every Saturday morning. I've managed to buy close 85% of my fruit and veggies locally. I honestly CAN taste the difference. Finally the food I eat tastes like it did when I was a kid. All this time I thought I couldn't cook as good as Mom!
by fransdottr on September 20, 2009 at 4:01 PM
my backyard veggie garden (plus trades from friends), Tierra Miguel CSA, Saturday downtown farmer's market in Riverside, CA
by nancedance on September 20, 2009 at 5:20 PM
The Silver Spring Farmers Market or the Silver Spring Food Coop are where I get most of my veggies. I buy organic and as local as possible.
by CircaRigel on September 20, 2009 at 5:41 PM
I get mine at the Golden Farmer's market (Colorado), every Saturday from June through first weekend in October. Otherwise I get them at Vitamin Cottage or Sunflower Market. Herbs I grow myself.
by marzipan60 on September 20, 2009 at 7:53 PM
I buy organic when available, at my local supermarket. The market states where the produce came from, and I shoot for Michigan (where I live)whenever possible. Farm stands on my driving routes do not generally offer organic produce, but I buy it anyway, esp. corn and tomatoes, for the freshness & to support local farmers. Ironically, I live out in the middle of cornfields / farms, 45 mins. from Ann Arbor, MI, but I find that the best place to buy produce is in Ann arbor, at the People's Food Co-op. I try to go there at least 1/month + my son works in the produce dept. there!
by enaywface on September 20, 2009 at 8:52 PM
When I was really little, back in Missouri, we lived on a farm, so most of our vegetables came from the farm. Then we moved to town next to Grandma and Grandpa, everyone in the neighborhood had gardens, and almost everyone canned vegetables. We'd often get veggies from the neighbors, and we had a few fruit trees in the yard, peaches, plums, grapes next door, different berries. The rest down at the farmers market, or the grocery store. Today I live in Washington, you don't even see your neighbors much less talk to them. I don't even know where a farmer's market is in Mill Creek, and the Super Markets here should be closed by the Health Department for trying to pass off their garbage as Fresh Produce. Half of it is either rotten, molded or otherwise spoiled. I often see fruit flies in that area of the store. After my last experience, I avoid the produce department. I was looking for Strawberries and Basil. All the cartons of strawberries had rotten strawberries in them, then I went over to a rack of organic basil, every package had mold in it. I saw a produce clerk, I went over and told him, he just shrugged and walked off.
In an ideal world, I'd get my fresh organic produce from the backyard garden or as an offer from over the fence with my neighbors.
Can anyone tell me why you can't grow tomatoes in Mill Creek Washington?
by littlemoo on September 21, 2009 at 8:45 AM
I grow when in season. I try to get from a Farmer's market. I get from friends. And yes, I do buy from a supermarket. I would much rather have organic and bought from local growers.
by Busysewin on September 22, 2009 at 1:54 PM
I am a grocery store veggie buyer. I live far enough north, high enough in altitude, and far enough from town that freezing temps occurred here in July. I love fresh veggies but in my current situation I take what I can get and often that is frozen grocery store veggies.