Eat Organic – increasing local and organic food skills
- Why Local AND Organic
- Local and Organic Food Skills
- Sourcing Local AND Organic
- Local and Organic News and Resources
Why Local AND Organic
Because your food choices matter - to your health, the health of the environment and the people who grow your food.
There is a lot of interest in buying local right now, and that is great. Supporting local farmers helps to build the local economy and keep money and jobs where it matters most. Eating local also helps save on CO2 emmissions from food miles, and provides you with the peace of mind of knowing where your food comes from.
But, our local food system also needs to be organic. Organic is an agricultural production method that builds healthy soil, preserves biodiversity, does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, does not use antibiotics and growth hormones and treats animals humanely (read more about organic agriculture).
Every day consumers make choices for the type of community they want to live in. Every day consumers vote with their food dollars. By buying and eating local food that is produced organically you are choosing:
Healthy Food
Healthy soils and land equal healthy food. Organic agriculture maintains soil fertility through crop rotatations, mulches and green manures. Healthy soil fertility means more nutrients are being absorbed by the products we consume.
Organic agriculture uses untreated seeds (conventional seed has been treated with a fungicide), and non genetically-modified (GM) seed, which means the food you eat is healthy right from the start!
Organic agriculture does not use any chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers, which means our food is healthier and the environment in which the farmers work is healthier.
Healthy Economy
Healthy soils equal ongoing productivity. If we deplete our soils we will deplete the only resource we have for growing and producing food. Organic agriculture preserves and builds soil and soil fertility, ensuring the longevity of food production in the region.
Organic agriculture does not rely on chemical inputs from multi-national chemical companies, which means the money you spend on buying local organic products stays in the community (and local, organic farmers pockets!), instead of being paid out to chemical companies.
Healthy Environment
Organic agriculture protects local rivers and ground water by not using chemical fertilizers that can leach into waterways.
Organic agriculture preserves biodiversity with cover crops, creating habitat for beneficial insects and using heritage seeds.
Organic agriculture does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The manufacturing of chemical fertilizers and pesticides uses more fossil fuels and creates more CO2 emissions than the food miles to transport products all over the world. Therefore, locally sourced and organically produced food is the only option for a truly sustainable food system.
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Read more:
7 Reasons to Buy Local AND Organic
The True Cost of Organic (coming soon!)
Local and Organic Food Skills
With the ever increasing array of fast food and one-stop processed food items (yes, even including organic!), sourcing, purchasing, cooking with and preserving locally sourced, organically produced whole food products has become a lost art.
In partnership with local home economists, community kitchens and organizations, COG PWW will begin to bridge the gap from growing to eating local and organic with food skills guides, workshops, recipes and more. Coming soon!
Sourcing Local and Organic
Getting Started
It all starts with building the 'Organic Pantry' - sourcing and eating local, organically produced whole foods in season.
Below is a list of some of the most common items that are produced organically in our region. Take the local and organic challenge and start building your organic pantry today! Contact us to share your stories.
Vegetables - salad greens, lettuce, asparagus, bok choy, spinach, broccoli, Swiss chard, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, peas, corn, kale, leeks, onions, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, beets, carrots, rutabaga, squash, pumpkin, cabbage
Fruit - strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon
Grains - spelt, wheat, rye, oats
Meats - beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb
Dairy products - cheese, milk, butter, ice cream, yogurt
Other products - maple syrup, eggs
How
Weekly food box - Buy shares from an organic farm offering a community supported agriculture (CSA) program or join an organic farmers collective food box program. Download our local and organic CSA and food box directory here.
Farm gate - Go out and meet your local organic farmers - get to know them and the products they offer. They believe in producing the healthiest food for you, while building healthy soils and protecting the environment, and they have become third party verified to prove it! Download our local and organic farm directory here.
Farm stores - some farms now have farm stores for your convenience at the farm. Some sell a variety of products from other local, organic farmers to provide you with great selection. Download our local and organic farm store directory here.
Farmers markets - Certified organic farmers will have a sign at their stall to let you know their product is organic. If you are not sure, ask! If you cannot find anyone at your market, ask the board at your farmers market to include more organic vendors. Download our list of farmers markets in the region that have certified organic vendors here.
Organic Demonstration Gardens - stop by Diversity Gardens, COG PWW's certified organic demonstration gardens for a tour and to purchase some local, organic produce from our market stand. Open Saturday mornings from May - October. Contact us for more details. Stay tuned on what is happening at the gardens here.
What About Eating Out?
A growing number of restaurants in the area have a mandate to purchase local, organic products for their menus. Click here for a guide to dining out local and organic!
Want to Grow Your Own Organic Food?
Check out our list of seed suppliers that carry certified organic and heritage seed, and farms where you can get certified organic vegetable transplants for the home garden. (coming soon!)
For more information about organic and certification, click here.
Local and Organic News and Resources
Join COG and receive
- monthly electronic newsletters of what is happening in the organic sector
- regular electronic updates on organic-related activities and events happening in the region
- Eat Organic, COG PWW’s e-zine of in season local, organic products, news, facts, recipes and more - coming soon!