Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with organic

What does organic mean in practice?

parudox — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:51:06 -0800

What does "organic" mean in practice? Let's say we're talking about what Canada or the US think "organic" means in 2008. What can I expect the difference to be between the production methods of organic and regular milk, meat, eggs, wheat, sugar, coffee, bananas, etc.?

I'd specifically like to know the difference in practice, both for industrial operations and small farms. I'm assuming that practice differs from the ideal, but feel free to correct me.

Could we feed the current world population using purely organic farming methods?

canine epigram — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:49:36 -0800

Could we feed the current world population using purely organic farming methods? I realize this question is probably impossible to decisively answer, but in conversations with a friend, he maintains that it would be impossible to convert over to an entirely organic farming standard and still feed everyone - this is why we had the Green Revolution in the first place. His position is that over-investment in organic farming is essentially suicide.

I don't have enough information to gauge this claim. I do know that current organic food is pricy (Whole Paycheck) enough that in these lean economic times, organic industry is taking a big hit, and a lot of people still can't consider switching to organics because they wouldn't be able to feed their family. Unless that changes, organic food remains a luxury for those well enough off to be able to pay for these sustainable practices.

Any recommendations for books that critically examine the benefits or problems with organic farming as a large scale method for feeding people are welcomed - I'm looking for dispassionate analysis, not mindless boosterism.

Is this it for this year's tomato crop?

crinklebat — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:09:06 -0800

What is wrong with my tomatoes? I'm growing Early Girls in a pot with some manner of enriched soil on my front porch in Palo Alto, CA. They get sun probably 8 hours of the day and are watered both by sprinklers and also by me, watering from a can. I have not been as consistent as I could have been with watering and because the sprinklers come on at 1am, I'm not certain how thoroughly this plant gets watered. However, it's a huge plant.

A couple of weeks ago I started noticing small yellow spots on the leaves but didn't think much of it, because I was getting dozens of green tomatoes and was too excited to worry.

We got one ripe tomato last week, which was delicious. Today I picked our second ripe tomato...which is worrisome.

It's not like any pictures I can find online. Basically, the blossom end has a bunch of faint black or brown specks, and it didn't ripen. So I have a red tomato with a green and black/brown bottom. I cut it open and it smelled a little off, but I have an overactive imagination so who knows how accurate that is; it's green on the inside corresponding to the green bottom on the outside. I haven't tasted it...yet.

The spots look like the pictures I've found online of bacterial speck, but I haven't seen anything that says bacterial speck can be confined to only the very tip of the tomato, nor that it would inhibit ripening there. What would make sense to be on the blossom end is blossom end rot, but this looks nothing like pictures I can find of blossom end rot. On inspecting the plant it looks like a lot of the green tomatoes have various degrees of the same speckling. I'm wondering if I need to pull these tomatoes off or if this is something I can correct with watering or fertilizers.

If you think you might be able to help if you had a picture, let me know and I'll find a place to put one, or email one to you.

to mulch or not to mulch

dahliachewswell — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:21:11 -0800

Should I or should I not use mulch in an organic/biodynamic garden in Hawaii, and WHY? help me analyze pros and cons of mulching... My situation:
We're intensively growing vegetables in mound/raised beds on a 1/4 acre for a CSA. We're in a hot, dry part of Hawaii. It is summer and the sun is bright many hours of the day. Weeds/grass grow fast and inundate beds. Our soil/Hawaiian soil is not generally deficient in nitrogen. Our boss is opposed to mulch because it robs the soil of nitrogen and other nutrients as it breaks down. We have conceded to not use mulch next to the actual plants but wish to lay it deep in the paths (which will not be tilled for 6 months-1 year or more) to control weeds.

So, is mulching good or bad, what say those with experience farming/gardening and also the experts/books you have read? I've had some difficulty finding info about mulching in biodynamic texts, so if anyone can give me citations from a text that would be great as well.

An "organic" Crystal Light?

ssnickerer — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:19:59 -0800

I'm wondering if there is an "organic" alternative to the very popular Crystal Light drink mixes these days. CL is full of artificial sweeteners, flavors, food coloring, the whole shebang.

Help me de-vole my garden. Humanely.

chowflap — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:44:52 -0800

Help! I have voles! How do I get rid of them? Do those repellent sprays work? How about those sonic things? I have a small (about 15-foot-square) vegetable garden with raised beds. It was covered with mulch all winter, and I put landscape fabric on it a few weeks ago to keep down the weeds. I also used to have a nice, healthy poppy plant -- until I visited the garden yesterday, and noticed that my poppy plant was now just a handful of shriveled-up leaves. There was a perfect hole where the root used to be, and a tunnel leading to it (I felt this with my hand -- it's all under the plastic). I had high hopes for a row of tiny carrot seedlings I planted weeks ago, but now I fear that they are doomed. How do I vole-proof my garden, while keeping my vegetables organic and safe? And can I do it without mass varmint carnage? Do those various chemical sprays work? How about those sonic posts?

How does a garden grow?

suki — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:57 -0800

I'd like to work on my garden and lawn. I know nothing about gardening and lawn care. What are some good online resources? In the 10 years that I've lived in my house I have ignored the lawn and garden,except for an occasional mow. This year, I'd like to start making things look a little better.

I am in the Northeast (Maine) and know nothing - NOTHING about gardening and lawn care. There are a few perennials left over from the previous owner - peonies, some p*ssed-off looking roses, shrubbery, and a grape arbor (which has overgrown to the point that it's taken up half the yard).

I'd also like to do window boxes, but wonder if that might be a bit overambitious for my first time out of the gate.

I'd like to keep things as organic as possible. And I understand that a beautiful garden doesn't happen immediately, so could really use some direction with long term planning.

Where to buy models of molecules?

Chanther — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:55:45 -0800

What is a bricks-and-mortar store at which I could buy a set of model elements / bonds - the molecule model things that students use as they are learning organic chemistry? I unexpectedly need a model to teach bonds in organic chemistry, and I need it too soon for online shipping to get here. I'm looking for the kind of model elements and bonds (the little black carbons that snap into the little white hydrogens, etc) that students usually use as they're learning chemistry / organic chemistry.

I'm in the St. Louis area, if there are stores you know specific to that area. But I'm perfectly happy with chain stores that I'd find in malls, etc. Thanks for helping a teacher out!

I need chicken sausages.

triggerfinger — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:22:59 -0800

Help me find chicken sausages in the UK. I used to buy Bilinski Chicken Sausages. I loved them because they tasted good but were also fairly healthy. I prefer them to regular pork sausages as I'm not a huge fan of pork. I'm trying to find sausages like these in the UK but am not having much luck. Organic would be preferable but not neccesary and I will probably have to order them online as there really isn't anything in my area. I'm hoping some of the UK Mefites may be able to point me in the right direction. Thanks!

I'm searching for an obscure organic hippy magazine from the 70's

watercarrier — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:07:45 -0800

I'm looking for a magazine from the early 70's that was geared towards natural hippy lifestyles, homesteading, composting, crafts, self-sustainability and organic gardening. Does this ring a bell with anyone and can you help me find some back copies?

How are "organic" or "food based" vitamins better than generic brand vitamins?

plecong — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:41:04 -0800

Given that the company making the vitamin is trustworthy (i.e. they are sold at major retail outlets) and the tablet contains what it says it contains on the side of the bottle, what are the factors that make "organic" or "food based" vitamins better? My girlfriend recently put me on a new men's one-a-day multivitamin from a local organic food store (Mother's Market). She said that my previous vitamin, Centrum, was not good because it was made in a lab from chemicals, and that this one was superior because it is food based and organic. They sell this particular brand and others like it at places like Whole Foods, that market to the "organic" and/or "natural" shopper.

I'm not worried about the efficacy of vitamins in general. That is, I know there is debate as to whether they do what they purport to do. I'm more looking for the quality metrics.

Given that the company making the vitamin is trustworthy (i.e. they are sold at major retail outlets) and the tablet contains what it says it contains on the side of the bottle, what are the factors that make these "organic" or "food based" vitamins better?

To me, the chemicals are the same, so having the chemicals derived from food or constructed some other way seems irrelevant. Furthermore, for complex chemicals like vitamins, are the non-organic brands (e.g. Centrum, GNC) somehow deriving these chemicals from something other than food? Do the organic "food based" vitamins contain other compounds that make them more effective? Do the "lab based" non-organic brands contain other compounds that make the worse?

Or is it just a trust issue in the end (the non-organic brands just don't have in the tablet what they say on the bottle)?

What are your "good," "ethical," or "moral" criteria for spending your money? Organic? Fair Trade? Made in America?

k7lim — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:19:06 -0800

What are your "good," "ethical," or "moral" criteria for spending your money? Organic? Fair Trade? Made in America? No Animals Harmed in the Making Of This ____? For the dollars you spend on goods and services, what values do you consider other than the value to yourself? Explain why. There are so many considerations in this regard, and I'd like to have a firmer grounding in mine and perhaps debunk some common myths in this regard.

For example, I've heard that NO soaps undergo animal testing, as soap has been proven to work as a technology, so why would any corporation waste money putting ole shampoo on a terrier?

Do you get a lot of your food via mail order?

sparrows — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:37:41 -0800

Do you get a lot of your food via mail order? I mean everyday foods, not stuff from expensive specialty places. What are your favorite sources for this? (I'm in the U.S.) Asking because I'm thinking about moving back into an isolated NYC neighborhood that's a long, multi-leg trip from any good grocery stores (and definitely has no FreshDirect service).

Last time I lived there, I used a combo of an organic delivery service (which is a good value for a weekly mixed box of fruits & veggies, but offers only a very limited & expensive selection of other groceries) plus sites like bulkfoods.com and some natural foods sites that now seem to have gone out of business or stoped local delivery.

So what are your current favorite mail order food sites? Every kind is great to hear about, and I'm especially into ones with lots of natural or Asian or vegetarian foods.

What doesn't kill you makes you tastier.

StickyCarpet — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:49:44 -0800

Treating seeds to increase flavor? I can't find the recent New York Times article that said that the immune response of plants, and thereby the flavor, could be increased by soaking the seeds in a solution consisting of some substance available at health food stores. The substance contained harmless organic material that the plant read as a threat, and amped up its flavor in response.

How long will it last?

anonymous78 — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:16:07 -0800

How long, on average, would/should a bottle of organic hair product last? I recently recovered a bottle of Aveda's now-discontinued Elixir. Under normal circumstances I would simply dispose of it and buy a new one, but since it's no longer being made and is currently selling on Ebay for $40-$50 a bottle, I'd like to know if I can salvage it. The product has no expiration date but I know that it's about 3.5 years old. Throughout this period it was kept in a cool, dark place. Is it still good or do I need to chuck it?

In search of good ripe tomatoes for home-made juicing

parma — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:07:46 -0800

Tomato Filter - As a kid I used to get fresh hand-squeezed tomato juice. It was heavenly. (I lived in a 3rd world country, where vegetables didn't taste like cardboard.) Where can I get very ripe (even if some are close to rotting) tomatoes for cheap or relatively cheap in the S.E. Michigan area? Organic or home-grown would be a definite plus, but I'll take what I can get...

Is it safe to eat--next summer?

Anisoptera — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:15:54 -0800

Can we safely grow some vegetables or herbs in soil that that apparently has had copious amounts of pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide applied to it two years ago and probably also for several years prior? We rented the place two years ago from the owner, who apparently believed the backyard "garden" should equal "mausoleum." He had several very nice bushes and shrubs going, but after talking to him we found out that he bought these full-grown from the nursery (and had done so every spring for several years) because "they don’t last long." He then showed off his extensive collection of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, and said he would leave them for us, just in case of bugs or anything. If the rest of the housing deal weren't so good, we would have run away at that point.

After our two years of organic care, the yard seems to be coming back to life. I actually saw an earthworm! This season we grew a few heirloom vegetables and herbs just to renew the seed. They really didn't seem all that healthy compared to their parents, but I'm not sure if that was the age of the seed (about 4 yrs.) or the condition of the environment.

How can I determine if it's safe to plant edibles here?

Quick and easy organic low carb?

krisjohn — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:20:00 -0800

Does anyone have any suggestions for quick and easy organic low carb meals, where "quick and easy" takes into account washing up time? I want to go low carb to lose weight. I'm currently avoiding artificial additives as much as possible due to a suspected (unconfirmed, but looking increasingly likely) allergy. Also because it's a good idea. I got "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Quick and Easy Low-Carb Meals", but it fails on two counts; It ignores the preservatives typically found in most (if not all) packaged, sliced meat and it makes a lot of things (kitchen utensils, bowls, saucepans, various electric cookers) messy such that cleaning up afterwards is likely to take as long as the original preparation.

So, I'm looking for low carb ideas that are actually quick and easy, and don't rely on (heavily) processed foods.

Bonus round: Both tuna and crab are also on my potential allergy list. And I'm trying to cut down on dairy products (mostly due, though, to the junk cows are pumped full of, so I can always use organic milk).

Convenient Herbal Breath Freshness.

Baby_Balrog — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:14:13 -0800

I desire some sort of breath-freshening device (i.e. gum or mints) that is all natural and does not contain any sweeteners. I realize this may, at first glance, seem sort of disgusting, but I realized today after eating lunch that I'm completely sick of sticking sugary crap in my face after I've finished a good meal. I'd prefer that the freshness delivery method be at least somewhat orthodox - perhaps some kind of herbal gum that doesn't contain any sweeteners? I have no inclination to carry a pouch of leaves anywhere on my person to facilitate this appetence.

Water Water Everywhere... and all on sale this week.

aristan — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:59:01 -0800

I'm buying Groceries... for a grocery store. I'm now buying for the grocery department of the largest store in our (rather small) chain and I'm at a loss as to what to fill the store with! So Mefi Vegans & Organic Foodies... What organic, all natural, or "alternative" foods, snacks, drinks, & cleaning supplies could you not live without? Do you know of any blogs that cover or review natural & organic packaged foods? So basically I've been given control of the grocery department of the largest store that makes the most money and is also in the highest income neighborhood. These customer's have got money burning in their pockets & I want to give them some variety.

The previous manager had a problem getting the store filled so just created multiple facings. Way too many that is... 24 facings of the same brand & size of unbleached paper towels?

I tried using my resources and downloading plans from our main supplier... but they can't deal with the space we have. Let's put it this way... They have never had anyone ask for more than 12 feet of water That's 4 sections of shelving, usually multiplied by 5 shelves in a section... so 60 total feet of shelf space. I have 32 feet devoted to water. That's 160 feet of shelving. Needless to say, I carry every variety of water they have & all that 4 other distributors carry.

So I turn to my friends here at MeFi. Please turn me on to new brands of packaged foods & drinks. What are you favorite all natural cleaners? I need ideas, people! (Bonus points if they're vegan or gluten free!) Sorry, storebrands need not apply. Despite what my distributors think, I can't carry Whole Foods 365 brand.

Do you know any blogs that can help? I used to Candy Blog when I was the candy buyer, would love something like that for other foods.

And if anyone can tell me why in the world I have 32 feet of water, I'd be greatful

It's a capsicum cotyledon consumption carnival!

mds35 — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 22:44:07 -0800

What are some unusual sprouts I can grow and eat? And where can I get organic seeds for sprouting? After Creed on The Office divulged that he sprouts mung beans in his desk, I embarked on a Google search that landed me on a sprouting-fanatic site. I ordered a sprout kit and a few seed samplers. I'm now growing a mix of arugula, cress, radish and dill in a jar. They smell tasty and I will harvest them tomorrow. Next I will sprout a mix of lentils and then some broccoli. I also plan to try black sesame seeds, onions and sunflower shoots.

In the last few days I've visited about every sprouting site on the web looking for even more interesting seeds to sprout.

Being a capsicum addict, I'm particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has successfully sprouted chile peppers (ancho, anaheim, poblano, jalapeno, etc). Also, I'm curious about celery seed for some reason.

Crushed red pepper and celery seed are available at grocery stores, I know. But I'd like to get some organic seeds that are safe to eat and likey to germinate, not ones irradiated for pest-resistance or long shelf-life. And likewise I assume that gardening seeds from Burpee and the like are treated variously for garden use in ways that sprouting seeds would not be.

So the question is, can anyone lend their personal experience with sprouting chiles, celery or other interesting/unusual seeds and can you also point me to a relaibe source for them?

I also plan to try my hand at essene bread soon. So if anyone has any pointers, let me know.

Organic Shmanic

DenOfSizer — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 04:03:45 -0800

I'm introducing my baby to solid foods (making most myself). Where will I get the most "bang for my buck" in terms of organic produce? Does it make sense to always get organic, or is it a waste of time with certain foods? I'm thinking of the similar nitrate-in-carrots thing, wherein organic carrots may have nitrates, and jarred carrots do not.

Search Engine Ranking

Gankmore — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 10:33:01 -0800

How does a website get to be ranked on the first page for searching on google, yahoo, etc? What is organic searching based on? How can one manipulate their website to rank higher on search engines? Is it about traffic? Or links? What exactly is it?

I don't understand why some websites are on the first page and others you can't ever find.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Why is my coconut milk blue?

changeling — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 00:19:22 -0800

Why did my coconut milk turn blue? I used half a can of organic, light coconut milk in a recipe and then forgot about the rest of it. Two weeks later, I unearthed it from the back of the fridge, and it was blue. Vibrant, eye-stinging, cobalt blue. Very pretty, actually. But why?

Buying Local Meat in Chicago

fancypants — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 07:57:04 -0800

Where can I buy locally-raised meat and dairy products in Chicago? I am looking for places where I can purchase locally-farmed meat and dairy products in Chicago (preferably North Side, but I'm willing to travel a bit). I know that Green City Market has lots of stuff, but I'm hoping for something that's year-round and a bit more consistant. Specifically, I'm looking for eggs, milk, beef and chicken and while I know I can get organic stuff at Whole Foods, I'm very interested in eating more locally-produced foods.