Organic vs. ConventionalWhat’s the difference anyway?

Are Organic Foods Better?

The difference between organic and conventionally grown produce – nutrition, safety and sustainability.

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Your local online farmer’s market

What is the purpose of Organic farming?

Organic farming is designed to conserve soil, water and reduce pollution in the environment.

What’s different in a conventionally or organically grown apple?

Apple – both have vitamins, fiber, etc.

Conventionally Grown• Seeds treated with chemicals to promote

early germination, fight pests, fungus

• Genetically engineered seeds to withstand heavy pesticides

• Pest control - Sprayed with synthetic fungicides, pesticides

• Growth – use of chemical fertilizers or human sewage sludge is allowed

• Freshness - Waxes, gas and coloring can be used to preserve freshness and improve appearance

• Costs – many large commercial farms are subsidized by the government. Can mitigate crop losses through pest and disease management.

Figure 15. An airblast sprayer being used to apply fungicides in a commercial orchard. (Courtesy J. Hartman)

Organically grown• Seeds - from organically grown plants,

unexposed to chemicals, and cannot be genetically engineered

• Weed control – natural methods like crop rotation or animals

• Pest control - Predator bugs & traps for pest control. Biodynamics

• Growth – Natural fertilizers and methods to enrich the soil

• Cost – higher percent of crop losses do to insects, fungus, etc., plus extra costs for USDA certification process

• Appearance - May be different shapes, colors and look less than perfect and spoil more quickly

• Consumers still expect perfect fruit. Most of us still envision large, flawless fruit when we think of apples. Organic apples are smaller, more prone to skin discolorations, and more expensive than conventionally grown apples.

Pest traps to manage, rather than fully eradicate insects.

Wheat growing in an apple orchard to enhance soil organisms to fight disease and improve apple health.

Organic Certification• USDA Certified -USDA Organic Label Required for

farmers who sell more than $5,000 annually.

• Government regulated certification program managed by regional certifying organizations.

• Monitored annually

• Regulates how its grown, handled & processed. • Where the seed comes from – no GMO seeds

• What’s in the soil

• How to control pests, diseases, etc.

• Any possible contamination from neighbors or surrounding environment

• What the cleaning methods are – no unsafe chemicals

• Containers and handling

• Costly and not possible for many farmers but the USDA has increased spending to support organic farming.

Where it all starts….the Seed!GMO or Hybrid - What’s the diff?

• GMO process takes totally foreign genetic material and inserts it artificially into the DNA of the seed.

• Little is known about the long-term impact on our environment, flora and fauna, or on us as consuming humans!

• Hybrid seed is created by cross-pollinating two or more varieties, usually of the same species which mimics a naturally occurring process.

• Hybrids will not reproduce themselves well, so the seed needs to be recreated through cross-pollinating for every crop. 

• Hybrid seed can be Certified Organic.

A farmer’s planned experiment involving feeding squirrels GMO’s and non-GMO’d corn never happened because mice ate all the non-GM corn first—while ignoring the GM!http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/may08/farmers_non-GM_corn.php#sthash.VIvtJuN5.dpuf

What’s a key benefit of eating Organic? What it doesn’t contain - Pesticides

• Reduction in pesticide exposure which has been linked to increases in cancer, Parkinson’s, birth defects, dangerous food allergies

• The chemicals for mold, insects, diseases leave residue that goes into our bodies & builds up over time. Some cannot be washed off and removing the peel removes fibers and nutrients.

• Study at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine – 85% decrease in pesticide levels in people who switched to organic food

• Chemical farming has been linked to bee colony collapse disorder

• GMO seeds are engineered to withstand heavy doses of pesticides which end up in our food, air and water systems

The Dirty Dozen & The Clean Fifteen

Based on:How susceptible it is to pests and fungus (how often it needs to be sprayed)Does the residue go inside?Does it have a skin or not?

Is organic produce more nutritious? The debate• A 2010 study from Stanford said there wasn’t any nutritional

benefits in organics vs. conventional.

• A NEW study in 2014 shows substantially higher antioxidant levels in organic crops which have been linked to reduced risk of chronic diseases and cancer.

• The Organic Center and UK based Soil Association – Overall organic food is about 25% higher in nutritional contents

• Why? Organically grown plants create compounds to fight off insects & diseases naturally. The stress of growing naturally produces higher sugar content

• Organically grown fruit doesn’t get artificially large so the vitamins are concentrated.

• You don’t have to peel them to avoid the pesticides. You can even eat the skin of the orange

• But the biggest question is…not if you’re eating organic or conventional…but…are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? The recommended amount is nine servings every day!

Bottom Line….• Choosing organic is cleaner, absent

from pesticides & chemicals

• Fruit & veggies get their flavor from the nutrients feeding them.

• Natural weather conditions and picking times maximize flavor

• Choosing locally grown produce that’s grown in the right season will give you the freshest, tastiest fruit & veggies.

• If it tastes better, you’ll want to eat it more often.

You be the judge!

The benefits of eating Locally grown food• Local foods are fresher and taste better!

• Reduce the environment impact by eating local!

• Eat seasonal produce that is bursting with nutrients because it ripened naturally and is harvested at it’s peak. Ripens on the plan not in a shipping container!

• Local foods require less processing which reduces your chance of eating toxins and food contamination.

Support your local farmer!• San Diego farms contribute over $5

billion annually to our local economy

• Viable farms maintain open space and are a hedge against urban sprawl

• Farms maintain air quality through carbon sequestration from millions of plants and trees

• Makes fresh products available locally

• Where San Diego County Ranks Nationally

• More small farms than any other county

• Top grower of avocados, guavas, pomegranates, lemons, limes, strawberries and macadamias

• #2 in farms with women as principal operator

From San Diego Farm Bureau

Blue Heron Farm & Inn, Fallbrook

A sampling of some of the local farms and artisans we work with:J.R Organics Farm, Escondido

Polito Family Farms, Valley Center

Blue Heron, Fallbrook

Sundial Farms, Vista

Dassi Family Farm, Leucadia

Springhill Cheese, Petaluma

Revolution Roasters, Leucadia

Stehly Farms, Valley Center

San Diego Honey Company, La Jolla

Eben-Haezer Egg Ranch, Ramona

Sweet Tree Organics, Dinuba

and the list goes on and on…

Rivas Farms JR Organics

Polito Farms

Shop for locally grown produce from your desktop!

Now you can~

• Buy locally sourced & organically grown produce so you’re not eating unhealthy hormones or pesticides

• Get local, artisan foods to round out the selection, such cheese, honey, jams, almonds, infused olive oils & balsamic vinegars condiments and coffees

We bring the farm to YOU• Each week, we gather an

assortment fresh fruits and veggies from our local farmers

• We pack them in assorted boxes – veggies only, fruit & veggie medley, juicing, or whatever you prefer& deliver them to your office.

• You get to eat healthy, fresh foods and spend more quality time doing what you enjoy!

Locally sourced artisan foods

Goodies for Foodies

• Local, Raw Honeys

• Locally Roasted Coffee

• Local Free Range Eggs

• Organic Cheeses

• Raw, Organic Almonds

• Olive Oils, Balsamic Vinegars

Here’s how it works• Log on to the website and place

your order by Saturday

• We bring it to your home or office

• You can choose to order one time or get regular deliveries every week or every other week

• There are no upfront fees and no long term commitments - cancel or schedule a hold anytime

• You can also add to your regular order for special occasions

Eat well, Stay well & Save time!

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