To be (organic) or not be?

As I was standing in line at PCC the other day, patiently waiting buy my usual pint of salad, I took a moment to survey the crowd lining up in the bustling little deli. The variety of people intrigued and astounded me. Yes, there were the stereotypical 'granola-y' type crowd wearing hemp, Birkenstocks, and the requisite Bob Marley tee, but also businessmen in pinstriped suits, SAHM's with their kiddos, young women rocking their Seven jeans and stilettos as well as elderly couples doing their routine grocery shopping. Just across the street, a new (bigger) organic market is currently being constructed. Obviously, this organic, healthy eating is not just a trend for the vegans, vegetarians, and food conscious epicureans of the world.

I have mentioned the steep cost of buying organic in a previous post, but I often wonder how important it really is to buy organic. There are so many variations of "organic" on labels these days - USDA Organic, Certified Organic, Contains Organic Ingredients, Made with Organic Ingredients - how's a gal to know whats what?! You practically need to bring your decoder ring to the grocery store. Moreso, what IS the main difference in organic versus non organic, anyway? Amount of chemicals and pesticides? If so, are there things that don't normally get pesticides anyway? Its hard to know what things are crucial to buy organic and what's not.

I found this nifty little chart online that helped me sort it out... kind of. Dairy products are one thing that I will always buy organic, and not flinch at all at the price tag. Have you seen what that growth hormone does to those cows udders... yeesh. Only rbst-hormone free milk for me, thankyouverymuch.

When it comes to the fruits and veggies, though, when is it important to spend the extra cash and buy organic?

I had never heard of the dirty dozen until my mom printed me out a list. Apparently, you should ALWAYS go organic when purchasing the following fruits and veggies. They have the highest "pesticide load" of all other veggies, and are listed in order of most contaminated to least.

1. Peaches
2. Apples

3. Sweet Bell Peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Lettuce (does this include kale, chard, and other leafy greens? Hmmm....)

9. Grapes

10. Pears

11. Spinach

12. Potatoes

So, now you know. Knowledge is power! The list also mentioned those fruits and veggies that are 'safe' to buy non-organic all the time. No use wasting money on organic if you don't need to right? Buy the following freely, and don't waste time getting organic: eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, bananas, asparagus, sweet peas, mangoes, sweet corn, pineapples, avocado and onion.

Happy Shopping! Or, in my case, Happy Organic Growing!

Embracing the farm gal within.

Weeding builds character. Or so my dad always reminded me.

As a child, I loathed spending precious play time in the garden. I hated the monotony of sitting still, pulling weeds, tending to spindly little plants. It didn't seem to matter how much or often I pulled weeds, there were always weeds the following day. It was a thankless, tiresome job, but someone had to do it. Plus, it built character. I am now lucky enough to be full of character, among other things...

Fast forward to today, and I get frustrated when I don't get time with my plants. Outdoor living space, room for pots, a garden, all of these things are major must haves for any home I live in. Time spent in the garden in crucial for my mind, body and soul. Who knew that the much hated, character building chore of my youth would morph into a lifelong passion and hobby?

I recently built a garden at the house. I use the term 'built' lightly, because this garden adventure was like a chemistry experiment. We had a recipe for creating an environment that happily grew 10+ foot tall tomato plants. Envisioning a garden brimming with rosy ripened tomatoes, I knew I had to give it a try. I am a huge advocate of growing your own vegetables, if you can. Yes, it's pricey to start, but there is a certain satisfaction I cannot quite name in plucking fresh basil from your own plant, and selecting only the most robust tomatoes for your salad. Mostly, its sweat equity, and you get out if it what you put in. the more time and care you take, the better all the veggies are going to turn out. Plus, its never been easier to be organic. Feed the plants good stuff and love them, and bam! you've practically got an local, organic produce market right outside your front door. I started most of my seeds inside about a month ago. As they got stronger, I'd transplant to larger containers to give them more room to grow. I bought some starts from a local nursery as well. Plus, it took two loads of topsoil and compost to build this baby. If I don't get pretty vegetables, I may cry.

The groundwork:

We chose an area of the yard between alder trees, backed by a rock wall as the perfect location for the garden. It was in the front yard, got full sun most of the day, and was protected by the aforementioned trees. After bordering the area with round poles, we began the construction. I wish I had taken pictures of this process, but I forgot. Step 1 - cover exposed ground with plastic. Step 2 - Layer newspaper 20 sheets thick over plastic. Sprinkle with bone meal and wet down. Step 3 - Layer 12" deep of alfalfa. Sprinkle with bone meal and wet down. Step 4 - Layer strae 8"-12" thick. Sprinkle with bone meal and wet down. Step 5 - Add topsoil or compost.

Voila! Done!

Supposedly, the alfalfa and straw create a matrix that is nutrient rich, and also holds a lot of water, so the plants are less likely to die of thirst. Well, that's REALLY unlikely here anyway. I think with all the rain lately, I'll never have to water that bed.

It looks as thought my labeling didn't come through that well, but in th garden, we planted cucumbers, red onions, cilantro, parsley, snap peas, peas, kale, collard greens, chard, sweet peppers, strawberries, and of course, tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, yellow).

We strung up fishing line between the two trees to give the peas something to climb up. The kale has been planted in stages, so we will always have something to pick. I am really excited to see how the collard greens and chard grow. I can't wait to post more garden photos this summer and keep you all up to date with the growth!

I'll leave you all with a picture from the pot on our deck - I love coming home to this bright vibrant flowers! If you have gardens, share your secrets! I'd love to know what everyone else out there is planting!

All this produce is making me poor.

I seriously think I am singlehandedly contributing to the success of the Kirkland PCC Natural Market. Who knew that VEGETABLES could cost so much money. I try to live by a food budget of $50/week, and I am having a very hard time while on this elimination diet. Healthy foods break the bank. For example, check out a reciept from Friday, February 26th:

I bought broccoli, collards greens, chard, carrots, kale, romaine, green onions, and bulk rice and lentils. $42.30?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Plus, Jenn spent about that buying apples, pears, lemons, limes, and avocados from Costco. I think she definitely got more for her money. Because today, less than ONE WEEK later, the only vegetables that remain in the crisper are the broccoli and carrots. But I am making broccoli soup tonight, so I can kiss that goodbye. At least we still have an abundance of fruit hanging in the basket... Oi vey.

I cannot wait for spring and summer. I am joining a local Community Sustained Agriculture this summer. I can't not at this point. Its just $30.66 a week to buy a share, and you commit to do this June - October. It works out to about $650 for the 5 months. A share size a familyof 2-6 people depending on their eating habits. They have a schedule that gives you an idea of what you'll get each week. Also -- and this is my favorite part -- each week you can go pick herbs from the garden, herbs from the field, FLOWERS!, and greens... hello sunny flowers in the house, lots of kale & chard, and fragrant herbs.

Until June rolls around, I need to find a way to keep the cost down. A few of the more specialized things I will still need to buy at PCC or a natural food store, but I am thinking I can get the produce cheaper somewhere. I am going to stop in at Fred Meyer on my way home and see.

Where do you guys shop? Any suggestions on grocery shopping to save some money? If so, please enlighten me!