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    mazzieDKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:15pm

    Question: If you are growing your own food, what makes it organic? I assume that not using pesticides would, but I know the soil I use in my garden isn’t organic. It’s my first year at the gardening thing, I’m trying to not use pesticides (actually looking into buying ladybug to eat the aphids). I imagine even if it isn’t the same as an organic bell pepper, it’s still pretty good?

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      fortheloveofbeetsmazzieD
      5/11/15 1:23pm

      http://www.organic.org/home/faq

      Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.

      The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

      Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

      If you’re growing it yourself, it’s pretty easy to make it organic. Just use organic soil and don’t put any pesticides on it. Also, “organic” doesn’t necessaily mean that it actually tastes any different from conventionally-produced food. It describes the framing practice, not the flavor.

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      Morifarty's ringtonemazzieD
      5/11/15 1:27pm

      My mom does a lot of organic gardening (WHITE PEOPLE AMMMIRIIITE), and has a lot of tricks she uses to get rid of pests without using harsh chemical pesticides - I can ask her if you want!

      I feel like one of them is using homemade pepper spray on the leaves, which is just hilarious to me.

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    Morifarty's ringtoneKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:16pm

    Considering I willingly put various types of poison into my body on a regular basis and pay for the privilege, I cannot in good conscious pretend to give a flying fuck about organic food and whether or not my peaches are filled with pesticides.

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      Mike Pipper Super GIF EnthusiastMorifarty's ringtone
      5/11/15 1:19pm
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      wyominghippieMorifarty's ringtone
      5/11/15 1:20pm

      Finally the high quality fresh vodka at a reasonable price to wipe away the memories of living at the end of capitalism. Progress!

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    VonQuesoKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:36pm

    #TeamAldi

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      Jane *is* the... gazelle?VonQueso
      5/11/15 1:44pm

      Yes, except for broccoli. It turns yellow as soon as it crosses the threshold.

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      kshortie16VonQueso
      5/11/15 1:46pm

      Trader Joe’s and Aldi are owned by the same people, but yes. Team Aldi. And I remember Aldi before they started having produce. All canned everythang.

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    fortheloveofbeetsKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:20pm

    Because “fresh food” doesn’t necessarily mean “organic food.” It just means...fresh. Which is the same as saying that something is “natural.” Essentially, anything can be “fresh”—deodorant, bananas, chicken—just as anything can be “natural.” It’s an ambiguous word used to hype up otherwise average products, whereas the “organic” label is regulated by multiple government and independent agencies (and even then, it can be a slippery slope: some agencies are more prudent than others on what they’ll grant their seal of approval).

    YES. This is some sneaky shit. It’s wonderful, truly, that people are finally paying a little more attention to food systems and trying to eat in ways that are more sustainable and less exploitative. But this seems like a perfect example of how good ideas get commodified and distorted into something that only superficially resembles the original intent.

    Burn down your local Whole Foods and subscribe to a CSA instead.

    Nothing dollarable is safe.

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      For Swedenfortheloveofbeets
      5/11/15 1:26pm

      Arson is a strong reaction to your complaint.

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      fortheloveofbeetsFor Sweden
      5/11/15 1:27pm

      Is it, though?

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    My dear, sweet brother Numsie!Karyn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:33pm
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      tinybubblesMy dear, sweet brother Numsie!
      5/11/15 1:42pm

      There is no way that child actually fits into that car.

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      ChemistAlMy dear, sweet brother Numsie!
      5/11/15 1:43pm

      I love the classism found in organic supporters. It’s more expensive, not any more nutritious, and people will look down on people who eat GMOs. It’s amazing that people can call themselves liberal and support it.

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    Tabby GevinsonKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:24pm

    Whole Foods is the Blake Lively of grocery stores.

    I could see them calling their budget iteration something condescending like Hole Foods.

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      GELLA - LLAPTabby Gevinson
      5/11/15 1:35pm

      Whole food is overrated. Do not touch my Traider Joes.

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      XofTabby Gevinson
      5/11/15 1:44pm

      Hole Foods.

      :/

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    FluterDaleKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:21pm

    Our farmers’ market has started taking debit and SNAP EBT cards, so it’s not organic either, but it is local and it’s not pretentious.

    GIF
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      LostAnotherBurnerPasswordFluterDale
      5/11/15 1:28pm

      A lot of vendors at my local farmers’ market don’t use any pesticides, but don’t have the funds (or desire) to go through the rigorous licensing process to get labelled “organic.” So it’s organic by any stretch of the imagination, except the legal one, I guess. It’s certainly good enough for me.

      A coworker of mine raises some cows, and if one gets sick, he’ll give it antibiotics. So it’s not technically antibiotic-free, even though they’re not fed antibiotics in the way that people should be freaked out about. I’m torn because labels can be very useful, but some stuff just gets lost in the details.

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      FluterDaleLostAnotherBurnerPassword
      5/11/15 1:36pm

      That sounds like a nice farmers’ market.

      I am 90% certain ours use pesticides galore, but organic is firmly out of our price range, so I just enjoy fresh and wax free.

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    LindaKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:13pm

    90% Trader Joe’s, 10% Marsh Grocery (local chain in IN -for things TJ’s doesn’t carry). Big box stores for laundry and paper products.

    Whole Foods can kiss my ass.

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      Palliser7Linda
      5/11/15 1:18pm

      I love Trader Joe’s. I live in NYC and it’s such a treat to shop in a place with reasonable prices while still having lots of high-end feeling things. Also, everyone who works at TJ’s is ridiculously cheerful, even in stores so busy they regularly have to employ bouncers. I would love to know the TJ secret to happiness.

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      fortheloveofbeetsPalliser7
      5/11/15 1:21pm

      But their produce is garbage. :-(

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    XofKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 1:18pm

    I love how the word curate in ubiquitous now, you can use it for anything.

    If I shop at Whole Foods I’m allowing them to curate my poop.

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      CheqyrXof
      5/11/15 1:23pm

      “Curate” is the new “artisinal” which was the new “bespoke”. Hmm, wait a minute...

      “Their nutritional consultants will curate a bespoke artisinal menu to meet your needs.”

      Yep, sounds about right.

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      SISIUDXof
      5/11/15 1:27pm

      YES. I was just having an inner monologue (rant) about the word curate. It’s up there with artisanal now.

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    pdxwhyKaryn Polewaczyk
    5/11/15 2:07pm

    OR.

    You can go to local Farmer’s Market/Green Market- where many accept SNAP/EBT and some will even double your money spent there. Here in Oregon, that means you can get $10 token for $5 on your SNAP card.

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      Thankspdxwhy
      5/11/15 5:33pm

      And where I live, “Farmer’s Market” has gone from being a place to get great, cheap veggies straight from the Farmer, to being a place where people with too much money buy “artisnal” crap “curated” by a local asshat. Prices are outrageous. Granted, we have winter for most of the year (just had a snowstorm on my way in to work this morning) so we don’t get a lot of growing season. It’s pretty necessary to import our produce, unless we all want to die from scurvy.

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      pdxwhyThanks
      5/11/15 5:54pm

      I hear you on the artisan crap. Seriously, you should not need to buy handmade pasta, salumi, jam (?!) or candy (!!!??) at the farmer’s market. I am getting rather sick of it myself. Fortunately, for now, it has not crowded the veggies, fruit, local dairy, local meat and flowers, but you can see the difference between the posers with too much money and the regular folk.

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