don't believe the hype

Being an environmentalist can be a challenge.  Going to the market to buy food is a dilemma for me because I have too many choices:

Local or organic?  Free-range eggs in the styrofoam packaging or the store-brand cardboard carton?  Healthy snacks in individual plastic packaging or somewhat-healthy snacks in the bulk 5 lb box?  I'll be honest that I don't make the same decisions every time.  It really just depends on the mood I'm in or the cause I want to support that particular day.  It's too much guilt on my conscious for one person to handle so I tell myself I'm doing the best I can.  As long as I use my reusable grocery bags and don't buy junk "food" with tons of ingredients that I can't pronounce, I figure I'm being a good eco-mami.

However, after recently talking to a local farmer, I'm more confused than ever about these environmentally friendly labels you see at the grocery store.  For years I've been buying into the hype that free-range and organic are actually going to benefit the lives and health of the animals which become our food.  Not true, he said.  Free-range labels (which are regulated by the government) means that the animal is only required 5 minutes outside, or to just have open windows in their pens.  Organic beef or meat means that the animal needs to eat organic grain/feed.  The animals won't produce tastier meat but it will be healthier since it won't have hormones or antibiotics.  

So what to choose? Local and/or grass fed meat is tastier and requires less fuel to transport, and will be healthier in the long-run for people and for the planet.  My family is from Argentina, where they produce the best tasting beef in the world! The difference?  The cows eat grass.  Worth the extra cost in my opinion.  Grain-fed cattle have more risk of e. coli infection because it increases the acidity in the stomachs which e. coli needs to survive.  Free-range cows eat grass and get less sick which means they don't need hormones & antibiotics.  And from my own taste test, it seems that locally grown produce (such as in my own container garden) is much tastier than store-bought.  If you can buy local AND organic, that would be the best for the environment.

I'll visit the local farmer's market and buy their local products and I'll occasionally buy meat and cheeses from the local farm as well.  If I can see for myself that the chickens and cows are free range, then I'll spend my money on that.  I have noticed that I spend far less at the grocery store by not buying processed foods, which I can then spend a little more in local or organic.  Also, at least once a week our meals are vegetarian, and we only eat red meat once a week.  This saves me money, is healthier for my family, and healthier for the environment.

There are many choices, and you should make the best one for your family.  Eating organic, local, and grass-fed doesn't fit every family's budget, but it will taste better.  And who knows, maybe then your little ones will actually eat their vegetables.

Here are a few definitions that I found on these terms:

According to the Organic Trade Association:

Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.

Wikipedia: free range

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) requires that chickens raised for their meat have access to the outside in order to receive the free-range certification. There is no requirement for access to pasture, and there may be access to only dirt or gravel . Free-range chicken eggs, however, have no legal definition in the United States. Likewise, free-range egg producers have no common standard on what the term means. Many egg farmers sell their eggs as free range merely because their cages are two or three inches above average size, or because there is a window in the shed.

USDA's definition of free range is:

FREE RANGE or FREE ROAMING: 
Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been allowed access to the outside. 

USDA's definition of organic:

"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." [What is organic food? (USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program (NOP)).]