It's not a splurge item for me. It's just the way it IS. I have always bought organic milk. I'd love to buy everything organic, but that just can't happen all the time. So I've made choices, and one of those is that milk must be bought organic. No ifs ands or buts.

I think too many Moms figure if it's on the store shelf, it must be safe. How many times will we be burned before we learn that simply is not the case?

I'm all for launching a grass roots effort. A blog maybe? A boycott? There must be mothers out there with stories to tell. There is new research daily on the subject.

I simply think educating the public will lead to an overwhelming Mother uprising.

But even when education is involved, those doing the educating are labled hippies or overconservative, etc.

But the more run of the mill, every day, Happy Meal buying Moms that KNOW what's really up...the quicker this will be an issue of the past.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain

More and more conventional grocery stores are stocking organic products and this is very good news. The more mainstream organic items become, the more affordable they will be. Products like Earth's Best organic baby food, Rice Dream, Arrowhead Mills, etc. are all owned by Hain foods. This is also great for us consumers, because organic foods now have a wider distribution. Organic foods becoming mainstream and affordable is happening, just a little slower than most of us would like!

Thankfully my daughter doesn't seem to share in my allergies, but I do have an allergy (hives) to something within in the processing of non-organically raised chicken. And with my budget, especially recently, there's no way that I can afford to buy that, as it costs sometimes three times as much as regular chicken. She doesn't seem to notice that if we have chicken for dinner, I don't eat any. I do make a point of budgeting in organic milk, but that's normally the only thing that I can budget in that's organic.

Amber
BlogHer Contributing Editor - Television Blogs
gipsy's musings

I also buy organic milk. And anything else organic that I can afford. I'm all for a mom blog uprising. Maybe we could start displaying a button stating that we support organic foods? It could link to a page with our names and sites and perhaps a mission statement. I bet we could get some support from some of the more vocal pro-organic mom blogs (I love Small Farms) and sites like Local Harvest. Hey, we could probably even get "sponsorship" from a company like Stonyfield Farms.

I am the foodmomiac

I recently read that SafeWay is trying to position itself as the affordable Organic grocery store, building their own "O" brand of organic foods.

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Simple Still Life

We also try to buy as much organic as we can. We even found someone (relatively) nearby who raises organic cows and we have a share there for organic, RAW milk (which is even better for you). I stopped buying the organic milk available at the grocery stores when I kept hearing organic awareness organizations saying that the brands commonly carried were really about *this* far from being conventionally produced milk, and that lines were being blurred even further so that more of the conventional producers of foods could label their products as "organic" without it being illegal. That is such a discouraging thing, hearing that big business wants to ruin something good yet again.

I have a daughter who is about to turn eight (where did the time go?!??) and a 17 month old son. I too make sure that my kids only have organic milk (and beef from our milk farm! It's amazing, the difference in flavour...) because I worry about the hormones and creating antibiotic-resistance, and, and, and... I started menstruating when I was nine and my family had "normal" milk and beef almost every day. My daughter doesn't need to go through that in grade 4.

I have a website with forums we've (my hubby and I) recently started up, and we put up interesting articles and such that we find, with a whole section on raw milk. I keep hearing crickets chirping in the background over there, you're welcome to come and liven the place up! ;-) And anyone who gets that button campaign or something going, I'd love to join in!

Shannon

The problem is not that organic food is too expensive, it is that non-organic food is not priced at the true cost of producing it. Be very careful about getting large corporations involved in organics. Already they are lobbying and successfully getting loopholes introduced into the organic standards, watering them down to the point that (as Shannon said) they are *this* close to being no better than conventionally produced products. Know what brands take advantage of these loopholes and what brands do not. Check out the Organic Consumers Information website for good information. And buy direct from local farmers as much as possible!

Kelli (a farmer, amongst other things)

Have y'all seen this?

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/5/12/63314/8910

Nerd's Eye View

and our city council just decided to Link Texttry and block WalMart from moving in! (...very big sarcastic grin smeared all over my face!...)

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Simple Still Life

I'm loving the fact that there's so much interest in parents trying to make life more green and eco-friendly for their families. I agree with Mir: the fact that choosing this lifestyle can be cost-prohibitive is a tragedy. However, I also believe there's something that can be done if we mobilize -- I mean, think about it: the Iraq war started ordinary people thinking about the US dependence on foreign oil, and as a result, hybrid cars in the US are becoming more and more popular -- and therefore more and more inexpensive. Why can't the same be true for foods? Furthermore, there has to be a way that we can entreat our various governments to require companies to make their products more eco-friendly and organic (and, to Kelli's point, above, have an independent certification body to which all companies would be required to adhere in order to call themselves "ecofriendly" or "organic"). I mean, seriously, our kids are getting sick and/or maturing far too quickly because of it. This should be enough of an impotus for us to get our governments to do something.

/rant!

Karen
Emerald Market (a green shopping blog)
Chookooloonks

You will probably have noticed that they seem to be carrying less organic produce and fewer organic products, while the brand selection is narrowing while they stock more and more of their own generic "365" brand. Rather ironic, when I'm noticing more organic foods in the regular stores.

To Kelli's point, I've noticed frequent news items where the GM foods companies are pushing to weaken the "organic" definition. I'm a big supporter of the free market, and figure organic foods will gain in appeal as people become more aware (hopefully not in response to any food-chain tragedies), but it doesn't seem right that the Monsanto and ADM are pushing to rig the game. Let them grow truly organic foods and compete. It's not like they're not in a position to do quite well, given that they own so much of our food supply.

Laura Scott
design, snap, blog

BlogHer site admin

Mir,

I recently posted a gripe on my blog about buying a $7 gallon of organic milk when non-organic was on sale for $2 on the shelf next door. When a budget is tight -- and mine is very tight -- it's really hard to put the money out there for organics. I buy organic milk and then whatever else I can afford. We do have a health food store in the area, but I might as well give them my arm and my leg upon entering, because I can't afford to buy anything there. The nearest Whole Foods is and hour and a half away.

In any case, I've been reading a book called Green Living by the editors of E/The Environmental Magazine. They actually fear big agribusiness going organic as well (as someone posted about above) and recommend that you shop local farmers only -- even if you can't get organic. That was a big surprise to me.

Also, somewhere online I got a handy pocket guide to the "dirty dozen" -- the produce most and least likely to be contaminated by pesticides. It's helpful to me, because I can't afford to buy all organics. The "bad" list includes: apples, pears, and imported grapes. The "good" list includes: asparagus, cauliflower, and mango. (If I remembered where I got it, I'd link to it, but you can probably google it.)

Finally, joining an organic co-op is always a possibility. I've just started looking into it myself, but so far it does seem a lot less expensive than the grocery store. The problem is that the orders come in every 2 weeks to every 4 weeks and I'm used to shopping weekly, so it's a learning experience.

I'm up for an organic blogging revolution -- just tell me where to sign up!

Bethany

Her Grace-Not So Effortless Charm and Beauty

This is a fabulous thread Mir. I love the idea of bloggers mobilizing to let it be known that we want healthier food for our families.

I switched to organic milk several months ago when my kids started having B.O. even immediately after showering. Within a few days after switching they were back to their sweet-smelling selves.

I was just thinking yesterday in the grocery store that it's a shame that probably the single greatest factor in disease prevention-- organic healthy food-- isn't widely affordable for middle and lower income families.

Sheryl

There is an excellent article by Michael Pollan in the New York Times Magazine today titled Mass Natural. (If the link expires the article will probably be available on Pollan's website.

The article clearly lays out the upsides and downsides to Wal-Mart's organic iniative and concludes with

The moral of the ... story is that unless consumers and well-meaning organic producers remain vigilant and steadfast, the drive to make the price of organic foods competitive with that of conventional foods will hollow out the word and kill the organic goose, just when her golden eggs are luring so many big players into the water. Let's hope Wal-Mart recognizes that the extraordinary marketing magic of the word "organic" - a power that flows directly from our dissatisfaction with the very-cheap-food economy Wal-Mart has done so much to create

"Cheap" food comes at a price so it is important to let our representatives and the people we buy our food from what we want both in value and values.

I've lived in the UK for the past 6 years. When I first moved here, organic items were at least double the cost of regular items. I still made every effort to buy organic when I could (especially with things like milk, meat, certain vegetables and fruit). Apparently the rest of the country did too....as the prices have come down significantly - nowadays you can buy organic for only slightly more than nonorganic, and more and more supermarkets are offering a wider range of organic items (plus there are the food retailers like McDonald's who offer organic; and free range eggs are used in a whole host of places). I think you really just have to bite the bullet and vote with your wallet. And it will take time. But I think that with education and commitment it will get better. If you're keeping to a tight budget I would suggest focussing on the biggies like dairy and meat. Nonorganic vegetables, while not as tasty as organic, can be rid of most of the pesticides if washed really thoroughly, but milk and meat will contain the hormones etc. that are given to the animals.

Zz's Petals Natural Artisan Perfumery
http://www.zzspetals.com

My husband and I operate a small organic business. Peace Angel Farm, in Southern Ohio
We are certified naturally grown, and grow everything without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. We use no pesticides at all. We are not USDA Certified Organic, because the fees and cost to maintain that certification is more than we can afford, and still stay in business..
But just because something says organic doesn't mean it is pesticide free, etc. There are approved organic pesticides that people have been using for years. I would imagine that the large corporate organic growers use approved pesticides and whatever else they can get away with. Pushing the edge more often than not.
Many Organic brands are corporate owned. Which is not a bad thing if people keep presure on the USDA to stay clean with regulations and labeling. The way it is now there are so many loop holes in labelig that one may never know what they are really eating.
The best bet is to get to know your local growers, and grow a few things yourself if you have the space. Get involved at the basic level, and you will be surprised what is available in your own back yard. Knowledge is power. The more you know the better choices you can make.
Check the online source for the Dept. of Agriculture in your state. Google farmers markets and organic growers close to you. Buy organic grass fed beef, chicken and eggs from area farms If there are none in yoru area, find a farm near by. We are in Ohio and buy beef from a farm in Pennsylvania, It is not that far away and they ship directly to us. Be sensible. If you live on the east coast, don't have your meat shipped from California . Buy as close to home as you can.
Many small farms grow organic and sell at roadside stands in the summer time. They just don't advertise it as organic. Ask Them about their growing practices. Prices are usually quite reasonable, and well below the big chain stores price. Plus it is fresher.
Many organic farms offer shares, start buying shares, and get your produce fresh weekly.
Of course there are choices to be made. and when I buy organic at the market. My first priorities are non-homogonized milk, and non GMO grain products, fresh produce and fruits. After that it would be to avoid all trans fats. There are some loop holes in the new trans fat labeling. So make sure the ingredients label has no hydrogenated fats listed. A product can say 0-Trans Fats pr Serving, and still have trans fats in the product. They are allowed to say 0- trans fats pr serving, as long as a serving has less than 1 gram of trans fat. If a box of crackers has 12 servings, that box can legally contain 11 plus grams of trans fat. As long as the pr serving number is lower than 1 gram.
Many things are like this. So get to know the labeling loop holes.
Companies pay big bucks lobbying in DC. they don't do it for nothing.
There are a ton of things that can be said. But the best thing is to be personally involved in your own health and the health of your family. Don't believe everything you read, or are told. Seek out the information for yourself.
Just as knowledge is power, so are votes.
Peace, Z...........

Hi! I just wanted to include mention of our Organic products that are not expensive and easy to find. We recently started to sell our Organic Macaroni and Cheese in many Wal-Mart stores and we already have great distribution in stores like Safeway, Krogers and Whole Foods.

To find a store that sells Annie's near you, use our Store Locator.