Yesterday the guy behind me at the checkout in Safeway piled the belt high with all organic product. Organic juice, organic milk, organic toiletpaper (I’m not kidding.) Most of what he purchased were organic convenience foods. Organic macaroni and cheese, enchiladas, etc. All stuff you can heat in a microwave. All crap.
On TV I heard a celebrity state, in tones of hushed wonder, that she bought the organic apple because that’s what she believes in! Alice Cooper wears organic cotton shirts on the golf course (in the dessert mind you).
The first guy accomplished nothing for the environment by purchasing all that prepackaged food, he gets no street-cred for that. Not unless he can effectively compost all the packaging. Even then he loses because of the production and shipping costs. He’s also lost any gain he may possibly have had from eating food because it’s all pre-packaged. It’s rather like smoking organic cigarettes.
Want to accomplish something for the environment? Something really meaningful, something that will make a difference now and a difference in your wallet? Plant a garden. Grow your own organic tomatoes, radishes, brocolli, strawberries, etc. There is no shipping involved, no oil or corn is burned in a combustion engine getting the strawberry from your patio to your lips. Another thing you can do is learn to cook. It’s not difficult, really, and the benefits far outweigh the time/cost. Most of the time, ingredients are cheaper than a finished product. Most of the time the food I make from scratch is of far better quality and far tastier than anything Annie’s or Stouffer’s can muster. Plus, my leftovers go into reusable bowls, I compost the vegetable waste.
Want to accomplish something local? Buy local produce, shop from the farmer’s market and in roadside stands. Even if it’s not ‘organic’, it’s better for you, fresher and more nutritioney.
Just because it says organic on the label doesn’t mean anything much, especially not if that organic food is wrapped in layers of plastic, cardboard and print. Conventionally raised products won’t kill you.
I love shopping at farmer’s markets and roadside stands; they carry many more types of produce than the supermarket does, it’s fresher and I get to meet the people who grow it.
9 comments
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April 30, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Nancy
Can one grow an organic twinkie?
April 30, 2008 at 4:55 pm
jamilynnfitz
I feel the same way. All our local grocers are getting in on the “organic/green/ecofriendly” bandwagon. It is nice to have options on the things I feel really matter, like organic produce, organic dairy, and such. But organic junk food is still junk food, and it is even more expensive than regular junk food. I am not going to pat you onthe back for being a d0^chebag. Ride your bike, buy whole foods, garden, and cook for yourself. Be a conscientious consumer, because just changing your shopping habits from regular to organic isn’t helping anyone. You are still being a brainless consumer by buying whatever Oprah and the Today Show tell you to buy.
Rant over, thanks for the blog post!
May 1, 2008 at 12:58 am
Dana
OHMYGOSH, Vivian Louise, did you really come up with this All By Yourself, without algore, or Sheryl, or….or….. you know, Leo DiCaprio?? Are you allowed to do that?
May 1, 2008 at 5:55 am
David N. Scott
I love Farmer’s Markets. Too bad they’re always set during work hours. >
I spent some time in Petaluma and still want to move there someday. Fresh food and goodness.
Fresh food is also lower in salt, too. I found that out last year….
May 1, 2008 at 10:56 am
vivianlouise
Fresh food just tastes better. Much more betterer.
It frankly pisses me off when some mouthbreathing ‘celebrity’ tries to tell me how I should live. If I need advice on how to end up as a pathetic pantiesless drunk strung out on energy drinks and crack, I’ll phone you up. Otherwise, shove off.
The reason to eat fresh food is that it’s good for you, but even more importantly, it tastes better. Like David said, it’s got less salt, you can season it to your tastes and needs and it’s more satisfying.
The local Farmer’s Market is only open Sunday mornings so I can’t go. I’ve found a couple on my drive home from work. There is a lovely lady at the one in Riverdale who makes the most glorious beet and potato dumplings. I love her and would ask her to marry me if I were a man and her equally lovely (and huge) husband hadn’t beaten me to the punch 30 years ago. The other vendors give her the leftovers of their harvest and she turns it into mouthwatering curries, dumplings and stews. Dang it! Now I need a dribble cup.
May 1, 2008 at 11:10 am
vivianlouise
Oh, Nancy, if they ever do figure out how to “grow an organic twinkie” I’ll be asking you for that full bottle of Chardonnay and a clean glass.
May 2, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Yertle
Ah, yet another fantastic morsel for the brain from my lovely “Be-Be.”
You really should have your own radio show because you express what the normal population is thinking very eloquently.
May 4, 2008 at 3:47 am
Brett
Great post. A few months ago while at the market late one night a guy in front of me suddenly says something to the cashier and runs out. Meanwhile we all sit there as the seconds tick on by for what seemed like an eternity. I figured he forgot his wallet so no big deal. But then he returns and he was so proud of himself. He had his hawaiin print Trader Joe’s politcally correct cloth bag for his groceries. I should have told him that my car was idling outside and by making me wait he waisted all the carbon credits he saved by running out to get his cloth bag.
May 9, 2008 at 1:07 am
David N. Scott
:: crickets ::