In these challenging economic times, it can often be difficult to justify the expense of organic foods. Everyday items like milk, eggs, vegetables and meat are already pricey, and adding the USDA Certified Organic label jacks prices even higher. For those of us who have to stretch fewer dollars further than we ever thought possible, the organic option seems fully out-of-reach. After all, when it comes down to affording organic, free-range beef or affording 5 nights worth of dinners, it’s obvious that the organic option is simply irrelevant.

The option of eating organically grown goods however, should not be determined by the (often elevated) costs associated with organic food. One reason organic goods are so expensive is that in order to become a certified organic producer, you have to spend a significant amount of time and money to establish the organic integrity of your goods. It’s not easy to become a certified organic supplier, and those who attain this status certainly deserve ample compensation for their efforts.

So what can we do to make organic goods accessible to everyone? On one hand we have a huge group of consumers who may want to eat organically but who, at least in the short term, simply cannot afford to do so. On the other hand we have an already financially struggling group of farmers who are committed to growing organic goods, but who also have mortgages, loans, bills and their own groceries to buy- they can’t afford to drop the extra costs associated with growing organic goods.

Clearly I don’t have the million dollar answer to this complex dilemma – there are all kinds of organizations and special interest groups whose positions need to be considered, and true systematic change to the process of producing organic goods has to include the reformation of agribusiness and agricultural legislation at the Congressional and/or Executive level within the government. Perhaps farmers who go organic shouldn’t have to pay to do so – perhaps organic producers should get tax breaks, subsidies and government assistance for their efforts… It may sound crazy now, but someday soon the powers that be may wake up and realize it’s time to produce the nation’s food in a more sustainable manner.

In the meantime, I’d like to offer some suggestions on how you can incorporate organic (or even less processed) foods into your family’s meals. There are all kinds of people and businesses out there who are growing, cooking, and selling foods that, while they may not necessarily be stamped with the USDA Certified Organic label, are still grown using few (if any) pesticides or chemicals, are locally produced, and are just as healthy (and tasty) as certified organic goods.

1. Buy vegetables, fruit, eggs, herbs, wine and meat at your local farmer’s market. Farmer’s markets are popping up all over the place these day, and chances are excellent that there’s at least one near you. While not all of the items found at a farmer’s market are organic, goods do tend to be produced using fewer toxins than do similar items found in your grocery store. And if you really want to know how the food for sale has been grown, just ask the farmers! Farmer’s markets are also great places if you want to eat seasonally-appropriate and completely fresh foods given that most of the items for sale are grown within 50-100 miles of the markets.

2. Grow your own! I know that not everyone has the time or space for a full-scale vegetable garden, but that doesn’t mean everyone can’t grow something they love. If you’re limited by space, try growing fresh herbs in small pots on your window sill. Herbs (especially organic herbs) are expensive to purchase, but easy to grow. You can also plant all kinds of veggies in containers and have a healthy harvest of lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and other food all summer. If you have the space for a large garden, just go for it! Growing food is one of the most satisfying things you can do, and when you harvest the fruits of your labors, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing your food is truly organic.

3. Shop at local farm stands. The growing season where I live in New England is relatively short, but that doesn’t stop our local farmers from putting out all the stops and stocking their stands with an abundance of fresh, local goods from late spring to late fall. And while not all of the farms in this region are organic, you can always find a selection of fresh foods grown by people from your community. If you have questions about what you’re buying from a farm stand, you can actually talk to the people who grew it, and come to understand how and why they grow their food.

4. Buy organic goods selectively. I can’t always afford all of the organic food that I’d like, so instead I buy what matters the most to me. This means that I always have organic eggs, cream and yogurt, and I sometimes have organic meat, produce and snacks. By educating yourself as to the ins and outs of what goes into your favorite foods, you can prioritize how to spend your organic dollars, and compromise on your food choices. Think about what foods you eat the most, who in your family eats which foods, and how these foods are impacted when produced using pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals. By understanding how different foods are impacted and altered by these additives, you can decide when things have to be organic and when they can be otherwise.

5. Buy a share in a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Sometimes farms won’t sell food at farmer’s markets or via a farm stand, and will instead participate in a CSA. By purchasing a share in a CSA, you show your financial support to a farmer, and they use your money to grow food all season. Each week you’re rewarded with a ’share’ of the farm’s crops, and the farmer is able to feed their community without breaking the bank. Again, when purchasing food direct from a farm, you may not always get organic goods, but you buy food grown in your community and invest your money in a local farm.

Eating healthy, seasonal, local organic food doesn’t have to be a luxury only the wealthy can afford. We all deserve to eat food that nurtures and sustains our bodies, and there are plenty of options out there that allow us to do so. And while it may not be as easy to go to the farm stand or join a CSA as it is to go to the grocery store and buy what’s there, the benefits you reap from eating that which is grown by people you know – people who live in and are vested in your community – far outweigh the benefits of picking up cheap goods from a faceless corporation.

Happy eating!

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With the onset of spring, it’s a good time to think about your vegetable buying habits and consider your options for purchasing fruits and veggies in places other than national chain grocery stores. For those of us who live in chilly climates or urban areas, grocery stores offer an abundance of produce year-round to keep us healthy and meet our nutritional needs. Once it turns warm however, we’re no longer as limited in where we can purchase produce.

By buying locally grown produce, you support regional farmers, decrease your carbon footprint (since your produce doesn’t have to be shipped across the country) and contribute to your local economy. Locally grown food tends to be fresher than supermarket produce since it doesn’t need to travel far to reach your table, and does not contribute to the agribusiness industry. And while not all smaller farms are organic, the fact that the farms are small means they probably use far less chemical fertilizer on their lands than do their mammoth corporate counterparts.

So where can you find fresh, locally grown produce…

Farmer’s Markets

Let me start by saying that i love farmer’s markets. I would one day like to own my own farm, and when I visit my local farmer’s market on Saturday mornings in the summer and fall, I talk to the farmers and learn about what you need to do to make it in this shrinking industry. Portsmouth has a great farmer’s market that’s run by the Seacoast Growers Association, and offers live music, a variety of vendors and cheap, locally grown produce. Whenever I head out to the farmer’s market here I feel as if I’m connecting with my community and I usually meet someone interesting while browsing the tomatoes or picking out flowers to take home.

Farmer’s markets provide the sole venue for over 19,000 American farmers to sell their wares, and their popularity grew 18% from 2004 to 2006 (the most recent USDA statistic). Additionally, farmer’s markets are all about getting healthy food to as many people as possible, and many farmers will accept food stamps or WIC (Women, Infants and Children) vouchers. You can find a farmer’s market in your state by checking the USDA Farmer’s Market site, by visiting Local Harvest, a website dedicated to the promotion of local and organic foods, or by searching for “farmer’s markets” and your zip code.

Farmer’s markets sell more than just fresh fruits and vegetables. At most markets you can find herbs, plants, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats and breads all produced locally. You will often find artists and craftspeople at farmer’s market as well information on community organizations and outreach programs.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community Supported Agriculture consists of community members joining together to support a local farm and share in the farm’s output. By funding the farm’s operations over the course of a growing season, community members participate in the production of their food, and also face the same risks as do the farm. When participating in a CSA program, consumers pledge financial support of the entire growing season, thus removing the burden on the farmer to market or distribute their food via retail outlets (though some still do so).

When food is ripe, CSA participants receive their share, but do not have the same choices that they might when buying from a farmer’s market or grocery store. When you participate in CSA farming however, you are making a commitment to the farm and to your community. This kind of support tends to establish closer ties between the farmer’s and their customers, and participants tend to feel more connected with their food. You also benefit from the diversity of the farmer’s crops, and may end up eating foods that you’d never previously considered due to the often erratic nature of growing food.

You can find out more about CSA programs by checking out the USDA Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, or the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association. CSA farms are scattered about the country, and most organizations supporting their use are regional. Other links to consider include: UMass Community Supported Agriculture (supporting Greater New England), Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (supporting the Berkshires, Hudson Valley & Pioneer Valley), and the Madison Area Community Supported Agricultural Coalition (supporting southern Wisconsin).

Farmer’s markets and CSA programs aren’t your only alternatives for procuring produce locally. I will write more in a future post about Community Gardening, Cooperatively-owned Markets, and Farm Stands. In the meantime, consider checking out your local food market or doing a little research into CSAs in your area.