This weekend, while I was loading my groceries unto the check-out conveyor belt, I overheard the lady behind me comment on the items that I was purchasing.
She was telling her daughter, quite loudly, how I was wasting my $ buying organic items. She said that organic was all hype and that the organic items I was purchasing were no different than regular items.
With all the organic, go green, eco-friendly talk these days I can kind of see how people might think like the lady at the check-out counter.
For me however, buying organic is not a hip trendy thing to do. It is a healthy, better living thing to do.
Let’s take organic milk for instance.
What makes organic milk different than regular milk?
Organic milk is:
- Produced from cows that have not been given antibiotics
- Produced without harmful pesticides
- Produced from cows that have not been given synthetic hormones
- High in Conjugated Linoleic Acids (i.e. the good fats)
- A natural, wholesome beverage that does not contain artificial chemical ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame and/or artificial chemical dyes
- Produced from cows that have access to open air and are allowed to graze freely in organic pasture.
Why does any of that matter?
- When we consume animals or animal byproducts, such as milk, that are given antibiotics we are also consuming small amounts of those antibiotics. Antibiotic over usage, including that in animals, is leading to antibiotic resistant “bugs”.
- Cows are given synthetic hormones to help stimulate their milk production. Those hormones are released into the milk they produce and transferred to the milk drinkers.
- The food and pastures that the cows are fed/graze in may contain harmful pesticides. Trace amounts of those pesticides can be found in milk. Organic cows are fed food grown without chemical pesticides.
- Organic cows are given green grass to eat which has higher CLA content. Those higher CLA levels are passed from the grass, to the cow, to the milk, to the milk drinker.
These are just some of the reason why I choose organic milk for my family.
(Sorry lady in the check-out line but I don't believe that organic is the same as non-organic)
For more information visit The Organic Consumers Association website.
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What a pain! I would have turned around and she would have gotten a hold lesson on organic food lol. Or I would have loudly talked to my husband or someone about how great organic food is and why. lol
Thanks for this. It was a great thing to read and confirm my well spent dollars.
Oh! Don't you just love check out line commentators – not! They do serve a purpose though, How many great blog posts have been inspired by them!
Apparently that woman hasn't noticed the increasing numbers of middle school aged girls who have the bodies of 18 year olds these days! Personally, I think that the chemicals they are putting into our milk, meat, wheat, fruit and vegetables has a hand in this growing trend! Our budget doesn't afford for us to eat entirely organic, but we do drink organic milk and get organic yogurt, bread, fruit and veggies whenever we can. I have 2 daughters- and my 12 year old looks her age, so I'm hoping the organic foods is playing some role in helping with that!
ITA, Virginia mom of 3. I don't buy organic as a rule, but with 2 daughters, you can bet I buy organic milk for the very reasons you list. I can't control everything my children eat, but I'll do all I can to make sure they don't start puberty at 8 or 10 years of age!
While I commend your choice for a healthier lifestyle, I think it's important to note that organic labeling on milk DOES NOT necessarily mean that the milk will be any higher in CLA or that the cows "are allowed to graze freely in organic pasture." You are assured that the grain the cows were fed is organic BUT feeding cows ANY grain (even 2 lb/day) significantly reduces CLA. The idea of pasturing is appealing but the regulations for such are only just beginning to catchup to our ideas – for example per USDA Organic certification (updated 10/2008) a ruminants milking schedule must provide access to "an average dry matter intake from grazing of not less than 30 percent throughout the growing season." So that's a possible 70% intake from not grazing.
Look for MILK from GRASS FED COWS – locally we have Natural by Nature a small co-op of PA dairy farmers that only pasture feed their cows – NO GRAIN.
That is what I should have done Lisa! Maybe next time I will have the “guts” to do it.
Your welcome Megan. It was a confirmation for me as well.
Very good point se7en! I have done a post or 2 on overheard conversations. I better be careful about what I say during check-out
I am right there with you Virginia Mom of 3. I do believe that those hormones affect our children’s growing bodies. It is nice to know that others feel the same way too. Organic is more expensive but for me there are just some items that are worth it and dairy products & produce are on my list.
Thank you for the clarification Trina. I was under the assumption that the cows had to have a certain amount of grazing time. I do know that they have to be fed organic food. I purchase local milk too. Got to support the local economy.
All of those excellent reasons, plus it just TASTES better than non-organic milk!
…and it last longer in the fridge. I'm always amazed at how much longer a shelf life organic milk has than the full-of-hormone stuff that expires in only a few days.
Good point Tricia! I never really thought about it until now.
I can't believe that I forgot that point dancing lemur! It really does taste better (and I am not a big milk drink so that is saying a lot)
This is where I remember the good ole days! The farm and the clean air, fields and working with the cows. Milk was something we got from the dairy my Father worked at and sometimes it was WARM!
I guess talking in line can be a little much. To me it is someone putting all kinds of Not so healthy foods, you know, chips, cookies, the already fried chicken then putting Diet Coke next to all of it. I never SAY anything because it is NONE of my business but I so want to.
When I became pregnant with our first child almost 9 years ago, my husband and I switched to organic milk, meat and produce after reading an article linking hormones in foods to early puberty in girls. It was pretty easy to do since we live in the San Francisco Bay Area and there were great Farmers Market almost everyday and a ton of health food stores that sold organic milk and meats. I will never forget the way my family in Texas reacted to our decision! They couldn't understand why we did it, called us "The crazy Californians" because we "wasted" so much money on groceries and couldn't believe that we'd go and buy our daughter organic milk whenever we came to visit – like their hormone filled milk wasn't good enough for her (and it wasn't!). And now, 8 years later they are all finally on the organic bandwagon. My sister even grew a HUGE organic garden this year that is doing better than any garden she's ever planted. It's so hard for me not to say – HA HA Told you so!!
That is a great story Shawna! Especially the ending
I wonder if all those “hippies” are thinking, “I told you so” too 
I actually just read an article about hormones in foods leading to early puberty in girls. Even after 9 years the articles are the same. I guess not everyone catches on as quickly as your family did.
I am with you Lbaca. It was hard not to comment on her cases of soda…..