Organic Dogma

"Is it all organic?"

I hear this question nearly every day as I cook my vegetables at the farmers' market. I used to answer, "Anyone who tells you their stuff is all organic is lying." (I mean, really, organic salt?) Lately I've been saying, "I think organic certification is a racket."

The fact is, I do use a lot of organic ingredients, and I truly care about cooking and serving good, clean, food. But I also feel a need to shift the terms of the discussion. The food I eat doesn't have to be 100% organic or even certified organic, though I do like to know that the people preparing it are giving some thought to the ingredients they choose. Sure, I'd rather eat food with fewer pesticides, but that's not the only issue that matters to me.

I'd rather buy something directly from a small-scale farmer whose stuff isn't organically certified, than something organic that was grown in another state and handled by a series of middlemen. This isn't just about food miles: it's also about supporting independent farmers.

Practicing agriculture on a small scale rather than on an industrial scale in itself lessens the need for pesticides: you don't need to spray a couple of rows of beets or cabbage nearly as intensively as you would an entire field of a single crop. Insects tend to be narrowly adapted to eat single varieties of plants, so the critter who eats beets will usually run into the cabbage before he can do too much damage.

I've been to stores that have separate bowls for the scoops they use in their organic spices and those they use in the "conventional" ones. Does anyone honestly believe they're going to be harmed by the pesticide residue on the spice residue on the scoop?

I've had people cross examine me about the purity of my ingredients, and then walk by eating hot dogs.

I've been to certified organic farms that had no running water in their bathrooms for employees to wash their hands (apparently the state certification agencies don't require it.)

Anyway, I'm hoping we can all just lighten up a bit and enjoy our food. In the end, that's what matters most.