Organic Scoops

I've been noticing lately that a number of places where I shop have separate receptacles for the scoops that go in the organic spices and the scoops that go in the non-organic ones. I've heard that this is a requirement for a grocery store to obtain organic certification.

And yet, no matter how hard we try, we can't control everything that goes into our bodies. I think about this each time I'm at a farmers' market and someone (often a farmer) starts a truck that spews a dark cloud of exhaust over all the organic produce. It strikes me as a metaphor for the quixotic nature of trying to eat an absolutely scrupulous organic diet, down to the scoops that you use to bag your spices.

The need to separate the scoops strikes me more as an issue of spiritual purity rather than a practical matter, much like the need to keep separate sets of dishes in a kosher household.

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.

Sulfite Saga

This wine was made without sulfites, yet the label reads,"Contains sulfites". Why would anyone want to claim that their product contains a harmful chemical when it doesn't?

It turns out that winemakers who claim on their labels that their wines are free from sulfites have to pay extra fees so the government can test their product and make sure they're telling the truth. There's some wisdom in this: sulfite allergies can be dangerous, so untruthful labeling can have dire consequences.

Sea Breeze Farm, which makes this wine, also sells meat and dairy products from grass fed, pastured animals. Their practices exceed the standards for organic certification but their food is not certified organic because they're not interested in the extra fees and paperwork that would come along with the right to use the word "organic" on their labels.

Fortunately, they sell most of their food and wine at farmers' markets, where they can explain to customers in person about their production methods. I'm glad to have strict labeling laws for products in supermarkets that pass through the hands of a series of middlemen, but when you can look a producer in the eye and ask questions for yourself, it's just not necessary.