Organic Foods and the Environmental and Economic Impacts

Organic Food - Photo: Flickr

If you are interested in switching to organic foods, you may first do a little bit of research.  If so, you are likely looking to find more information on the benefits of eating organically.  When doing so, you will see that there are a number of health benefits to eating organically, but did you know that organic foods can also help to improve the environment and the economy?  They can and for more information on how so, please continue reading on.

It is no secret that many farmers use pesticides and other chemicals when growing many fruits and vegetables.  Although many of these pesticides are “technically,’ considered safe, many still have concerns.  After all, if the chemicals can be used to kills bugs and bacteria, what can they do to our bodies?  This is a huge concern for many individuals, especially those who are concerned with their health and exactly what it is they are putting in their bodies.  Also, does simply just rinsing a vegetable make the food any safer?  What about the impact on the environment?  These are all common questions that many have.

Speaking of the environment, did you know that many soils become contaminated when pesticides and other similar chemicals are used?  Contamination is more than possible.  In fact, did you know that many of the farmers who wish to switch to growing organic foods need to overhaul their fields or wait a specific period of time until their soils can be considered clean again?  This is true in many cases.  This just goes to show the impact that unnatural foods have on the environment.

Another one of the many ways that organic foods can help to improve the environment and the economy is with the survival of quality food manufacturers.  All organic food should be certified by the QAI (Quality Assurance International).  This certification process is not easy to pass, as there are a number of strict rules that must be followed and certain qualifications must be met.  Unfortunately, not everyone is able to meet these standards.  This means that only the quality and dependable organic food makers are likely to survive.  Although many do not look at it from this point of view, it can be good for the economy.

In keeping with the economy, many farmers are getting a second chance with organic foods.  Now, it is costly to run a farm.  In fact, that is why many farms are shutting down.  Although some farmers are choosing to give up their operations, others are choosing to make the switch to organic foods.  Although it does take a lot of hard work, determination, and a large investment to make the switch to organic, many farmers are finding big payoffs.  There are also many economists who believe that switching to growing organic foods is the only way that many farms, especially those that are small in size, will be able to survive.

As you can see, there are a number of ways that organic foods can impact the environment and the economy.  Fortunately, these ways are all positive in nature.  As a reminder, organic foods are also safe, healthy, and natural to eat.  What does this mean for you?  It means that there are a number of benefits to eating organically.  For that reason, if you are interested in making the switch to organic foods, you should go ahead and do so.

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ORGANIC GARDENING Containers

Photo: Pxhere

Organic gardening isn’t just for people who have backyards. This is because you can also do it when you live either in an apartment or a condo with the help of organic gardening containers. 

Organic gardening containers have advantages despite their limitations. They may serve as décor when this is placed in the balcony or patio, it can easily be brought indoors during the winter and you will not encounter that many problems normally found in the garden like weeds, insects or soil-borne diseases. 

When you decide to buy organic gardening containers, you should also use a premium potting mix instead of soil since it is much lighter and provides excellent draining for whatever you are growing. Chances are you will also be using nutrients so make sure you follow the directions since too much organic fertilizer will burn the roots. 

Organic gardening container plants require more water than those you plant. This should be given in small amounts half an hour after initial watering so you avoid drowning your crops. It is best to hang them instead of putting them on the ground and if there are no holes, go ahead and make a few. Since it gets pretty hot during the summer, you can add mulch which really helps prevent it from drying out. 

What plants or herbs work well with organic gardening containers? Some examples of these are capsicum, carrots, bush beans, eggplant, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, spinach, and tomatoes. Strawberries will also grow well here so if you want to know more ask someone at the local gardening shop or do your own research online.  

Plants inside organic gardening containers need sunlight. Ideally, this should be about six hours every day preferably in the morning rather than the later afternoon. If the area where you plan to put them is quite windy, it is best to group these together with the tallest along the walls to give cover for the others. 

What is the ideal organic gardening container? Fortunately, it can be made of clay, plastic or wood. The important thing is that it can drain the water because your plants will die if it is unable to. Since they come in different sizes, you have to know the right one to get from the store. 

Your basis should be the average root depth as well as the diameter of the plant. If your plant has 6 inch deep roots and grows about 10 inches wide, the ideal organic gardening container should be 8 inches deep and 10 to 12 inches wide. There must always be a small room for the allowance because it is possible that whatever you are growing will grow to be bigger than you anticipated so better to be safe than sorry.  

Should there bugs like hookworms around your plant, bring them to the sink and wash the leaves. If there are slugs, sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the soil so you can get rid of them. 

If their aphids on your plant, get some other insects to kill them by buying a pack of ladybugs so they will eat it without causing any collateral damage to your product. 

You could say that organic garden containers are an innovation in gardening.  This is because you can do it almost anywhere like in a condo or an apartment so that you no longer have to buy organic fruits or vegetables from a store when you can just get it from the balcony or the window. 

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What Organic Really Means

Organic Gardening - Photo: Pxhere

The word "organic" may appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient foods. Certified organic requires the rejection of synthetic agrochemicals, irradiation and genetically engineered foods or ingredients. Literally, of course, the term is a redundancy: all food is composed of organic chemicals (complex chemicals containing carbon). Any materials used in the production or processing of organic food must be proven safe. Awareness is growing about the value of organic foods. But, whether the organic chicken or pesticide-free lettuce represents "healthier" alternatives has long been a subject for debate.

Organic farming is one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. Gardening organically is much more than what you don't do. In fact, sales of organics have surged more than 20 percent each year in the past decade. In terms of a number of farms, acreage, and value of production, the organic food industry is growing at a rate of 20-30% per year. As commodity programs are eliminated, more farmers have discovered that organic production is a legitimate and economically viable alternative enterprise. The growth in the number of organic farmers has increased steadily, similar to the growth of the U.S.

In current organic production systems, growers are not permitted to use conventional synthetic organic fungicides in their disease management program. Non-organic milk comes from farms that are allowed to use genetically modified cattle feed, along with routine antibiotic treatments and synthetic pesticides. Arguments have long raged as to the effects these hormones and chemicals have on the bioproducts. Growth hormones in cows, pesticides on produce and antibiotics in poultry are among the reasons many Americans are turning to organic foods. 

Organically raised animals may not be given growth hormones to or antibiotics for any reason. Producers are required to feed livestock agricultural feed products that are 100 percent organic, but farmers may also provide allowed vitamin and mineral supplements.

The US Department of Agriculture finally put in place a national system for labeling organic food. The new federal rule guarantees you, the consumer, organic products that are grown without toxic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Pesticides derived from natural sources (such as biological pesticides) may be used in producing organically grown food. Limitations in relation to which pesticides may or may not be used, present the organic grower with some unique and very demanding challenges. Food that is at least 70 percent organic will list the organic ingredients on the front of the package. More than 40 private organizations and state agencies (certifiers) currently certified organic food, but their standards for growing and labeling organic food may differ. 

Even with these labeling rules in place, consumers should be prepared for some confusion when shopping for organic foods. For one thing, organic products are not uniformly labeled because many farmers using organic methods do not pursue certification at all. In addition, the language contained in seals, labels, and logos approved by organic certifiers may differ.

While consumers struggle with the fact that often, the availability of organic materials is limited when large quantities are needed. More and more people have come to appreciate the added dimensions of value and quality available in the organic marketplace.

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The Secrets Of Organic ROSE GARDENING

If you listen carefully and keep your ears close to the ground, you'll hear the latest buzzword loud and

clear: Organic Farming!

A view of Ruston's Rose Garden at Renmark, South Australia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Organics are the ideal way in which to protect your loved ones, your domesticated pets, and even the

environment from damaging chemicals. Roses are pretty, elegant, and a real treasure to have around the house.

In case you like roses, try to grow them organically - it is cheap and easy. The real secret of a successful organic rose garden is a quick look at how the natural world works. Once you understand this, then looking after your own organic rose garden will be a piece of cake.

The first thing you need to do is to plan, plan, and plan. Start with where you wish to see your roses

grow, what colors and hues they must sport and envisage what they will look like when they are fully

grown. Evaluate the other colors in your garden or your window will, see the colors of the walls, the

other flowers, etc.

Contrast works very well with roses. Brighter shades look nice in front of darker walls, and roses must set your walls or your house in sharp profile. Don’t even begin to think of large size, award winning organic roses.

Naturally grown roses don’t grow so big. But they are safe, they are healthy, and they don’t pollute your environment which is saying a lot! A yard full of organically grown roses, setting off the house that it encloses, aah, that is the home one dreams of coming back from work to. Don't you agree?