I buy some stuff organic. We get an organic box of veggies sometimes. It's no dearer than buying other veggies, but it's a bit of a suprise. I love organic bananas and get them, I also buy organic dark chocolate.
I like organic meat and chicken too, but rarely invest in that.
I try to buy them as often as I can afford to. We belong to an organic food co-op.
I don't agree that they're a "scam". We absorb enough chemical in our bodies, and I think that any little bit helps. Particularly where my kids are concerned. I don't care what the studies say... I'm all for using "natural" products whenever possible. It just makes more sense to me.
I use organic, but only because it ends up being cheaper than regular and provides me with a lot of variety (I get produce boxes weekly from an organic farm nearby). Also, it gets delivered, so it saves me grocery store time.
If they had a cheaper service for non-organic, I might consider using it instead.
Consumer Reports recently published an article about organic foods and when to choose them. Apparently pesticide doesn't easily wash off of some foods, so they recommend organic in many cases. They recommended http://www.foodnews.org/ for more information. It looks like a pretty interesting site.
Right now the only thing organic in my kitchen is granola and strawberries (a local guy grows them and we bought some yesterday. SO much better than store bought!) And once my chickens start laying, all of our eggs will be organic. Plus, we grow tomatoes, jalapenos/habanaro peppers, and corn ourselves.
But otherwise, i really dont bother, because where we shop, its way more expensive, if you can even find something organic.
I sometimes unintentionally buy organic products. Our Giant grocery store chain now has a line of organic products (their brand name is "Nature's Promise"), and since it's a store brand, it's often cheaper than the other brands. It's not just fresh produce--I've gotten organic frozen fruits, organic chicken broth, organic frozen pizza...keep in mind that just because something is organic does not automatically mean it's healthy
I buy as organic as possible. Organic standards mean that they are grown without using chemical pesticides (which are poison keep in mind) and my personal fave is that they cannot grow the produce using sewage sludge which is a common practice in conventional farming. I for one dont want my produce grown in sewadge sludge, its just gross. They have done studies that show organic produce have more nutrients which makes sense to me.
There was another study done with children to see how the levels of pesticides in the bodies would fluctuate if they were fed organic for a short time. I believe it showed that even being fed organically for a month rid their bodies of most of the chemicals and that when they were reintroduced the chemical levels went back to their high levels.
My children will eat organically as much as possible because I just cannot see how these thousands of different chemical pesticides (which have no other use but to kill) can be good for us. You cant always just wash them off. Conventional farming uses so many different chemicals its insane.
I also buy organic because its good for our environment. They rotate crops, they use natural pesticides,and in general they take care of their land. If you cant depend on massive amounts of poison to kill any insects that come onto your land then you must make sure that you have rich soil and many natural remedies. Its so much better for the earth, and organic farmers make more money. I am all for supporting farmers because if you look at the statistics hundreds of thousands of small family farms go out of business every year due to conventional factory farming methods. Many farmers go into organics as a last resort.
pesticides are in ppms. Thats almost neglible. You're right, it does accumulate and add up, but what about other methods of chemicals getting into your body? Instead of just ingestion, what about breathing in and absorbing chemicals through your skin? Shampoo, soap? Sulfer compounds and basement gases are dangerous too. I don't think you can escape toxic chemicals these days, and you know what? I'm not scared. I have to die eventually. Eating organic food won't make you immortal.
But you see, people who eat organic will say that it makes a difference. In a recent study, the NIH showed that eating organic foods DOES NOT PROVE TO BE "HEALTHIER", meaning the health findings related to disease development are insignificant.
I personally buy the cheapest produce possible. If someone wants to spend $5 on organic mac n' cheese I say good for them. When social security dies out in the near future and medicaid drops completely, I'd like to see those saving for retirement or those in retirement buy their organic produce. I'd rather save the money in my piggy bank. The way I see it, even if I ate organic food, I still have the same chances of being killed or dying from some disease developed or contracted. Pesticides are SO overrated.
(on a side note: there's a funny homeless guy who hold ups a cardboard sign on the streets of nyc. He changes the statement on the sign every now and then to something really witty. He once wrote: Bankrupted and now on the streets because I spent all my money on organic food and yoga classes. )
I use all natural soaps, shampoo, face cleansers. Sure we are all going to die but I dont believe thats an excuse to live marginally. I could weigh 210 again and respond "well I am going to die anyway, might as well keep eating horribly and be obese" but I didnt and I am steadily losing weight for my HEALTH. I feel great, I dont eat meat (thats pumped full of chemicals and antibiotics), try to avoid cheese and dairy (again with the antibiotics/growth hormones), and do the best I can to be healthy.
My thing with studies is this, you can say or "prove" anything with a study. I dont put much stock in them either way. I believe organic produce is better because I believe it tastes better and common sense tells me that the less chemical pesticides touch my food the better. Thats only half of why I buy organic.
Another large part of why I buy organic is because I support small farmers who are doing the right thing for the future of this planet. I dont want to support large factory farming, they are killing the small family farm and I think its horribly sad. My grandfather used to be a dairy farmer and in this day and age he probably wouldnt make it. Not when he would have to compete with factory farms using antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones, and mashed up animals for feed. The small farms cant compete and they go bankrupt trying. So whenever possible I buy local produce and when I move I am going to be a part of a co op. I do what I can now, and when I own a house I plan to grow my own produce.
I dunno--it's not really fair to say the big farms are crushing all the small ones. I mean, the larger ones are more efficient and can, therefore, off their products at a lower price. I don't buy organic produce because I just can't afford it--the chemically enhanced produce is expensive enough as it is But yeah, it's kinda like when people complain that Walmart is driving all the "mom and pop" stores out of business. Well, if those little mom and pop places could find a way to be as efficient and inexpensive as Walmart, then that wouldn't happen. It just doesn't seem fair to blame the big farms/companies just for being, well, big. But, I know, that's a whole different can of worms
People certainly did NOT live longer before farmers started using chemicals, so I don't think it's doing all too much harm to me, personally (now, if you're allergic or sensitive to certain chemicals, that's one thing, but for me being Joe Schmoe on the street, I don't have a problem). Oh, and as a minor aside, produce grown in season in its natural climate (as in, not in an environmentally controlled greenhouse) has more nutrients whether chemicals are used or not, so chemically-enhanced/alterred produce grown in the right place and time of year will be better for you than organic produce grown out of season in a greenhouse, nutritionally speaking. How's that for a factor that may easily be ignored (yet used) to sway studies to provide the data you want?
could find a way to be as efficient and inexpensive as Walmart, then that wouldn't happen.
Now I am no business major but that doesnt seem possible to me. How can small mom and pop stores compete with something like Walmart? Do you have a business strategy (seriously here im curious) because I am sure all those that are failing would love to know.
I have really started to try and get away from using products from huge companies like Kraft etc. I try to go to smaller owned health food stores more often and only go to Walmart when its a neccesity.
There are many different reasons why small farmers are going under but Factory farming is a big one. If you want to know more the books I have read are "Hopes Edge: the next diet for a small planet by Frances Lappe Moore" and "Mad Cowboy," as well as "Food Revolution: John Robbins."
Anyway what it boils down to is I eat organically because I believe its healthier and better for me. If nobody else agreed with that it wouldnt so much matter to me. I feel healthier when I eat organically, and to me it tastes better.
Now I am no business major but that doesnt seem possible to me. How can small mom and pop stores compete with something like Walmart? Do you have a business strategy (seriously here im curious) because I am sure all those that are failing would love to know.
Well, Walmart started out as just one store, not as an out-of-control widespread corporation. They found an innovative way of doing business and currently have the most ingenius way of handling inventory, supply/demand, and shipping. I just don't think it's fair that just because they were smart enough to learn how to grow, expand, and be insanely profitable, everyone blames them for putting other shops out of business. They very well could have been put out of business themselves in the early days, but they found ways to make their business work and grow rather than be consumed--IMO, they should be applauded, not blamed. I was a business/marketing major, and it just seems to me that everyone is so ready and willing to jump to the little guy's defense without really understanding the nature/origin of the big guy But, just as you said, "if nobody else agreed with that, it wouldn't so much matter to me."
And, like I said, I just don't eat organic because I simply cannot afford it. If I shopped at small stores instead of large chains, I'd be beyond broke I admit I feel better when I eat whole foods, but whether they are organic or not does not make a difference to me, personally. Notice how I keep using words like "personally" and "to me"--I'm not ARGUING with you; just pointing out an opposing view
Is organic superior to regular food?
We belong to an organic food co-op. 
It just makes more sense to me.
But yeah, it's kinda like when people complain that Walmart is driving all the "mom and pop" stores out of business. Well, if those little mom and pop places could find a way to be as efficient and inexpensive as Walmart, then that wouldn't happen. It just doesn't seem fair to blame the big farms/companies just for being, well, big. But, I know, that's a whole different can of worms 
