Does anyone use organic products and what is your opinion on them?

Do organic vegetables and foods really taste better and are they worth paying a higher price for?

Yes, Yes, YES!!! I eat only organic foods for the most part, and the only way I know how to describe the difference is that organic foods seem to have more vitality. Not to mention that they are so much better for the environment. When I talk to anyone about eating organic and they are concerned about the price, I tell them this: It is most important to buy organic dairy and organic free range meats. If you can do that and nothing else you are ahead of the game. Wash your produce really well and start an organic garden. You can always phase in buying organic produce and grains. Not to mention that if you swear off all of the prepared foods that most people eat, you can eat an all organic whole foods diet for roughly the same price that you normally spend. Organic is definatly the right choice for yourself and the coming generations, in my humble opinion.

Want to taste the difference? Try a conventionally grown carrot and then an organically grown carrot. The organic ones are incredibly sweet and "clean" tasting.
I definitely believe in organic. I make every effort to buy all organic grains, beans, dairy and eggs, and vegetables whenever possible. I gladly pay more! Organic food is showing up at regular supermarkets more and more, so it's not a big quest to find organic these days. Fresh fruit and veg., frozen vegs, soy, rice and almond milk, cow's milk, eggs, cheeses, butter--it's not hard to come by these days. I agree with Herbmama--organic does taste more vital and you can simply feel good about it!

Thanks Herbmama and Eydie!

Any book suggestions on organic gardening or lifestyles? I bought a magazine at lunch time today called Organic Style.

I already avoid most "convenience" foods and prefab/processed food products from the supermarket. I try to stick to fresh ingredients, whole wheat products and I grew my own herbs in window boxes for the first time this past summer. Going out and picking fresh herbs to add to my meals was great! I am going to try my hand at container gardening this summer and hope to have a vegetable garden when I get my own house someday (soon I hope).

Organic Style is a great magazine! I had a subscription and it was one of the few that I could read most/all of. We eat some organic, like the others said, we are phasing it in. I'd buy all organic, if not for the price and inability to find much of it. It is getting more popular here, so hopefully will be easier.

I don't like eating all the pesticides and chemicals...don't get me started though, everything scares me! I particularly like organic dairy. I've heard such nasty stories about the antibiotics in cattle, ick.

I agree Jennifer. I am trying to find a source for organically raised beef where I live - I have a few places I want to check out. I can get free range grain fed chicken though and I have heard of an organic farmers market here in town. I would like to support local growers and farmers.

I always buy free run eggs, and organic when I can get them. Once I heard that laying hens are generally kept their entire life in a cage with a smaller floor area than a sheet of standard paper, that did it for me. They can't stretch or move around.

We buy a lot of organic produce too. We get a great deal of local organic stuff in the summer from the local farm markets. Sometimes it's a bit cost prohibitive to get everything organic, but when you make stuff from scratch instead of buying processed, or eating out, I think the cost balances out to a large degree.

We're very lucky in British Columbia, the gulf islands are havens of organic industry.

I took a drive out to the West end of town today and went to this fabulous health food store. They carry predominantly organic products. We bought two different kinds of salsa, some chips, organic dark chocolate, pasta, tomato sauce, oatmeal, spelt bread and a cool magazine. There was a large variety of organic products and several different brands to choose from.

I will definitely be shopping there again

During the past few years, I've gradually tried to convert to eating as many foods as possible to organic. My sister & husband think I'm nuts for paying more and seem to think that I'm being snowed by thinking that organic fruit is any better than regular fruit. The think is that it just seems like common sense to me. If poisonous pesticides are used on my produce, it just makes sense that it wouldn't be good to ingest that. Even if I wash my produce, it's still been grown using pesticides.

As far as the eggs and meats go, my decision to go organic is two-fold: my health and the way the animals are treated. I'm not a vegetarian, so I'm not saying that animals shouldn't be eaten. But the least I ask is that they not be tortured for their entire lives. We all have to die, but doesn't every living thing deserves to have some sort of quality of existence before that happens?

I used to shop at Whole Foods quite frequently, and that was great. However, I moved and do not have a Whole Foods near me. As another poster mentioned, however, regular grocery stores are starting to carry more organic foods, so I'm able to scounge together at least 50% organic food when I grocery shop.

I'm so happy that more people are going organic. It angers me that the people in charge of our food supply don't seem too concerned about the dangers of what they're putting in it. It's just like GMO's: I feel that was sort of snuck into the American diet without most people knowing about them.

Oh, well, I didn't mean to rant but just wanted to give my support to those who eat organic.

vmelo- Rant away! we have not problem with that especially on this subject

My dad was telling me the other day that if you eat nothing else organic then at least buy organic peppers. Apparently regular peppers have 15 to 20 times more pestides in/on them than any other vegetable -

I am not happy about the GMO's either and try to support local farmers, especially organic farmers. When I buy my house -hopefully this year or next - I plan on growing organic produce in my garden. I have already done some container gardening on my balcony and made an effort to use organic products such as fertilizers and pest control so that they don't harm the environment or my herbs and veggies.

I have always tried to be conscious of it. Some fruits and vegetables - and I have a list somewhere I'll look it up and post it for you all - are worse than others. Topping the list with peppers I recall are apples. I always buy organic for those as well.
The thing that puts me off is that a lot of the places are not really regulated and a lot of them are right next to crops that are not organic and it's hard to tell pesticides and soil pollutants to stay on this side of the line only. So it's tough to know for sure. At least, that's the info I had last... don't recall where I read it in now though. I'm thinking Psychology Today. Perhaps there are more regulations on it now.
I think a great idea is to go to the farmer's market if you have one in your area and buy from them - supporting your community AND more likely knowing what is really in your foods.
It's scary to think of all that we really don't know about... but if you did think about it all the time you sure would lose some weight because you'd never want to eat again.