The Scoop on Organics
For me, making the organic choice was a natural process and did not require much convincing. When I look back in time, I can clearly recognize the milestones on my path to living organic.
To start off... my family was not terribly heath conscious. My mother did her best to make sure we ate our vegetables and didn't pig out on soda and sweets. We considered this to be eating well. We were fairly active but gave no thought to regular exercise. Based on this, I think we were a pretty typical average American family.
Growing up in Florida, we spent hours outside playing in the yard and riding our bikes. I remember riding my bike with other neighborhood kids. We would make a sport out of racing the mosquito-spraying trucks home. We were determined to beat the truck so we wouldn't get caught up in the mist and be left coughing. At the time, we didn't think about the chemicals the trucks sprayed really harming us, just the pesky mosquitoes
A painful event that served as a wake-up call was when we lost our beloved pet. The causes were related to the malathion flea dips with which we had dutifully bathed him. We had no idea that the flea dip was hurting our dog. I don't think we even wore gloves when we used chemicals.
Years later, when I was older, my parents purchased farmland in rural Virginia. They raised hormone-free, grain-fed cattle. My father was very proud of his carefully tended cattle but neglected to realize the damage he caused to them. He would douse the pasture, where the cattle would graze, in pesticides. (Unfortunately to this day he regularly applies a steady application of fertilizer and weed-killer to maintain a golf course appearance to his lawn!)
At this point in my life, I began to question the wisdom of utilizing so many chemicals in our lives. It became evident to me that chemicals were not necessarily the way to better living. The conclusion I reached was that less is more. In my household we try to use natural products and no longer rely on standard household chemicals. We buy organic when we can.
Recent media has supported my personal belief and indicates that choosing the organic way of life is a growing trend. Concerns about genetically engineered foods have come to mainstream America. Countries, all over the world, have made a stand, refusing to accept genetically modified crops. While the jury may be out on the negative impact of GMO’s on the environment and your health, I feel it makes sense to keep our food source untainted and pure.
I am convinced that my personal goal to promote organic products is very important. While many people are somewhat familiar with organic products, I find that they are not generally educated on the environmental damage due to chemical use, nor do they understand the importance of supporting sustainable farming practices.
As a self-proclaimed organic cheerleader, I aim to raise awareness and tempt your curiosity to follow your path to a safer, healthier lifestyle. For more detailed information, there are many great resources on the web. Find out for yourself why the organic choice is the right choice!
Here are a few links to get you started on your journey…
Organic
http://www.organicconsumers.org/
http://www.ota.com
http://www.ccof.org/Sustainable Agriculture
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm
http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/
http://people.ucsc.edu/~amarsh/Terminator Seeds & Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/GEFood/Terminator.asp
http://www.percyschmeiser.com/Feel free to email us any relevant links you would like to see posted on our links page.
