ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE GETTING ORGANIC AT THE FARMER'S MARKET?
Recently, a patient sent an article exposing problems with farmers markets in Los Angeles that disturbed me. The article revealed that many items at these markets are not organic, are sprayed with pesticides, are often misleadingly marked, and possibly bought at the grocery store, marked up and resold! As a health care provider who sees nutrition as the front line of health, and who regularly suggests shopping at farmers markets, you can bet I was concerned. I want to share, therefore, a few tips about convenient ways to shop for organic foods.
1) When in doubt stick with the big, regulated stores. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and even Albertson's have decent selections of certified organic foods. Because they are large, regulated operations, there is a greater likelihood that you are getting what they say you are when you make a purchase. But a word of warning: don't be tempted by the processed, pre-made organic foods these stores push. If it's processed it's lost nutrient content and probably a good deal of Qi, so stick to purchasing whole foods and preparing them yourself. Tip: look at the stickers on produce and find the item number to verify if it's organic. If the number has five digits and begins with a 9, it is organic. Sometimes people set non-organic foods down in the wrong bins, so checking this number is wise.
2) You can safely shop at farmers markets by reading the signs carefully, and asking questions. If an entire booth is marked as organic, don't take it for granted that every item for sale there is organic. Sometimes farmers label themselves as organic farmers even if only a portion of their produce is organic. If a specific bin of produce does not have a sign identifying it as organic, assume it's not and ask. If they say no, move on. If you do plan to buy non-organic food, then ask if the food was raised using pesticides. Sometimes farmers have not yet received organic certification, but they are in the process, and have not used pesticides on their crops. If you are ever in doubt, ask to see their organic certification.
Yes, asking questions makes this more time-consuming, but in the end you may build relationships with farmers you trust to sell clean produce.
If you get a chance, read the article exposing problems with farmers markets in the Los Angeles area here:
L.A. Farmers Markets Exposed
2) You can safely shop at farmers markets by reading the signs carefully, and asking questions. If an entire booth is marked as organic, don't take it for granted that every item for sale there is organic. Sometimes farmers label themselves as organic farmers even if only a portion of their produce is organic. If a specific bin of produce does not have a sign identifying it as organic, assume it's not and ask. If they say no, move on. If you do plan to buy non-organic food, then ask if the food was raised using pesticides. Sometimes farmers have not yet received organic certification, but they are in the process, and have not used pesticides on their crops. If you are ever in doubt, ask to see their organic certification.
Yes, asking questions makes this more time-consuming, but in the end you may build relationships with farmers you trust to sell clean produce.
If you get a chance, read the article exposing problems with farmers markets in the Los Angeles area here:
L.A. Farmers Markets Exposed
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