Organic vs. Non-organic

So I will be upfront before you read through this whole blog. This blog has nothing to do with my grieving process or my future. This blog is an account over the past year of Chad and myself venturing onto the organic band wagon. This week marks one year since Chad and I decided to eat as locally, organically and naturally as possible. We also vowed to shop and eat only at local businesses as much as we could for exactly one year. I thought it would be interesting to write out my thoughts about what I discovered over the past year from changing our eating and shopping habits.

This whole journey started after I had a random allergic reaction all over my face and neck. After going to the doctor and using some steroids the reaction subsided and my face was back to normal. Although we never figured out where the allergic reaction stemmed from my doctor advised me to start using hypo allergenic face products. I found this a perfect opportunity to start using some more natural products with minimal chemicals. I thought if I was going to try that, I might as well go all the way so Chad and I decided for one year we would try to live as "chemical free" as we possibly could. Obviously we were not able to be 100% sucsessful over the past year. I did a ton of research online and talk to family and friends about their experiences living off the land and only eating organically and I realized it would be nearly impossible to avoid all processed foods or using products with chemicals in it. But we tried our best. And here is what we discovered.

First I will share with you some tips that I found helpful when starting to shop locally and organically.

1) Shop seasonally- I know this sounds obvious but this is key when trying to eat only local fresh veggies and fruits. Our main stream grocery stores make almost all fruits and veggies available to us all year around. Although you can find organic fresh strawberries in the grocery store in December, those strawberries still had to travel across the United States to get into your fridge. My advice, learn to can and freeze you favorite seasonal produce so you can enjoy it during the winter months. Sweet corn and Strawberries are a must in our household. Here is a cookbook I found that does a great job at helping me cook seasonally.http://www.thriftbooks.com/w/simply-in-season-world-community-cookbook_mary-beth-lind_cathleen-hockman-wert/330489/?isbn=0836192966&mkwid=rpKASDk2|dc&pcrid=56924489232&gclid=CjwKEAiAqMajBRCdjejki6yjuDwSJACQeVukt2f_iNMIro7H44hu5z_WeCSyncqK2GhROmwn68ge0xoCycnw_wcB

2) Learn about the dirty dozen- Chad was skeptical about the idea of eating organically, as are many people. He wondered if it was really worth the cost. After learning about the dirty dozen, a list of fruits and vegetables that you should ALWAYS buy organic, it helped him see that you don't have to buy everything organic. Here is the list of the dirty dozen and a list of produce you don't need to buy organically because the part of the fruit and veggies you would eat is covered by a peel or skin. http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214

3) Don't be fooled by Central Market (for my Lancaster County People)- I shop at Central Market every Friday morning to get some fresh produce and meat. There are some great local options at Central Market for shopping organically but they're are also some produce stands that sell the very same fruit and veggies you would get at the grocery store. They just lay it out in such a way to make it look like it's right off the farm. FYI- Oranges, Pineapples and avocados are not native to Lancaster County, whether they come from Central Market or not.

4) Processed food will always be processed food- This was something I had to learn. I thought if I bought the box of certified organic Mac and Cheese it was somehow better for me then boxed Kraft Mac and Cheese. But reality is, both are highly processed and not as good for you as making your own. I found out making home made stove top mac and cheese is quite simple and delicious!

5) Make a menu- Every two weeks I create a menu so I know what I will be making on what days. By doing this I can shop according to what I'm making that week. Because organic food is not sprayed with chemicals to keep them fresh longer, organic food goes bad quickly. Meaning when you purchase organic food you need to be prepared to use it soon after you bring it home. Creating a menu can help you be less wasteful.

Now that I have shared with you some simple tips on how to start shopping locally and organically I thought I would share with you some of my favorite and NOT so favorite products and places to go.

Hair and Beauty Products:

Since this is the culprit of why I started this journey, I found it very important to find quality skin care items to use not only on myself but my children. I'm not going to lie, I never found an all natural shampoo or conditioner that worked well on my hair. I tried some shampoo bars, JASON products, Burts Bee's and I every tried making my own. Unforunatly they made my hair knotty and unmanagable. So a year later I continue to use regular drug store shampoo and conditioner.

BUT I did have some sucsess in other departments. I found a fantastic organic body butter that does an amazing job at keeping me moisturized, even during the winter months. This website has a great selections of organic products that smell great and actually work! http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/

I also fell in love with coconut oil. You can use that stuff for almost anything! Face moisturizer, make-up remover, cooking and a hair mask. It's an absolute must in our household. Coconut oil is becoming very mainstream and you can find it at all local grocery stores.

Cleaning and household products:

Two things I've discovered that I loved were vinegar and ECO nuts. If you didn't know, Vinegar can clean almost anything. Although your house smells like salt and vinegar french fries for a few hours it's a great option for a safe and all natural cleaning solution. Eco nuts are also a fantastic alternative for doing your wash, rather then using laundry detergent. I've never got into making my own so I really appreciate ECO nuts. Check them out! http://econutssoap.com/

Organic and local produce and meat:

I must say, we're very LUCKY to live in such a place as Lancaster. The majority of the year we are provided with fresh, organic produce on almost every street corner. We have farmers markets going on all year in every corner of Lancaster County that sells all kinds of hand made foods. I found it very easy to find locally and organically grown meat, fruits and vegetables. Some of my favorite places to go were Oasis of Bird-in-hand, Kauffman's Fruit Farm, Central Market and Harvest Lane Farmer's Market in Litiz. I tried to do 75% of my grocery shopping there and then finish up at Giant Grocery Store.

Resturants and Local Stores:

Along with changing what we brought home to eat we tried to changed where we ate when we went out. When Chad and I went on a date night we always tried to eat at a local resturant. Some of our favorite places were. Characters Pub, Aussie & the Fox, Gracie's on Main and the Lancaster Coffee Company.

For clothing we always tried to stop at The Growing Place Consignment Shop or Next to New Consignment Shop. If We needed a specific article of clothing we would check out these stores first and then if we couldn't find what we needed we would shop at a chain store.

Conclusion: I'm not a professional. I still eat processed food. I still eat at Chick fil a and Chipotle on occasion. I LOVE target. But I feel i'm more informed about what is good for me and where I can find good local produce and products. Chad and I have decided we will continue to support local business as much as we can and try our hardest to keep chemicals out of our food and house. We have seen a signigicant change in our grocery bill but we know that is the price you will pay to keep your family owned stores going strong. I hope my information has been helpful to you and you can find some things that will work for your family. Remember...Shop Local, Shop Small.