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April 21, 2016
Organic Matters
Strategies for Buying Organic
Comparing apples to apples is more complicated than it sounds when you start going down the organic versus conventional path. In a perfect world, everything we eat would be organic. With fewer chemicals than conventional methods, it just makes sense. But until 100% organic food is available 100% of the time, we have to make smart decisions when selecting our produce.
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
Shopping at local farmers markets is a great step towards buying organic, and it’s also helpful for getting to know farmers and supporting them directly. According to Christine Farren, Director of Development at CUESA, “At a farmers’ market, you’re buying directly from the farm, so more of your dollar is going into the pocket of the farmer.” Another added benefit, that Farren points out is that “the produce at a farmers’ market is fresh and ripe because the farmers pick for maximum flavor knowing they’re bringing it to you in the next day or two.” Similarly, joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), where you get deliveries of a selection of produce, is another convenient way to go organic. The USDA put together a handy guide for finding nearby markets and CSAs, which you can find here.
Either way, both farmers’ markets and CSAs encourage eating seasonally and locally, which can bring the expense of buying organic down. Businesses like Imperfect Produce in the Bay Area act similarly to a CSA, but they keep costs down by distributing and not wasting produce that’s cosmetically challenged. To put it more bluntly: they sell ugly (organic) produce.
Sometimes You Have to Be Strategic
For the times when you’re confronted with a mix of conventional and organic produce, you’ll want to make an educated choice. That’s where the Environmental Working Group (EWG) comes in. They’re notorious for their annual Dirty Dozen List which ranks produce with the highest pesticide exposure (aka the produce that we should go out of our way to only eat organic). The top five culprits this year are strawberries, apples, nectarines, peaches and celery. They also have the Clean 15, which is on the other end of the spectrum. It’s the conventional produce that has low concentrations of pesticides, like avocado, pineapple and eggplant.
At Juicero, our farm partners are thoroughly vetted for their organic farming practices and quality product. Similar to farmers’ markets, our produce is selected for ideal ripeness and delivered within days of harvest. We work hard to make sure everything that goes into our Juicero Packs and into your glass is 100% organic so you don’t have to think twice.