by Jeff Parsons

Created on: June 23, 2010   Last Updated: July 29, 2010

Nowadays, much of the organic versus non-organic farming propaganda seems to be anecdotal in nature. To illustrate the point, here are the stereotypes regarding the two camps of polarized thought: non-organic farmers thunder about in enormous tractors, obliviously destroying eco-systems, producing massive yields for evil Ag conglomerates and are basically grass-chewing, millionaire hicks, whereas, organic farmers are wild-eyed hippies, smoking granola, screaming radical epithets, in harmony with nature and blessed with a mystical new age green thumb. Somewhere in between, actual farming lies, and so does the truth. Let’s talk about reality and see where the discussion goes.

*Cost. Organic costs more – sometimes double or triple non-organic costs. Check your shopping receipt if you’re a doubter. But do you get the quality that you pay for? That would depend upon what you want, but, there are other intangibles to consider. Does the idea make you happy and can you afford it? If you’re not sure, you may have to balance your finances versus your health, nutritional and environmental concerns. Winner: non-organic.

*Nutrition. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t declared that organic food is more nutritious, or even safer, for that matter. There are many studies out there, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges even in the best of circumstances. That’s because nutrition is an average value mostly based upon a locality; soil, plant stock, fertilizers, weather conditions and the time of planting and harvesting all make each piece of produce virtually unique. To some extent, the same applies to livestock. Like real estate, it’s all location, location, location. Winner: none.

* Taste. Everyone has different tastes. The finer qualities of taste even vary throughout the day, let alone over the course of a lifetime, so it’s highly subjective. But, organic produce can be grown larger than non-organic. Larger veggies, like cucumber, loose much of their flavor when they become super-sized. Distributors may be tempted to sell enormous produce, but it may not fare well in the taste category (tastes-not-so-great, but more filling). As to livestock, larger animals will have more muscle, but, as a result, may not be as tender. Again, that’s a distributor’s choice. Winner: organic, with a slight lead.

*Growth process. Organic farms use natural fertilizers like manure. The fertilizer definition

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