Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/85727
terparts at the market. "I see beautiful conventional produce, unblemished. And they say it's unsprayed, so obviously they have the help of God—angels must be beating their wings over the crops. "I've been doing this for 40 years," Sprinkel continues. "It's an important contribution and I get a big charge out of pleasing customers. People really appreciate the opportunity to have authentic food." get authentic • Focus on fresh, organic fruits, vegetables and meat. For these items, you'll get maximum value. • Great nutritional benefit is provided by shortening time be- tween farm and table. Shop locally at farmers markets or sign up for a subscription food service (CSA). Ask farmers for proof of organic certification. same corporations represented on the board have donated more than $24 million to fight California's Prop 37, which would require labeling of any foods containing genetically engineered components (GMOs). is Buying Organic Worth it? Recently a host of news stories have raised questions on the benefits and trustworthiness of certified organic products. A Stanford University study that analyzed data from hundreds of previous studies received global attention by implying there were few nutritional ben- efits for organic versus conventional goods. It also downplayed or omitted recent research showing the benefits of 81 percent fewer pesticides on organic produce (pesticides are in the groundwater and suspended in winds blowing from neighboring farms, so organics can- not be perfectly pure). Yet according to the studies, reduced exposure to common toxic pesticides used in conventional agriculture likely leads to less neurological system damage, especially for children, and reduced occurrences of many types of cancer. "There was just no way that truly independent scientists with the expertise required to ad- • Minimize processed foods. Even when made with organic ingredients, they are still processed and not as healthy as whole foods. • Research your preferred organic brands to ensure they are highly rated. • Research Prop 37 and national party stances on farm regula- tion; vote your informed decisions on November 6. • Embrace the human-scale benefits of community agriculture by getting to know local organic farmers and chefs. equately answer such an important question would ignore the vast and growing body of scientific literature pointing to serious health risks from eating foods produced with synthetic chemicals," responds Charlotte Vallaeys, director of farm and food policy for the Cornucopia Institute. "So we were not one bit surprised to find that the agribusiness giant Cargill, the world's largest agricultural business enterprise, and foundations [with] deep ties to agricultural chemical and biotechnology corporations like Monsanto, have donated millions to Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute, where some of the scientists who published this study are affiliates and fellows. "Parents don't want their children to serve as human guinea pigs for chemical corpora- certified organic or grown by small farms. Yet it is important to understand how farmers markets operate. A certified farmers market does not mean certified organic; it means that under a state program, all farmers there must display a certified producer's certificate. So the stalls are a mix of certified-organic and conventionally farmed produce, large farms and small farms. "Consumers can be confident that [the designation] 'certified organic' is legitimate for fresh tions," adds Vallaeys. "For dozens of different types of fruits and vegetables, the USDA has found pesticide residues above the EPA's threshold for children on conventionally grown samples, but not on organic samples. That alone should be enough reason for every family to consider exclusively purchasing organic foods." A recent L.A. Weekl y article detailed how produce at area farmers markets is not necessarily fruits and vegetables," says Steve Sprinkel, an organic farmer, Ojai Certified Farmers Market vendor, and co-owner of the Ojai, Calif. farm-to-table restaurant, the Farmer and the Cook. But Sprinkel is troubled by the truth-stretching from some of his non-organic coun- October/November 2012 27 Photos: ©Lindy Bostrom/Bostromgraphics