Wow, I’m gone for a few days and the world of organics explodes into controversy over this Time Magazine article about the benefits of local versus organic foods:
Nearly a quarter of American shoppers now buy organic products once a week, up from 17% in 2000. But for food purists, “local” is the new “organic,” the new ideal that promises healthier bodies and a healthier planet.
Read the article? Have an opinion? Which is better, the organic apple trucked in from across the country, or the conventional apple grown in your own state?
Becoming. Beautiful. Healing from binge eating disorder. 
We have this thing down here called…actually I can’t remember, but anyway, this local farm delivers a box of in season fruits and veg off their farm, once a week. You can choose your size of box but that’s all, and it’s really good cos it’s like a mystery box and you end up with all this stuff, some of it you might never have thought to try before. I haven’t signed up to it, but I keep meaning to.
I’d say conventional, but only because I’m all about helping local businesses and farmers get quite a raw deal most of the time. I’d rather pay them direct.
I don’t think it has to be either or. Much of the produce at the local farmer’s market here is organic – or at least grown organically, even if it doesn’t have the certification. That’s the other big plus of buying locally – being able to talk to the people who grew your food. Organic certification takes time and money, but I can talk to the locals about what they did and feel assured that I’m buying something good. In addition, our local CSA is also organic, so best of both worlds.
Rather than a local/organic opposition, I think a better standard is ‘how much do you know about your food?’ The more I know about where it came from, the better informed my decisions are about what goes into my body and how I’m supporting certain agricultural practices. That makes me happy 😀
+1 Cate…I’m happy with a combo of both. Would much rather buy something locally grown than something that’s been transported from far away if I can help it. An awareness of food and how our choices affect the earth is the most important thing.