Thursday, May 28, 2009

Organic Farming

Currently, Scientific American online has an article on whether organic farming could feed the cuurent world population and on whether or not organic food is safer than standard food. They point out that organic food is no safer from salmonella poisoning than standard food. As someone who is not an organic ideologue, I feel that the emphasis is not on the right issues. The issue to me is what method will produce the tastiest foods?  In my experience, foods grown outside in season will always beat hothouse foods grown out of season. I don't think it matters if the process is organic or not.  Animals that are raised grass fed will always produce tastier meat, eggs and milk than those raised in feedlots eating largely grain. I know an organic Mennonite farmer in Newville, PA who produces outstanding eggs, milk and beef but the cows eat largely grass from his fields. The chickens are in movable pens that are moved to new locations every day (and yes, chickens do eat grass, among other things. The egg yolks are an orange color rather than yellow. The eggs taste like the eggs of the Saxonland where I grew up. I don't think it matters if the grass is fertilized by synthetic fertilizers as long as the animals eat lots of grass as opposed to grains. Am I being wrongheaded in my emphasis on quality of taste rather than on organic purity?

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