Where have all the organic farmers gone?

I have been doing a lot of research on the benefits of eating organic fruits and vegetables. Many scientific studies say that there isn't a difference between organic and non-organic produce. How can that be when fruits and veggies not labeled as organic are exposed to harmful chemicals and fertilizers during their growing process. No matter how hard or long you wash a non-organic apple most have been exposed to 20 or more chemicals before it ever reaches the grocery store.

So I did a little digging to find out where I could purchase organic fruits and veggies from a local organic farmer or organic coop in my area. According to many Missouri organic farm websites there is not ONE local organic farmer listed in my county or the other 5-7 surrounding counties. I realize that people who reside down here in southeast Missouri run a little behind the times. Something in style during any normal fashion season isn't in style here for quite some time. However, organic produce and eating good nutritious food isn't a new fangled idea that takes getting used to. My great grandparents were one county north of where I am and raised crops 100 years ago without the pesticides and chemicals used on our food now. They weren't considered "organic" farmers, it was what every small farm was doing, they were the norm.

Where have all the old time/organic farmers gone? What happened to the farmer who just wants to put out a good product for his family and local customer. We need to take a stand against big agriculture, GMO foods and pesticides. It's obvious that they are consumed with quantity and not the quality of  food. Our children deserve what our ancestors worked so hard to build in this country. They have a right to high quality food, it shouldn't be unattainable in 2013.

I believe in buying LOCAL and sustainable products if they are available to a person. For now our family will travel to bring the quality of food to our table that we deserve. Organic farmers in every other part of Missouri here we come!

Why is finding healthy food so hard?

Well, we were off to another grocery store yesterday. It must be a lot easier for people in a bigger city to find all of their vegan needs at one retail store. We have scoped out and know where the healthy foods are in our local big box store. Out of dozens of aisles I think the pre-packaged items that are vegan or gluten free take up about 3/4 of a aisle if we're lucky. So shopping down each aisle like we used to is now out of the question, Hallelujah!

Last night I decided to check out a local grocery store, in a torrential storm, what was I thinking? I guess you could say I am dedicated to bring home healthy food for my family or crazy for being out in that kind of weather. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of organic veggies they offered. Granted it wasn't a Whole Foods store but for where we are it's the best selection. We found several products I had been seeing in the books and internet sites, but because we are staying away from wheat and gluten as a personal choice the faux meats were out. Bummer! I really wanted to try the Boca burgers and Tofurkey sausages. They either had wheat or wheat flour.  Oh well!

So our journey continues...Today we will check out another grocery store. I do hope that going to a dozen places for "this and that" isn't going to be our weekly routine. However, if it is I know that what I put on the table and use in my home is something to be proud of no matter how hard it is to procure it!

Happy eating everyone.

Just starting out as a new Vegan

So... After my 11 year old son and I watched the documentary "vegucated" we have begun our vegan journey. In a few short weeks we have encouraged my husband and mother to do the same. I have to say that the journey has been interesting thus far. Where we live the closest meetup for other vegetarians/vegans is 1 1/2 hours away. The health food store in our town is limited and I am learning everything from documentaries, books and the web. So far so good! Wishing for vegan friends in our area.