Entry #4 Organic Eating

Well, here I am again at a loss for what to blog about.  When I first heard my teacher say that we were going to get to pick some of our blog topics I was so beyond excited!! Now that I'm actually here, not so much.  Thinking of a topic that will intrigue readers is very hard.  With that being said, this blog I am choosing to write about organic eating.  I wanna know more about what organic really means. I think that as people we often hear about organic and how much better it is for not only you, but the environment.  Personally, I don't see why there is such a big "hype" about eating organically.  When I go to the store and think about eating organic foods I go right back to eating regular as soon as I look at the prices of how much organic food really is. It is significantly higher in price compared to non-organic foods.  I must say that after doing my research I might switch to eating all organic foods.  One thing I found on one website was that organic weeds are killed naturally by crop rotation, hand picking, etc.  When it comes to non-organic weeds that grow near all the fruits and vegetables we eat, they are killed using chemical herbicides.  

Organic vs. Non-Organic
Organic produce:	Conventionally-grown produce:
Grown with natural fertilizers (manure, compost).	Grown with synthetic or chemical fertilizers.
Weeds are controlled naturally (crop rotation, hand weeding, mulching, and tilling).	Weeds are controlled with chemical herbicides.
Pests are controlled using natural methods (birds, insects, traps) and naturally-derived pesticides.	Pests are controlled with synthetic pesticides
Organic meat, dairy, eggs:	Conventionally-raised meat, dairy, eggs
Livestock are given all organic, hormone- and GMO-free feed.	Livestock are given growth hormones for faster growth, as well as non-organic, GMO feed.
Disease is prevented with natural methods such as clean housing, rotational grazing, and healthy diet.	Antibiotics and medications are used to prevent livestock disease.
Livestock must have access to the outdoors.	Livestock may or may not have access to the outdoors.

("Organic Foods: What You Need to Know About Eating Organic: The Benefits and Basics of Organic Food and How to Keep It Affordable")

I found this chart on the website I mentioned earlier and I found it to be very interesting.  I didn't realize all the harsh chemicals that are used in non-organic farming.  Also, I was aware of what animals went through when they are not organically raised, but seeing this chart made it so much more real.  It's horrible that we eat out of animals that are pumped with antibiotics, grow hormones, and are fed non-organic, GMO feed.  

After reading more into organic food and why it is so important, my opinion on it has changed drastically.  I think it is important to know what you are putting into your body, and clearly, I was unaware. There are millions of things to learn about organic foods and this is only a bit of the information I found.  I hope I swayed you to research more into what you're actually eating before you eat certain things next time! Happy blogging. :)