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Give-Away!
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In celebration of Earth Day, we're giving away a free copy of the popular Big Green Purse book. To enter, leave a comment with your favorite eco-friendly cleaning tip on our Facebook page. |
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Be
One In A Million
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Erin shifted $1600 of her budget to greener products and became One in a Million.
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What Food Labels Can You Trust?
Free range. Grass-fed. Natural. Organic.
Peek into the meat and dairy cases at the supermarket and chances are you'll spot a slew of these appealing-sounding labels.
But what exactly do they mean?
Organic is a term strictly regulated by the USDA, but the rest are more ambiguous.
Organic meat and dairy products come from animals that have not been fed animal by-products, treated inhumanely, given antibiotics or hormones, or processed with chemicals, preservatives, or additives. They must be fed 100% certified organic feed or grass. In order for a farmer to label his food "organic," he must certify that he has met these conditions.
Natural may be free of preservatives and additives, but you can't be certain because there is no mandatory certification process. Anyone can use the word "natural" in any way. The Natural Products Association has attempted to define what natural personal care and home care products should be, but their standard is strictly voluntary and doesn't include food. "Natural" sounds tasty - but often is meaningless.
Grass-fed could mean that the animal grazed in a pasture for one day, or for its entire life. Again, there is no standard to regulate the use of this label, though eatwild.com has established criteria that farmers must meet to be listed on their data base.
Free-range suggests that the animal has been given access to the outdoors. However, "outdoors" could mean anything from a tiny concrete slab to an expansive meadow. It could mean for five minutes or five days.
Certified Humane is a respected label that indicates farmers and ranchers met stringent standards for the health and welfare of the animals they raised.
What's a conscientious consumer to do? Look for certified organic first, ideally paired with certified humane. Yes, organic food costs more; if you can't shift your entire meat and dairy budget to organic, start with one item, like eggs. Or, eat more vegetables and grains. Then, serve organic meat or poultry for a budget-saving side dish or garnish.
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Local? or Organic?
Which is better - local, or organic? How do you choose, especially when you can't find locally grown food that's organic, too?
There are advantages to both. Local food strengthens your nearby economy by keeping revenue in the hands of the farmers who grow it. Supporting local farms and gardens protects land from overdevelopment. Locally grown food saves energy, too, since it's more efficient to transport food from the local farm to the farmer's market or local grocery store than to ship it in from across the country or around the world.
Organic agriculture reduces your exposure to dangerous chemicals. It minimizes air and water pollution, and is better for birds and wildlife. But it may have been flown in from New Zealand, Africa or Latin America, racking up huge greenhouse gas emissions and spewing pollutants that contaminate the air and water.
So what to do?
Buy some of both. This probably sounds like a cop-out, but it's not. Here's why. I buy so much food for my family every week, I can't usually buy all of it locally, especially in the winter. But I can't get all of it organically, either. I always buy dairy and poultry products that are organic (we don't eat much meat). I buy local produce in season, (and often can find it organic, too). I buy bread and other baked goods that are locally made but often not organic.
Prioritize. Check the fruits and vegetables on EWG's "Dirty Dozen" list of the 12 most pesticide-ridden crops to help figure out which ones should be organic priorities. Otherwise, buy locally.
Grow your own. At least part of the year, you may be able to grow a salad garden, and maybe much more. Growing your own is certainly the cheapest option, and perhaps the best guarantee you'll have that your food is both local and organic. |
Use Your E-Mail to Support Your Favorite Cause
 Most of us would love to be able to give more money to the causes and charities we care about. But finding extra cash to donate can be tough in these challenging economic times.
replyforall is a free cause email signature that is automatically inserted into your outgoing email messages. Half the signature block supports the charity; the other half features an advertiser who is paying for the message. You choose your cause and personalize the information to appear in the signature.
replyforall shares the advertising revenue with its nonprofit partners, allowing you to donate without cash. You can raise awareness and drive donations to the causes of your choice, as well as monitor your impact all by doing what you do everyday - email.
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