How Do I Know If It’s Organic? By
We’re aware that you can’t eat all of your meals with us but as you shop how do you identify what is or is not organic?
We’re obviously big fans of the Locavore thing but buying at the local farmer’s market doesn’t always mean organic (or “local” for that matter). Learn to ask the vendor a few simple questions.
“Who grew this food?” Is the vendor booth representing a local farm is it some John Doe that picked the product up from the nearest mega-vendor? You should develop a feel for what should be in season in this area so if it’s bananas then back off!
“How was it grown?” Simple enough, right? Will the vendor tell you it’s organic? Sure. Should you believe him? Maybe. Many will make the organic claim without actually being organic. Do they spray? Many farms will douse a field with pesticides and then plant. No spray on the actual produce so organic, right? Not so much.
“Can I come visit your farm?” Most organic guys are pretty proud of their movement so an invite should be pretty easy. If they are edgy about a walk-about they are probably hiding a few bags of ugly chemicals or are fudging their local pedigree.
The Richmond area has quite a few farms within easy distance to Pick Your Own. Nice, huh? Sun on your face, smell of manure, dirt in your toes…
That peaceful, easy picking is no guarantee that your day trip is yielding organic goodies. You should still ask the same questions.
So you go to the grocery and want to shop smart. Look for an organic sticker like the one here. 
This sticker is from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). The USDA has long been a proponent of the commercial farm but they will issue the sticker to a farmer that can prove 95% organic. Not 100% but pretty darn close.
Did you know that those little annoying stickers could also give you valuable information? Look at the little numbers on it. Basic commercial stuff (addicted to pesticides) is going to be 4 digit numbers. Genetically Modified Foods (Frankenfood) is going to be 5 digits and start with an 8. Organic (at least 95% worth) is going to start with a 9. 
Pretty cool, huh?
We’ve talked before about plugging in to stay green so get the app! We like Locavore and Truefood. There are others that will help you know what’s in season and where your local Farmer’s Market is. Shop around though and let us know which ones you like!
So do a little research and shop smart! Most of all, Shop Organic!
