Over the weekend I had the chance to go to a couple of local farmers markets in my area. It was actually pretty interesting, and the produce available was delicious. The best part of all is that I got the chance to talk to the growers face to face. Small time farmers are a dying breed; since, at the moment, they are the only way to get food that doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, we really need to support them by purchasing from them. We can help lower prices by increasing the demand!

The first farmers market I went to on Friday afternoon. It was rather small so I was a little disappointed there. But, we bought some potatoes, onions and watermelon, all grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides. The surprise was the difference in the taste! The food was great!

One of the farmers that was there had a great selection of homemade jams, jellies and pickles. We purchased some Apple Butter and some Strawberry Pineapple jelly. We used the Apple Butter in a delicious compote for a chicken dish, it was so much better than what you can get in a store!

When I asked about meat and milk availability, they told me about another farmers market they travel to that was larger. So, Sunday we took a trip to the other farmers market, and we were very pleased with what we found!

The larger farmers market had so many more products. We found homemade organic granola, organic herb plants, fruits, vegetables and even meat from free range chickens and grass-fed beef. There’s no question that many of the organic products were more expensive than in a grocery store. However, by spreading the word about the health benefits of organic foods versus the health risks from store bought produce, we can get more people buying from local farmers. This will increase the demand, and lower the prices.

What, exactly, can you find at a farmers market? Obviously this will vary, depending on your location, but in general, farmers markets can carry any of the following products:

• All natural, soy candles
• Naturally grown herbs
• Organic plants
• Organic fruits & vegetables
• Meats, eggs and milk produced without pesticides & antibiotics
• Homemade jams, jellies, butter and other all natural products

If you have a hard time getting your children to eat fruits and vegetables, you may want to try organic varieties! I was so surprised at how different the organic foods taste!!! My children have been eating fresh, healthy fruits all weekend that normally they wouldn’t touch, which is progress in my book!

Food prices have been rising for a while now, and sometimes it can be hard for my family to afford the food that we need. I know many of you have the same issues! Organic food is more expensive (saw a gallon of organic milk this morning for $5.99!!!), and many families feel that going organic is a luxury they can’t afford.

Think of it this way though (like I did): the potential health risks to our children would end up costing us so much more; not only financially (medical bills, etc) but also the emotional toll seeing your child go through illness would cost.  It seems worth it when you look at it that way!

At any rate, even frugal families can afford healthy organic food, using the following methods.

1. Buy in bulk. You can cut costs on other things you buy, such as toilet paper, paper towels, etc. by joining Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s, depending on where you live. Buying in bulk is cheaper, and means less trips to the store! Many of you may already be doing this. Just look at your budget, and see where you can cut costs or eliminate costs.
2. CSA Programs. A Community Supported Agriculture Program is a great way to get organic food for less! In a CSA, you pay a set fee to a farm; in most cases, the fees are per growing season. You are provided with a portion of the farms produce every week for the duration of the season.Participation in a CSA program has many benefits, but it also has one major negative point. The produce you receive in exchange for your payment depends entirely on the success of the growing season. If a drought ruins the crop, you can’t get a refund, nor do you receive any food.
3. Farmer’s Markets. Farmer’s Markets are a great way to find healthy, organic produce at a fraction of supermarket prices, and can be found almost anywhere. They used to have one every Thursday in the parking lot of the office building I worked at a few years ago. Farmer’s Markets are great, because you can talk directly to the growers and know exactly where your food is coming from.Local farms are a dying breed; buying through Farmer’s Markets helps keep them alive. If you aren’t sure where to find local Farmer’s Markets, check http://www.localharvest.org. You can find CSAs, Farmer’s Markets near you and local farms.
4. Local Farms. Farmer’s Markets and CSA’s are only 2 ways to purchase from local farms. Many will offer their produce and other farm products for sale to the general public.
5. Road Side Stands or Flea Markets. Have you ever driven down the road, and seen someone set up on the side of the road with fruits and/or vegetables? I see them all the time! Next time you see one, stop and take a look. Your local flea market may have stalls selling fresh fruits and veggies as well.
6. Store Brand Milk. To avoid the use of rBGH, check out your local grocery store’s brand of milk! I was in the grocery store this morning, and was looking at the organic milk (which was $5.99 a gallon, in case you were wondering)…but then I noticed that on the $2.49 gallon of HEB brand milk it states that NO growth hormones were used in the production process. What a great way to save money! Walmart and Kroger have both stated that their store brand milk does not contain rBGH.
7. Use coupons. I use coupons for cleaning supplies…I use coupons for diapers, or cake mix. For some reason, I never thought to check for coupons on organic food. Guess what? They exist! Here’s where to find them:
   1. http://www.mambosprouts.com
   2. http://www.organicfoodcoupons.com
   3. Websites of Organic Food Manufacturers
8. Grow your own. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Save money on organic food by growing your own. This is a project that I am working on getting started now. I am researching (cuz remember that’s what I do before I do ANYTHING! LOL) and once I get started I will post information!

As you can see, it doesn’t have to be expensive to feed our children healthy foods. There are ALWAYS ways to save money!

Between rBGH and IGF-1 in our milk, and pesticides on our produce, is there anything safe to give our kids? Luckily many farmers share the same concerns that we do, and produce foods that are grown the “old-fashioned” way.

The Organic foods produced by these farmers are free of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides (weed killer) and anything that is biogenetically engineered. To ensure our children are eating healthy, we should all be purchasing organic products.

Obviously none of us like bugs, and many bugs are harmful to plants. Unfortunately, one of the main ingredients in the pesticides used today was originally developed as a chemical weapon, and is known to cause neurological breakdown and cause cancer. Residues remain on our food, our children eat them…yeah…you see the harm in that?

There has been a rise in the number of people with cancer in the last decade or so…it’s not hard to figure out why! Scientific testing doesn’t lie: 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides and 30% of insecticides have ingredients with the potential of causing cancer. Why don’t I just start feeding my children trace amounts of arsenic? To me, it amounts to the same thing that these food industries are doing: feeding the unsuspecting public poison.

I know what you’re thinking, because I used to think the same way. I thought going organic was just a fad, kind of like all the other fad “diets”. I used to say that “they” are saying everything causes cancer, so why worry about it?

Well, as I said…I’m a researcher, and simply want to protect my children from harm. Have you seen a child with cancer? It’s heart breaking!! I understand it’s hard to believe that corporations would knowingly poison people, and just not care. So, I researched…and researched some more! And now I understand the dangers my children are in.

Choosing organic foods provides our children with the nutrition that they need, and none of the dangerous chemicals they don’t. In fact, organic foods are guaranteed to be toxin-free. So not only are the cancer-causing chemicals not present in organic foods, but they are rich in natural antioxidants which help fight cancer.

Between the poison that Monsanto is putting in our milk, and the poisons that are being used on our produce, I am terrified of what will happen to my children in the future. I love my children more than life itself, as I know you love yours. The food industry ONLY care about their own profits! Why trust them with our children’s wellbeing? Please, help keep our children safe. Do your research about the foods you’ve been feeding your kids. Choose organic foods to keep our next generation safe!