Is Organic Better & Fall Is Not Far

Is Organic Better & Fall Is Not Far plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

There are a lot of believers in organic food products and there is a lot of money being spent for the marketing of the health benefits of going organic. But is it? A new study from Stanford University looked at data from more than 200 studies of organic versus conventionally grown food and concluded that organic food and non-organic food were virtually the same in vitamin content. The research also found that although organic foods had less pesticide residue, all the produce studied had pesticide levels that fell below federally-set safety limits. All the experts agree that a long term study needs to be conducted.

Now that it’s officially September, fall or autumn is only a matter of a couple of weeks away. But what makes fall so special? A lot of people say it’s the colors of autumn. Paul Schaberg of the US Forest Service says there are two components to the changing of the fall colors every year regardless of the calendar date..

SCHABERG: What’s a lot less predictable is that in at least some tree species fall colors pressed a lot by low temperatures like frost at night and just cold spells and what not. That changes so much from year to year, from location to location and even elevation is the same area.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Consumer buying through the internet is at an all time high. Whatever you’re looking for, more than likely you can find it online. You can even purchase meat products online. It’s true, and the reasons consumers give for purchasing meat online are as varied as the consumers themselves. Just a few of those reasons include the desire to buy directly from the producer, cultural needs, wanting grass fed, pasture raised, free range, or just the convenience of having it delivered right to their front door. But how safe is meat purchased this way - as safe as meat bought at the local supermarket. Safety requirements have to met and inspections are done by state and federal USDA inspectors. The meat arrives frozen, and the consumer can then decide whether to eat it right away, or store it in their freezer. This type of online business connects consumers directly to the farmers, and the price paid by the consumer goes straight to the farmer and the processor - minus a small percentage. Right now beef is the number one seller online, with people stocking up in anticipation of rising prices due to the drought. Buying meat online is a little like having a giant farmers market right at your fingertips.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.