Buying Organic Needn't Be All or Nothing

If you are anything like me, you live somewhere in between the ivory tower of eating all-organic, all-local foods made by the loving hands of a commune of grandmothers and the 7th circle of processed fast foods that contain no traces of actual vegetables except perhaps for the oils they are deep-fried in. While I'd love to make sure that everything that enters the temple of my body--and my kids' bodies--be nothing less than pure, natural, and delicious, the unfortunate reality of cost and supply often derail the organic train.

So, given somewhat limited means, what organic products should we buy and which are a waste of money?

Happily, Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have some very helpful recommendations. Overall, there are three priorities:

1. Produce from the EWG list (12 most important organic produce buys detailed below). Some fruits and veggies, even after thorough washing, still retain much higher levels of pesticides than you would want to be ingesting on a regular basis.
   
2. Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Animal products should be an organic priority because of the risk of diseases such as mad cow, and due to the antibiotics and hormones used in conventional animal husbandry.
   
3. Baby food. Not only are babies' small bodies less well-equipped to filter out the bad stuff, they systems are still developing and therefore more likely to be damaged by pesticides/hormones/etc., and because processed baby food purees often concentrate residues off all that bad stuff. (Of course, another option would be to just make your own baby food, which is more more fun and much easier than you could imagine!)
   

I must confess, meat and eggs are two things that I have not been buying organic. In fact, of the fresh food my family eats most often (tomatoes, lettuce, onions, eggs, milk, plain yogurt, cheese, ground beef and chicken), all of those except tomatoes and onions are on the "must buy organic" list, which means I need to seriously re-think what has been until now a very loose attachment to buying organic food.

Produce to Buy If At All Possible
These 12 fruits and vegetables contain the highest amount of pesticide residues:

peaches
apples
sweet bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
lettuce
imported grapes
pears
spinach
potatoes

Buy Conventional (Non-Organic)...
These are the 12 with the lowest pesticide residues:
onions
avocado
frozen sweet corn
pineapples
mangoes
frozen sweet peas
asparagus
kiwi
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
eggplant

Pick Your Own Produce!

As the hot, humid days of August have arrived, it's helpful to remember that with 100+ degree heat indices come the fresh fruits of summer. Here's a list of organic pick-your-own farms. Healthy, happy eating!

• www.pickyourown.org lists Pick-Your-Own locations in Northern Virginia.
• Virginia Apples lists orchard locations in Frederick County, VA (Winchester/Middletown areas)
• Potomac Vegetable Farms.9627 Leesburg Pike, four miles west of Tysons Corner 703-759-2119; mhnewcomb@aol.com Directions: On Route 7, 4 miles west of Tysons Corner (roadside stand). Open: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays), July-September; 10 a.m.-dark in October. All crops grown following organic practices (no herbicides or pesticides, composting, taking care of the soil in a sustainable way). Vegetable and flower seedlings available in spring. Canning quantities available August-October. Bring take home containers. Call ahead. Cider pressed on fall weekends. School tours by appointment. Also sell at Homegrown Farmers Markets. Fresh-picked and limited pick-your-own blackberries, eggs, and cut flowers. Fresh-picked sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, summer and winter squash, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, celery, assorted bunched greens and lettuce, cut flowers.
• Willow Oaks Berry Farm 2521 Midland Road, Midland, VA 540.788.1086 Pick your own blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. Farm follows organic methods.
• Patowmack Farm - ORGANIC 42461 Lovettsville Rd., Lovettsville. 540-822-9017; patowmackfarm@megapipe.netOpen: 12 noon-5 p.m., May through October. An organic farm offering a magnificent view of the Potomac River. The on-farm market features fresh produce, eggs, a variety of organic products such as pasta, honey, chocolates, and much more. Come enjoy the farm and do your weekly grocery shopping.
• Butterfly Bend - Tankerville Road, Lovettsville, VA 540.822.5060 Butterfly Bend is a certified organic pick-your-own strawberry farm in Lovettsville, VA. Take a hay ride tour of the 14-acre farm (weekend and tour dates), visit resident cows, chickens and goats and learn how important bees, birds and butterflies are to an organic farm. Also feature honey from their own apiary, elephant garlic, seasonal produce from raised-bed garden, fresh eggs and hand-made crafts. Picnic benches and shade. Open for farm tour and by appointment. Call (540) 822-5060 or send an email to info@butterflybend.com.
• Hashway Gardens - ORGANIC 137 Garden Road, Berryville, VA 22611. Phone: 540-955-3204. Email us at: meahash@visuallink.com. Pick your own strawberries. NOTE: Frost killed the 2007 crop - come see us in 2008! Washington Post's List from 2003

And, from the Washington Post's Round-Up:

Maryland

Anne Arundel County

MOUNT AIRY U-PICK -- Strawberries. 832 Mount Airy Rd., Davidsonville. 410-798-1862 or 410-798-0838.

Baltimore County

HUBER'S FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, red raspberries, vegetables. 12208 Old Philadelphia Rd., Bradshaw. 410-679-1941 or 410-679-1948.

WEBER'S CIDER MILL FARM -- Apples. 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville. 410-668-4488.

Calvert County

SEIDEL FARM -- Thornless blackberries, grapes. 2790 Plum Point Rd., Huntington. (Route 263). 410-535-2128.

Carroll County

BAUGHER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sweet and sour cherries, black raspberries. 1236 Baugher Rd., about three miles west of Westminster on Route 140. 410-857-0111 or 410-848-5541.

Charles County

HYDROMONT BERRY FARM -- Strawberries. 8020 Hawthorne Rd, La Plata. 301-932-0872.

Frederick County

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD -- Black raspberries, blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 15036 N. Franklinville Rd., on U.S. 15, a half-mile north of Thurmont. 301-271-2737.

GLADE-LINK FARMS -- Strawberries, blueberries, red raspberries, vegetables. Route 194, New Midway. 301-898-7131.

MAYNES FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 3420 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown. 301-662-4320.

PRYOR'S ORCHARD -- Blueberries, sweet and sour cherries. 13841-B Pryor Rd., Thurmont. 301-271-2693.

Harford County

LOHR'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, apples. 3212 Snake Lane, Churchville. 410-836-2783.

SHAW ORCHARDS -- Strawberries. 3121 Norrisville Rd., White Hall. 410-692-2429.

Howard County

LARRILAND FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, black and red raspberries, peaches, sour cherries, blueberries, apples, vegetables. 2415 Woodbine Rd. (Route 94), three miles south of I-70 Exit 73, near Lisbon. 301-854-6110 or 410-442-2605.

Montgomery County

BUTLER'S ORCHARD -- Strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, red raspberries. 22200 Davis Mill Rd., Germantown. 301-972-3299.

HOMESTEAD FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 15600 Sugarland Rd., Poolesville. 301-977-3761.

ROCK HILL ORCHARD -- Strawberries, sour cherries, blackberries, red raspberries, apples. 28600 Ridge Rd., Mount Airy. 301-831-7427.

Prince George's County

CHERRY HILL FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries. 12300 Gallahan Rd., Clinton. 301-292-1928 or 301-292-4642.

JOHNSON'S BERRY FARM -- Black and red raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. 17000 Swanson Rd., Upper Marlboro. 301-627-8316.

MILLER FARMS -- Strawberries. 10140 Piscataway Rd., Clinton. 301-297-9370.

SHLAGEL FARMS -- Strawberries. 12850 Shlagel Rd., Waldorf. 301-843-9617.

St. Mary's County

FREE SPIRIT FARM -- Blueberries, asparagus. 38613 Chaptico Rd., Mechanicsville. 301-884-2401 or 301-888-2429.

Virginia

Caroline County

MOUNT OLYMPUS FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. On U.S. 1 one mile north of I-95 Exit 104, in Carmel Church. 804-448-0395.

Fairfax County

POTOMAC VEGETABLE FARMS -- Blackberries. 9627 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. 703-759-2119.

Fauquier County

HARTLAND ORCHARD -- Sweet and sour cherries, peaches, apples. Near Markham: From I-66 Exit 18, north on Leeds Manor Road (Route 688), west on Belle Meade Road (F-284), follow signs a half-mile to Hartland Lane. 540-364-2316.

LINDEN VINEYARDS -- Blueberries, apples. In Linden: From I-66 Exit 13, east on Route 55 1 1/2 miles, south on Route 638 two miles to signs. 540-364-1997.

WILLOW OAKS BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. Midland Road (Route 610) and Bristersburg Road, Somerville. (Route 616). 540-788-1086.

WILLIAMS PEACH MANOR ORCHARD -- Peaches, nectarines. 13095 Marsh Rd, Bealeton. 540-439-3035.

Loudoun County

CROOKED RUN ORCHARD -- Sour cherries, red raspberries, blackberries, peaches, apples. 37883 E. Main St., Purcelville. 540-338-6642.

GREAT COUNTRY FARMS -- Strawberries, black and red raspberries, blackberries, vegetables.18780 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont. 540-554-2073.

Orange County

DOUBLE B FARMS -- Strawberries, thornless blackberries. In Rhoadesville: From Fredericksburg, Route 3 west 11 miles to Route 20, south nine miles to signs on left. 540-854-4277.

Rappahannock County

HIGH PLACES ORCHARDS -- Raspberries, peaches, plums, nectarines, apples. 121 Winesap Lane, Flint Hill. 540-635-5537.

MUSKRAT HAVEN -- Strawberries, blueberries, thornless blackberries, red raspberries, peaches, nectarines, apples. On Route 211, 15 miles west of Warrenton. 540-937-5892 or 540-937-5191.

Shenandoah County

BLUE RIDGE BERRY FARM -- Blueberries. Near Toms Brook: From I-81 at Toms Brook exit, east on Route 651 to Route 11, south to Toms Brook, west at Brook Creek Road (Route 653), left at Harrisville Road (Route 655), 1.8 miles to farm on left. 540-436-9194.

SWOVER CREEK FARM -- Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, vegetables. From I-81 at Woodstock exit, west nine miles on Route 42 to Swover Creek Road, left one mile to farm on right. 540-984-8973.

Spotsylvania County

BELVEDERE PLANTATION -- Strawberries. On Route 17 seven miles southeast of Fredericksburg. 540-371-8494.

Westmoreland County

WESTMORELAND BERRY FARM -- Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, black, red and purple raspberries, apples. In Oak Grove: From Fredericksburg, east on Route 3, seven miles past U.S. 301 to Claymont Road (Route 634), turn right and follow signs. 800-997-2377 or 804-224-9171.

West Virginia

Jefferson County

RIDGEFIELD ORCHARD -- Apples. Near Harpers Ferry on Kidwiler Road off Route 230. 304-876-3647.

How to Dispose of Old Medicine

Whether you have wee ones with wandering fingers or not, one of the best things you can do is clean out your medicine cabinet, or wherever it is you store your medicine--prescription and over-the-counter. For us, it's a shelf on one of our kitchen cabinets, which I figure is pretty child-safe, in close proximity to the water and glasses needed to take most medicines, and somewhere in plain sight so we actually remember to take said meds! My husband and I are pretty med-free...or so I thought. But a quick rifle through the various bottles clogging up turned up a lot of old stuff (pain medication prescribed after my son's birth via caesarean two years ago!) that just needs to go. Flush those puppies right on down the toilet, right?

WRONG. So, so wrong. All that lovely medicinal sludge leaves our homes and makes its way into our water system.

[C]ommon sense and some worrisome signs — such as the appearance of fish with both male and female characteristics in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. — call for keeping our waters as drug-free as possible. USA Today, April 22, 2007.

Instead, it is recommended that we: "Crush pills or dissolve them in water; dilute liquid medications, too. Then mix the drugs with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials. Place the mess in a sealed plastic bag and discard." On the one hand, that's a lot of steps to have to go through...on the other, it's easier than trying to find a pharmacy or doctor's office that will accept old prescriptions and dispose of them properly!

Arlington County Hazardous Materials Guidelines

DC Hazardous Materials FAQs

Northeast Maryland Hazardous Materials Guidelines (Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County and Baltimore City.)

Image thanks to these folks.

I am a LOHAS!

Who are we?

Did you know that we are an ever-growing, aggressively courted market? Nope, I didn't either. Falling as we do in between the aging force-to-be-reckoned-with known as the Baby Boomers and the yet-to-be-reckoned with "Millenials" (born 1982-2000), I always figured us Generation X/Yers (born 1963-1978/1981, depending on definition) were destined to be lost in the middle. Perhaps not!

According to the magazine Fast Company, the LOHAS market segment (for "lifestyles of health and sustainability"), is

"a $227 billion domestic market for goods and services focused on sustainable living, social justice, and alternative health care. These are the consumers, in other words, who are eating organics, driving hybrids, and buying fair-trade morning lattes. And there are 63 million of them out there, making up 30% of the American market. They are not necessarily wealthier than other Americans, but they have proven themselves willing to spend up to an astounding 20% premium on clean, green products over the non-sustainable alternatives." Source

A 20% premium for clean, green products? That figure astounded me, until I did a little looking at my own purchases lately.

Gallon of Whole Milk...................$2.65 at Costco (DC Metro)
Gallon of Whole, Organic Milk........$3.45 at Wegmans (Fairfax, VA)
.....................................................30% difference

3 Plastic Gerber Baby Bottles...........$3.75 (Amazon.com)
3 Glass Evenflo Baby Bottles............$8.00 (ingeling.com)
...................................................113% difference


Granted, there are many other ways in which we do save money. But, clearly, even though we're just as tight with finances as any other young family with two kids under 2, we do choose to spend a little more when and where we think it matters.

Why does this matter?

Just think of the possibilities...in a world where women age 25-44 are being so aggressively courted by both traditional venues (child- and household-care) and, increasingly, non-traditional (automobile makers come to mind), we hold the buying power!

What do you think? Are you a LOHAS? (LOHASer?) Is it all just marketing hype? Or do we Gen Y/X women really hold not only the buying power, but the power to change the world?

Local Produce: CSAs, Home Delivery, and Farmer's Markets

The idea behind Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is that a consumer pre-purchases a “share” of the harvest for the season—thus creating a relationship between local farmers and community members.

The good news is that you'll get a nice variety of fresh veggies and fruits. Some farms offer the option to get eggs, dairy products, and herbs as well. Some places will deliver your share to a central pick-up location, some farms offer "you-pick" times in addition to the shares, and most farms welcome visitors/helpers.

The bad news is that farms won't have exactly the vegetables you want exactly when you want them. Plus, being a smaller entity, they are more subject to the whims of Mother Nature than the supermarket down the road.

Bottom line: a CSA share is great for someone who is willing to try new foods and to adapt their recipes to suit the vegetables available that week. Just like people had been doing since the dawn of time, right?

However, the "surprise!" aspect of CSAs just doesn't appeal to everyone. If you have a picky child--or spouse, for that matter--maybe you want to be sure to have certain foods on hand for them. Say, all things orange. Farmer's markets offer much the same freshness as you'd get through a CSA delivery, but with a little more choice on your part--don't like the kale or collard greens? On to the next stand! Many markets offer diary, eggs, meat, and poultry stands as well. Although some fall during the week (Rosslyn, Virginia's is mid-days on Thursdays) most are on Saturday mornings, and if you can drag yourself out of bed to be there when they open, then you get the best pick of the available fruits and veggies. Don't be afraid to ask if they'll let you sample something unfamiliar!

• Here's a list of Farmer's Markets in Virginia. I've personally tried the Saturday morning markets in Falls Church (300 Park Avenue, Contact: Howard Herman, (703) 241-5027) and down in Fredericksburg (in the commuter parking lot on Route 3 West). The Falls Church market is a great location--the parking lot of the community center--and we've gotten some pretty food vegetables and fresh bread. Prices seem ever-so-slightly on the high side, but perhaps that's just in comparison to the abundance of very reasonable priced veggies to be found at the Fredericksburg market. If you like to head out of the city on the weekends, I highly recommend taking a trip down to Fredericksburg to catch this market--great tomatoes all summer long, delicious varieties of peaches and other stone fruits towards the end of the summer, and fabulous sweet corn. There are also several stands with dairy, meat, poultry, and breads.
• In Virginia, check out Virginia's Assocation for Biological Farming for a listing of CSA Farms.
• In DC, check out the Washington Post list of DC farmer's markets
• Find markets all across Maryland, and search by county, here.
• If you're looking specifically for organic, here's a list of organic food sources (farms, farmer's markets, stores) in the DC metro area.
• For a great list of farmer's markets, family farms, CSAs, and other "sustainably grown food" vendors across the country, try the Local Harvest website.
  

Local Farms that offer you-pick or delivery:

• Great Country Farms & Foggy Bottom Vineyard in Bluemont, VA. 540-554-2073.
• Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
• Washington's Green Grocer offers home delivery of a large or small box of either all-organic or mixed organic and conventional produce.
  

I hope you enjoy exploring all the options for healthy local eating! If you know of any other resources that should be included here, please let me know!

Green Cleaning Solutions

Why is Green Cleaning Important?

Well, three wonderful reasons:

(1) It's better for the environment--no nasty chemicals heading down your drain and (eventually) into your drinking water.

(2) It's better for you--no danger from chemical burns, no toxic smells in your house, no worry that your child will break open the cabinet lock and find your stash of bleach and ammonia, and decide that it's science fair time.

(3) Budget, baby! It's much cheaper to buy a big container of white vinegar and a box of baking soda than it is to invest in the 50 million different cleaning products you need just to keep your kitchen sink clean.


For just a few dollars, invest in these Green cleaning items:

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• liquid soap (dish-wash soap, to be used sparingly, as a little goes a long way!)
• Scouring pad
• Cotton washcloth or a sponge
• Cotton rag without much lint
• 16 oz. spray bottle

And then go to town trying out these Green cleaning recipes:

• Tub and sink cleaner: Baking soda, liquid soap
  
  Sprinkle baking soda on fixtures and rub with wet rag. Add a little liquid soap. Rinse well to avoid leaving a hazy film.
  
  
• Window and mirror cleaner: White vinegar, water
  
  Put 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the spray bottle and fill to the top with water. Spray on the surface. Rub with a lint-free rag. For outdoor windows, use a sponge and wash with warm water with a few drops of liquid soap in it. Rinse well and squeegee dry.
  
  
• Linoleum floor cleaner: White vinegar, water
  
  Mop with a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar in a bucket (pail) of warm water. The vinegar odor will go away shortly after the floor dries. This works with those ever-popular Swiffer-style mops too. Instead of buying the throw-away mopping pads, simply take a washcloth, dunk in the vinegar water, squeeze out excess, attach to Swiffer, and mop away! Rinse and repeat as needed.
  
  
• Toilet bowl cleaner: Baking soda, liquid soap
  
  Sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl as you would any scouring powder. Add a couple drops of soap in also. Scrub with a toilet bowl brush and finish outside surfaces with a rag sprinkled with baking soda.
  
  
• Oven cleaner: Baking soda, water
  
  Mix 1 cup of baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Apply to oven surfaces and let stand a little while. Use the scouring pad for scrubbing most surfaces. A spatula or a bread knife is effective to get under large food deposits. This recipe will require more scrubbing effort, but it is not toxic to you or your child. Commercial oven cleaners are severe irritants. NOTE: Do not use this cleaner recipe on self-cleaning ovens.
  
  
• Drain cleaner: Baking soda, white vinegar, boiling water
  
  This recipe will free minor clogs and helps to prevent future clogs, so don't wait until the sink is stopped up--do this weekly! Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain first, then 1/2 cup vinegar. Let it fizz for a few minutes. Then pour down a teakettle full of boiling water.
  

Here's a nice article talking about the importance of Green cleaning and providing additional tips for how to make your own green cleaning solutions.