Better Health & Living: Article: Going Virtually Organic

Issue: August 2007

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Going Virtually Organic

What you need to know about chemical-free products--and where to get them

by Eileen Buckholtz

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Nearly 75 percent of the U.S. population has gone organic—at least some of the time. Products like fruits and vegetables, soap, clothing, and even bed linens are turning up everywhere from supermarkets to high-end clothing stores—even at Wal-Mart. Organic food sales, alone, accounted for nearly $16 billion in 2006 estimates the Organic Trade Association, and the worldwide market for organic products is growing by about 20 percent a year.

But just what does organic mean? It’s a controversial term, but basically, it refers to products grown or created naturally, without regular pesticides, growth hormones, additives, or genetic engineering. Many people are gravitating toward organic products because of research like the 2003 study from the University of Washington, which found that children who ate mainly organic produce had far lower levels of pesticides in their bodies than those who ate conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.

Online, you can find resources to learn more about organic lifestyles; order products, plants, or seeds; and discover communities devoted to helping protect the Earth.

Buying Organic Online

Follow these tips to make your online organic shopping easier.

Look for the USDA Certified Organic seal, which means the products are either 100 percent organic or consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. Products that are at least 70 percent organic can use the phrase “made with organic ingredients” and list up to three of those ingredients on the package, but they can’t use the USDA seal.
Check out local farmers’ markets in your area. Find one at www.usda.gov.
Grow your own organic food by using organic techniques in your garden. Start with easy-grow vegetables such as tomatoes and squash.
Buy organic products from local farms or join a local organic co-op or a community-supported agriculture group (CSA). A CSA is a subscription service offered by farms. Members can sign up to receive monthly or weekly selections of fresh produce, flowers, eggs, and other farm products. Many CSA provide organic products and should state that on their Web sites.

Helpful Web Sites

www.bountifulgardens.org is a good source for gardeners looking for heirloom, untreated, and open-pollinated varieties of seeds and plants. The site has supplies, tools, flowers, grains, herbs, trees, and shrubs as well as compost crop mix to add to your pile. The company has more than 50 categories of vegetable seeds, with multiple varieties in each category. Browse the wide selection of books on ecology, seeds, compost, soil fertility, and garden reference, or request a free catalog.

www.seedsofchange.com offers many varieties of certified organic flower, vegetable, and herb seeds (the company introduced 72 new varieties for 2007). The site includes zone charts to help you pick the right seeds for your area, and you can sign up for the free newsletter for gardening tips, book reviews, and interviews.

www.greenpeople.org claims to be the world’s largest directory of eco-friendly, organic, and holistic products, serving more than 11,000 visitors daily. Browse food co-ops, CSAs, and buying clubs; home and beauty products; supplement suppliers; and events. Follow the link to HappyCow’s guide to vegetarian restaurants and health food stores. You can search the database by zip code, geographic location, company name, or type of product.

www.amazon.com has an online organic market with more than 3,000 products in their grocery store. Click on the Grocery tab, then select Natural and Organic, and you’ll find a large selection of breakfast foods, snacks, beverages, boxed meals, pasta, grains, and even candy. The site is organized by product, brand, and type, such as gluten-free, vegan, or sugar-free. For those eager to try something new, check out “What’s Hot” in the Natural and Organic showcase.

www.ahappyplanet.com carries organic bedding made from cotton or wool free of chemical residues. Selections include sheets, mattress pads, mattresses, blankets, and clothing.

www.localharvest.com has a searchable database that includes CSAs, farm markets, farms, restaurants, and grocery/co-ops to help you find local sources of organic foods. The online store features almost 4,000 products that can be shipped directly to the customer, as well as items that can be shipped locally or picked up at the farm. Check out the Food and Farming Events Calendar to find local festivals; sign up for the Local Harvest newsletter.

www.organicgardening.com is the online home of Organic Gardening magazine, the bible of organic gardeners everywhere. You’ll find many instructive articles online, and if you sign up for the free newsletter, you’ll get tips, projects, and techniques sent to you twice a month.

www.extremelygreen.com is a good source for organic gardening supplies. It features a modified version of integrated pest management, an eco-friendly system that uses low-impact remedies to deal with pests, weeds, and diseases. Products include animal repellents that use coyote, fox, or bobcat urine to keep deer and other animals away from growing plants and shrubs, and mosquito control products made from garlic extract.

Eileen Buckholtz is president of Technology Concepts, a Web-design and e-marketing company; a professor of e-business for the University of Phoenix Online; and author of more than a dozen computer books.