to consider going organic?

[NameGotLostInCyberspace]

We don't have money throw around but am thinking of going Organic. Especially milk. (an everyday cost) After doing some reading am thinking that Organic milk is alot better than "normal" milk. Do you only buy Organic? Why? thanks.

I wouldn't buy imported organic pork. That's a pretty fucking poor. Pig farmers get incredibly low margains on their stock.

Well I have to caveat that I guess I don't check resturant food or ready meals but I wouldn't be likely to have pork in those.

"TBH most organic food in the UK supermarkets is SA approved IME"

Not IME. Most organic food I have seen in supermarkets is marked 'organic' and does not state the certification authority.

Anyway, my point is not about the Soil Association. I know they have high standards. My point is that the standards that organic food is produced under are not universal, are variable and especially so in imported food. Consumers cannot really have a detailed knowledge of each standard setting body or often even know which body the food on the shelf was certified by.

Adding to the confusion are standards such as Assured Food Standards (Little Red Tractor), Freedom Food (backed by RSPCA), Free Range, Outdoor Reared, Barn Reared and even words like 'natural' and 'farm fresh' that are plastered on food packaging.

Well I'm with you of all the 'Farm fresh' nonsense but everything I've ever bought from sainsburys or tesco (their own organic brands included) has the Soil Association symbol on it.

I would say over 95% of what we buy is organic so I have lots of things that I can see the SA on here. The only thing I have found so far is my organic stock cubes - they're made in Germany so different organic authority.

HopeForTheBest - " a dairy farm not far from here. It is a small-scale farm, the cows have free access to fields and you can visit them. They are not organic, but are certified to sell raw milk."

In truth, this is what I think what most people really want. It is the kind of farm my father ran. Sadly, it was not economic.

FWIW I think YABU to go organic for everything if you can't afford it.
You would do much better to shop smarter.
Limit your food miles by shopping carefully from supermarkets. No beans from Kenya or Asparagus from Peru.
Buy seasonal fruit and veg, produced in the UK as much as possible.
Get your milk delivered by a milkman, organic if you must but don't believe that the cows are happy.
Buy meat from a butcher who can tell you where it has come from (I know several butchers round me chalk up the names of the farms their beef/pork/lamb/chicken etc have come from). Buy rose veal cos it's delish and eat some game. You won't get any more organic than wild rabbit or venison. Same applies for fish. Get some line caught mackerel into your family - ain't nothing more organic than sea fish and don't get me started on organic prawns... they grow those things in the far east in ponds that would make you vomit. It poisons land with salt and people all around live in poverty while prawn barons make their lives miserable.
Grow and preserve your own food.

People can and will argue about the virtues of Organic. If you don't want to do the research then keep it simple.

If you buy Soil Association approved dairy products then the following standards apply to the cow's welfare:

"Organic cows cannot be permanently housed, but must spend the majority of their lives outdoors. The cows must have appropriate bedding and adequate space when they are brought indoors during bad weather. Organic cows are fed mainly on clover-rich grass and must be allowed to graze fresh forage throughout the grazing season. Organic dairy cows are fed a minimum of 60% forage and a maximum of 40% concentrates. Whatever the balance of forage or concentrate, all their diet must be 100% Organic. "

So you know they're happier than non-organic dairy cows at least!

cows'

This thread has helped somewhat. I have decided to try it and see how I go. I have ordered my first veg box and some organic milk. Meanwhile will keep reading. Thankyou all for your input. :)

As some one who writes the health plans for organic and non-organic dairy farms and then treats the sick cows. I personally buy non-organic milk from the supermarket that demands a code of care for the dairy cows that I believe is the most ethical for me only M&S and Waitrose do this - zero grazing is not allowed in their schemes so all cows walk on grass. For the organic way of mainly not preventing certain disease just doesn't hold right.
I do buy fruit and veg from an organic box scheme, but this is more about dealing direct with farmers. Having watch my poor dad get screwed over by the supermarkets for 30 years I just can not pay my money to them for veg. Again I thoroughly researched the veg scheme before I used it.

"I do buy fruit and veg from an organic box scheme, but this is more about dealing direct with farmers."

I buy my fruit and veg from a local farm shop - some of the veg is home grown. I buy my meat from another local farm shop. It isn't organic, but the animals live a free, outdoors and happy life and aren't intensively reared.