A continuous demand for organic foods is being produced across the country every year. The price of organic food is discouraging consumers from realizing the vast amount of benefits it has.
According to the
EPA, organic foods cannot be treated with any synthetic pesticides, sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. The pesticides that are used must be from a natural source.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, organic foods can be found in three out of four grocery stores in the United States.
A recent study by the University of California-Davis shows that still today people who shop healthier and buy more organic products will spend up to 20 percent more on their groceries.
Residents in Maryland are becoming more interested in incorporating more organic foods into their diet. There can be some downfalls to buying organically, such as the price and the abundance.
Kushall Kaistha, of Mount Airy, Maryland has been in the food service for 5 years. Kaistha usually assists in the making of prepared foods at his job at
Weis Markets.
Kaistha is starting to hear more and more benefits of organic food. He wants to improve himself to become a healthier person..
Kaistha is starting to eat more fruits and vegetable that are organic because he has been able to find some good deals. In the future, Kaistha wants to incorporate organic meat into his diet when the prices go down.
"Everybody should look more into organic food," said Kaistha.
"It definitely should not be that expensive to eat healthier, but that is the world we live in," said Kaistha.
According to the
Organic Consumers Association, the consumers demand for more organic food has gone up from $1 billion in 1990 to $30 billion today.
There are options of getting away from spending a lot on organic foods. Growing your own foods has shown to be very beneficial.
"I love to grow my own food; not only is it herbicide and pesticide free, but it is fresher and more flavorful than store bought, said Woltz. Growing my own food also helps us save a lot of money because seeds are much cheaper than produce," Woltz continued.
Brett Hospital who has been a cook in many different states and areas in Maryland likes the fact that there is the option of gardening, and to be able to grow his own food, however he has never lived in an area, where he has had access to enough space.
"If I had the room, or access to a community garden, I would grow more food for personal consumption. As it is, I mostly grow herbs and tomatoes and peppers."
There is not only a concern to growing your own foods, but there has also been concern of some areas of the country if there is enough organic foods being distributed.
"Maryland is bigger than you'd think it'd be, and there's a large amount of product being produced here," said Hospital. "Not the ideal climate for many kinds of produce, but you can get damn near anything at a good local farmers market," Hospital continued.
Hospital does not think that there is much of a difference in organic food except for meat, he still thinks it is very important to help your local producers.
Woltz, a resident of Maryland for over 20 years thinks there should be easier access to buying food straight from the farmer. Farmers Markets, especially in some of the more rural areas of Frederick, Maryland are not as easy to find.
"It would be nice to have a local farmers market to go to. This would create a sense of community and support local business," said Woltz.
All in all it is important to remember that eating organically is important and has a vast amount of benefits.
"Eating organic is not just beneficial to your own health but the health of the living things around you by reducing the pesticides, fertilizers, and hormones within the environment," said Woltz
"Organic meat is a good option because it does not contain antibiotics or growth hormones. When people consume too many antibiotics, the bacteria living inside their bodies becomes resistant to the antibiotics," said Woltz. "This makes them less effective when they are needed.
Woltz says that just as well as meat, organic produce is important as well.
"Organic produce is also a healthier option, especially for pregnant woman and children, because it does not contain pesticides," said Woltz. "Pesticides can put stress on your organs and immune system and can cause developmental problems, both mental and physical."
Woltz also added other benefits that coincide with consuming organic food
"Pesticides are harmful to pollinating insects, birds, and small animals. Many of the fertilizers that are applied to farmers' fields run off into the waterways. This causes the algae to thrive reducing the oxygen levels in the water, harming the fish and other inhabitants," Woltz continued
Organic food is beneficial with the fact that it doesn't contain preservatives and you are supporting the economy when you buy organic foods.
"Organic food is also typically grown locally because it does not contain preservatives to keep it fresh on long trips," said Woltz. This means, by buying organic, you are supporting the local economy and reducing your carbon footprint," Woltz continued.
