WHAT’S “ORGANIC” ABOUT ORGANIC? is an entertaining and educational documentary feature that dives into the challenges that arise when a grassroots agricultural movement evolves into a booming international market. Through the stories of farmers who steward land from upstate New York to Central Florida, the film offers audiences a deeper understanding of the difficulties involved in creating a more sustainable food system and creating a healthier environment. As we experience the devotion and passion that the farmers demonstrate in their adherence to the ecological and social principles of the organic movement, our questions begin to be answered. The audience is compelled to understand the marketplace challenges these farmers face and gain respect for their efforts to produce food that is not only healthier for the public, but is also a positive solution for our environmental crises. This movement is taking place in our own back yard—Co-Producer Marty Mesh, Executive Director of Florida Organic Growers and Consumers (FOG), head-quartered in Gainesville, is featured in the film for his involvement in the Florida Organic movement. Director and Co-Producer Shelley Rogers will be in attendance to answer your questions and discuss issues raised by this important film.

The answer is: It depends.

Our Food Philosophy outlines our thought process in depth when it comes to making these choices  in our region, but deserves some elaboration in light of a recent surge in local food.  In this article, organic is dismissed as a tree-hugging environmentalist cause in favor of local & seasonal like the Europeans do it. The fact of the matter is, the Europeans do it local, seasonal AND organic, all three go together almost without exception. Most of em go one step further and do it biodynamic, but I digress. I’d love to see how customers would respond to a menu that states: we use local tomatoes, plucked fresh from the pesticide-laden vine – enjoy!

The article, dismisses organic entirely as if it’s some green fad, yet most of the local suppliers mentioned are organic in practice, if not in certification. In fact, Deep Creek Ranch gives a really awesome explanation of why here, Rest Haven Farms talks about their methods here, Long & Scott tells it to us here. A distinction needs to be made about the challenges in certifying products and not decrying the practice of sustainably managing our crops, flocks and herds.

Let’s ask this question again, but in a different way. Would you rather feed your kids:

(A) a locally grown strawberry from a medium size farm you’ve never been to that has been grown with pesticides that are known carcinogens (see list of chemicals commonly used)

(B) a batch of certified organic strawberries from a big farm trucked in from California

(C) strawberries which were locally grown using organic principles, but were not “certified” organic since the small-scale farmer who grew them can’t afford the certification process and/or has a steady stream of customers who know him personally & take him on his word that he’s not poisoning your family or the rivers & streams.

(D) strawberries you grew yourself in your backyard, without pesticides.

I’m not the one to tell you what the correct choice is for your family, but it is important that you understand your food options at a deeper level so you can make the most informed decision given your circumstances, which may also be influenced by convenience, cost and how you prioritize your time. At Dandelion, we choose a blend of B, C & D.

Now, let’s elaborate on our answer. It depends… first on what your definitions of “local” & “organic” include. These words used to imply small scale, independent, sustainable, fair, artisan crafted, heirloom varieties. Nowadays, these words have been stripped of their soul. For example, Lay’s markets their potatoes as “local” in Florida because of their proximity, regardless of the fact that they operate as a huge industrialized agricultural operation. Additionally, the crops are not organic in the least, the potatoes are grown in fields where farmworkers are treated poorly, and the end product is actually under massive recall (not being reported in American press) at the moment. (Interesting piece about Lay’s Local marketing effort by a potato industry insider and a fabulous NYT piece here. More on the Localwashing movement in general here.)

On the organic front, a distinction can be made between “certified organic” and what I call “relationship organic” which happens when small scale growers & producers follow or often exceed organic standards but are not officially certified due to any number of factors including: cost of certification, use of hydroponics (not able to be certified), or simply because the consumer has a relationship with the grower and can discuss what pest-control, fertilization, etc methods that are used.

For more elaboration on Dandelion’s approach & practice, read Our Food Philosophy and our sections dedicated to Local & Organic.

I will leave you with one final thought – this one about flavor. On the one hand, choosing local, organic, seasonal & artisan food almost always ensures the best flavor, and I’m a big fan of delicious tasting food (as ya’ll know since you eat at Dandelion). However, let’s keep it in our consciousness that our palette cannot distinguish whether or not the health of a farmworker, animal or ecosystem was sacrificed for our momentary pleasure. We must first see & hear for ourselves what has brought some morsel onto our plate so that all of our senses might be delighted in knowing that people, animals and earth were all respected and honored in order to satisfy our hunger.

Julie Norris, co-proprietor of Dandelion Communitea Cafe near downtown Orlando, said that the local farmers were not only chosen for their proximity. Their independence from the mass markets allows them the freedom to emphasize quality. “It’s so important to know your grower,” Norris said. She said with the overuse of pesticides, environmental impact of big agriculture and the poor treatment of farmworkers, the best way to know that the food is good, clean and fair is to build a relationship.

“I’m all about organic food,” Norris said, “but when it comes to a small grower, they can’t get that certification because it’s expensive. But if I know the person and I know what their growing philosophy is, I call that relationship organic. The reason we have a USDA label is because we’ve lost our connection to who’s growing our food.”

Read the entire article here: Central Florida Future – Restaurants showcase ‘slow food’.

The next couple of weeks are going to be delicious, educational and entertaining, we promise. Here are some highlights:

For more on the local food movement, watch the above video (taped in 2007) and check out our answer to Why Local?

Eat Local Week by Slow Food Orlando is January 25-31st

As you know, Dandelion is dedicated to helping grow the local food movement. We’ll be participating in this special effort to source within 200 miles of Orlando with a Southern inspired plate of Collard Wraps from My Yard Farm edible installations, Rock Bottom Farms Mushroom Pilaf, Deviled Eggs from happy chickens over at Lake Meadow and more. Be sure to tune into Front Porch Radio on Wed, Jan 20th for a discussion with Chef Josh Oakley of the Enzian about the state of Slow Food in Orlando.

…but be sure you know your grower!

Florida is filled with big corporate ag. When we talk about eating local, we don’t just mean proximity, we mean supporting independent growers who take social & environmental responsibility into account. You are invited to join the National Farmer Workers Ministry on Thursday, January 28th at 7pm to discuss the plight of modern day farm worker’s and how you can help stand up for what is right. Listen to this podcast about modern day slavery, child labor and the human rights crisis taking place in the fields of Florida.

Tuesday, November 17th // 6:30 to 8:30pm

Includes dinner & wine or beer. Julie answers your questions about sustainable, organic, local and ethical eating while exploring the concepts of Flexitarianism with open discussion amongst participants who want to share their own knowledge with each other.

Limited space available. Reserve your seat at the table today.

$35 + Tax

Featuring the the documentary “Food Fight”
by Chris Taylor and food by Chef Josh Oakley.

Tickets: $18, includes hors d’oeuvre, beer, coffee and tea.

Durng last year’s Florida Film Festival, I watched the film Food Fight with a couple of other sassy ladies in the local food movement & we immediately began planning this “Farm To Table” event, knowing the time was right to introduce farmers, restauranteurs, chefs, and people who care about food to one another through Ourlando’s Local Food Alliance. We’ve got a young and ambitious local food movement in Central Florida, and this event is going to be a defining one in the history of Orlando. The film is one that chronicles the history of the local food movement, started by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in the sixties. Let your tastebuds guide you to this event which includes local beer, tea, coffee & hors d’oevres by Executive Chef Josh Oakley. You don’t want to miss it! Buy tickets & watch the trailer here: http://www.enzian.org/film/farm_to_table_ft._food_fight/

Orlando Weekly Cover Story

By Michelle Gienow

For the past three years, following the typical Michael Pollan–fueled, now-I’ve-seen-the-locavore-light conversion experience, I’ve been trying hard to feed my family good food. It’s more difficult than it sounds; the supermarkets are full of tempting, affordable, food-like products that ultimately owe more to industry than agriculture, once you start reading the labels. It took me an embarrassingly long while to figure out that buying foods so basic that they don’t have a label is the key.

I found myself shopping less and less at the grocery store and instead buying directly from the farmers who actually produce the food, sometimes at the farmers market, sometimes at the farms themselves. Thus it is always local and usually also organic – in practice, if not formal certification – and, helpfully, affordable. I tracked down these farmers and know about the food I’m buying because I’m interested and I ask. In doing this I am, as Pollan urges, voting for systemic change with my food dollars, though in my case that’s sort of a side bonus. This kind of conscious buying has come to be known as SOLE food, for Sustainable, Organic, Local and Ethical.

(Sounds a lot like our Flexitarian philosophy. — Julie)

Read the Full Article at the Orlando Weekly