Samuel Fromartz’ Organic, Inc.
Organic, Inc. is part history and part description of what “organic” really means, both today and what it meant in earlier eras. The history is interesting enough, as Fromartz discusses how natural farming methods were slowly and then quickly overtaken by more industrial production methods, from the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to the loss of critical agricultural techniques like crop rotation, and then shifts gears to focus on the various organic-food advocates who, for health or culinary reasons, pushed back against the agro-industrial complex. While many of the characters Fromartz presents were – to my eyes, at least – certifiable kooks, some, like chef Alice Waters, who is responsible for introducing Americans to “spring mix” or mesclun salad, were just passionate about one specific aspect of organic food (in Waters’ case, taste) and matched it to a niche in the market that would allow them to sustain and even grow their food-related businesses.
Fromartz also provides two chapters that delve more into the way Big Bad Corporate America has gotten its grubby mitts on organic food. One chapter talks about soy milk, going into the history of White Wave, the company behind Silk that has since sold out to Dean Foods, which has introduced non-organic products under the Silk name. (I checked at Whole Foods yesterday; even chocolate Silk can’t call itself organic because the cocoa used in the drink isn’t organic.) The last chapter goes into the pitched battles, some still ongoing, between the hardcore organic community and the growth-oriented side seeking to ease labeling rules and guidelines for organic agriculture and husbandry. Fromartz builds the first six chapters to leave this conflict as somewhat inevitable, and manages to keep his own views out of the fray, although it would be hard to read that chapter and side with the “growth” crowd when you see what they would like to make acceptable under the label “organic.”
Fromartz’ prose was the one obstacle that was tough to surmount, however. His word choices are often awkward and occasionally wrong, referring to one veterinarian as “widely regarded” without saying how he was regarded or what he was regarded as. I also caught a handful of grammatical errors or funky word orders that made the subjects of sentences unclear. I also would have preferred to see inline citations; the book has a thick Notes section, with notes by page number, but the lack of inline citations creates a game where you guess that there might be a citation for what you just read and check the Notes section to see if there’s one there. Given the frequency with which he uses the “Some people say” device, inline citations are a must.
If you care about food, or the environment, Organic, Inc. is a solid and informative read. I know I’ll be looking for organic strawberries wherever possible, and will probably shift what little conventional dairy buying I do to organic as well, all the result of the information Fromartz gave in the book, rather than any rhetorical or polemical arguments I’ve read.
Next up: A return to the TIME 100 with Bernard Malamud’s The Assistant
Keith, I checked this book out two days ago. Along these, do you have any thoughts on tomatos being recalled? I love them, but am somewhat worried about buying them now, in light of recent revealations. As always, thanks.
Keith, does “organic” refer to the food itself or the method of farming, because while I generally buy “organic” produce, I find the label disingenuous (and somewhat pretentious), since all food, by definition, is organic. Also, I recall some recent congressional debate regarding expanding the definition of “organic” to include some produce that was grown in a manner outside any common perception of “organic.”
“Organic” is used as a descriptor of the farming practices used to cultivate the food product. According to the local MOFGA crowd up here in Maine, anything “organic” should also ideally be grown / laid / mixed within a short geographical distance of the consumer.
At least, this is what the hippies at MOFGA tell me.
I haven’t read the book, but I’m a big fan of local, organic food (especially dairy and produce), so, if I may, a couple of a suggestions:
1. Find a local farm, for either produce or dairy. A lot of such places will share their farmstand with a few neighboring farms, so you can get stuff that was picked that day. Fresh strawberries = the only strawberries.
2. Raw milk. I suppose there’s a place for skim or 2% or whatever, but “taste” isn’t it. I’m told that the raw milk has vitamins and nutrients that get blasted out of the pasteurized stuff. Fine. I just like it because it tastes much, much better.
Raw milk is illegal in a lot of states, sadly; there’s even a “raw milk underground” for people who still insist on having it. The bacteria in properly-handled raw milk from healthy cows may be beneficial to our digestive tracts, and could potentially allow lactose-intolerant adults to drink it without tummy troubles, much as they (including me) can consume active-culture yogurt.
FYI Ryan
The word organic was defined by Congress in a law passed in the early 90’s. The law required the USDA to form a new agency, the National Organic Program (NOP), to regulate how this type of farming would be practiced. The NOP, with assistance of another group, the National Organic Standards Board, monitor and tweak the many rules that someone who wishes to put the label organic on their food must follow. Primarily this has to do with the various types of inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc) that farmers use to grow their crops. These rules, formulated at the national level, are then used by various certification agencies, some private, some operated by individual states, to guide farmers in what practices are allowable so they can label their food organic. In the end it’s a particular way to farm where the inputs that are allowed are strictly regulated.
However even within this rather narrow sounding definition there is a wide range of practices still allowed which is where a lot of the debate within the organic community gets going. Some organic farmers use very very few inputs of any kind, while others, those closer to conventional agriculture techniques, use lots of inputs.
Really I’d agree the label is a bit vague. In my opinion, the very best thing to do is connect with individual farmers at a local farmers market or through a community supported agriculture (CSA), talk to them about their practices, visit their farms, and build a relationship with the individual that is producing your food. Many excellent farmers have zero interest in participating in this government regulatory scheme but are following organic practices as they produce their crops.
I’ve heard about people in New York coming down to PA farms (just north of Philly, where I live) to get some of that raw milk. That said, my mom grew up in Wisconsin, where raw milk is available everywhere, or at least, used to be.
We drank raw milk a lot when I was young, but it stopped being available in our local grocery store for a while. I can get it at the urban farm near my house, so I’m back on the raw milk train.
If it’s attainable wherever you live, it’s definitely worth the extra cash. Also, on a note of active culture yogurt: Pequea Valley. I have no idea where you can find this: it’s a Lancaster County product (I suspect this one is not a product of the good Amish peoples there, though). Amazing stuff.
I know you travel a lot, but it totally pays to find a local grower to buy at least some of your food from. My fiance and I have, and we’ve discovered a few new veggies and cheeses, found a few new recipes, and loved our food that much more.
Keith:
In separate articles, you repeated your inclination towards buying organic strawberries. Why strawberries? What did the book have to say about the cultivation/harvesting/marketing of that particular product that was so influential to you?
The book points out that conventional strawberries retain relatively high quantities of pesticides even at point of sale, and also argues (via the people he interviews) that organic strawberries tend to be larger and more flavorful. Unfortunately, so far I haven’t found a local organic strawberry supplier, although I’ll continue looking.
We have a (very small) strawberry patch in our backyard. When it’s in season and we haven’t screwed it up, they taste infinitely better. So there’s your small sample size argument. The same holds with our plum tree.
Jeff, I’m with ya there. When I was growing up, we had a huge wild blackberry patch across from my house (sitting on three house lots int he middle of suburbia, if you can imagine that), and my parents grew strawberries and raspberries in our backyard garden. They still grow the red berries to this day, although the blackberry patch was, sadly, a victim of development. There is absolutely no comparison between home-grown berries and any trash you get in the store; none.
Keith, does the organic movement stop with you at edible products or do you get certain natural/organic cleaning/body type products? I’ve heard the chemicals in antiperspirants, body washes, and shampoos have debatable effects on your body (and environment).
Hey Keith random thought but I’m wondering if you cook with much Offal?
Raw milk is possible here in Kentucky but you have to buy a share of a cow. I’m thinking each dairy cow can have 5-6 shares which allow you a gallon or two a week, but I may well be off on the shares per cow. If it’s your cow you get to do whatever you like with the milk…lol. It is not allowed for a dairy farmer to just sell you raw milk, nor is there anywhere the general public can buy it.
On the contaminated foods topic the USDA does a lot of testing on foods they purchase from a supermarket to determine the amount of pesticide residues one might expect to normally find. The worst 12, not in any particular order are peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, imported grapes, pears, sweet bell peppers, celery, lettuce, spinach, and potatoes. Buying these organic, or at least washing them really well seems like the safest thing to do.
Keith,
Have you heard of the local-vor movement?
Spencer: Yes, but I’m not huge on it. In New England, I’d be extremely limited in my food options.
Brad: Unless you count using bones to make stock, I’m thinking the answer is “no.”
Daniel: Just food. I’ve heard the bit about antiperspirants, which contain aluminum, but the amount your body might take in is minimal unless you’re slathering the stuff on.