I have found that in families that feed birds, the parents have just as much, if not more fun as the kids. So give it a try. You may find that you will spend a lot of time looking out your window at your feeders to see who is visiting it.

I hope everyone had a good New Years. I know I did. How many of you made New Years resolutions? Did they involve taking better care of yourself and your family? Have you joined a gym or started walking around the neighborhood? How about eating better? Less visits to McDonalds or Wendy’s? Good for you! You will feel better and look better.

I have been eating organic foods whenever possible. My organic food journey began after watching several TV shows on conventional farming practices and all the chemicals that end up in our foods and environment. It made me think how this would affect my health.

After we made the decision to try organic food, we went to the market to see what was offered in the organic section. Surprisingly all the major food chains offer organic foods, some more than others. We started out with purchasing fruits and vegetables because in my research I have found the fruits and vegetables have the most chemical residues on them. I then moved on to try bread, organic-shade grown coffee, beer and free range chickens. We also changed over to eggs from free range chickens.

I recently went to the library and checked out a wonderful book called “A Field Guide to Buying Organic” by Luddene Perry and Dan Schultz. I wish I had this book when I first started eating organic. This book’s sections were an aisle by aisle guide to organic products, which organic foods are worth the cost, and which conventional foods you can buy with confidence, how to read labels and seals, organics and your health, the economy, and the environment.

It started out dissecting the labels and what the term organic means and how organic foods are different from conventional foods:
100% organic = 100% organic
Plain organic = 95% of ingredients are organic
Made with organic = 70% of ingredients are organic

It then went on to take a look at all the aspects of organic farming and how it is different from corporate farms. The book gives you information that you can use to make an intelligent decision about buying organic food and if it is for you.

If you are thinking about buying organic food, I highly recommend this book to you.
Does organic food taste better? Is it healthier for you? Is it worth the extra cost? The answer to these questions depends on your priorities. I think some of the foods taste better. Vegetables and fruit taste better to me. Breads, I can’t really say. The chicken and the eggs definitely taste better.

Beyond the taste, the big reason I buy organic foods is what the chemicals used in conventional farming does to the environment and the workers who work the fields. The amount of chemicals applied to the crops is mind boggling. Not only do the crops receive the dose but a large amount gets on the workers. The danger doesn’t go away after the spraying is over. Harvest time puts the worker at risk by handling the crop and stirring up chemicals in the ground.

Chemicals also get into the ground water or get washed away into streams causing problems miles from the source. Wildlife is affected by poison. Birds eat the insects that land on the crop and consume the chemical. Thus the poison is passed on to the bird. This scenario is repeated many times and adversely effects the bird and wildlife population.
There is a better way to produce food that does not harm the environment. By supporting organic farmers, you are making a choice to eat better, preserve the environment and create a better work environment for the many workers who work in the fields.