Organic Shmorganic

I've never purchased organic food before.

No offense to those who swear by it, but I've always assumed it was just a marketing ploy used by companies in an attempt to earn a few extra dollars on a bag of carrots. That, or else"organic" meant the company didn't clean the produce and there was a chance you would find bugs in your bag of carrots.

Either way, I just wasn't getting sucked into the fad of going organic.

I love that line from the movie "Baby Mama", when Tina Fey brings Amy Poehler's character a bunch of organic food, and Amy Poehler says something along the line of organic food being for rich people who hate themselves.

Well guess what? I am now one of them.

Only, we're not rich. So...I guess that means I just hate myself?

Point is, we have experienced a few events in the past couple months that have pointed us in the direction of the organic food aisle.

Also, I watched the movie "Food Matters", and pretty much decided I never wanted to eat anything ever again.

I learned that organic actually means the produce has not been treated with any pesticides or....spermicides, or other -cides. All good things. And? You won't find any bugs or worms crawling around in the bag of food. Then again, after watching "Food Matters", I had to admit that eating an insect probably wouldn't be nearly as bad as ingesting the toxic chemicals usually sprayed on fruit and vegetables.

I feel so uncomfortable writing about this though, and talking to other people about it, because, I'm afraid it is going to make me sound snotty or like a know-it-all. And that's so not me. I am all for feeding my kids healthy stuff, and I am really trying to get on the healthy train too, but I admit I still sneak a frozen pizza or a few Cheetos now and then. And there is no way you are getting between me and a good cheeseburger. But as I get older, I realize more and more that it's important for me to really think about the things I am putting into my body, especially while pregnant.

The thing is, the world makes it freaking difficult to eat healthy. I mean, I'm sorry "Food Matters" producers, but we are a single income family, with 2+ children, and when it comes to the last few days before payday and we are down to our last dollar, am I going to buy 10 items off the McDonald's Value Menu or one bag of organic celery?

Tough choice.

But I don't want it to be. I don't want it to be about money, I just want to be able to buy what is best for my children so that I can feel like a good mom when I go to bed at night, like I am helping them build healthy bodies.

So I am on a mission to find affordable organic produce. One thing I am planning on doing this summer is growing a lot of my own. I plan to plant seeds for green beans, carrots, strawberries, and whatever else I can find. We already have an apple and a pear tree, so I think we should be set as far as those go. But for the days when we don't want to look at another apple, I would like to know where I can shop to find organic food that won't break the bank. Do farmer's markets sell organic food for less? Does anyone have any tricks of the trade?

I am really determined to feed my family healthy, I just don't want us going broke in the process.