Pham Dinh Vien

Although most people have got used to buying most organic products from the hypermarket, one can always turn to an organic food store and find a wider and more comprehensive range of products. Most of the time, such stores are opened in a certain neighborhood, serving a specific geographical area. The advantages of buying from an organic food store is that the quality of the products could be higher given the fact that most such facilities are either backed by an organic farm or have contracts with a regular organic food supplier. Plus, certain foods can be ordered if they are not available, and you don’t get the over-charges of transportation fees and packaging.

Presently, you can search for an organic food store on the Internet; there are web sites that provide state maps with all the organic food stores and restaurants nearest to the customer. Then you can take your pick! Moreover, anyone can submit information about a certain facility in such directories providing contact details and directions to get to the facility. The organic food store is complemented by the farmers market, where you’ll find pretty much the same kind of food: natural, clean products that are free of chemicals, and therefore very healthy.

Most people go to an organic food store to buy fruit and vegetables. The point is that the best products are those available nearest to the user, grown in the same region. The preference for this kind of small or family business contributes to local economic development and regional prosperity. Thus, not only will you enjoy good tasty and healthy food, but you’ll also support the efforts of striving farms to keep up with the market demands. There are many channels through which organic farmers advertise their products. There are the Community Supported Agriculture, farm stands, U-Pick Up farms where you can go to the farm and choose anything during the harvest season and so on.

Eggs, meat and dairy products are more difficult to find in a regular organic food store, but this is not impossible. Lots of farmers offer their fresh products to the community through the intermediary of such shops. And this makes a really great alternative to the food supplied by the industrial farms where all sorts of hormones and antibiotics are used to grow livestock and produce eggs. Fortunately, the increased awareness about the dangers of non-organic food, has led consumers to favor an organic food store over a supermarket.

Popularity: 17% [?]

The offer of wholesale organic food has increased significantly with the efforts made by grocery stores to diversify and extend the organic food supplies they get in stock. The client can now shop from various vendors that have representatives nationwide. Wholesale organic food is usually provided by producers or large suppliers that sell it to regular grocery stores and even supermarkets from where the individual customer shops. The items are most often provided in bulk form with very attractive discounts so that an ever wider range of customers gets interested. Therefore, the wholesale agreement is at the basis of lots of organic food transactions that support the market.

Wholesale organic food is available for individuals too. The entire purpose of this form of purchase is the fact that a larger quantity of products is involved, which is generally referred to as bulk. Sometimes the individual purchaser will be able to buy a more reasonable amount; otherwise, you may have to associate with some friends or relatives and shop together in order to get the money advantage of wholesale merchandise. The Internet now has the largest offer of wholesale organic food you’ll ever find, and the search engine will be your best friend under the circumstances.

Moreover, you should be able to find links to web sites that promote wholesale organic food as well as contact details of manufacturers and distributors. Sometimes the wholesale option is not exactly the best one and you may need to contact stores that sell directly to individuals. The online shopping option goes hand in hand with delivery for people who live farther away and who are more interested in buying wholesale organic food. Some organic fans have even started buying clubs as a means to be able to benefit from the advantages of organic food at a low price.

Friends, family members and co-workers are the first to join such clubs, but you’ll have to put down all the details of the wholesale organic food bulk, the minimum orders, the logistics and the price. There is even the possibility to post signs around the community and get more people involved. This is a simple feasible way of getting the quality food items you want without the costs and the difficulty that you’d have to face otherwise. There is no other easier way to get access to wholesale organic food than group shopping. Think about it well and analyze all the pros and cons!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Lots of people are under the false impression that organic food recipes are somehow different. The only major distinction is the quality of the products and their provenience. Organic fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy are indeed tastier, richer in nutrients, vitamins and minerals and totally tolerable by the body. You can use any regular food recipe, but cook it using organic products to make it healthier and more enjoyable. Don’t believe all the advertising of special cookery books containing only organic food recipes because there is nothing special in them, and you’d waste your money. Here are a few tips to turn any meal into a healthy organic statement.

First of all, if you are preparing a dinner course, you’ll need both vegetables and meat. Many hypermarkets now have special food sections where products have organic certification, and this applies to all items. It is advisable to purchase the food fresh and not frozen or chilled. Although both these two procedures are agreeable from the organic perspective, nothing compares to raw fresh fruits and vegetables. People often tend to overlook that even the oil and the spices added to the meal should be organic too, yet, to some users’ opinion such organic food recipes are a bit far-fetched.

Use the ingredients in the less processed form as much as possible. The extra-virgin oil is surely the only acceptable if we think that vegetable oil loses all its nutrients when passed through several industrial refining processes. Olive oil, sesame oil, palm tree oil are only a few suggestions that you can consider when cooking organic food recipes. Have a look online and check for tips that could help you improve the quality of the meals. Some of the necessary ingredients may only be available online, and you’d have to place an order and have them delivered.

Organic food recipes depend on ingredients like milk and eggs, particularly when making desert. These two types of products are available with many manufacturers, but the costs are a bit higher. Nevertheless, organic food recipes are ideal for the entire family, whether you have small children or not. Statistics indicate that people who stick to organic food enjoy better health and higher energy levels. Don’t get too complex to find organic food recipes, you can actually adjust the old ones you are so familiar with but this time relying only on quality chemical free ingredients certified as organic.

Popularity: 18% [?]

The organic food market has grown at an extraordinary pace over the last five years and the growth is far from ending here. Thus, estimates indicate that there will be a doubling of the present sales by 2011. Such statistics have in fact given a new direction to the development of the organic food market as more and more food producers have taken up these lines of production trying to capitalize on them. Consumers, on the other hand, want to avoid chemicals, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and the genetically modified organisms that are present in conventional foods, and people are really looking for labels that read ORGANIC.

The extension of the organic food market is therefore rooted in the increased consumer awareness that non-organic foods are dangerous. The more we learn about the additives and chemical substances in non-organic products, the higher the eagerness to buy something organic. In time, the exposure of the processed food risks will determine a whole new evolution direction of the organic food market. And people shop at supermarkets, which is why, retailers have to offer attractive products that are considered organic commodities at a very affordable price. Consequently, when you go to Wal-Mart you expect to get organic foods at a fairly decent rate.

The organic food market is presently serviced by a huge number of producers worldwide. Export of organic products is not held in too high esteem although it represents an agreeable commercial practice. The emphasis and the responsibility at the same time falls on local producers, farmers or farming groups that address the needs of the local market sector. Efforts are presently being made to extend the organic food market by an increase of the production. This growth can only be achieved if more and more manufacturers get caught in the system. There is however a risk in this extension.

With the higher demand for organic foods, the sales of conventional products will drop. The problem here is that even the regular items on the organic food market can become subject to the production haste that will involve some form of automated processing or food treatment, thus, pushing the all organic principles a bit further, making them rather loose in fact. Therefore, we could be assisting right now to an alteration of the standards that make organic foods so appealing to the health-concerned consumers. Regulations therefore have to remain strict and their implementation by control organs has to be impeccable.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Anyone aware of the amount of chemicals included in highly processed food is aware of the importance and the benefits of organic foods in the first place. By the difference between conventional and organic food, we don’t necessarily imply that between an apple grown organically and another regular one. What needs to be insisted on consists in the real benefits of organic foods for health first and foremost.

Lots of consumers suffering from some form of chronic illness or even cancer, choose organic foods as safer and more health oriented than conventional products. Even if the nutritional value is not that different between the two trends, the use of chemicals, hormones and pesticides in the production of non-organic foods has an impact on the positive qualities of the product in the first place. Lots of consumer analyses do not insist on the difference in nutrients value, there are studies however that point out to the superiority and the benefits of organic foods in this sense.

It seems that among the benefits of organic foods we ought to include more vitamin C, higher levels of trace minerals and plenty of anti-oxidant nutrients. A report issued by the US Department of Agriculture indicates that there has been a significant decline in the minerals levels of meat, dairy and vegetables since 1940 in terms of regular non-organic crops. The present-day extensive storage and the intense processing of the crops further lowers the quality of conventional foods.

Surprising benefits of organic foods include the higher content of dry matter. To make this clear, we have to consider the fact that the use of the artificial fertilizers causes the fruits or vegetables to retain more water and thus swell. Thus, a non-organic apple gives less food than an organic one. Nevertheless, besides the different amounts of nutrients, there are other advantages to organic food.

First of all, there are almost no pesticide residues in organic products. Even if conventional food producers claim that pesticides are no threat to human health, one doesn’t have to be an expert to know that the ingestion of anything chemical cannot help or be 100% safe for the system. The benefits of organic foods are over-emphasized at present, with more and more people choosing them over conventional foods. In time this preference will definitely trigger a reorientation of the market and even a redefinition of the standards that characterize organic food in the first place.

Popularity: 23% [?]

The consume of organic meats is a very healthy choice for people who care about their personal well being and for the environment. The difference from industrial farms is that organic livestock gets grown in a significantly higher ethical manner, without causing deforestation and an incredible annual consume of grains. Here are some of the advantages that come with organic meats.

No antibiotics, hormones or other artificial drugs are allowed for animals grown organically. Moreover, legislation forbids that livestock from organic farms be fed on genetically modified foods. Organic meats are therefore a lot purer because of what the animals eat and how they are treated in farms. Plus, we can add here the significant safety of the products as compared to the factory produced counterparts.

For instance, studies indicate that the mad cow disease is closely connected with bovines being fed on the ground remains of their same species. The disease affects humans who consume contaminated meat, and the symptoms appear after a pretty long period of time but with the same intense and devastating impact. Organic meats come from animals that are not fed on any form of ground up animal parts and therefore pose almost no risk of infestation.

The treatment of the animals is also important for the quality of organic foods. In factory farms, animals are kept in very small pens without the possibility to move more than just a few feet away during their entire life. Animals grown on organic farms are allowed to graze and range without too much confinement. This means that the organic meats produced on such farms have all the positive properties resulting from a natural fresh diet.

By eating organic meats you also encourage the environment protection and the reduction of pollution resulting from manure. Industrial farms are often characterized as very large polluting agents; on the other hand, small farms use the manure to fertilize the soil and thus enter it in a natural circuit that is totally harmless.

Buy organic meats from local farms or organic stores that sell a diversity of products that should provide something for any user. You can choose from chicken, pork, beef or veal that are not exposed to chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. The land on which the livestock is grown is safe from persistent chemical residues like dioxin, for instance, that passes into animal fat and then poisons the user. Eat organic and you’ll stay healthy!

Popularity: 21% [?]

With the increasing emphasis put on organic food production, more and more people access the Internet for solutions that involve organic products. Besides the possibility to get lots of information on nutrients, health benefits and health threats posed by non-organic items, consumers now have the chance to actually order organic foods online. Plenty of stores advertise on the Internet, with the mention that the perishable nature of the products does not allow for long distance transportation. Therefore most of the organic foods online come from local businesses, family farms and markets that deliver the goods in no more than two days.

It is however preferable to buy from local suppliers who can actually deliver the organic foods online orders on the same day or within twenty-four hours. In case there is no organic food availability in your area, you can search on the Internet for maps and reviews on the organic products suppliers and retailers that are closest and thus most geographically advantageous for you as a buyer. The items that are frozen or chilled require special packaging for the preservation of the temperature. Once you find an organic store online that suits your needs, move on to checking their offer together with the terms and conditions.

Besides the product cost, organic foods online orders also involve some supplementary charges that are required for transportation purposes. It may be the case with some web sites to offer discounts for larger purchases; yet, keep in mind that there could be a minimum product quantity required under certain circumstances. In case you want to purchase eggs, you won’t be able to order just ten organic items, and the price will be usually applied to cartons or the form of packaging offered by the online retailer or the producer. Check all such details before the order or the purchase.

The most reliable organic foods online stores will have a geographical limitation in terms of delivery. This policy corresponds to the necessity to provide viable products that preserve all their properties and do not deteriorate during transportation. The whole purpose of the purchase is for the products to be fresh, raw and in perfect condition when they reach the customer. Make sure that you take such aspects into consideration when you place an order. And last but not least, remember the fact that it is a lot better to shop with local suppliers, meaning that the Internet should be the alternative when you have no choice.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Natural organic products have got the upper-hand when it comes to shoppers’ preferences, and lots of companies have started introducing them as a means to increase their sales. Natural organic products speak of better health and higher quality because of the special non-processed form of the ingredients. Presently, there are special sections in supermarkets where shoppers can read the organic certification for fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meat, which is a guarantee of the product origin and production specifics. In fact, lots of supermarket chains have special contracts with exclusive suppliers of natural organic products, and this influences positively the price policy applied.

Moreover, consumers are more and more interested to read and learn about natural organic products, they need to know what they pay their money for. Market studies indicate that there is quite a number of people who do not know how to shop for natural organic products because of this very improper access to information. The advantages of organic foods are the main aspects one should be aware of in order to make a smart purchase. Thus, it suffices to say that the nutritional value of organic food is much higher than that of regular products. Thus, there are more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthier proteins.

There are other issues closely connected with the purchase of natural organic products. When you mainly rely on this kind of food, you are not the only one to benefit from its advantages: there will be a lot less stress on the environment, for instance. This is the reason why so many green life supporters focus on the organic side of food and ban anything that has been highly processed, fertilized or treated with insecticides. With the emphasis on natural organic products we may wonder on the possible evolution of the food market in the coming years.

Will natural organic products stick to a high quality level? Will there be a corruption at the heart of the system and even organic items will undergo some processing? Will regular crops disappear? Predictions can be made, but the truth is that we are writing the future ourselves. It is easy to understand why in the context of a more organic-demanding market, many regular food producers will adapt to the new conditions. However, the risk of this adjustment is the sacrifice of the high quality of the natural organic products. It therefore remains to be seen which will win the battle of regular vs. organic.

Popularity: 20% [?]

There are lots of challenges to overcome for anyone who tries to create an organic vegetable garden. The process extends over several seasons, but when you finally get results you’ll be able to enjoy homegrown veggies that are not only tasty but very healthy too. Organic gardening in fact makes the oldest form of plant cultivation, it is not at all expensive and it can be undertaken by any one preoccupied with developing a hobby or improving health.

The size of the organic vegetable garden is not important: in fact it can cover just a few square feet on the top of your house roof or several acres. The first difficulty one may encounter in the attempt to start the cultivation of the plants is the crisis of organic seeds. The problem is that in order to have a real organic vegetable garden, you have to begin with seeds that are completely free of chemicals or irradiation residues. Therefore, ask around in your town or order them on the Internet.

The benefits of an organic vegetable garden are manifold. First of all when there are no pesticides or herbicides used in the plant cultivation, the crops remain unaffected by the chemicals, the soil preserves its quality for several years and the creatures living in it will aid to the regeneration of the garden. Furthermore, the organic vegetable garden has the advantage of covering the needs of the family in a very cheap, safe and easy way. When you run a farm in parallel with an organic vegetable garden things get even more profitable.

The manure from the animals can be used as a natural fertilizer that makes the crops even more profitable. All one needs for an organic vegetable garden should be available locally; there are no high costs and the necessary items come for very decent prices. You can find all sorts of gardening tips in books on natural gardening and learn the tricks of the trade specific to tradition. Just a relevant example here: think of the fact that corn and beans grown together as very practical; you won’t need any sticks for the beans because they will climb on the corn stalks.

The seeds, the soil and the organic compost will all play an important role in the development of the organic vegetable garden. Do not neglect any of these aspects and your home production will be a success and a reward for all the work involved in the process.

Popularity: 17% [?]

With hypermarkets becoming an agglomeration of poisoning so-called foods, and in the conditions of more and more sensitivities and illness, it’s no wonder people turn towards natural organic foods. Although analyses between conventional and non-conventional foods are relevant, any consumer can use his/her common sense to decide whether the foods he/she buys are good for health. The dangers that lurk in non-organic foods are hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and fertilizers. The non-organic livestock is raised in very harsh conditions, while the fruit and vegetables are synthetically boosted to look great and take the consumer’s eye. By contrast, natural organic foods are cultivated or grown according to the rules of Mother Nature, with very little human intervention.

Natural organic foods may also have traces of pesticide residues, but these are usually drifted from nearby farms that use chemicals for crop production. Furthermore, with natural organic foods there are a lot more nutrients and fewer threats for the health. If we take the example of organic eggs, analyses indicate that besides the lack of hormones and antibiotics, there is less saturated fat, less cholesterol, more Vitamin A, twice more Omega-3 acids, huge amounts of beta-carotene and seven times more Vitamin E than in non-organic eggs. The difference is therefore huge, not to mention that the quality of the protein is significant too.

The word is spreading about the advantages of natural organic foods, and since not all geographic areas benefit from the direct access to organic retailers, it is good to know that many of the products can be now ordered online from the closest source. If you want to buy natural organic foods, it is more likely to find them at the market than in hypermarkets. Moreover, in case you travel to the country side, the chances to find producers of natural organic foods is a lot higher. Make a bit of research and see where you find them and whether you can make some supplies.

The only disadvantage of natural organic foods is their price, because they are between 10% and 40% more expensive than non-organic foods. When it comes to vegetables and fruits, the products are very easy to recognize by their look: there will be no huge perfect apples or strawberries, but various fruit sizes, some flawed, others intact. The same thing stays valid for meat, but you will only be able to tell which is which by shopping from the special organic sectors in markets or supermarkets.

Popularity: 22% [?]