Tom C. brought up an excellent point- that there are many family farmers
that grow crops that are not organic, but still need to be supported. This
year's Farm Aid "theme" or "pitch", whatever one wants to call it, seemed to
have an emphasis on organic foods, but what's most important is the
continuing elimination of the small family farmer by huge corporate farms.
True, many of us cannot afford to buy everything organic (although lately I
have noticed that there's less of a price difference between conventionally
grown and organic produce), we can still do our part, for instance, by
seeking out locally-grown produce that is sold at those mom-and-pop roadside
stands, thanks to the efforts of small family farmers. Their fruits and
vegetables are freshly picked, and even if not organic, tastes quite a bit
better than what can be gotten at a major grocery chain, plus the prices are
the same, or in most cases less expensive !
Lynn
