Deep Dive
Shownotes Transcript
From the brains behind brains on, this is the Moment of Um. Moment of Um comes to you from APM Studios. I'm Molly Bloom. I'm in the supermarket shopping for the ingredients I need to make my award-winning chili surprise tater tot casserole.
I'll let you in on a little secret. The surprise is a layer of cottage cheese right underneath the tater tots. Nobody expects it, but everyone loves it.
Anyway, sometimes when I'm at the supermarket, I get a little overwhelmed by all the different options. Do I get red, white, or yellow onions? Should I get pinto beans or black beans? And do I need organic tomatoes? What does organic mean anyway? My friend Dallas was wondering the same thing. Hi, I'm Dallas from Vancouver, Washington. And my question is, what makes food organic? ♪
I would say that organic food is grown and made in a way that's healthy for people, animals, and the planet. Hello, I'm Chris Schreiner. I'm the Chief Executive Officer at Oregon Tilth. Our job is to help bring big changes to the food system, and we work with universities and the government and other organizations to help raise money and support for organic farming and food.
Farmers who grow organic food don't use chemicals that could harm the environment, like certain pesticides or fertilizers. The pesticide is a, usually it's a chemical that farmers spray to control pests. That could be insects or diseases or weeds.
While it's important to understand what practices organic farmers don't use, it's also important to understand the practices they do use. So they use natural ways to keep plants and soil healthy. And many of these practices have been used for hundreds of years.
They include things like crop rotation, which switch what they grow in each field from year to year. And they use natural fertilizers that come from animals and plants and break down. Organic farmers focus on having healthy soil. That soil that can hold a lot of life and a lot of water and air.
and they also raise happy animals. So organic farms treat animals really well. Organic practices are really good for the soil and organic farming protects our soil from erosion. It helps makes it healthier soil so it can keep growing good food over many, many years into the future.
Organic practices also help keep our water clean because organic farmers don't use those harmful chemicals. They keep nearby rivers and lakes and oceans clean.
clean and free from those chemicals that can run off into the to that water those farms use fewer fossil fuels like oil and gas and that means less pollution and healthier air and last and certainly not least organic farming and practices can be part of the solution to climate change um um uh
Many farmers spray their crops with man-made chemicals called pesticides to keep their fruits and veggies free of insects. Usually that food is fine to eat, as long as you give it a good wash first. But unfortunately, those pesticide chemicals can get into the soil and water, which can hurt the environment around the farms. Farmers that grow organic fruits, veggies, and animal products like milk, eggs, and meat use different chemicals that are less harmful for the environment.
They also keep their soil and crops healthy in other ways, like using chickens in their vegetable fields to eat up any pesky bugs. Good to know. I think I'll get organic fruits and veggies when I can, but if they're not available, I'll make sure to rinse them off really well before I get cooking. Ooh, look! Organic scallions are on sale! The perfect topping for a chili surprise tater tot casserole!
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