Whole Ski Bum and Whole Paycheck: A Tale of Organic Food and Low Budgets
Ski towns are not cheap to live in. This should come as a surprise to no one. Imagine living where other people vacation, surrounded by multi-million dollar second homes, and making barely above minimum wage. While it comes at a cost to live in a resort town there are certainly perks: living within a minutes drive of multiple world-class ski resorts, enjoying mornings before work playing on the slopes, avoiding the weekend traffic driving to the mountains from the city. And, you know, the views aren’t so bad either.
While 10 years later I’m still happy to call Summit County, Colorado my home, I understand that to sustain yourself in these parts and actually have a little disposable income leftover requires careful use of your financial resources. Paying $1000 a month to rent a bedroom in a house with five other people (as I fortunately I haven’t had to do since I first ventured out to Colorado) on a resort employee salary doesn’t typically leave you with much wiggle room when it comes to other life expenses. Knowing the right people and the best happy hour deals is key to survival if you want to eat out at often overpriced restaurants. But making the right choices at the grocery store is equally important if you don’t want to subsist entirely on ramen.
A few years back Whole Foods built a store in the area, adding a higher end option than Kroger and Safeway. It seemed like a natural addition in a place where certain wealthy visitors couldn’t possibly be seen among the plebes in Safeway when stocking their second homes for the two weeks a year they use them. But is Whole Foods the best choice for locals scraping by from paycheck to paycheck? While many were excited to see a store that prides itself on “natural” options, the answer for me isn’t so black and white.
When Snowboarding and Wellness Collide
Ski town denizens typically live in mountain settings because they like to be active and spend time outdoors. (Though in all fairness some are in it for après scene and legal weed.) It’s not surprising that the mountain sports enthusiasts would also be interested in maintaining their health so they can continue to participate in said alpine endeavors for many years. I find more skiers and riders I know personally, as well as professionals, are getting into the conversation about food and wellness.
In fact the snowboard scene seems to be increasingly integrating with popular health movements. I can’t scroll through Instagram without seeing some pro snowboarder in a yoga pose or hawking the newest healthy snack that you just can’t live without on the slopes. This is by no means a bad thing: people wanting to eat better and live healthier. However, when you go down the internet rabbit hole of researching “healthy” eating, much of the reasonable advice becomes convoluted with bad information — and the snowboard community is not immune to this. I regularly see both peers of mine and professional athletes alike espousing health information laden with pseudoscience and misconceptions.
The internet is already rife with fear mongering about the food we eat: articles about how sugar is actually poison, scary reports about all the pesticides in our food, headlines about meat causing cancer. Suddenly it’s not enough to eat in moderation, get your daily fruits and vegetables, and move your ass occasionally; you have to make sure to eat “clean” as well to save yourself from all these supposed poisons lurking in our food supply.
Many snowboarders in their quest to not only improve their own health but educate others, get sucked into this vortex. On more than one occasion I’ve stumbled across interviews of professional snowboarders reminding readers about the dangers of GMOS (or transgenic crops to label them more accurately). Clearly outside their wheelhouses, their explanations were chock full of inaccuracies. In a recipe posted to Free People Blog for superfood smoothies, former pros Chanelle Sladics and Kjersti Buaas explained that they choose organic for many reasons: to avoid all those hidden toxins and nasty chemicals in conventional farming, guaranteed non-GMO, and higher nutrients.
There are actual activists organizations (often well funded by the organic industry) creating content specifically designed to scare you away from conventional food. They utilize warm, fuzzy pictures of idyllic apparently organic farms to convince you that they are on the side of all things good and natural and that modern agribusiness is slowly killing you with all those new-fangled chemicals and techniques. While their marketing is often effective, especially among the health conscious, we’re perhaps even more susceptible to information coming from our friends or athletes we respect.
What’s the problem?
So if our peers are coming from the right place in trying to provide to protect you from supposed evils of the food industry, and help keep you on your board well past your youth, what’s my damn problem then? I frequently find myself in this situation, in which I’m on the wrong side of popular sentiment. However, my concerns are twofold. First, much of the demonization of non-organic food is inaccurate and when I see faulty information being passed around it makes me twitch a little.
Perhaps more importantly is that this climate of fear around what we put in our bodies is scaring people away from food that is perfectly safe and creating a culture in which people feel compelled to shell over extra money to buy organic versions of products. But does the evidence suggest that there is legitimate reason people should pay a premium to protect their health?
For me the answer is a well-researched no. Organic food is one of those subjects that people talk about with so much authority but with little understanding of what the label actually means. In fact, many otherwise well-informed and educated people spread the same ideas we all constantly hear about organic food: it doesn’t use pesticides, it’s better for the environment, it’s nutritionally superior. None of which is entirely true, some of which is downright false. But you should not just take my word on it, so let’s take a moment to find out what the experts and evidence have to say.
A Not So Brief Lesson on Organic
<rant> It would undoubtedly take more than one blog to truly do justice to the complex topic of organic versus conventional farming. However there is one major reason most people cite when opting for that organic label — to avoid pesticides. This stands to reason given how often we’ve been told by advocacy group or Facebook friends that pesticides are posing a danger to our health.
One teensy weensy problem here: organic farming also uses pesticides. For many this is a surprising revelation as the organic industry tries to brush over that fact by claiming (only somewhat accurately) that they don’t use synthetic pesticides. While there are a handful of synthetic pesticides actually approved in organic farming, USDA organic certification also allows for naturally-derived pesticides in organic farming.
I will take a short pause for a quick chemistry lesson here. Whether or not a chemical is synthetic or natural does not tell us anything about it’s safety or efficacy. I could talk about this for days, I mean cyanide is natural, as are venomous snakes. The most deadly toxin known to mankind is botulinum toxin, a teaspoon of which could kill a quarter of the world’s population. It is patently absurd to assume natural can’t mean harmful. But I digress; for now here’s a fascinating read on the subject.
By extension the same logic applies to synthetic versus natural pesticides. Simply because a pesticide (which includes herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) is derived naturally does not tell us anything about its safety, efficacy, or potential for environmental damage. Zilch, nada, nothing. Scientists and science writers have done a better job than myself explaining how organic and synthetic pesticides match up when it comes to safety and toxicity.
Christie Wilcox of Scientific American does a head-to-head comparison of several commonly used organic versus non-organic pesticides. The organic counterparts did not always fare better, and in fact several have higher acute toxicity as measured by the LD50 (the lethal dose required to kill 50 percent of the population), more observed chronic effects in animals testing, and more harmful to non-target species. More so, because certain organic pesticides aren’t as effective, they may even require more frequent spraying that more targeted synthetics.
This is not to alarm anyone about pesticides used in organic farming, but simply to point out that being an organically derived pesticide doesn’t automatically make it safer. Despite the fact that the word “toxic” is bandied around in conjunction with pesticides, I would argue that whether that apple your chowing down on is organic or not, we can eat in peace. Anyone well-versed in toxicology will inevitably remind you of the common but entirely accurate saying that “the dose makes the poison.” A substance can be toxic at high levels but perfectly safe at low doses.
When it comes to pesticides we’re talking parts per million or per billion that we may encounter on our food. As the Credible Hulk explains, the EPA sets the Reference Dose or maximum “oral exposure to the human population that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime” very conservatively. The EPA determines the lowest dose that could cause any harm to the most sensitive animal species tested, and multiplies that by 100 out of an abundance of caution. The Credible Hulk extrapolates that in the case of the rather benign but oft vilified glyphosate herbicide, we would only reach the tolerance set by the EPA (which is still 100x lower than the level deemed potentially harmful) if we ate 62 pound of produce a day.
No one is suggesting that we should be using pesticides willy-nilly or start drowning crops in them. As Jenny Burgess, a farmer herself points out, “chemicals should be used only when needed and used sparingly. Using too much could cause harm to our soil health as well as runoff could harm any wildlife in the area. Chemicals are a great tool to help us, but they are expensive.” More so, when used in conjunction with other techniques, such as genetic resistance or crop rotations, we can minimize their application and increase the efficacy of controlling pests.
Sure you may be able to avoid spraying in your own little garden. But if some critter decides to eat your tomatoes you won’t risk going bankrupt. We should quit demonizing farmers of any type when we know little about how farming on a large scale or how feeding millions of people actually works. As both Burgess and Steven Savage elucidate in an article on Best Foods Facts, without pesticides certain crops wouldn’t be viable to grow and quality may suffer; prices would also likely rise.
Aside from safety concerns it’s widely believed organic is inherently more nutritious, an idea which is entirely unsupported by the science. Meta studies comparing the nutritional value of organic and conventional food found that there is minimal difference nutritionally between the two. While organic foods may have had slightly higher levels of antioxidants or phosphorus , the differences are trivial and the health benefits unclear according to Professor Tom Sanders. Organic food had slightly lower levels of protein, nitrates and fiber.
Another reason many people will cite for shopping organic is to help protect the environment. I fear, however, that I have already gone on too long of a tangent and some of you may be ready to go back to staring at cats on Instagram (how I spend 50% of the time on my phone). However, I can’t understate the complexity of this topic. Both methods of farming incorporate techniques that can be advantageous in reducing carbon footprint and other environmental impacts. As Steven Savage argues, it’s likely a combination of methods used in organic and conventional farming that will create the best results.
However there is one major caveat with organic farming that is hard to ignore: lower yields. Estimates find that organic has 25% lower yields on average, though it varies from crop to crop. If we switch to entirely organic production in the USA on the low end we’d need to clear land the size of New Mexico up to the size of California to produce the same amount of food, as Marc Brazeau explains.
Introduction of transgenic corn, which expresses the insecticidal proteins from BT (a commonly used organic pesticide) has reduced spraying, improved yields, and saved farmers billions of dollars.[/caption]
I will conclude my aside on organic with some recommended reading if you want to delve deeper into the subject. I personally have spent hours upon hours reading information from scientists, farmers, toxicologists, and food scientists, and it has been enlightening for this girl who grew up in a city far from the fields. One of the first articles that plunged me into the discussion is this well-researched Slate piece.
Whole Foods and the Campaign of Fear
When you consider the evidence, the reality: organic food isn’t inherently safer, healthier, or better for the environment. However, it is more expensive. Whole Foods might be the worst offender when it comes to exorbitant pricing. Once when in Whole Foods, I picked up some butter, read the nine dollar price tag, and put it immediately down. However, what really grinds my gears is that Whole Foods relies on people’s fears to push their higher priced products. You can’t walk into Whole Foods without being inundated with signs about non-GMO, organic, or antibiotic free food.
The marketing may be effective at convincing people to shop there, but it is just that — marketing. In fact whether in Whole Foods or a regular grocery store, when you pick up a pack of chicken labeled “grown without growth hormones” or “antibiotic free” you are paying more to feel sanctimonious. Growth hormones aren’t approved for use in poultry or pork, and if a farmer has to treat livestock with antibiotics there is a mandatory withdrawal period as well as USDA inspection to ensure it doesn’t reach our food.
While Whole Foods prides itself on GMO labeling, much of the fear surrounding genetically engineered crops is misguided at best and maliciously propagated at worst. Again I wish I had all day to sit down and give a talk about a topic I have read about ad nausea. For now suffice it to say genetic engineering presents no more risk than any other plant breeding method regularly used and hundreds of studies have demonstrated the safety of genetically engineered crops.
You’re welcome to flag me down on the slopes if you want my thoughts — or put a few beers in me, bring up GMOS, and let me go. In fact, learning about the disconnect between what the science says on genetic engineering and the many misconceptions perpetuated on the topic, helped spark my interest in combating pseudoscience and general malarkey on the internet. But if you can’t find me here are some relevant reads from Slate and Neurologica.
One of my favorite science communicators, Kavin Senepathy hits the nail on the head in describing how Whole Foods operates. As she opines, Whole Foods culture creates a “false dichotomy that non-GMO and organic foods are somehow healthy and wholesome, while regular old food is junk. ” We have the safest, most abundant, and varied food supply of any time in history and we should not allow organic marketing, advocacy groups, or yes, other like-minded athletes to convince us otherwise. However well meaning our snow sliding friends are in their efforts to educate about health, I’d argue it’s actually doing a disservice to turn people off from food that is perfectly safe and oftentimes cheaper.
Bringing it Back to the Slopes.
As I alluded to earlier, ski town residents aren’t exactly rolling in money. Many are working two jobs just to pay high bills, often in tiring service industry jobs (yes, trying not roll your eyes at inane questions asked by tourists is a full-time job). But if any person is convinced they are doing harm to themselves or not living their healthiest life if they don’t shop organic, they may feel compelled to fork over more of their paycheck.
Walking into Whole Foods, which has been jokingly deemed Whole Paycheck, may put a bigger dent in someone’s wallet than they can afford. While their prices have dropped some since their acquisition by Amazon, you’re still looking at a 27% discount by shopping at biggest grocery chain, Kroger, versus Whole Foods. While on average the premium you pay to set foot in a Whole Foods has been estimated at 12%, certain items have been found to be double the price of their counterparts, such as cheddar cheese.
Even if you’re picking up your organic food at other retailers, Consumer Reports found that when they compared 100 different products, the organic options was on average 47% more expensive. While occasionally you might find an organic item cheaper than it’s counterpart, prices can be as much as three times higher. I recently walked into City Market and saw organic white onions on sales for $1.99 a pound; the regular white onions were .89 cents.
While there is regular debate about health information, one thread remains consistent among doctors, dietitians, and scientists: eating more fruits and vegetables is good. Spending less per pound means more money can be dedicated to buying fresh and nutritious foods. In fact any savings on food costs could also be put towards health insurance, often a luxury in seasonal or service-based work, but undoubtedly important for maintenance of your health.
I personally opt not to shop at Whole Foods typically. You might say I’m a reverse snob. Their anti-scientific marketing rubs me the wrong way. I understand there are certain specialty foods, brands, cheeses (mmm cheese), or prepared foods, that you can only find in Whole Foods and would not wish to deter anyone from purchasing their favorites nosh. I would also concede that they have some damn good cakes in the bakery (trust me to find the least healthy food in that store.)
However, whether you choose to shop at Whole Foods or buy organic, we should all be more conscious of what information we’re passing along to our friends in the snow sports community, or to the world at large.