Feature Story

I always thought that those who followed the so-called "organic lifestyle" were “tree-hugging hippies.” I also thought that organic food would taste like cardboard and take all the fun out of eating.

"Going Green" is a big thing right now though. There has been raised awareness on the environment by the public and so despite my worries about this lifestyle, I thought maybe I should work on being a bit more environmentally friendly as well.

For one week I had a totally organic experience. Anything that touched my mouth was bought from an organic grocery store or an organic restaurant.

Boy, was I wrong about that food tasting like cardboard. It was delicious! But before getting into that, what is organic food? According to the National Organic Program (NOP). Organic food is made without any chemicals. For example, if you go to Wal-mart and buy apples, what you're getting is fruit that has been sprayed with pesticides. These chemicals are not only damaging to the earth but to our bodies as well.

Karen Pusin owns an organic farm in Norman, Oklahoma. She says “one of the major benefits of the organic approach is the building up of organic matter in the soil. This absorbs and holds water better, a very important feature in our erratic climate." She added that organic food also is grown so that there isn't any chemical run-off, like there is with non-organic food; therefore, waterways are less polluted.

Pusin’s farm distributes its food to many local organic stores. One of which is Norman's "The Earth Natural Foods."

They have everything! My favorite is the bread. Inorganic bread is made with high fructose corn syrup, chemical preservatives, artificial ingredients, and sometimes things I can’t pronounce, which is never a good sign. Imagine my shock when I read what was in organic bread were all things I knew. It was basically made of wheat, water, yeast and at that point I thought it would taste horrible.

Once again, I was proved wrong. The bread was delicious. It was much more rich than regular bread. Sometimes I'd spoil myself with topping the bread with organic peanut butter. Get this- organic peanut butter is made with peanuts, inorganic is made with a little peanuts and a lot of sugar.

Kate Hass, owner of "The Earth Natural Foods" said, "Organic food are the nutrients you need, the extras in the inorganic food are what you don't need."

"The Earth Natural Foods" is doing a good thing for the earth in a variety of ways. They also provide a number of household organic items and a 10% discount to anyone who walks or rides his or her bikes to the store.

Seth Hannah, a frequent organic shopper, said he comes frequently for that small benefit. Hannah said, "following the organic lifestyle isn't always easy but it's worth it."

Hannah then pushed me to try the organic chocolate. Couldn't argue with that one obviously.

I've learned that things that are good for your body, don't taste like cardboard. Also, knowing that you’re doing something good for the earth doesn't hurt either.