Response to Athavi's: Organic Food: Is it Worth the Price?

Athavi's post is a very interesting and also relevant for all of us, since we all eat food. Her position is that we should try to stay away from pesticides and other dangerous food cultivation processes. Money should not take precedence over the quality of food, especially when there are unknown consequences for the ingestion of food treated with toxic pesticides. While those against organic farming point at high prices and perhaps an increase in danger since the USDA does not check organic produce, there seems to be a void in that argument. In order for one farm to gain organic certification, it takes years and years of work and investment. On top of time and money invested, the farms also have a greater loss of produce when disease or insect invasion occur, therefore prices have to cover for the loss of produce that may not have happened if pesticides were used.
For consumers, it comes down to how tight a budget a person is on while shopping for groceries. If one can afford organic, I’m not sure why you would prefer commercial agriculture over organic. There are claims that organic foods may be dangerous to consumers because of the “natural” fertilizers are actually more hazardous than conventional fertilizers. Apparently for consumers, we have a choice between harsh chemicals or natural toxins, or which farming method you approve of.
Athavi’s blog post was very clear, and connected her personal thoughts with resources on both sides of the organic food debate. Her sources could have been a little more recent than 2007 and 2008, but they are sufficient. I agree with her thoughts that money should not trump quality, but fresh, quality produce that does not hurt the people or the land should be the ideals of consumers and farmers alike.

Fake Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a common dish, but today, hardly anyone has time to make homemade mashed potatoes, right? Well, eating the fake version of mashed potatoes for few years may force you to go running back for Grandma's simple recipe. The taste of fake mashed potatoes does not compare to the real form. The texture and density of the fake mashed potatoes are inconsistent, with pockets of powdery explosions hidden in the mix.
While the ingredients of the fake form may mimic real mashed potatoes, they do not add up to the same amount of nutrients (especially vitamins C and B6). It is not a total loss, but it appears that any metabolic change to food, reduces the amount of nutrients. This includes flash freezing of potatoes. The time saved by cooking fake mashed potatoes may seem worth it, but you are losing out on taste and nutrients.
I made the switch to eating fake mashed potatoes when I came to college. Time is a valuable commodity and if I could save 30 minutes by not skinning, cutting, and boiling the potatoes, I would go for the instant mashed potatoes. Instantly, meaning assembled in less than 10 minutes. I can't take fake mashed potatoes any longer. (I may be broke, but I am not tasteless!) Plus, real potatoes, milk, and butter are not very expensive. Therefore, price isn't the motivation behind purchasing instant mashed potatoes; it is the convenience and the time saving.
An article professes that mashed potatoes can be marvelous despite coming from a box or package. I have to disagree as a loyal fan of the real mashed potatoes, only on the grounds that fake mashed potatoes do not resemble the real version whatsoever. The writer proclaims "Cooking with instant mashed potatoes is a good way to save on time and effort. Though its taste and nutrition do not match with the freshly mashed potatoes, yet it is very convenient and easy to prepare." I must proclaim that we need a return to real foods, and the less pressure or processing or cooking you put your food through, you are generally going to have more flavor and more nutrients.