Thread: Farmers Markets, Organic Meat and Produce

Hi all. Anyone know any good farmers markets and family owned stores in the Waikato that sell more organically grow meat, poultry and produce? Doc's told me to clean up my eating, go organic.

Try the butcher in Pokeno,in there a few days ago,good sausages and nice looking meat.

Originally Posted by Three O'Three

Hi all. Anyone know any good farmers markets and family owned stores in the Waikato that sell more organically grow meat, poultry and produce? Doc's told me to clean up my eating, go organic.

I would be getting a second opinion on benefits of organic from another Doctor - clean up eating -hmmmm sure that was not more about ditching the McDonalds and pies - is your Doctor a vegan or ardent new age vegetarian - cause organic that's strange advice based on what ???

organic is often twice the price of a similar product for a feel good factor only..... most small towns have a morning market,a tiny bit of internet surfing will unveil any near you...or ask someone with facebook to ask question...be flooded with replies.

Organic (spray free) is definately not just a feel good factor.

You are what you eat. If you ever want to be healthy you will need to eat healthy. And no, eating healthy is not what some greenie vegans claim it is

Avoiding minuscule pesticide residues in meat , fruit and vegetables will not change your health status but will slim your wallet.

Your doc should have focused you on whole foods and avoiding highly refined ingredients and processed foods. Also likely eating less for most folks.

Having worked in the pesticide registration space for many years in nz and Aust. there is a 100x safety factor involved in setting MRL’s and pesticide use patterns and labels.

Farmers these days on the whole follow labels closely.


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Originally Posted by STC

Organic (spray free) is definately not just a feel good factor.

No, but its definitely also quite misleading and mostly just a conventional marketing buzzword these days. There are a million bad unhealthy practices that are still allowed under 'organic' rules.

Go find and speak to some small operators that grow and raise veges and animals with their own hands, and buy direct from them. Start looking for alternatives instead of just patronising the big non-transparent corporates (i.e. almost anything on the conventional supermarket shelves, including 'organic' stuff)
I no longer go to my local farmers market often, the vendors there tend to price their products with very wealthy people in mind. I found real food doesn't have to be quite that expensive if you look for the right people and buy direct. Its still more expensive though, and thats okay. For example, me and my friends buy 40L of real whole unpasteurized milk each week from a small local farmer (I know this is illegal), for $1.50/L. I bought a whole beef carcass from a local farmer the other day, got it processed by a small local butcher, and although its less convenient it was quite affordable in the big scheme of things, compared to buying retail cuts. (Way nicer meat too, shot in the field and hung for a couple weeks in the chiller)
It takes more effort to learn about your food and find local unmolested sources. But its pretty rewarding and you'll make friends with some very good people. I'm learning how to raise my own food, and thats even more rewarding again
I know many of the forum members are farmers and may scoff at my city-boy opinions

milk direct from farm is legal..its for the cat!!!!! there are farm supply places for humans..one in Timaru another by elma on main road if memory serves me right.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

milk direct from farm is legal..its for the cat!!!!! there are farm supply places for humans..one in Timaru another by elma on main road if memory serves me right.

Two more near Palmerston North
MG

Originally Posted by Three O'Three

Hi all. Anyone know any good farmers markets and family owned stores in the Waikato that sell more organically grow meat, poultry and produce? Doc's told me to clean up my eating, go organic.

I suspect in the shock of that announcement you may have misconstrued a bit of it - not hard I've done that before...

We did something similar with this a wee while back - have a 6 year old boy who's 'suspected celiac' simply because the testing is unreliable at his age and now he's off gluten due to being as sick as he was and us making the change to try to fix him, putting him back on is a one-meal thing and the boy's crook as a farken dog. Only testing for it is internal biopsy showing the reaction, he has the genetic markers but it's not a reliable enough test for diagnosis from a pediatrician unfortunately.

But, in working out where gluten is in foods - man are we eating different now. Basically all ultra-processed foods are gone, most premade packaged stuff is out and a lot of the preservatives like nitrates and sulphites are out due to the lack of ultra-processed stuff. No takeaways or being very circumspect with them, even things like sushi is a real careful purchase and you'd think that is just seaweed rice and fish. It basically means our diet is pretty bloody cleaned up, feeling better and losing weight slowly even despite the injury. Pretty much we make everything ourselves so no more pre-purchased meal and snack options at all.

Growing your own veg and the like is a really good option too, but more work.

Originally Posted by Three O'Three

Hi all. Anyone know any good farmers markets and family owned stores in the Waikato that sell more organically grow meat, poultry and produce? Doc's told me to clean up my eating, go organic.

Greetings @Three O'Three,
I have had a series of these conversations with health professionals over many years mostly involving my mass and girth. Being a slow learner it has taken me roughly 40 years to get on top of the problem and now 30 kg lighter other health issues have taken precedence. As others have mentioned "cleaning up your eating" is likely the main part of the message. Cutting back on ultra processed carbohydrate, saturated fat and salt and increasing intake of simple carbohydrates like vegetables and wholemeal grains has worked for me. Limiting or in my case cutting out alcohol has helped as well.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Brad S

No, but its definitely also quite misleading and mostly just a conventional marketing buzzword these days. There are a million bad unhealthy practices that are still allowed under 'organic' rules.

Go find and speak to some small operators that grow and raise veges and animals with their own hands, and buy direct from them. Start looking for alternatives instead of just patronising the big non-transparent corporates (i.e. almost anything on the conventional supermarket shelves, including 'organic' stuff)
I no longer go to my local farmers market often, the vendors there tend to price their products with very wealthy people in mind. I found real food doesn't have to be quite that expensive if you look for the right people and buy direct. Its still more expensive though, and thats okay. For example, me and my friends buy 40L of real whole unpasteurized milk each week from a small local farmer (I know this is illegal), for $1.50/L. I bought a whole beef carcass from a local farmer the other day, got it processed by a small local butcher, and although its less convenient it was quite affordable in the big scheme of things, compared to buying retail cuts. (Way nicer meat too, shot in the field and hung for a couple weeks in the chiller)
It takes more effort to learn about your food and find local unmolested sources. But its pretty rewarding and you'll make friends with some very good people. I'm learning how to raise my own food, and thats even more rewarding again
I know many of the forum members are farmers and may scoff at my city-boy opinions

I 100% agree about the local sourcing of food, and it is what we do wherever it is possible or practical.

Yeah the Dunedin Farmers market is a waste of time and money.

bout the only thing I buy at those kind of markets are some of the home made chutneys and pickles much of the produce is way over priced especially the meat

And... do due diligence regarding whether they are actually using true organic principles when raising their animals for meat. I've known some that advertise their meat as "organic", but that was far from the truth....

dead right mate like those free range eggs letting 1000 chooks out into a half acre of bare ground is hardly free range I had 60 chooks at one point in the Waioeka Gorge and they had acres of fern and scrub to wander around in