Eating Organic...anyone?

[Jenn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilpaisley Each summer we also plant our own veggie garden. Instead of pesticides we breed Praying Mantis and have the eggs hatch in the garden. Normally they take care of all the bugs…but this year has been so cold that the eggs haven’t hatched yet and we are seeing some of our pepper and strawberry plants get attacked. Hopefully they will hatch soon. I just love going to the garden and picking the veggies for dinner. It puts me in such a happy mood during the summer.

What an awesome idea about the praying mantis! How do you breed them? Just curious...

[Lilpaisley]

You start the 1st year be getting eggs. You can get them online or from a local plant nursery. They keep them in the fridge to keep them from hatching. Hang the eggs in the garden on a larger plant under a nice leaf. In about 2 weeks of nice warm weather they will hatch. Each egg has about 200 mantis. They are very tiny at 1st. (smaller than your fingernail). We let them live in the garden all summer and they will shed thier skin a few times and get bigger and bigger. They will stay in the garden all summer and eat all the pests that attack your plants.

 

When it starts to get cold out in early fall, try and catch a few of the mantis to bring inside the house. Last year we caught 4 total and ended up w/ 2 male and 2 female. We feed them crickets, flys, meal worms etc. during the winter. Each mantid is kept in it's own cage most of the time (we just got those plastic critter cages) After a they are full grown (they get wings in thier last stage) we feed the female really well and then place the male and female in the cage together for a little while. We watch them carefully so we can catch them before the female eats her mate. A few weeks later the female will create an egg. We remove the egg and keep it in the fridge until spring then hang it in the garden to hatch.

 

Our eggs from this year just hatched this weekend. My FI got some pics of the babies yesterday, I'll get them from him and post a few tonight. They are the coolest bugs. I just love to watch them

[BEACHBRIDEMA]

Eating organic is more expensive there is no doubt about it, however, I was told that regular produce contains very little nutrients b/c of all the chemicals and pestsides added to them and the soil. This is something that really sticks in my head. I guess we waste alot less food now awell b/c it can be expensive. I really try to plan out all our meals and buy only what we need for the week.

Sarah

[sdbtrflygrl]

I started eating organic for a similiar health reason and have been doing it for about two years. I love it!

 

If you live in a town that has a CSA farm you can join and get fresh/organic produce delivered each week! We have tons of them in our area and they are all about $20/week which is a whole big box of produce. I love it!

 

My FI still shops at Walmart though.

 

Here is a website you can find a CSA farm in your area.

 

Community Supported Agriculture - LocalHarvest

 

Getting the produce box is much cheaper than WF.

[beachbride08]

Fi and I just started to buy more organic food. I love the fruit from Whole Foods. To me it just tastes so much better. Although, I tried an organic rice krispie and after one bit had to spit it out. It was so gross.

[JBinjour]

I am incorporating more and more organic foods into my diet. Yes, it's pricey, but I like it. LOL, I can't seem to get the hubby onboard yet. He's constantly watching what I am eating. Once in a while, we wants to try it. I think I will convert him over very soon.

[seaprincess]

I love oatmeal in the morning because it fills me up all day long, and I recently tried an organic brand and it tastes great! I'm actually surprised! Sorry Quaker, I've just switched over!