What do you first think when you hear "organic"?

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What do you first think when you hear "organic"?

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Contributor: Antipova Antipova
It's a word with several meanings, and each meaning is very important.

Sometimes it seems like they get confused, thought---and I'm just curious. When you hear the word, with *no context clue*---which meaning pops into your head first?

I know with context clues it's usually simple to decipher what meaning the speaker intended, but I'm curious which meaning you think of in the absence of context.
Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):
A substance containing carbon atoms.
Antipova , Halfthere , Lummox , Ghost , CoffeeCup , Screen Door , Gunsmoke , ap-the-aper , BellaDonna2884 , dv8 , P'Gell , Rockin' , Starkiller87 , Wild Orchid , Taylor , Gracie , Pixel , Gone (LD29)
18  (28%)
Food/crops grown with no pesticides or fertilizer.
Waterfall , aliceinthehole , bayosgirl , Dawn (Lilac Distraction) , Shellz31 , One of Five , FaerieLove , JessCee , Pink Jewel , GravyCakes , toxie m , Papershotglass , Ryuson , JRabbits , ily , Rossie , pinkcupcakes , Breas , padmeamidala , Lucky21 , guard083 , LennaKieran , Kindred , GenderSexplorations , darthkitt3n , Horny & Holy , wetone123 , daveysgirl , dawnkye , Apirka , mpfm , Rod Martini , Rahel , Zombirella , Lover of Leather , calliope , AmberLeigh , SecondStory , noway , misterazor , twelve13 , big b
42  (65%)
Food/crops grown with only pesticides and fertilizer approved by governing boards.
EvilHomer , Owl Identified , sweetiejo
3  (5%)
Related to natural development ("She developed the idea organically, and he developed it by reading her book").
A Closet Slut (aka nipplepeople)
1  (2%)
Relating to an organ in the human body.
Rin (aka Nire)
1  (2%)
A substance your body produces.
Elements fitting together as part of a whole ("organic unity").
Total votes: 65
Poll is closed
08/23/2011
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Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Note: most of these are factually correct definitions, but one is not. I'm just curious if that gets chosen.
08/23/2011
Contributor: Halfthere Halfthere
I'm going to school for chemistry so I chose the first option, I didn't even read the other options until I had already submitted my vote.
08/23/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Halfthere
I'm going to school for chemistry so I chose the first option, I didn't even read the other options until I had already submitted my vote.
Yeah, after studying chemistry for a while, all the other definitions started to fade in my mind. I started this poll because I think I overreact sometimes when people use a definition that isn't my chemical definition, and then I have to kick myself and remind myself that there are *all these other* perfectly accurate definitions of the word.

Sometimes it sucks being a pedant
08/23/2011
Contributor: Waterfall Waterfall
In particular in regards to food, I think of fruit and vegetables.
08/23/2011
Contributor: Crystal1 Crystal1
I'm reminded of the moment in the documentary "It Might Get Loud" where a dude on a cell phone almost walks right in front of the car Jack White is in, and Jack comments "I bet that guy is in the middle of saying the phrase 'totally organic'."
08/23/2011
Contributor: Avant-garde Avant-garde
Allowing nature to do what it does best without hindrance or alternation on our part through pesticides and genetic engineering.
08/23/2011
Contributor: Shellz31 Shellz31
Lacking in pesticides!
08/23/2011
Contributor: Dawn (Lilac Distraction) Dawn (Lilac Distraction)
For me, organic = costs more.
08/23/2011
Contributor: One of Five One of Five
Quote:
Originally posted by Dawn (Lilac Distraction)
For me, organic = costs more.
lol I think that too when i think of organic items
08/24/2011
Contributor: Ghost Ghost
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Yeah, after studying chemistry for a while, all the other definitions started to fade in my mind. I started this poll because I think I overreact sometimes when people use a definition that isn't my chemical definition, and then I have to kick ... more
I don't think it sucks at all.
08/24/2011
Contributor: JessCee JessCee
Quote:
Originally posted by Dawn (Lilac Distraction)
For me, organic = costs more.
hahaha, glad I'm not the only one!
08/24/2011
Contributor: Papershotglass Papershotglass
Oh God. I'm tired of hearing the word (since I'm slaving away in a prominent organic grocery store chain for a paycheck), but my training essentially taught me this whenever a customer or secret shopper asks:
Organic means food grown with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers, is not GMO, land has been free of synthetic chemicals for 3 or more years and is under strict guidelines by the government and third party certifiers. To maintain the organic certification, cross contamination with conventional produce may not occur.

Damn secret shoppers always come in on my breaks...
08/24/2011
Contributor: Gunsmoke Gunsmoke
Quote:
Originally posted by Papershotglass
Oh God. I'm tired of hearing the word (since I'm slaving away in a prominent organic grocery store chain for a paycheck), but my training essentially taught me this whenever a customer or secret shopper asks:
Organic means food grown with ... more
I'm with you - when I hear the word 'organic' I just think it's a marketing gimmick. There are plenty of organic things that are toxic - even deadly, so why does the presence of the work give anyone confidence that something good is contained.

It's just straight up BS - oh yeah, that organic too!
08/24/2011
Contributor: Ryuson Ryuson
(Review Program Mentor)
Food, but that's just due to advertising mind control! *Anarchy*

(I'm just kidding, by the way)
08/24/2011
Contributor: BellaDonna2884 BellaDonna2884
Substance containing carbon. Thanks to every science class I've ever had.
08/24/2011
Contributor: JRabbits JRabbits
Honestly when I hear the word "Organic" I don't think of any of the options you listed above. I think. Boring. I don't know why but I do.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Rossie Rossie
Quote:
Originally posted by One of Five
lol I think that too when i think of organic items
Me three! The only organic item that I buy is my coconut milk, because that's the only way they made it.
08/24/2011
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Yeah, after studying chemistry for a while, all the other definitions started to fade in my mind. I started this poll because I think I overreact sometimes when people use a definition that isn't my chemical definition, and then I have to kick ... more
This!

But, the second thing I think is that the food was hopefully grown according to real pesticide free standards. But, you can't always believe what the stores say. I trust Whole Foods, I don't trust Jewel, Dominicks, Wal Mart, etc.
08/24/2011
Contributor: guard083 guard083
I think of food being grown naturally
08/24/2011
Contributor: Wild Orchid Wild Orchid
I think of the E. Coli debacle. "Natural" can be as deadly as "artificial".
08/24/2011
Contributor: EvilHomer EvilHomer
I think of food labeled "USDA Organic"

Which allows natural chemicals to be used as pesticides and fertilizers, if certain conditions are met and in some cases allow for synthetics to be used if there is no natural available. I wouldn't use the term governing boards, but that is the closets the how the Organic program is actually run (the USDA, State Programs, and even nonprofits can be accrediting agencies for organic.)
08/24/2011
Contributor: gone77 gone77
Expensive.
08/24/2011
Contributor: GenderSexplorations GenderSexplorations
I think of the organic milk we always buy. So I guess food. If I think about it, my brain goes to chemistry, but the milk is what I encounter daily so it comes first.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by EvilHomer
I think of food labeled "USDA Organic"

Which allows natural chemicals to be used as pesticides and fertilizers, if certain conditions are met and in some cases allow for synthetics to be used if there is no natural available. I ... more
Oh my goodness. 25 people voted for the incorrect foods-related definition before a single person knew that certain chemicals, after approval, can be used as pesticides and fertilizers! I am *so disheartened!*

And yes, I just tried to use a simple term for the sake of inclusiveness and to cut down on words, it's quite the jumble of accreditation agencies and paperwork to produce an organic crop.
08/24/2011
Contributor: married with children married with children
marketing ploy to increase sales and profit.
08/25/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
Well, if organic means that after approval that chemicals, pesticides and fertilizetrs may be used; then organic is a useless word for any type of food. Shame on them for fooling consumers into thinking they are buying chemical free foods and then charging them double for it!
08/25/2011
Contributor: Papershotglass Papershotglass
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Oh my goodness. 25 people voted for the incorrect foods-related definition before a single person knew that certain chemicals, after approval, can be used as pesticides and fertilizers! I am *so disheartened!*

And yes, I just tried to use a ... more
And we're all paying for that accreditation right out the behind.

Must have snoozed off during that *very important* piece of info during training.
Whoops?
08/25/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Papershotglass
And we're all paying for that accreditation right out the behind.

Must have snoozed off during that *very important* piece of info during training.
Whoops?
You are also paying for the reduced output per acre (and often increased work) that producing an organic crop involves. The approved chemicals (and these vary from accreditation agency to accreditation agency) are often much less effective than the chemicals used in conventional farming, so weeds and insect pests do take a substantial toll on how much food a farmer can produce. Even relative to conventional, where weeds and insect pests are still around and still hurt yield, in organic they do much more damage.

Anyway, the cost of accreditation is not zero, but the lower yield per acre is actually usually what you're paying the most for. Sometimes higher labor too.
08/25/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Papershotglass
And we're all paying for that accreditation right out the behind.

Must have snoozed off during that *very important* piece of info during training.
Whoops?
From your earlier post---

"No chemical fertilizer" might be technically correct (depending on who's making the list of approved substances, I know it's true for the association I'm familiar with). For example, you can't use a nitrogen fertilizer that is a byproduct of breaking down natural gas, or a basic 4-6-4 like most people put on their lawns---but you can use pelletized turkey manure.

But no pesticides? That's just not true. There are all kinds of approved pesticides, all with their pre-harvest intervals just like with conventional crops. Many organic pesticides are even made by the same companies as conventional ones.

But hey---both today's conventional and today's organic are better than the old alternatives. (You just can't grow enough food to feed people without taking care of your crop!) Lots of people say "before the 1940's, everything was organic"---but that's an outright lie. Lead arsenate (yep, lead+arsenic) source, Washington State University] was a common insecticide for a long time. The earliest recorded use of arsenic as a pesticide was in China in 900 AD. (same source). Just doing a bit of research right now, but source from a Carleton college trial briefing, it looks like lead arsenate was still in use as late as 1914.

Glad the EPA did away with that one!
08/25/2011