What is organic food ?
Organic food whether it ’ s meat or vegetable has different standards across the world . Canada , Europe , Mexico , Japan , and the United States , require organic farms to maintain specific farming procedures to meet organic certification .
Synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers are not allowed to be used on organic crops and gardens or fed to animals that are being raised for organic meat . Organic foods are also not processed using industrial solvents , synthetics , food additives , or exposed to irradiation , which is a form of radiation .
However , these standards vary throughout the world and in some countries , certain approved pesticides are allowed to be used when growing or raising organic foods . Canada is full of hardworking farmers and ranchers including organic farmers and every one of them continue to work tirelessly to meet the world ’ s growing food needs and demands but many Canadians are starting to admire hunters for something they have been doing all along . Harvesting their own food and eating organic .
In Canada , wild game , waterfowl , and game birds are free to roam and feed on any vegetation they choose , including cropland that has been sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers , but that is why they are called free-range . Canada ’ s wild game is free to move and eat as they please and hunters pursue wild game from one end of this great country to the other in hopes of putting organic meat on the table . In my opinion , there ’ s nothing that tastes better than a grain fed cow elk . Yes , it feeds on grain fields that may or may not have been sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers , but it ’ s a free-range wild animal and many leading health experts believe wild animals are considered to be truly organic .
The angling regulations are strict throughout Canada ’ s borders but in my opinion , Canadian and provincial fisheries have done an amazing job maintaining a healthy fishery . And aside from hunting and eating wild game , there is nothing more organic than a plate of fish that was swimming in the lake or river only a few hours earlier .
Many hunters and anglers are also the hard-working farmers that plant and harvest many of the fruits and vegetables that are in our grocery stores and farmer ’ s markets across the country . Hunters and gatherers enjoy growing their own gardens and many spend hours even days in the wild picking their own wild organic fruits and berries that will be used in a wide variety of recipes after they are harvested . Some gatherers even make their own organic wine to help them through the long winter that lies ahead .
Grocery stores see thousands of people a day . Some grocery stores are open 24-hours for the all-night hunters and gatherers . And if you ’ ve ever shopped at a farmer ’ s market then you know it ’ s not uncommon for modern day hunters and gatherers to be shoulder to shoulder looking for the freshest fruits , vegetables , spices / herbs , and meats , and stocking up on everything from fresh pastries to spaghetti sauce that has all been made with homegrown ingredients .
Hunters have been called barbarians , Neanderthals , and even trophy hunters ,
47 Wild Guide . Winter 2018