There’s been a lot of talk about organic food over the last decade, with more organic restaurants opening each year. Generally, the definition of organic is foods that have not been in contact with pesticides or chemicals and are produced without additives. Most will agree that organic food tastes much better than non-organic. Organic crops also preserve the soil and the ecosystem in which they grow.
You can visit a local organic restaurant to celebrate your wedding anniversary, but it’s easy to celebrate at home too. Here are some ideas:
Plan ahead
If you are inviting people over to celebrate your anniversary over a meal, be clear before you start how many people you will need to cook for.
Eco-conscious decorations
Party decorations are often plastic and usually only last the night of your party. If you have a yard, collect twigs, flowers and foliage and create your own decorations instead. If you don’t have a yard, your local farmers’ market will have flowers to buy.
A stunning table decoration is a gilded rose from The Eternity Rose. This is a natural rose, purposefully grown to become a flower that lasts eternally. Given as a wedding or anniversary gift, this rose can be the focal point of any dinner party and there are several colors to choose from to suit the anniversary number so over time you can build your forever bouquet.
If you need additional crockery and cutlery, instead of using plastic that will sit in landfill for decades, use disposable leaf products produced from sustainable resources without the use of chemicals or additives. This means they are biodegradable and can be composed.
Seasonal and local produce
A farmers’ market is the best place to buy local organic food. Check out a produce calendar for your area to see which food is in season. This helps you plan a menu with food that does not have to travel vast distances. Organic food is cheapest when bought directly from a farmer or producer and whilst more expensive than the basic non-organic equivalent in the supermarkets, it is worth shopping around as some organic products cost less than premium non-organic products.
Alcohol
Organic wines are produced from organically grown grapes that are grown with much less sulphur dioxide (a common preservative in wine) than conventional wines. Organic vineyards have a greater biodiversity which increases the health of the vines to produce great tasting wine. Many organic wines (and beers) also remove animal products from the clarifying process, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Many independent brewers make organic beer, so you should be able to find one without needing to travel far. It is also possible, for those warm summer afternoons, to drink organic cider which is available as a light sparkling perry through to strong still farmhouse cider. A small range of organic spirits and fortified wines are also available on the market.
Coffee, tea and soda
Organic coffee is generally shade-grown, a quality that promotes forest preservation. Organic coffee growing encourages local bird-life creating a mutually beneficial relationship with birds keeping insect populations under control and naturally fertilizing the soil. You can also offer organic teas and sodas.
Meat
Search out your local organic butcher for the cuts of meat you want, or order online. Meat production contributes significantly to climate change as livestock produce serious amounts of methane. Also, one pound of beef requires 1860 gallons of water. That’s not to say you can’t eat meat, the suggestion is to reduce the amount on your menu if you don’t want to make your menu entirely vegetarian.
Sustainable seafood
If your menu includes seafood, look for sustainable options to avoid contributing to the over-fishing devastating global seafood populations.
Last word
Spending in the organic sector is a direct vote for a sustainable future for future generations. However if eating all organic is a struggle, there are many high quality, wholesome foods that do not come with organic certification including grass-reared meat, wild fish and hand-made cheeses. The only reason they may not be certified as organic is because they are still waiting, or because a commercial farmer is sited too close.
