So it turns out there are all these unintended consequences to having a baby. Like, we knew our social lives would be hampered. We knew we’d be tired, we knew it would cost us every penny we make and then some. These things, we expected.

But there are other things that start to sneak up on you. All these bizarre safety issues. And all these concerns about schools (I didn’t think I’d really care, but it turns out I really really do). And, recently for me, all this business about food.

I’ve been making all my baby food, which is easy peasy lemon squeezy. Just roast a sweet potato, scoop out the guts, mix with formula to thin, and there you have it. Loads of baby food for the low low price of one tater.

But then I got to thinking, “Should it be an organic sweet potato? How important is that, really?”

Which makes you start to think that you should ALL be eating organic foods. And then you watch a movie like Food, Inc., and you go further insane.

So you start to talk to your friends. Do you eat organic food? Where do you get it? Why? What? How old is your grandma? Did she eat organic food? Why is your dog brown?

Some of my friends said that yes, they eat exclusively organic food.

Some said, “We do our best.”

But as I started asking questions, only more questions arose, and very few answers.

Like, is it important to just eat organically, or should we be focusing on the locally-grown aspect of this. I mean, is it just about the food and our bodies, or is it about the food, our bodies, and the environment? And, how far are we willing to go?

I asked another friend, one who is very much into organic farming and local foods. Of course, he thinks we should eat not only organic, whole foods, but we should know where it is coming from and hope it hasn’t been trucked halfway across the world before it arrives at our plates. He says the USDA Organic stamp isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As in, it sets a standard, but the bar is not very high for what can be considered “organic.” So, I asked him, “Is it worth it, then, to pay the extra money for the food on the supermarket shelf that is in the ‘organic’ section?”

Basically, his answer was “No.” According to my friend, if it’s not local, if you don’t know where it came from, it’s probably not that much better than the regular old supermarket fare.

And this is important to me because, let’s face it, we all have a limited food budget. I cannot double what I spend on food every week in the hope of getting organic, healthier foods, especially if it turns out that those foods are not that much better for me or my baby anyway.

So, I said to my friend, “Fine, I need to get locally produced food. Where? How? I can use the farmer’s market in the summer, no problem. But now? Now it is the dead of winter. Where am I going to get locally produced food if I don’t happen to have a bunch of farmers’ phone numbers in my back pocket?”

At this point, I could tell he was tiring of me. We’d had a few beers. I was being overly persistent. What I wanted was a magic wand. I mean, I can’t be running around to ten different places every week in search of a bit of spinach here, a turnip there, a piece of meat at yet another stop.

I asked about the Merc. Is that food local? Is it really any better than the organic food at the mainstream supermarket? He could not attest to the fact that it was. He guessed that maybe some is but certainly not all of it is local. But which? How will I know? The Merc is pricey, for my budget. I want to make wise choices if I am going to shop there.

My friend has a network of people from whom to get produce on a regular basis. He’s got the hook up. “But, BUT,” I cried, “I do not have the hookup! I do not have the time! I have a job, a baby, a home to care for! I cannot run to this local guy and that for getting each item on my fairly extensive grocery list!” I was starting to panic.

My friend calmed me by telling me to “Just do what you can do,” which I suppose is sage advice. I cannot grow all my own food, and I cannot run around collecting foodstuffs from mysterious growers all over town.

I know there are restaurants in town whose ingredients are all or mostly local, but my family doesn’t eat out much. That venue is not much help to me.

So, for now, I’ll continue to search out organic foods, especially local ones, when I can, and I’ll start planning my bigger, better garden for the spring. Without the farmer’s market to rely upon at this point, what else can I do?

I am honestly looking for suggestions. Where do you get your best produce? How do you simplify the organic life and do it on a reasonable budget? How important is this, to those of you who work full time and parent and don’t have any stay-at-home parents to do loads of legwork?

Because me? My legs are tired. Maybe it’s because my food is not organic.