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Organic Parenting
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Movement takes a local, sustainable approach to raising a family
By Nicole Kelly Daily News Correspondent
In the Rebisz household, grocery stores are rare visits. From the homemade cheese and bread, to the chicken and eggs on their plates, most of what is eaten comes from what they've raised, baked and grown. Come school age, the children will be home schooled for at least some of their school years.
For the foreseeable future, the children will remain close to Jocelyn and Joe's side, as they go about raising their children in a more organic and natural way on their 10 acre home in Bergen.
While everyone seems to be talking about "going green" in some form or other these days, parents are turning to a movement of their own.
Called organic parenting, or natural parenting, and even "green parenting," the movement consists of very specific parenting choices in building a certain home environment. Organic moms and dads are: choosing organic and local homegrown, raised and made foods; embracing eco-consciousness through everyday actions; and are strong advocates of breast feeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing and homeschooling.
Book inspires changeFor the foreseeable future, the children will remain close to Jocelyn and Joe's side, as they go about raising their children in a more organic and natural way on their 10 acre home in Bergen.
While everyone seems to be talking about "going green" in some form or other these days, parents are turning to a movement of their own.
Called organic parenting, or natural parenting, and even "green parenting," the movement consists of very specific parenting choices in building a certain home environment. Organic moms and dads are: choosing organic and local homegrown, raised and made foods; embracing eco-consciousness through everyday actions; and are strong advocates of breast feeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing and homeschooling.
After reading Barbara Kingsolver's book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," which looks at eating locally and more sustainably foods, Jocelyn Rebisz began eating what is in season and what is grown within 100 miles of her home.
"There is a big payoff in quality and flavor in both foods we grow and produce in the store," Mrs. Rebisz said.
Whether from a home garden or a local Community Supported Agriculture program organic and locally grown foods from CSA's are important to organic parents.
Small farm, big results
The Rebisz' maintain a small farm outside their normal work. Mrs. Rebisz, is a co-coordinator of MOP's, the local chapter of Mothers of Preschoolers group, that is run out of Northgate Methodist Church in Batavia. She is also Bergen Presbyterian Church's choir director.
Mr. Rebisz is a Batavia School teacher. The couple grows a variety of vegetables that they can and freeze.
"We ate a lot of green beans frozen from our garden over the winter. We planted more things this year to freeze so our diet will be a bit more varied," Mrs Rebisz said.
In addition, their farm has 40 apple trees and some pear, peach, and nectarine trees for picking and maple trees that they tap. They have a jersey cow, Clarabelle, that provides them 3 gallons of milk a day, as well as meat chickens, egg-laying chickens and a pig.
Mrs. Rebisz uses the milk to make the family's butter and cheese. Mr. Rebisz does the family's butchering himself.
Working from scratch
Pamela Dayton and her husband Jon of Alexander are also organic parents. They supplement their village garden and tree yields with fresh fruits and vegetables from Porter Farms, a certified organic farm, in Elba.
As members of the CSA, they receive two bags of vegetables a week during the growing season. The couple purchases locally-raised meat from area farmers that is free of antibiotics and originates from farms that they can personally visit if they want to see how the animals are being raised and kept.
"It's lean. It's super fresh and it's cheaper for us," Mrs. Dayton said.
Like the Rebisz family, the Daytons make much of their food from scratch. They freeze and can garden and CSA extras. When Mrs. Dayton could only find one bread free of high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients she did not want in her bread, for more than $4 a loaf, she decided to make her family's bread -- something that she said works out to 75 cent a loaf.
She makes their own peanut butter, desserts, and jams.
"Food is best for you close to the form it comes in. The more processing you do, the more nutrients are lost, the more the essence of the food is lost," Mrs. Dayton said.
Embracing movement
Health, personal philosophy and spiritual beliefs drive these two local families to embrace eco consciousness and organic parenting.
"We're Christians. We believe God created the Earth and God created us, and that we need to treat the Earth with respect because it was made for our use. We need to treat ourselves in manner of what we eat. So it just makes since that we cultivate the ground and use what we have here," Mrs. Dayton said.
In addition to organic foods, the Rebisz and Dayton families are intent on more natural means of baby rearing. For the two mothers, breast feeding is a no holds bar issue.
"What could be more economical and convenient? And the research is astoundingly clear that formula doesn't compare with breastmilk," Mrs. Rebisz said.
The two mothers rely on cloth diapers.
"I use cloth because I was really uncomfortable with filling up landfills with thousands of diapers. They take a really long time to break down and landfills are not designed for baby poop," Mrs. Rebisz said.
Mrs. Dayton switched to cloth diapers when her oldest son's diaper rash did not respond to typical treatments.
Keeping babies close
Both mothers believe in "baby wearing," or using a carrier or other type of sling to keep the baby close to the mother. Organic parenting proponents feel that baby wearing helps the baby feel safer, calmer, and more attached and bonded to the mother and has convenience factors for the mother who might have other children to attend to or other tasks to complete.
"They spent 10 months in your belly. They want to be near you. They like your smell. That is what they find comforting. Your baby knows your right there. Babies who are worn are less fussy. I think I am more in tune with (their) needs," Mrs. Dayton said.
As a mother of four children younger than 6 years of age, she has used two carriers at one time to attend to and meet the needs of multiple children, and to take her children on errands. She can cook, change diapers, and keep all her small children safe in a parking lot when she uses her carrier.
Dayton makes her own baby carriers that are based on traditional Korean carriers called podeges.
Maintaining influence
Both the Rebisz and Dayton families will homeschool their children -- at least for now. Jocelyn was homeschooled and feels that it is an extension of their home life.
" I know from my work as an educator and counselor that most of a person's personality and character development happens from birth to somewhere between 8 and 12 years old," Rebisz said. "It is important to me to be the main influence in my children's lives while they are developing their core beliefs and character traits."
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knitngreen wrote on Nov 8, 2009 6:55 AM:
This is the first time in a while I've read the online daily - great changes and love the lifestyle focus!! Please keep more article like this coming. "