A story in the Telegraph quotes the new head of the UK’s Soil Association as saying organic food is not just for “people who wear sandals and drink champagne,” as part of an effort to broaden the appeal of organic food and reclaim it from a not entirely inviting upper strata of society.

Sometimes it’s hard to avoid the feeling that coastal elitism is the vanguard of healthier, more expensive, and often more exclusive dining. Organic food often costs more, it requires far more prep and effort than simply dining on the market’s finest nuke-and-puke options, and is championed by not entirely down-to-earth celebrities including Sting, Madonna, and Gwyneth Paltrow. There’s certainly a culture war raging in the U.S. that has largely manifested itself in a battle over what kids eat both at home and at school.

It’s being fought between Republicans who insist that it’s every American child’s God-given right to eat deep-fried lard burgers at every lunch in his or her public school cafeteria, at least until said public school is defunded entirely. Meanwhile, local food advocates, vegetarians, and vegans, who tend to vote Democratic if not Green, would push for a way to include more fresh vegetables and less fried meat, even at the expense of local favorites and/or the wishes of schoolkids (who, let’s be honest, would generally rather eat a fluffernutter sandwich washed down with Mountain Dew than have a righteously nutritious local meal).

This raises the question: Is organic food for elitist jerks?

• Are you an elitist jerk if you eat it?

• Do elitist jerks tend to eat it more often?

• Can you make expensive and/or time-consuming healthy food decisions and still vote Republican and/or earn less than $50,000 a year? (Ask a hunter or avid fisherman for an interesting alternative perspective.)