Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Make it Organic - Well.......your strawberries at least


In my last post, I promised to give you the low down on why to go organic with at least strawberries.  At the end of this post, I’ll give you the top 10 fruits/veggies to buy organic.  I know you've heard the list at least a hundred times.  So, name them.  Yep, I thought so.  It may also be because it changes slightly depending on who is writing the list.  Think of it as a friendly reminder because, honestly, with all the other things you need to keep straight in your head, how can you remember everything?!

Strawberries are a tough crop for farmers.  They are susceptible to critters (apparently little pests think they’re as good as we do) and disease.  As a result they are heavily fumigated.  Methyl Bromide had been a fumigant of choice.  It’s a powerful ozone destroyer as well as highly toxic to humans.  Methyl Bromide was supposed to be phased out 8 years ago.  It was being replaced with Methyl Iodide, a chemical so toxic it is actually used in labs to CREATE cancer cells.  It is known to cause genetic damage, miscarriages and cancer.  Thankfully, in March 2012 Methyl Iodide was banned in the US.  Good news right?  Well………….welcome back Methyl Bromide.  The California farmers (the majority of our strawberries are grown there) exercised an exception clause and brought it back. There are over 50 pesticides used on strawberries.   A great resource if you’re ever interested in what and how many pesticides are used on our crops is the Pesticide Action Network’s database which you can find here http://www.pesticideinfo.org/

We can only make changes one person at a time.  Supply and demand keeps these dangerous chemicals on our farmlands and in our environment.  Making the choice to go organic and taking a stand against the use of toxins so severe that they top chemicals that are already banned, reduces the demand.  Possibly it can start to force the agricultural community to look at safer alternatives.

Not everyone has the budget to go 100% organic.  That’s ok.  We all do what we can for our families and our environment.  Buying local and in season is one of the most economical ways to buy organic. 
Organics are definitely the flavor of the moment.  It’s trendy.  Just remember – shop the perimeter of the grocery store and keep those items organic, if you can.  If you have to make a choice of what to purchase organic, go with the fresh produce and meats.  Leave the organic chips and crackers on the shelf.

As promised, here is your top 10 list of items to buy organic!

1.       Apples
2.       Butter and Milk
3.       Peaches – have been known to have 10 times over the legal limit of pesticide residue.
4.       Bell Peppers
5.       Cucumbers
6.       Grapes 
7.       Cherry Tomatoes
8.       Spinach
9.       Celery 
10.   Pears

The Environmental Work Group puts out a Dirty Dozen Plus list every year.  It’s a little different from mine, so here it is for your reference. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php.

That is it for today!  On top of all you have to do, now you have to make sure you've got your organics right!  It’s exhausting, I know.  Wish you could push a reset button and get a little more energy to get you through the day?  You can!  I’ll show you how in my next post. 

Until then, make sure all you do, is fit for you!

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