What to Grow or Buy Organic

3 March 2012, by gj

homegrown is best

While sitting in my Dr.’s waiting room recently (Mandolin had developed a sinus infection) I happened to notice a paper on her Bulletin Board entitled:

The Full List- 49 Fruits and Veggies and underneath someone had hand written ‘Pesticides’.

My Doc is a non-pill pushing, organic eating, almost vegetarian- who actually gave out Forks Over Knives as Christmas gifts, and that’s why we go to her; so finding this posted did not come as a surprise.
Some of what was high on the pesticide end, did.

The list was compiled by the FDA and the USDA between 2000-08. They looked at the level of pesticides found in 49 of the most commonly eaten fresh produce in the US.
If you are concerned about consuming pesticides this list becomes very relevant- unless you have the room to grow as much as you want, and the money to buy everything else organic.

If you are like most people, you can only grow so much, and funds are limited.
So here- from the most pesticides to the least- are the veggies to consider either growing or buying organic:

Worst

grow your own celery

Celery (we’ve being growing our own for years- mmm!)
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries (Domestic)
Nectarines
Sweet Peppers
Spinach
Kale & Collards
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes (Imported)
Lettuce
Blueberries
Carrots

lightly steamed colorfulness

Green Beans (Domestic)
Pears
Plums (Imported)
Summer Squash
Cucumbers (Imported)
Green Beans (Imported)
Hot Peppers
Red Raspberries

love at first ripe

Oranges
Grapes (Domestic)
Cantaloupe (Imported)
Cucumbers (Domestic)
Cauliflower
Tomatoes

green or red, I'm happy

Bananas
Broccoli
Winter Squash
Cranberries
Plums (Domestic)
Honeydew Melon
Sweet Potatoes
Grapefruit
Watermelon
Cantaloupe (Domestic)
Eggplant
Cabbage
Kiwi
Asparagus
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Mango
Pineapples
Sweet Corn (Frozen)
Avocado
Onions

expanding the bed this year

So here’s the plan:
~I’ll buy organic what I cannot grow here in Zone 5/6
~I’ll put more emphasis on growing enough of what comes with the most pesticides- more spinach, peppers and potatoes for example
~I’ll continue to learn and share about growing the most in any given space

How about you- will knowing this affect what you plant?
For more info on how to grow many of these, just click on the name of the veggie to the right under ‘Grow It’
Check out The Green Carnation Pesticides Awareness Project -because just washing your food won’t get rid of the chemicals.

Categories: how to grow, you are what you eat

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