Why do farmers use pesticides? It's a fairly elementary question. The EPA says "Farmers use pesticides to increase crop production and produce fruits, vegetables and grains that are free of insects and blemishes. The use of pesticides becomes more prevalent as farmers try to increase yield per acre and new hybrids are cultivated that have not developed a natural resistance to native insects and micro-organisms." Bottom line...it's profitability, of course!
Common sense tells us that if pesticides kill insects they probably are harmful to other organisms, too...like farmers, and animals, and humans! I'm sure pesticide use on produce isn't news to you...you probably even rinse your fruits and veggies. Have you considered that pesticides are made to be water resistant? Hey, they have to withstand rain, right? I mean, there's a bottom line to protect! Okay, so if pesticides are water resistant, does a quick rinse under the faucet really eliminate potential lingering toxins? I'll leave that up to you. What I do know is that you can make a quick and easy produce wash with equal parts water and vinegar. I keep a spray bottle next to my sink and also use the mixture as a natural disinfectant for my counter tops and general kitchen cleaning. A little extra care to actually wash your produce instead of simply rinsing it makes a difference. Let's also consider that fruits and vegetables have skin, not unlike ours...a skin that is permeable...so pesticides on the outside could mean pesticides on the inside too. Want an example? Check out this Youtube video.
What else can you do immediately? Educate yourself! Check out the Environmental Working Group's incredible resources on this topic. Prioritize your shopping list. Unfortunately safer, healthier options are often more expensive (don't even get me going on that!) If you are like me your wallet doesn't allow you to buy everything on your list organic. So, choose organic for the worst offenders on the list, like apples, celery, and spinach. And fill your cart with items from the "Clean 15" like onions, pineapple, and avocado. Now, what about bigger picture?
Growing up we always had a garden. The family garden was a place that we learned the value of hard work, watched the miracle of nature unfold, and harvested food that my Mom would freeze, or can and put up in our root cellar for a year's worth of healthy eating. We kept barrels of potatoes and carrots nestled in sawdust, and crates of winter squash. There were rows of canned tomatoes, beets, pickles, and beans and a freezer filled with frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and corn tucked in next to our farm raised chicken. As I see it there are two great options when it comes to gardening: growing your own or supporting a local grower.
A garden doesn't have to be huge to have a positive impact on your family. Container or patio gardening or a simple raised bed in your back yard can yield more than you might think! Another option is to connect with a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). I'd be surprised if there isn't more than one in your area! Local Harvest is a great resource for locating growers/farmers in your area. I bet you have a Farmer's Market in your area, too. Putting your own garden produce away (freezing, canning, dehydrating) or stocking up at the Farmer's Market or CSA during the growing season can cut down on your grocery bill, help to reduce the toxic burden in our bodies and the environment, and helps to support the local economy.
I'd love to hear your ideas, too!
Since it's the time of year to start thinking about planting seeds...we'll talk more about gardening in the next post including a method to create a fabulous garden bed without turning over an inch of soil...so stay tuned!
Burpee now labels seeds with a little plant container on the front of the packet if the seeds are suitable for container planting. You can even grow eggplant and artichokes in containers! There is a very wide variety for what you can grow in a container.
ReplyDeleteAwesome news, Megan!
ReplyDelete