Organic Fruits and Vegetables

Definition:  Organic fruits and vegetables are grown WITHOUT the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Of course this definition can be expanded to include other criterion for organic certification, but for my purposes here, this simple definition will suffice. Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are grown WITH the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. When I was young and growing up in the 60’s, my grandfather owned a large fruit farm. My memories of grampa’s orchards include watching him drive his big tractor through the rows upon rows of spring apple trees in full bloom, with the forceful spray of pesticides shooting from both sides of his synthetic pesticide machine. This cocktail of pesticides were sprayed not only on the apple blossoms, but they enveloped my grandfather in a dense mist of poisonous toxins.

Are ALL Conventionally Grown Foods Unsafe to Eat?
Over the past several years there has been a lot of attention given to the topic of ORGANIC FOODS. Organic foods are produced WITHOUT the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Sounds like a good option for me, since I don’t relish the idea of ingesting a large dose of toxins every time I bite into an apple or make my favorite side dish of mashed potatoes and butter. Since most of us like to watch our cash outflow and save money wherever we can, it’s important to know that some conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have FEWER pesticides than others, and are relatively safe to eat.

I Keep The List In My Purse
My now grown children are very health conscious and try to eat mostly organic. About five years ago my oldest son, Courtney, gave me a list called “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean Fifteen.” At that time I was in the beginning stages of learning about the importance of eating organic. I took the typed information he gave me and expanded it to include colorful pictures of all the items on the list. I like visual aides because they help me remember things better. Clicking on this link will bring up the list I created and allow you to download a copy for yourself:

PDF Of My List — “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean Fifteen”

For the past 20 some-odd years I’ve eaten an apple a day every morning. However, since the day my son handed this information to me, I have never again eaten another dirty apple. And, I try to forget how may apples I have eaten over the course of my lifetime before being educated about organic foods.