By Wanda Patsche
Dear Food Shoppers,
Lately, I have been a tad bit exasperated as I walked through aisles of my local grocery store. I am a farmer and I am writing this letter to express my frustration with what I see happening in grocery stores. No, this letter isn’t going to cause you more food fear. In fact, just quite the opposite. Rest assured, I am as frustrated as you are.
Organic
No, I am not going to tell you to not buy organic. Please, buy what you want and what you like. But if you buy organic because you are afraid of non-organic, relax. ALL food in grocery stores is safe.
You probably are asking yourself, what about all the chemicals and pesticides?
It’s okay, that’s a normal response. Organic does not mean “no pesticides.” All farmers use pesticides, including organic. Sometimes those pesticides are more toxic than synthetic pesticides traditional farmers use.
What about nutritional value? Isn’t organic more nutritional?
According to a Harvard study, organic foods are not more nutritional than conventional.
When should I buy organic?
I think it all boils down to what is right for you and your family. Personally, the only food item I buy that is organic is Whole Grain Milling tortilla chips. They are produced by a local farm (only a few miles from my home) and they taste really good. Plain and simple, that’s why I buy them and I will pay extra for that.
But, if you live on a short budget, please, please do not feel guilty about not buying organic. It’s okay. No, it’s really okay. Our food is safe, organic or conventional. My best advice to moms is to just buy more fruits and vegetables. Period. We know eating more fruits and vegetables is good for all of us, so just concentrate on that regardless of the label.
Read what Wanda has to say about the Non-GMO Project and more...