apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Yep, I use the list. I never buy the must-buys unless they're chemical-free (not crazy about the "organic" label), and for the rest I pick whatever's local/looks best at the farmer's market or the grocery. I wish there were a list like the seafood lists, or Cornucopia's milk list, that also indicated which conventionally grown products were least environmental (lest my safe-to-eat conventional onions be poisoning someone else's water supply, or whathaveyou).

Another thing to consider when looking at list like this is the impact of the pesticide use on the farm workers.

For example, I still buy organic bananas even though the don't normally have pesticide residue. Bananas are heavily sprayed and workers are exposed to a high levels of pesticide.

I second the last posters request for some sort of list or rating system that would give consumers more information about food they are about to purchase and it's impact on the environment.

For those of us who truly can't afford to buy *everything* organic at the moment, these kinds of lists are super helpful. Citrus fruits didn't get mentioned on either list, I see... I don't bother with organic citrus since I think (I *hope*, at least!) those thick skins protect the actual fruit from pesticides. Then again, if I plan to use orange or lemon zest I seek out the organic stuff.

As consumers our main source of power comes from what we choose to purchase. If you want to see the market for local sustainably grown produce expand, you need to buy local sustainably grown produce. Otherwise your not giving the market any reason to change.

Like coffeebuzz said, buying organic isn't just about not putting pesticides in your own body. It's also about the chemicals put into the environment and that the farmers are breathing in on a daily basis.

If the government subsidized organic farms, organic wouldn't have to be more expensive and everyone could buy organic. As a result, more farms would switch to organic which would be better for the workers and the environment.

We read the studies, so we try to limit the amount of the fruits and veggies from the high-levels group. Also, canned fruits and frozen veggies (even non-organic) are much safer

How about carrots? They're thin-skinned, so gut instinct tells me to go organic.

Can I feed organic carrots to my baby? Am a little concerned about all the talk of nitrates in fresh carrots.

nj_gal, I looked around on the internet to see of pesticides are a problem for carrots and couldn't find anything specific. Most root vegetables seem to have lower pesticide levels, at least in the studies I have seen. When in doubt, go with your gut.

Here is an article that might be helpful on carrots and nitrates:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/nitratearticle.htm

I try and buy as much of my produce as possible at my local farmers market. If the farmer doesn't have an USDA Organic sign, I talk to them and see if they use pesticides or not. Most of them don't. Some of them are in the process of getting certified others can't afford the certification. It can be a lengthy and expensive process.

I buy what I can organic because not everything's available organic. And I'm less worried about pesticide residues affecting me than affecting the farm workers and running off in the water.

Someone may have already said this , but most all pineapples , mangoes and papaya's are irradiated .Any fruit that comes from Hawaii .

Sorry, but this sort of thing just irritates me. Avoiding pesticide consumption is just one reason for choosing organic, as several people have pointed out. (And the organic label is not the be all and end all of safe food!) All it would have taken was a sentence at the beginning, "If you buy organic because of pesticide worries..." (If all I cared about were pesticides in my body--as opposed to farm workers' and the water table--I wouldn't buy organic cotton, either.)

That said, I do pay some attention to these lists because some of them are things that I won't buy without some promise of low pesticide levels. My local apple orchards do pretty good, despite not being certified organic, but I only buy organic apples if I'm at the supermarket.

I buy organic as much as I can. I would say about 60% of what I buy in produce is organic. Sometimes it gets pricey and it isn't worth it, so you just have to go with what you can get.

Not sure if it is true, but I heard that mushrooms soak up a great deal of what seeps into the soil, so I always buy organic mushrooms.