{go organic!}

Source your produce

Local Harvest is your best resource for finding locally grown organic food. You may enter your city or zip code below, then press ENTER for immediate access:

You DO have a choice in the matter. Source: DiamondOrganics.com

1. Organic Products Meet Stringent Standards- Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without the use of persistent and toxic chemicals.
2. Organic Food Tastes Great! – It’s common sense—well-balanced soils grow strong healthy plants that taste great!
3. Organic Production Reduces Health Risks – Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.
4. Organic Farms Respect Our Water Resources – The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen-leaching fertilizers, done in combination with organic soil building practices, protects our water resources.
5. Organic Farmers Build Soil – Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The organic farmer helps counteract topsoil erosion that has been linked to the agriculture practice of chemical-intensive, mono-crop farming.
6. Organic Farmers Work in Harmony with Nature – Organic agriculture respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.
7. Organic Growers are Leaders in Innovative Research – Organic Farmers have led the way with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing the impact agriculture has on the environment.
8. Organic Producers Strive to Preserve Diversity – The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is an important environmental concern. The good news is that organic growers have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.
9. Organic Farming Helps Keep Rural Communities Healthy – The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.
10. Organic Abundance – Foods and Non-Foods Alike! – Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food crops such as flowers are being grown organically—even cotton, which most experts felt could never be.

PLUs and GMOs

If you’ve ever shopped for produce in a retail grocery store or supermarket, more than likely you’ve noticed a small sticker affixed to the fruit or vegetable. This label with 4-digit numbers in the 3000-4999 range is a price look-up code tag (or “PLU”) used universally to key-in conventionally-grown items at check-out. Administered by the International Federation for Produce Standards since the 1990s, the PLU sticker may contain, and depending on where the produce originates: the produce variety, grower, country of origin, and logo. Adherence to IFPS’ standards of coding is voluntary.

Know your numbers. If the 4-digit code is prefaced with an 8 (for GMO) or a 9 (for organically grown), this eliminates the need for cashiers to visually identify either from conventional produce.

PLU Number Example.

#4011 Conventional Banana #94011 Organic Banana #84011 GMO Banana

According to Wikipedia:

A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species.

In other words, scientists have manipulated with Mother Nature’s original design of that food item. Major GMO fruits include: Apples, bananas, cantelope, Hawaiian papaya, pineapple, plums, pluots, strawberries, tangelos, and tomatoes. Other GMO crops are corn, cotton, potatoes, rapeseed, soy, and squash.

To avoid GMOs:

1. Read the PLU labels.
2. Shop at natural foods stores.
3. Support your local organic farmers or purchase a share from your local Community Supported Agriculture (“CSA”).
4. Play it safe and grown your own produce.

So, say NO to GMO! To keep current with the latest on GMO foods, click HERE.