10 Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic

I live in the Deep South and I do an awful lot to encourage greener living down here. That said, I wish you who live in Green Nirvanas would cut us some slack. Sometimes, there are not any organic choices (or local for that matter--I can only eat collards so often!) I live downtown on a very small, appropriately shaded lot, walking distance from work, which is not so easy to do down here. I simply cannot grow anything edible, except herbs, with so little light and space. I shop at the one store with any variety of organic produce. If I venture at all out of town, I find zero organic produce. We are hopelessly backward, but also environmentally challenged--it is extremely hard, I understand, to grow peaches (we are second largest producer after CA) here w/o chemical pesticides. Maybe we shouldn't grow them at all, but trust me, the workers would rather take their chances with pesticides than with unemployment.
Also, the choices for organic cotton clothing or second-hand clothing for tall women are extremely limited. Maybe some of us need to know what the least toxic option is, especially when the perfect one isn't available, or maybe, in some cases, affordable.

I live in the Deep South and I do an awful lot to encourage greener living down here. That said, I wish you who live in Green Nirvanas would cut us some slack. Sometimes, there are not any organic choices (or local for that matter--I can only eat collards so often!) I live downtown on a very small, appropriately shaded lot, walking distance from work, which is not so easy to do down here. I simply cannot grow anything edible, except herbs, with so little light and space. I shop at the one store with any variety of organic produce. If I venture at all out of town, I find zero organic produce. We are hopelessly backward, but also environmentally challenged--it is extremely hard, I understand, to grow peaches (we are second largest producer after CA) here w/o chemical pesticides. Maybe we shouldn't grow them at all, but trust me, the workers would rather take their chances with pesticides than with unemployment.
Also, the choices for organic cotton clothing or second-hand clothing for tall women are extremely limited. Maybe some of us need to know what the least toxic option is, especially when the perfect one isn't available, or maybe, in some cases, affordable.

Kudos to all of you who have highlighted what a ridiculous article this is - worded in such a way that makes it "okay" to eat things that have less chemical residue, or where the chemicals are used on a part of the plant that isn't eaten (banana peels). Manmade toxic pesticides in our environment are never a good thing as far as I'm concerned and we not only need to keep the environment's ecosystem in mind along with our own health ingesting the good but ALSO the health of the farm workers performing the chemical application and/or being sprayed from above with pesticide planes. Workers often suffer major health problems and are not provided with any kind of health insurance through their low-wage farm job to help them. Fair trade organic and local produce are the only options for our food.
-Melissa Meece
Environmental Consultant

I try to buy organic foods not only for my health, but because it is healthier for the environment. I also hope to avoid genetically modified foods. I am frankly quite surprised to read this article on the website.

Um...yea. I AM NOT going to "clean" my fruit or veggies in bleach and cold water!!! That is one of the silliest things I have heard!! I will only nuy organic produce for my family because I don't want anything un=natural on my food!! Anyone who knows ANYHTING about organic food would NEVER tell you that it's okay to buy something with a little bit "less" pesticide spray on it!! Really? I thought a site with the name "dailyGREEN: would have better articles than this!!

Organic pineapples are often hard to come by because it takes pesticides to keep that leafy green top looking pretty. But who eats the green part? It doesn't matter what it looks like, but we consider the fruit with the greenest top to be the healthiest. Point is, use your best judgement.

Hi,
Thanks for doing this to save our universe. I have a concern though. It seems a bit difficult to get information on this site. I would like to know the samples of the food we are not supposed to eat.
Thanks and God bless you.
Rose

pebblesmom nailed it. How much (or how little) pesticide residue we wash off at home is barely relevant.

I'm offended by the idea that just because a chemical doesn't purportedly harm you "as much" on your food, that makes it ok to buy. By that logic, why would you buy organic cotton since you don't eat cotton? I support chemical free agriculture in ALL its forms. It's so obviously better for the environment. If you don't understand the impact of chemicals in agriculture, google to learn about the Dead zones the size of Massachusettes in the Gulf of Mexico caused by runoff from farms. Please please please buy local, go organic and compost!!