Month: March 2015

By Lucero (Luz) Mejia MUST BE ORGANIC: DIRTY DOZEN ♦ Apples ♦  Cherries ♦ Grapes ♦  Nectarines ♦ Peaches ♦  Pears ♦ Strawberries ♦  Red raspberries ♦ Potatoes ♦  Bell peppers ♦ Celery ♦  Spinach   CLEAN DOZEN ♦  Banana  ♦  Kiwi ♦  Pineapple  ♦  Mango ♦  Papaya  ♦  Asparagus ♦  Avocado  ♦  Broccoli ♦  Cauliflower  ♦  Onion ♦  Sweet corn  ♦  Green peas Here’s a closer look at the 2015 Dirty Dozen: 1. Celery Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy...

By Lucero (Luz) Mejia If you listen to many of the current arguments in the debates over agriculture and food, you believe there are only two sides: those who support “organic” farming, and those who support “conventional” farming—with no common ground between them. But the fact is, a lot of “organic” food is grown using conventional farming techniques. And a lot of “conventional” crops benefit from agronomic practices developed by organic farmers. When you dig down, the reality is more complicated—and more promising—than you might expect. Is there a real difference? In my honest opinion it depends. Clearly, if you specifically...