The other day I wrote a post about pesticides and using sea salt and water to wash fruits and vegetables before we consume them to remove those dangerous pesticides.
Well, a close, personal friend, Will, was bold enough to call a foul. He is very passionate about the topic and went so far as to call the post “lame”… (ouch!).
I’ll first say that the post was written in response to a few readers’ prior comments that they didn’t feel the added expense of organics was in their budget and had limited access to affordable and available organics because of where they lived geographically. While I wasn’t attempting to mislead anyone or act irresponsibly, and this sea salt and water wash can remove the pesticides from the surface of produce, this is (admittedly) only part of the story.
The reality is that you absolutely cannot prevent consuming pesticides unless you are willing to invest in organics… period.
The fact of the matter is also that pesticides aren’t sprayed on the produce just prior to harvesting; they are applied constantly, being spraying and absorbed all throughout the growing process. No amount of soaking and scrubbing can eliminate that. This “solution” isn’t the solution!
And while we continue to buy conventionally-grown produce, we are actually (financially) supporting this farming practice, therefore lessening the demand for organics, slowing widespread distribution AND keeping their cost high. All the while these pesticides are harmful to us as consumers, extremely dangerous to farm workers and contaminate our ground and surface water, as well as wildlife and the environment… a cycle that goes on and on unless practices change… dramatically. Pesticides (and herbicides) are simply bad news all around.
So, I’ve said all along that this “greening my life” would be a journey, mistakes included. But now you know the FULL story… supporting organic farming is the only true option for an abundance of reasons.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program… hopefully with any further lame posts excluded! 🙂