Is eating organically grown food actually beneficial? The answer is yes. In most cases, eating organic food is healthier, though not always the most economical. But what does organic really mean? In a farming sense, organically grown means food was not grown using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and was not genetically modified (GMO’s).

While these processes often make farming more efficient and inexpensive, the chemicals and radiation used can have harmful effects on consumers. It’s simply a trade-off between cost and quality when it comes to buying organic for most families in America. Some of the benefits of eating organic include:
● Avoiding the consumption of harmful synthetic pesticides and herbicides found in conventional farming. which can result in short- and long-term health problems.
● Buying organic helps the environment, because food grown with excessive chemical fertilizers and pesticides can pollute the surrounding soil and water, even creating chemical run-off that implicates nearby residents.
● Avoiding greenhouse gas emissions from nitrous oxide, commonly found in conventional fertilizers.

Keep in mind, all conventionally grown foods that are sold in the US are grown with the necessary safety standards. Additionally, equal amounts of micronutrients are generally found in both types of produce.

However, to be extra cautious, it is always a good idea to wash your produce (no matter how it was grown) before you consume it to get rid of dirt and any pesticide residue. Check out the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen on Environmental Working Groups (ewg.org). A few of the ‘dirtier’, more important foods to buy as organic are strawberries, kale and cherries while some of the ‘cleaner’ foods are pineapples, avocados, and onions. If you’re looking to include more organic produce in your diet, now is a great time! The PC Farmer’s Market, every Wednesday at Park City Mountain, includes many local and organic options to choose from.

By Grayson Rae