Why Organic?

You hear me saying "Go Organic" all the time. I truly believe that organic is a better option: for your health, for the environment and for others. I believe that more people will choose organic once they understand the why behind it. Education is key! So, here is the first part of a two part series on why to start making the switch:

• Agricultural chemicals destroy the soil's natural ability to store and process carbon.  These chemicals destroy beneficial fungi that grow on the roots of plants and that contribute to taking greenhouse gases out of the air. Trust me, we want this fungi to keep cleaning our air.

• Chemicals poison the air, water and soil. The manufacturing, transportation, and use of chemicals for agriculture are energy intensive and poisonous to all things that come in contact with them. Most chemicals don't biodegrade within a few months. Like nuclear waste, some toxins last forever, and many of the impacts are known to be horrible. Already, we are seeing wells that are contaminated, (like mine, which has nitrates in it from the nearby farms, so we have to use a reverse osmosis system and can't do foster care as we had hoped) and we suffer from infections and diseases such as asthma, diabetes, MRSA, Parkinson's and cancers that are connected to these chemicals.

• Smaller doses of chemicals can be just as dangerous as large doses. Yes, that is right! Most of the governments regulations on chemicals are based on estimated safe amounts of exposure. BUT, scientists are finding that small doses and cumulative small doses can be just as toxic as large doses. There really are no safe limits.

• Chemicals are not necessary to grow food. Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a substitute for thinking, understanding, and effort. They are necessary only to generate large profits for businesses and for disposing of our toxic industrial wastes.  Virtually every food in the world has been successfully grown and made organically in modern, productive, regenerative ways. I personally love the hard work it takes to grow an organic vegetable garden. It makes the vegetables taste just that much better!

Parts of this article have been excerpted from the book, "Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe."