One of the disturbing images from our trip to California was seeing how non-organic fruits and vegetables are grown.
But let me digress for a moment…My teenage daughters have, for the past few years, believed that I am a little off my rocker. They actually call me “voodoo mom” because of my beliefs when it comes to the foods, household products and body care products I am willing to allow in our home. I admit that I’ve had to relent a bit in the past couple years to keep a certain amount of peace in our home (as much peace as is possible with twin teenage daughters). However, I am still very careful about most of the food we purchase in our home–especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables. I believe that we should be eating organic produce and therefore that is what’s in our home.
So…back to our vacation. Quite a bit of agriculture is farmed along Highway 1 in California. While staying at the beach, we were very close to some of those farms which were primarily growing strawberries. During the week, we witnessed at least two days of ground spraying and an additional day of aerial spraying using helicopters over the same fields. We noticed that the people doing the ground spraying wore protective clothing–gloves, masks and headgear. My teenage daughters were shocked and frightened by what they saw. And they finally “got it!” They realized why I have not in the past wanted to buy the less expensive non-organic fruits and berries. They also commented on the farm workers who were picking the ripened fruit–they noticed that the workers wore no protective clothing and were actually concerned for them.
I am proud to say that I didn’t do a big “I told you so” but discussed with them what we were witnessing and why this is of such concern.
Since I already buy organic produce, I’m thinking about what more I can do with regard to pesticide usage. One area I have begun to research is how we handle “pests” in and around our own home. We normally avoid spraying or using any chemicals and pesticides; however, occasionally we are faced with the need to take action for specific infestations. I am looking into IPM and talking to a company that will work with us using IPM practices. IPM stands for Integrative Pest Management–it is the best way to prevent pest problems without routine spraying of herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides or fungicides. As I learn more and make decisions for our home, I will share my findings here.
DID YOU KNOW…
More than 500 insects and 270 species of weeds have now developed resistance to one or more pesticides.
In 2005, San Francisco successfully fought the West Nile Virus with IPM. Instead of aerial spraying with pesticides (which I personally experienced in the Bay Area in the early 1980′s), they trained bicycle messengers to drop packets of biological insecticides into the city’s 20,000 storm drains. The insecticide acted as birth control for the mosquitoes.
FOR TODAY…I will continue my research on IPM. I will pursue a partnership with a company willing to help us manage pests in and around our home through non-toxic, earth-friendly means. I will continue to buy organic produce, food, and personal care products. I will also look into buying organic clothing, bedding, linens, garden supplies and plants. Buying organic is healthier for people, wildlife, and the future of agriculture!
