Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The Pike and Rose and Bethesda Farmers markets. As it's all local, there's no shipping time so the produce lasts longer which cuts down on waste.
But they are not necessarily organic and usually pricey
Buying local is way more important than the buying “organic”.
There are a handful of vegetables that concentrate chemicals from their environment into the edible parts - mostly root vegetables.
The risks from unwashed produce and pesticide and herbicide contamination is mitigated by washing. And organic chemicals used as herbicides and pesticides aren’t good for you and should be washed off too. You also have to worry about rat piss and unhygienic handling with produce from big agribusiness too - organic or inorganic (feces happens to be organic!)
But here’s the thing, the plants that concentrate the most harmful chemicals, are doing this through the soil which is contaminated from industrial pollution.
Buying local, typically you’re buying from small farms that are very interested in overall soil health. And, if they’re spraying pesticides and herbicides, they’re probably avoiding spraying when plants have begun to fruit and days before harvest when it’s not fruit (greens, etc).
Plus local will undoubtedly taste better and be better for the economy and better for the earth.
If you have the choice to buy organic from harris teeter or Whole Foods or buy local from a small local farm that hasn’t certified organic, go local every single time!