There are more reasons than ever why anybody with access to a few square feet of outdoors should grow their own organic vegetables.You may be shocked at how much of produce at your local supermarket has been genetically modified. Some estimates now put this at over 50%. While there is no strong evidence that genetically modified foods are immediately harmful to your health, there are no long term studies either. Do you want to take that risk?
Let’s take a look at pesticides and fertilizers. Farmers no longer use crop rotation or natural manures to improve soil fertility, so they are forced to use ever increasing amounts of chemicals to improve yields and multiple pesticides to protect weakened plants. Pesticides penetrate deeply into leaves of plants and pestiside residues remain even after you have scrubbed them.
To quote from The Environmental Protection Agency – “Pesticides are designed to kill pests. Many pesticides can also pose risks to people. The health effects of pesticides depend on type of pesticide. Some, such as organophosphates and carbamates, affect nervous system. Others may irritate skin or eyes. Some pesticides may be carcinogens. Others may affect hormone or endocrine system in body.”
Sure you can, and should, buy organic fruit and vegetables but have you seen prices? Anybody with even a modest vegetable garden can grow healthy organic vegetables at much lower cost than those at local supermarket. Not only can you grow them at much lower cost, but you can grow them one hundred percent better.
Even long-keeping vegetables such as potatoes, onions and squash are noticeably tastier picked straight from home vegetable garden; but when it comes to peas and corn and salad vegetables- well , there is absolutely nothing to compare with home garden ones, gathered fresh, in early slanting sunlight, still gemmed with dew, still crisp and tender and juicy, ready to carry every atom of savory quality and taste, without loss, to dining table.