When feeding fruits and veggies, do you buy only organic?

I want to buy all organic but my husband thinks that's a little crazy, so we get some organic.

it's important to buy organic for fruit and vegetables that do not have a peel that is discarded... ie carrots, broccoli, i also include apple etc.. not so much for mango, banana, orange and similar...

i try to buy these things organic, the rest is not.... (everything for the bird )

Does anyone grow their own fruit and veggies?

i sometimes get stuff from my office mate who has her own garden... but seeing how much work that is, i doubt that i'll be having one myself anytime soon (and that's just besides the lack of space )

I have been organic gardening and growing the majority of my own veggies for over 15 years...... due to chemical sensitivity/allergies and my bodies inability to process most meat protiens... I started to do this long before fids..

The fids just benifit from it and I just plant more since getting birds....

I am able to eat and the fids are eating heathier in process/result.... with out breaking the bank...

I have always worried about possible bacterial contamination/freshness (vitamin values) of organics ... long before fids.... this way I know what goes into my mouth is safe to eat.... I grow 90% of my veggies from seed also... and herbs also...

Most of the fruit and vegetables we buy come from our local Farmer's Market and the majority is certified organic. I also buy some things from Trader Joe's and the majority of that is organic as well. I think we need to be careful about thinking organic is automatically "safer". Always remember to wash all fruits and vegetables well before serving and remember that organic fertilizer usually translates to "poop" of one type or another. Organic fertilizers can cause digestive problems and can carry E. coli, salmonella and other goodies. Some of the insecticides cleared for organic production can also cause problems. Remember, just because it is organic doesn't mean pesticides have not been used. It only means that certain pesticides that fall under certain very specific catagories have not been used. Pyrethrins can cause fatal reactions in humans allergic to chrysanthemum flowers/plants. Some types of catepillar poisons are genetically altered forms of Bacillus thurengensis and may also cause stomach problems if the residue is not washed off completely. Long and the short of it, organic is certainly better in the long run but wash everything thoroughly with a good vegetable wash and allow the veggies to air dry or dry them BEFORE storing them in the fridge or bin.

I do not buy any organic foods. I'm a student without a job and my parents don't see paying extra for organic foods a necessity. I just wash everything very very well.

I few weeks ago, I was just reading about what’s called the ‘dirty dozen’. So while I prefer to buy organic, I will buy some of the cleaner type foods that are not organic. From the 'dirty dozen' list I don't overly worry if it's a food that I would normally peel the skin off.

If your produce budget doesn't allow you to buy all organic (or all the items are simply not available to you), you could divide your money between organic and conventional produce based on what is affordable, and what is most and least pesticide treated.

An analysis by the EWG estimated consumers could reduce their exposure to pesticides by almost 90 percent merely by avoiding foods on their "Dirty Dozen" list.

Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Strawberries
Spinach
Cherries,
Imported Grapes,
Nectarines,
Pears,
Potatoes,
Red Raspberries.

Conversely, the "Cleanest 12" whole foods you can buy, according to the EWG, only expose you to less than two pesticides per day, a huge difference from the 15 pesticides you'd be exposed to daily on the "Dirty Dozen" list. Among the cleanest fruits and vegetables you can buy at your grocery store:

Onions (Not for Birds)
Avocado (Not for Birds)
Pineapple
Asparagus
Broccoli
Bananas,
Cauliflower
Sweet Corn,
Kiwi
Mangoes,
Papaya
Sweet Peas.

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_bl...ides-1808.aspx

Thanks, Karen. Very interesting.

What made me think of this is that I bought cantaloupe the other day. I washed it really good but I serve my Eclectus everything "whole" as opposed to cutting it up - less waste. THEY ATE EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE RIND! Of course, I started worrying about whether I cleaned it good enough. It was NOT organic.

I did hear to NEVER buy strawberries that are not organic as all the nooks and crannies are pesticide collectors.