The Real Agricultural Pests

None of us like the idea of eating food treated with pesticides. But it can be easy to ignore or feel like washing your fruits and veggies is probably good enough.

But pesticides and herbicides are a problem that goes way beyond the surface of your produce.

Some of these chemicals stick around in the soil and are absorbed by plant roots, so they're actually inside the food—not something you can wash away. They can accumulate in the tissue of animals that are later butchered for meat.

And they're not just a problem for the consumers who ingest them. These chemical sprays impact the health of the people growing the food. They impact the health of the soil, the birds and bees and bugs—all of which are vitally important for the strength of our food system as a whole. They can poison wildlife who ingest them, as well as the animals who eat those animals. Then there's the runoff and pollution to our waterways. Pesticides and herbicides affect every part of our ecosystem.

Eating organically when you can supports better methods of pest and weed control. Eating non-GMO veggies is another way to discourage pesticide use since genetically modified crops have been engineered to withstand those chemical sprays.

A nice thing about eating locally is that you can actually talk to the farmers about their growing methods. And we've done that, extensively, with our producers.

It's not always easy to avoid these poisons (the real agricultural pests), but we're working to make it easier. Thanks for doing what you can to support the folks who are growing responsibly, sustainably, and healthily—for you and for the planet!

Image credit: Freepik