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Vegetables

Feb 19th, 2011 by

Our vegetables are Cerified Naturally Grown.  The Certified Naturally Grown program is a grassroots alternative to USDA organic certification.  To be Certified Naturall Grown, we adhere to the USDA organic production standards as a minimum, but do not need the extensive recordkeeping that the USDA program uses to judge a farm’s compliance.  Instead, volunteers, usually farmers, inspect a Certified Naturally Grown farm.

The Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides ranks pesticide contamination for 50 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 89,000 tests for pesticides on these foods, conducted from 2000 to 2008 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. The 49 fruits and vegetables analyzed in the guide are the top 49 most consumed fruits and vegetables, as reported by the USDA, with a minimum of 100 pesticide tests between 2000 and 2009. Nearly all the studies on which the guide is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.

According to the Shoppers Guide, celery, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale, collard greens and potatoes are the vegetables most likely to retain pesticide contamination:

  • Some 95 percent all celery samples tested positive for pesticides, followed by imported cucumbers (84.5 percent) and potatoes (84.2 percent).
  • Nearly 85 percent of celery samples contained multiple pesticides, followed by sweet bell peppers (61.5 percent) and collard greens (53.2 percent).
  • A single celery was contaminated with 13 different chemicals, followed by kale (10), and collard greens, domestic green beans, spinach and lettuce (9).
  • Celery had been treated with as many as 67 pesticides, followed by sweet bell peppers (63) and kale (57).

There are some very simple, basic recipes that work well with many veggies.  Everything from greens, to pac choi, to broccoli, to squash work well chopped up and steamed in some water with some hot pepper flakes or hot sauce.  The standard “greens” prep starts with olive oil and garlic, saute greens, add balsamic vinegar.  You can add more things – sunflower seeds, craisins, nuts, as you like.  Or very the vinegars or oils.  Each gives a little variety but is simple and quick. We have provided recipes for many of the veggies in their pages.  Enjoy.

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