There are many ways to get the best value for your health-conscious dollar.  For instance, if you have to choose which fruits and veggies to buy organic, start with those that have thin skin, apples, peaches, berries, potatoes.  Also, leafy greens are hard to wash thoroughly and  tend to be sprayed with a lot of pesticides, so go organic with those too.   This list is getting long, and since we are all encouraged to eat as much leafy greens as possible, the list is also expensive, which begs the question, is there a middle ground between organic and conventional foods? The answer is yes.   Lets take a look at some alternatives.

First, know where your foods come from.  If you have your own garden, you have the ultimate control over pesticide use.  Don’t have time/space/inclination to garden? you could join a CSA, community supported agriculture, to pick up fresh seasonal foods. This is a way to establish a direct relationship with the people who bring you your food.  However, it also takes more time and effort than going shopping at a store. Luckily,  Meadowsweet Market has been working for 12 years on our relationships with local producers in order to bring you the freshest, healthiest foods we can, with a great variety all under one roof!  Most of our producers would be considered “transitional”, which means that they are either in the process of becoming USDA certified organic, or they simply do not use pesticides.  It’s easy to forget that organic standards are synonymous with the way crops were produced long ago, without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and genetic modifications. On small farms, by families who considered themselves stewards of the land. We are proud to offer not only organic products but also a variety of local foods from producers who are taking this “back to basics” approach to farming.   Their dedication makes healthy foods economically accessible to more people!