organic or not organic, that is the question

It seems as though we hear an awful lot about organic these days. And I don't know about you, but to me, organic translates to pricey. I want to buy local, and I do, as often as I can. I understand that we should know where our food comes from, and it is often less expensive. And I love wandering around the local farmer's market, choosing our veggies for the week. But there is so much talk out there about "organic", so sometimes I feel as though this is what I should be feeding my family. So I did some research. And it turns out that some fruits and vegetables are lower in pesticides than others. I did not know this. I never really considered this before, but fruits and veggies with thicker rinds or that you will be peeling anyways will have fewer risk of pesticide residue. I also learned that young children are more at risk to harm from pesticides than adults. Yikes.

So here is what I have decided works for my family, and my family's budget.

always buy organic:

celery
apples
berries
potatoes
lettuce and fresh spinach/greens
peaches
pears

maybe not worry so much about:

corn
onions
pineapples
eggplant
cantaloupe
watermelon


There are a ton more fruits and vegetables that didn't make either list, but you get the idea. It's hard, right? You want to always do what's best for your family, but there is so much advice out there and only so much money to go around...