1
To keep toxic chemicals out of my body. Even though we’ve been assured that the tiny amounts of pesticide residue present on our fruits and vegetables won’t hurt us, we do know that tiny amounts add up over time. These toxins tend to get stored in our fat, our liver and our brains. The fewer toxins inside me the better.
2
To keep harmful hormones out of my body. When my oldest daughter was nine, she started developing acne. I had heard that hormones given to dairy cows to increase milk production could also cause premature development in girls. When we switched to organic milk her skin cleared up. Those same hormones can cause imbalances in adults as well as children, so I make sure my dairy products are either organic or RBST/RBGH free.
3
To save the bees. Recent research by Harvard University confirms that the high numbers of collapsing bee colonies is connected to the pesticides commonly used on corn and other commercial food crops. I love sitting in my garden and listening to the bees hum in the herb blossoms. I can’t save them all, but at least my garden will be safe for them.
4
To protect the soil. When we lived in Manitoba twenty years ago there were large, whitened dead patches of soil in the low spots of the crop fields. It was the result of decades of artificial fertilizers leaving salt residues behind. Fields fertilized naturally with manure and compost develop soil that is dark, rich, and life bearing.
5
To stop developing deadly bacteria. Low dose antibiotics help livestock gain weight quickly, thus improving profit margins for large commercial enterprises. These low dose antibiotics are also connected to the evolution of nasty, antibiotic resistant strains of E. coli. Meat from livestock that has been given antibiotics can’t be sold under the organic label, so when I eat organic meat I know I’m not contributing to the development of nasty strains of bacteria.
6
To build community. I’m grateful to have grown up in a family that valued a healthy diet and organic food back in the years before most Americans knew what that meant. We grew enormous gardens every summer and canned, froze, and dried a lot of our food.
We bought beef from the neighbor’s pasture-fed steer and fresh cow’s milk from them as well. Eggs came from the chicken house, or maybe by searching in the woods to find the escaped hens’ nests. In my teen years we bought our own small farm and began supplying milk and meat to the neighborhood. I still love walking out my door to cut lettuce or to pick tomatoes and cucumbers for the evening salad, but when I don’t have what I need the next best thing is the local farmer’s market. Buying fresh produce from somebody else’s garden is a lovely way to make new friends and support local enterprise.
7
To build for the future. It’s easy to think we can’t do much about saving the earth for our children, so why even try? I try because I believe that every little bit helps.
If I pull the dandelions in my lawn instead of using herbicides, only a few less ounces of toxins drain into the river, but I get some exercise and the satisfaction of knowing I’ve done a small act of protest to help save the earth.
8
To build a family legacy. I loved my father’s passion for nature and all things beautiful. He believed that one of the first commandments from God to mankind was to care for the earth, and since Oregon was as close to Eden as we could get, we had better not destroy it.
He mourned the disappearance of the old growth forests and taught us not to litter long before it was the law. My father has passed away, but sharing his love of gardening and healthy living with my children has been a joy. Growing and eating organic is one of the ways I honor my father and pass on the legacy of caring for the earth to my children.
Ruth and her husband Jonathan own Daniel’s Health & Nutrition.
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