What is Organic Food?

Food that is labeled "organic" has been grown or raised without chemical fertilizers, pest killers (pesticides), weed killers (herbicides), hormones, or drugs.
This means that farmers and ranchers who grow organic food:

• Use only natural pest killers, such as plant oils, soap, fungus-eating bacteria, or bugs that eat other bugs.
• Use only natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost.
• Feed their animals only organic food.
• Don't give their animals antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Don't use genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
• Don't use irradiation, which means using X-rays or other types of rays to kill pests, change the way plants grow, or keep vegetables and fruits from spoiling as fast.

Is buying organic the only way to avoid chemicals?
You can avoid pesticides by buying only organic food. Or you could buy organic versions of only the foods you eat most often or of only those foods that have the most pesticides when grown on traditional farms. Visit your local farmers market. Buy from them make friends with your local farmers.
The following fruits and vegetables generally have the highest pesticide levels:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Nectarines
• Strawberries and blueberries
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Celery
• Bell peppers
• Green beans
• Cucumbers
• Potatoes
• Leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, and kale​