To the mattresses...errr, the produce section.

   My husband and I have had our fair share of arguments.  Over the years, I have learned to do a better job at picking my battles and he has learned to pay more attention to the battles I pick.  Some make us laugh, "Pouring an old drink out in a parking lot is NOT littering," and some make us cry, "No one listens to me, and no one cares if I'm happy, so what am I doing here?!"  In the process of picking battles, some topics are never brought up to avoid conflict. 

   Whether it's because he is part of two large families (one at the fire station and ours at home) who need to make many grocery trips, or because of the "men are hunters and women are gatherers" theory, my husband does not enjoy going to grocery stores.  In fact, he completely despises them and avoids them at all costs.  This is good news for me because that means I have complete control over something in our household.  As a stay-at-home-mom with memories of jet-setting, expensive restaurants, and luxurious hotels, any small freedom is a welcomed gift.  Rolling in the occasional hair product or my favorite passion-orange-guava juice to the grocery total without question or discussion was lovely.  I was able to satisfy a little part of me that still needs to be bad, without doing anything particularly harmful.  I say "was" because one of my dirty little grocery store habits has been exposed.  Well, I don't know if I should call it dirty, or clean, or...let me explain.

   For whatever reason, he has been stuck going to the store with me lately.  It has been tragically unavoidable for him twice this past month.  The first time, he put on a smile and even got a separate cart.  I did the serious shopping while he took the girls and ran around the store entertaining them.  We were all in the produce section together, but he ran into a friend and was too distracted to notice what I was putting in the cart.  The second time, he was paying attention.

Him- Hey, I forgot to tell you I gave Little Girl the last apple yesterday.  We need red apples.  (heads over to the apples)

Me- Ok, no problem.  (heads over to the other apples)

Him- Where are you going?

Me- To get apples.

Him- But the apples are over here.

Me- Yes, but the organic apples are over here.  (silence)




The ultimate marriage showdown in A Christmas Story.

   Oh. No. Here. We. Go.  I could see the grimace growing subtly and quickly.  Organic.  You would think I had just said, "Oh fudge," in front of our kids after I knocked his leg lamp on the floor and used up all the glue on purpose!  I knew he thought organic was a waste of hard-earned money and silly food industry propaganda.  Until now, he didn't know I had been sneaking it in the house.  Without words, we had gone to the mattresses...errr, the produce section in Tom Thumb- a marital standoff of epic proportions.  We had a miniscule (in length and volume), but substantial (in the roles and boundaries of our relationship), exchange.  I didn't want to hear of any impediment on one of my territories in this family- the food we all put in our bodies.  And he wanted his opinion to really be heard, for once on this topic, instead of brushed aside as I had done before.  I was absolutely guilty of over-looking his opinion on grocery items, be it pride and/or avoidance tactics.  I finally listened to his viewpoint and he subsided (even though he still thought I was full of bull) and we went about our day.  I won that one- for now anyway.  I found the following excerpts online to support my perspective:

   "The word 'organic' refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products...here are some key differences between conventional farming and organic farming:" (source)

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

   "Going organic is good for you and the Earth, but if you can't always afford it -- since organic can cost 50%-100% more -- experts recommend spending most of your organic food dollars on produce and the foods you eat most often. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., recommends going organic on produce that is most susceptible to pesticide residue, like peaches." (source)

    "Topping the 2011 dirty dozen list is a tree fruit that always makes the list: Apples. (Apples ranked No. 2 in 2009 and No. 4 in 2010.) More than 40 different pesticides have been detected on apples, because fungus and insect threats prompt farmers to spray various chemicals on their orchards. Not surprisingly, pesticide residue is also found in apple juice and apple sauce, making all apple products smart foods to buy organic."
  
   The "dirty dozen" refers to the latest list of foods with the highest pesticide residue.  The 2011 list (in sequential order) is apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines (imported), grapes (imported), sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, and kale and collard greens tie for 12th.  We have 9 out of 13 in constant supply at our home.  Well, the peaches and nectarines aren't always in season, but I'll pay extra to get blueberries and strawberries when they aren't in season.  I do buy celery and grapes but they never get eaten.  The list goes on to include fatty meats, milk, coffee, wine, and chocolate.

   Much to my dismay, the top story on the news the very next evening was, "High arsenic levels found in organic foods, baby formula."  Great.  From MSNBC, "Next time you pick up an organic cereal bar or buy infant formula, you might want to read the label closely. High levels of arsenic, a chemical linked to cancer, chronic diseases and developmental effects, have been found in foods that list organic brown rice syrup as a primary ingredient, according to a new study from Dartmouth University." (source)
  
   Aaaaaand, we're back to square one.  I would love to know, does your family make an effort to buy organic, or not?  What is your reasoning either way?