Organic produce touted for flavor, health benefits
Not long after her sister died of leukemia in 1977, Sister Rita Wienken took over the vegetable garden at the convent in Tiffin. One day, she headed out from the sisters’ abode to spray chemicals on the grapes to prevent the plants from contracting disease.
But she couldn’t do it. The label on the 50-gallon sprayer flagged the product as a carcinogen, meaning it could cause cancer, a reminder of her sister who died not long before. As a college student, she had learned the dangers to the atmosphere and the ozone layer from climate change.
“In good consciousness, I could not do that to the environment, and I could not do that to the sisters who were going to eat that,” Sister Rita recalled.
She found a spot in the back woods and dumped the sprayer there. She has not used a harmful chemical since.
“We’re a part of the natural world,” she said. “This is one Earth, this is our home, and we need to take care of it. We don’t have a second home.”
Sister Rita is the urban farm coordinator at Toledo GROWS, the nonprofit community garden outreach program. Every Wednesday, volunteers harvest a variety of crops, including green beans, tomatoes, kohlrabi and kale — all grown without pesticides, herbicides or insecticides.
What exactly is organic?
Walking into a local grocery store, shoppers might face a dilemma, standing between two ostensibly identical barrels of Roma tomatoes. One bears the label “organic,” along with an almost-double sticker price.
The term has picked up steam in recent years, with grocery stores attaching a few extra dollars to a product’s price as long as it carries that label. But what does organic mean, and why does it have to be so expensive? Is it truly any better for you?
Studies have shown that some harsh chemicals applied to plants can pose a serious health threat if consumed. In short, the term “organic” for gardening means that synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or other chemicals — like those Sister Rita has sworn off — were not used on produce or ornamental plants, said Elaine Grassbaugh, a professor at Ohio State University who teaches a course on organic gardening.
The chemical-free practices are better for the consumers, the soil and water, Grassbaugh said, because there is no chemical runoff polluting waterways. Runoff from agricultural fertilizers has contributed to the algae bloom in Lake Erie, she added.
Scientists have long warned of the potential health dangers of pesticides. A 2007 study found a correlation in scientific literature between the chemicals and some cancers, including lymphoma and leukemia, especially in children. Others have linked pesticides to behavioral and developmental problems in infants and young children.
“Some of the chemicals have been labeled in the past as carcinogens, so you don’t really know what you’re getting on your food,” Grassbaugh said.
Facts such as these drew Sister Rita to sustainable gardening practices after the death of her sister.
Though her practices fall in line with the term’s definition, she does not label her produce organic. Technically, some of her seeds are not organic — meaning the plants from which they were harvested are not necessarily pesticide and fertilizer-free.
“I like to reserve the word ‘organic’ for the people who get certified organic,” she said. “I’m using either ‘sustainable’ or ‘I do not use harmful herbicides and pesticides. It’s all grown naturally.’”
Indeed, a lot of paperwork goes into the “USDA organic” sticker on produce. According to Grassbaugh, growers seeking organic certification must “keep meticulous records” and register with the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. Certifiers visit home farms to inspect the property, and land must be chemical-free for at least three years, to name a few regulatory hurdles. But the process is really for commercial growers, she said.
Unlike the farmers who use sprays and insecticides to prevent bugs on their plants, commercial farmers require a larger labor force to manually remove insects, Grassbaugh said. Or they may need to purchase row covers to protect their plants. The need for more manual labor is part of the reason for the price hike, she said.
Organic at home
While achieving the USDA seal may be challenging, smallscale gardeners can still use organic practices at home.
Heather Carey, manager of Toledo Indoor Gardening, grows her own fruits and vegetables in Temperance and said she began growing organically two years ago when the movement was really picking up. For the last three years, Toledo Indoor Gardening has doubled its selection of organic products annually, said Craig Poupard, Carey’s fiancé and owner of the shop.
For Poupard, organic products lead to better tasting food that’s sweeter and more flavorful.
“It can be a little more expensive,” he said. “I think it outweighs the benefits.”
Grassbaugh said the first step to starting an organic garden is a soil test to gauge its health. Growers will receive recommendations in response.
But after that, Carey uses the “amended soil method,” where she adds organic nutrients to her soil and lets that sit. In her 30-by-50-foot garden, she uses six raised beds and six potted plants that house basil, five varieties of tomatoes, broccoli and an assortment of other fruits and veggies — all organic.
She uses Pro-Mix potting soil, Malibu Compost, and worm castings as well as Organic Easy by Organically Done, a super soil fertilizer blend with several amendments. Afterward, she just adds water to her beds — no need to spray pesticides or anything else.
“I feel like I get more fresh tasting, vibrant flavors from it,” Carey said.
Her plants have grown faster since she’s started growing organically, she said, pointing to vegetables that are cleaner and larger. And she knows exactly what she’s ingesting. Since she started growing her plants inside in late March, she’s already yielded 18 ears of corn, three dozen peppers, 20 jars of pickles, and three pounds of potatoes this season.
At Toledo GROWS, volunteers just recently harvested kale, lettuce, and parsley, among other vegetables. Beyond the potential benefits for plant gardens, for Sister Rita, growing organically has a greater purpose.
“What it means to be organic is to be someone ... that understands it’s about taking care of the natural world as well as being able to grow product that is grown without use of artificial chemicals, harmful pesticides, or herbicides — agriculture that makes healthy plants, healthy food, soil, and healthy environment ... a priority.”