
Rotate plants every year or every other year.It's either put into the compost pile or directly into the garden. They lighten heavy soils and help sandy soils retain moisture". When added to your garden, leaves feed earthworms and beneficial microbes. Gardener's Supply Company explains "Leaves are packed with trace minerals that trees draw up from deep in the soil. They will break down over the winter and be ready to till into the soil in the Spring. Not everyone believes in tilling, but we found it to not only be beneficial but makes planting easier. You want the soil to be loose so plant roots have the freedom to take hold and prosper. Properly till the garden area with either a shovel, pitch fork or rototiller.Organic food coupons are not in abundance, that's for sure, but you can find them on occasion. Making applesauce? How does an entire bushel of Apples for $5 sound to you? If you are into canning, these are wonderful finds!įinally, search the internet for coupons. They also tend to put out bushels of fruits and/or vegetables that are getting past their prime. Often they have produce stands or their own market where prices might be a little lower. Many follow organic practices but chose not to get the certifications for this very reason. fees on these farmer's, they literally can't afford to be labeled organic. Not only are the materials more costly, but the government issues so many permit, classification, etc. You may not know how expensive it actually is to be an organic farmer. If it's not an organic farmer, ask if they are 'no spray'. You have the opportunity to talk directly to the farmer about their growing practices. Have you ever seen someone touching every piece to find just the right one? No thanks, you can keep your germs. I typically won't buy open bin vegetables, even organic. Plus, they are frozen immediately after picking which means they also have the highest nutrition content. How can you buy organic on a budget? I've found that buying frozen organic vegetables are only 30 cents more per bag where we shop and actually cheaper when they are on sale. The higher cost of organic food far outweighs the benefits of saving a few dollars.

However, allowing for organic fruits and vegetables in accordance with these guidelines should top your list and be factored into your food budgets. Unfortunately, eating 100% organic is sadly not part of most people's budget (certainly not mine). The saddest outcome of these findings is none of the pesticides found are against any laws or regulations governing our food production. Some are considered benign but others are linked to cancer, reproductive damage, developmental damage, hormone disruptions and neurological problems. They cite strawberries, a whopping 98% of them tested, had detectable pesticide residue with 40% containing 10 or more pesticides and some having upwards of 17 different pesticides.
