It wasn’t that long ago that all farming methods were organic farming methods. Then along came “better living through chemistry” and the current methods of using man-made chemical-based fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides. The residue from this chemical soup is present on the produce we buy every day at the supermarket.

Buying organic is the only way to guarantee there are no man-made chemical residues on our produce. It is also the only way to guarantee we are buying a non-genetically-modified corn or soybean product.

The primary reason I buy organic when I can is because it matters to me that organic farming methods enrich and build the soil, work with beneficial insects, and prevent literally tons of chemicals from entering our soil, water, air, and our bodies, not to mention the farmers and the field workers themselves. We really don’t know yet the full impact of exposure to chemical residue on our food, and I feel it’s worth the extra cost now to prevent years of living with disease down the road.

I would encourage you to talk to and support one of our many local organic farmers. They are probably the best people to explain and show you why organic matters.

I take great hope from the article in last week’s paper about the Sno-Valley Tilth mentoring program and how much interest there is in organic farming. It’s good to know there are other people out there who also believe that organic matters.

Yvonne Grimes

North Bend