Pondering "organic" gardening.

Yes, even gardeners ponder at times.  There is this whole argument going on in the farming communities all the way down to the backyard gardeners such as myself.  It's about whether or not going "organic" is really as important as it has been made out to be.  Much like the climate change dialogue, there are varying opinions among even the supposed experts on this subject.  So who are we to believe?
One group who I have been following for quite some time is the Rodale Institute (rodaleinstitute.org) in Kutztown Pa.  They have a sprawling property of over 333 acres (yes, 333!) of fields on which they conduct a massive list of research into the organic method which was pioneered by their founder J I Rodale.  I have been reading about their results for several years and I have to admit, they make a quite impressive argument in favor of organics.  I would love to see their results up close but being very busy myself, I haven't found the opportunity.
Now mind you, the Organic Trade Association has estimated that we spent in 2014 an estimated $30 billion dollars in sales of organic products.  Is this for a good cause?  Are organically grown foods better and less dangerous than traditionally raised foods?  One would think so but there is an argument to say - not so fast.
See, numerous studies have been conducted and the results do not bear out what proponents of the organic method are claiming.  That is a surprise for me to say the least.  There is one set of studies that are often championed for support of the traditional approach.  Stanford University had a long term study that encompassed a broad set of studies from many other colleges that came to the conclusions that organic foods are not safer or more nutritious than the traditionally grown foods.  I have to also point out that I am not at ease with using the organic pesticides that I have seen being sold.  We don't have a long history here so I have to wonder (ponder) at times as to whether products that say they are natural are also safe.  And have we tested them as much as we tested the traditional products?  Nope!  I know - DDT!  Right?  Yes, that was scary and I grew up eating food that was sprayed with that. Not cool.  I will point out one fact that I bring up to my wife.  She loves Chipotle.  And they are the cool organic company that fell victim to E- Coli.
So, each side has their arguments to support themselves.  I am kind of on the fence here.  My own experiences tell me that you have to find a common ground with regards to the food you are growing in your backyard.  Will I let an bug infestation destroy my crops - no.  I have tried BT based powders and they don't seem to work as effectively as other pesticides.  Do I use these all summer long? No, only when needed and in small courses.  As I have heard routinely, all things in moderation.
I have, as much as possible, strived to be as pesticide free as possible.  I have advised other gardeners on what I call a natural approach.  That's my approach for me and anyone I advise.

Are you really growing organically?

That is a very hard question to answer with just a simple yes or no. There are many reasons to grow vegetables in your own backyard. Most people speak of the superior freshness and taste of the produce. Some point to the rampant use of GMO seed stock and the use of herbecides and such on the produce you get in most stores. Not to mention the carbon footprint of some of the foods we eat that travel over 1,000 miles or more. But, a fair portion of the gardening world will answer that they garden in order to have "organic" vegetables and fruit. But, if you have a garden, the question remains - are you truly organic? I always thought that I was truly organic. I have my three composters, 4 rain barrels and I don't generally use any herbecides on my plants. I tolerate some destruction in my garden as the natural course of events. If the infestation is intolerable with the risk of total loss being high, I then us a BT based powder to combat the issue at hand. BT is a targeted insecticide that does not kill beneficial insects. It is considered to be organic as it is a naturally occurring bacterium found in the soil. I recently watched a gardening show where I discovered that while I practice generally organic principles, I have been acutely unaware of one area I hadn't given much thought to - seeds! Yes, seeds. I mean, who knew? As pointed out by the guest on the show, if you are using GMO produced seeds or hybrid seeds, then you are truly not growing organic. As a person with a multitude of such seeds, that was quite an eye opener. I guess I need to be careful where I buy my seeds. That's a topic for another post. I hope this was an eye opener for you too. Well, till next time, happy gardening everyone!