March is one of the cruelest months in Colorado, warm weather teases that spring is close at hand but within a day, winter can elbow its way back in. I found hope this week in my garden and the grocery store. Just beneath the surface of my garden, I can see pink and green strawberry leaves emerging. I won't see any red buttons of sweetness until June, but it's a sign that spring and it's bounty will be here soon. Another sign is organic strawberries, grown in the US, are sale at Denver area King Soopers, 2 for $5 (half the price of winter berries).
Organic strawberries are one of the more important fruits to buy from a certified organic source. Conventional strawberry farming is notoriously expensive, each acre requires about $20,000 in irrigation systems, plastic mulch, fertilization and as many as 50 different pesticides and fungicides, some of which are considered harmful to human and environmental health.
A study in May 2010 Pediatrics journal suggested that children's exposure to a class of pesticides used in strawberry farming may contribute to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Organophosphates kill agricultural pests by acting as neurotoxins in insects and as the study suggests children are the most vulnerable because the developing brain is especially susceptible to neurotoxic substances.
In 2008, the USDA found malathion (an organophophate) residues on 25% of strawberries, 28% of blueberries and 19% of celery. The Environmental Working Group, a Washington DC advocacy group says that common culprits for children are apples, berries, peaches, popcorn, grapes and apple juice.
Another study released September 2010, supported by the USDA, found that organic strawberries had higher levels of healthy antioxidants and vitamin C, largely because the soil used to grow the berries was healthier. The study participants also found the organic strawberries had better flavor, texture and were basically “berrier” than conventionally grown strawberries. So for me, while the strawberry plants in my own garden get ready to bloom and bear fruit, I’ll pick organic berries from the grocery store. Here is a complete list of pick your own berry patches in the Denver area. http://www.pickyourown.org/COdenver.php
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