Organic or Conventional?

        Once upon on a time, our produce came from a small farm in a town nearby. There was no choice between organic and conventional. Now, the term organic alone poses a lot of questions. In a perfect world, the definition of organic would be something like "crops that are grown without the use of pesticides or other additives." Unfortunately, the world in which we live is far from perfect. I had previously accepted organic as the healthier option. The business world has chewed up the word and spit it out(as business often does to many good things, like people, morals, ethics & social responsibility). Words I thought were meant to help consumers make their own choices have turned into words that businesses use to their monetary advantage. Adjectives like organic, natural and pure are now being tossed around like salad. I've been digging deeper on this topic and here's my perspective:
        Organic is now a loose term, not the straight-forward one I originally believed it to be. Different governments have different standards for what constitutes an organic product. For the most part, these guidelines don't ensure that your organic apples will have absolutely no pesticide residue; rather, the guidelines set a certain amount or type that is acceptable for us to eat. Companies are only allowed to market their products as organic if they meet the predetermined criteria. (Potentially harmful materials are used in more products than you would think. As long as it's within the legal limit determined by the federal agencies, it can stay on the shelves. For example, many toys and paints have a certain amount of lead in them, which is perfectly legal.)
        From what I understand, organic farmers are still able to use pesticides, they are just "organic pesticides". This means that they are "naturally"-derived, rather than the synthetic ones used in conventional farming. Here we go again with tossing words like "natural" around. I recently read that some of these organic pesticides are just as bad for our health as those that are synthetic. I can't say I know this to be true, but it makes sense to me. There are plenty of naturally-occurring substances that are harmful to our health; asbestos, for one. The effects of organic pesticides haven't been studied extensively like the synthetic pesticides have. Natural and organic are not synonyms for healthier or better.
        Organic farming may not be all good, but it probably isn't all bad either. Supposedly, organic farming doesn't just use standards for the pesticide issue. They also don't use genetically modified organisms, they have standards for healthier practices with livestock(like cage-free and access to outside) and they don't use antibiotics. The large factory farms are more concerning to me than the idea of organic. 
        So, you're standing in front of the raspberries; one carton is labeled conventional and the other organic. You're thinking "I don't want to expose myself and my family to potentially harmful residue. WHAT DO I DO?!? WHAT IS THE ANSWER!?!?" Well, I can only give you my answer, not THE answer. I formulated my own by seeking out more information, but there may not be a right answer. Opinions on such matters should be subject to change with new information anyway. Don't lose sleep over what you can't control and don't take my word for it(or anyone else's, for that matter). Instead, I encourage you to do some research of your own(from LEGITIMATE sources) and come to your own conclusions. I suggest doing this with everything you question in life.
        I think that one of the problems with today's society is our willingness to believe anything and everything. We have too many people following along blindly and not enough people thinking critically. Many of us are innately hopeful and we try to see the good in things. We hope we can trust our neighbors, our farmers and our governments but even when things are good, we still need to be our own advocates. We shouldn't read an article, go to a doctor or talk to a friend and walk away believing it's all fact. When crossing a road, you shouldn't look to the person in front of you and walk without looking both ways. You, too, should look both ways to ensure it's safe for you. We need to start looking out for ourselves again. We're placing more importance on our wants than we are on our needs. I know life is busy and we want to trust the professionals, but we are all humans and humans are imperfect. It is an imperfect human behind the door of your doctor's office, it is an imperfect human crossing the street in front of you and it is an imperfect human writing this article.
        So, from one imperfect human to another, here is how I go about choosing: organic versus conventional(FYI I am not a doctor, a scientist or a food expert):
*Eating fruits and vegetables is better than not eating fruits and vegetables, even with some unwanted residue. So, eat them. Every day. Because You Are What You Eat!
*No matter what option you should choose, wash your produce well before consuming it. Soak it in apple cider vinegar/warm water and use a sponge or a brush. 
*It isn't cheap for farmers to get the organic seal of approval. For that reason, food from many smaller, local farms are not labeled "organic." They might meet the specified criteria, but they can't afford to jump through the hoops set up by the government. The way I see it, small, local farms are less likely to have gigantic machinery that blast through the fields pouring pesticides on everything. A farmer with a smaller amount of crops takes more pride in them. You would focus more on one child than you would if you had 10 children, right? I like to think that small farmers started because they LOVE farming, not because they want to become a greedy corporation. In my opinion, larger companies have the "make more money however possible" mentality. It's harder to hold anyone accountable with so many hands in the pot. I shy away from supporting larger corporations as much as possible. There is no need for supply if there is no demand! When I have the choice between organic or conventional/local, I choose local. In doing so, I'm not only supporting local business, I'm also getting fresher products because they haven't traveled across the country or the world to get to my plate! If neither option is local, I might choose organic.
*Go to farmer's markets/stands and shop at a Co-Op in your area
*Change it up! I don't always get the same thing because, as you may know, I'm a firm believer in moderating my exposure to things. I think that the human body can handle most things in moderation. When we inundate our system with a particular substance, it can struggle to eliminate it from the body. I don't want to be exposed to only synthetic pesticides or only organic ones, so sometimes I choose based on cost or what looks better.
*Start a garden or join a community garden so you know exactly what is in and on your food! Don't try to start growing everything at once, as it can be frustrating & time-consuming. Instead, learn to grow one thing at a time because each plant needs special attention. Learn to grow tomatoes, then trade your neighbor or friend for some cucumbers! Let's bring back bartering, trading and buying from our local farmers and neighbors!