Organic Celery

When I see organic celery at the Hollywood Farmers Market, I always grab a bunch.

Celery is one of the vegetables which contains heavy pesticide residue if not grown organically. There are months of the year I don't use celery because it disappears from the organic stalls at the market.

When I get a bunch home, I cut the leaves off so they don't draw juiciness from the stalks. Usually I add the leaves to the compost heap. I never feel bad about composting organic vegetables — my own vegetable garden appreciates the food.

However the other day I tried something new. I rinsed and dried the leaves, double-bagged them, and threw them in the freezer. I'll use them straight from the freezer in soups and stews. They'll add the celery flavor — a slight bitterness — although not the texture of the celery stalks.

And when I make vegetable stock this week, I'll use some of the frozen leaves in place of the precious stalks of celery I usually add.

Buy organic for the bees

Organic corn is grown from seed that does not have the
a toxic coating of neonicotinoids. All other corn
probably does, even if it's no-spray.

I just finished reading in the latest Rolling Stone a story about yet another link between agricultural pesticide use, bees and colony collapse disorder (CCD).

One of the latest agricultural pesticides to be used extensively (since 2000) are neonicotinoids, a derivative of nicotine.

These chemicals, also called neonics, are used as a seed coating. The plant that grows from a neonic-coated seed contains neonics in all its tissues. Insects try eating a part of the plant and die. The plant survives to bear fruit and go to market. Agri-business thrives.

A couple of questions though. First, what do neonics do to humans? They are neurotoxic, but we are assured that we are absorbing them in such small doses they won't hurt us. According to the article by Alex Morris, a 2012 US Department of Agriculture survey found neonics in 22 percent of cherry tomatoes and 25 percent of bell peppers. They're also found in baby food. Studies show that unless you eat solely organic food, you have these neonicotinoids in your blood. This might be okay for grown people, but potentially quite damaging to the developing brains of babies.

More urgently, they seem to be killing bees. They're not an instant killer, like many pesticides. Instead, the bees seem to survive a few weeks while dining on the flowers of the neonic-infused flowers. In fact, some observers think bees actually prefer these flowers - they are full of addictive nicotine after all. They take the pollen back to their hives - which means the honey is neonic-tainted too - but then after a few weeks they die while off on their travels, leaving the beekeeper to wonder what he has done to lose his bees.

Needles to say, these toxic seed-coatings have been banned in safety-conscious Europe pending future testing on the effects these chemicals have on humans and the environment.

In corporate-friendly USA however, the EPA has decided neonics are probably safe, and continues slowly investigating while agri-business uses them extensively. Neoniotinoid-coated seeds are being used in both Canada and the US.

Fortunately, under US and Canadian law, organic seeds cannot be coated with neonics or other chemicals.

This is yet another reason to support your local organic farmers.

Annual Dirty Dozen List

The Environmental Working Group has again published its lists of the U.S.-available non-organic produce with the most pesticide residue (Dirty Dozen) and with minimal pesticide residue (Clean Fifteen).

They report that 2/3 of the produce samples in recent government tests had pesticide residues. In light of research into pesticides and the brain - not a good combination - it's worth the effort to find food grown organically, especially if you're buying the produce listed below in the Dirty Dozen.

Organic produce has no pesticide residue because it is grown without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

I'd like to point out that they're measuring pesticide residue on the parts of the plant we eat, not the amount of pesticides applied to the plant as it grows in the ground. All pesticides are harmful to the eco-systems of the earth. That doesn't mean they should never be used, but that farmers should use them as a last resort; just like we should take care of our own intestinal flora and not poison it with antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. We keep our immune systems strong so our bodies can ward off viruses. Keeping the soil microbially healthy helps the plants we eat grow strong and vigorous.

I emphasize, however, that it is always better to eat fresh fruit and vegetables - organic or non-organic -  than fast food or prepared food, or anything containing additives, preservatives or flavorings. Human bodies prefer food to chemicals.

Dirty Dozen: (don't eat unless organic)
apples
strawberries
grapes
celery
peaches
sweet bell peppers
imported nectarines
cucumbers
cherry tomatoes
imported snap peas
potatoes
hot peppers
kale and collard greens

Clean Fifteen: (minimal pesticide residue if non-organic)
avocados
sweet corn (although it could be genetically modified)
pineapples
cabbage
frozen peas
onions
asparagus
mangoes
papayas
kiwi
eggplant
grapefruit
cantaloupe
cauliflower
sweet potatoes

Get the handy shopping guide from EWG, and donate money to support their excellent work, at their website.

Post-industrial lettuce

I was driving home last night listening to NPR when I heard a truly astonishing report on All Things Considered about the future of lettuce farming.

It turns out that lettuce is a labor-intensive crop. Workers with shovels thin the lettuce plants, weed them as necessary, and harvest them by hand. No machines have been found that don't crush the lettuce plants.

Until now. They interviewed a farmer experimenting with a tractor complete with an imac computer that automatically maps the lettuce plants, takes pictures of them, and thins them to the right spacing within a tenth of an inch. Later it harvests them when they are the perfect size.

The worker driving the tractor just has to push a few buttons for this modern marvel to do all the back-breaking labor formerly done by humans.

The part that had me cussing though, was the way the machine thins the lettuce plants.

The reporter says the tractor shoots a "killing spray" on the plants that are not in the right place.

Killing spray is another word for herbicide or pesticide, so I'm pretty sure my organic farmers will not be using this tractor any time soon.

Killing sprays are not uncommon in fields. There was a time (I hope this is not still a common practice) when Agent Orange-like herbicides were sprayed on crops of green beans to defoliate them so the tractors could more easily pick the beans. When machines get involved in agriculture, chemicals are not far behind.

It's another reminder that healthy organic earth-friendly vegetables require people willing to do tough menial labor for very little money. It raises the question of why we insist on paying so comparatively little for fresh produce when it is labor intensive and time sensitive?

I suppose mainstream farmers are realizing that since we don't value our food enough to pay a living wage and provide less oppressive working conditions, they'll eliminate the workers and use machines to grow vegetables in ways that poison our earth, and most likely our bodies.

EWG organic list

Each year I write about the Environmental Working Group's list of the most pesticided produce in America.

This year they've added genetically modified crops to their list.

As always, let me remind you that it is always better to eat fruit and vegetables. Every cancer study out there says that people who eat more vegetables are less likely to develop cancer. So eat vegetables, even if you can't find/afford organic ones.

However, if you can avoid these heavily pesticided crops, your nervous system and endocrine system will thank you. (Most pesticides are neuro-toxic or hormone-disruptors. This includes the Weed'n'Feed and Round Up you put on your lawn. Don't do it.)

A brief aside on genetically modified organisms (gmos). Wheat, corn and soy are always gmo unless labelled non-gmo or organic. In the produce aisle, however, most foods are not gm. The exceptions are zucchini, Hawaiian papaya, and some varieties of sweet corn. EWG advises people to buy these organic in order to avoid gmos.

The good news is that sometimes really toxic pesticides are taken off the market because they can be detected on foods. Last year EWG singled out green beans because they were often contaminated with two highly toxic organophosphates. Use of these pesticides has since been restricted by the EPA. Unfortunately, non-organic leafy greens still show residues of organophosphates, and EWG recommends avoiding them.

Sadly, tests in 2008 found that some American-grown summer squash contained residues of organochlorine pesticides that were phased out of agriculture in the 1970s and 1980s. The toxic chemicals are still in the soil in some farm fields. Yet another reason to buy produce from organic farmers who feed the soil, not poison it.

Produce to avoid if not organic:
apples
celery
cherry tomatoes
cucumbers
grapes
kale / collard greens
hot peppers
imported nectarines
peaches
potatoes
spinach
strawberries
summer squash (zucchini)
sweet bell peppers

Produce that is safe to eat if not organic
(Although think of the soil and future generations)
asparagus
avocados
cabbage
cantaloupe
corn (if not gmo)
eggplant
grapefruit
kiwis
mangoes
mushrooms
onions
papayas
pineapples
peas
sweet potatoes

Get a downloadable app of this list, and donate to EWG to support their good work here.

Eat organic

I'm fortunate to be able to eat a wide variety of organic produce. It helps to live in southern California and shop at the Hollywood Farmers' Market.

I know that not everyone is as lucky as me, so here is the annual list of foods that are safe to eat even if they are not organic.

Every year the Environmental Working Group tests US-grown food for pesticide residue. Although we don't know what long-term use of pesticides does to the human nervous and endocrine system, there are standards as to what is too much to consume.

The first list, The Dirty Dozen, refers to foods that should never be eaten unless they are organic, because the pesticide residue is too high in the conventionally-grown kinds.

The second list is of foods which have a minimal level of pesticide residue when conventionally grown.

Notice that greens must be organically-grown. Don't let that stop you from eating greens. Instead ask your produce manager or favorite organic farmer to stock organic greens. They're available, they're delicious and they're healthy. And even at $2.50 a bunch, they're a better deal than a multi-vitamin.


Dirty Dozen: eat only if organic
apples
bell peppers
blueberries
celery
cucumbers
grapes
green beans
kale / greens
lettuce
nectarines - imported
peaches
potatoes
spinach
strawberries

Low Pesticide Residue: These 15 foods are lowest in pesticide residue, and are considered safe to eat even if not organic.
asparagus
avocado
cabbage
cantaloupe
corn (probably gmo if not organic)
eggplant
grapefruit
kiwi
mangoes
mushrooms
onions
peas
pineapples
sweet potatoes
watermelon

Frozen Bananas

I like to buy organic bananas even though they don't grow locally. I feel good about supporting chemical-free agriculture in tropical countries.

I don't buy non-organic bananas because I choose not to support agriculture that poisons the workers. Conventional bananas are grown with pesticides categorized by the World Health Organization in the first and second most dangerous categories. Typical banana plantations in Central America apply 30 kilograms of pesticides per hectare each year. That is 10 times more than the amount used in intensive agriculture in developed nations.

Fortunately, organic bananas are becoming easier to find at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Even my local grocery store carries them pretty regularly.

Since they tend to go brown faster than we can eat them, I throw the extras in a zip-loc bag in the freezer and get ready to enjoy my favorite frozen treat.

On hot days like today, I pull a banana from the freezer, peel it, slice it, and enjoy a treat that is better than ice cream. And healthier too.

Bananas are a good source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound that nourishes probiotic (good) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce enzymes that increase digestive ability and protect against unhealthy bacterial infections. Similar to eating yogurt or taking probiotic pills.

Frozen bananas might also make you happy. They're a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid converted by your body into the mood-booster serotonin.

Frozen Banana
1 ripe banana

Put the banana with peel in a bag in the freezer. Let it freeze at least a few hours until it is solid, but you can leave it there for up to 6 months.

Take the banana from the freezer just before you want to eat it. Let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes until the peel has defrosted enough for you to remove it.

Peel then slice the banana. Eat while it's still hard. If it defrosts too much it gets mushy - great for banana bread, but not so good for dessert.

Serves 1.

Red Peppers

I rarely eat red peppers in July. Local ones don't show up at the market until August, and I prefer to eat locally-grown produce.

But last week our local independent supermarket had organic red peppers imported from Mexico, and I picked up a packet. I like to support local business, but since I won't buy non-organic or processed food, my choices are often limited. This local store, however, is doing its best to cater to people like me as well as to normal people.

I took the peppers home, and because they were imported I washed them more thoroughly than I do the produce I buy from local farmers.

My local farmers eat the food they grow. If it were bacterially compromised, they would suffer the same effects I would. So they're careful with their food.

Produce shipped long distances and stored in large warehouses along the way has very little accountability - that's where the problems come in, I think. Give me small farms and local farmers any day.

Except, I wanted to support my local independent grocery store.

The peppers were organic, so I was not worried about systemic pesticides. I washed the outsides with dishwashing liquid. I use Planet, a coconut-based cleaner. (Did you know most dishwashing liquids are made from petroleum? Kind of weirds me out to be putting a fork in my mouth after it's been washed in petroleum.)

The dishwashing liquid is a good veggie wash for external pesticide residue, but I was most concerned with the dust of the road and the germs of the many hands that had touched my well-travelled peppers.

Satisfied they were clean, I cooked them up for my grilled vegetable salad. They were excellent. And I was happy to have supported my local independent grocery store, as well as the organic farmers in Mexico whose workers are not being poisoned by the chemicals used in conventional agriculture.

Reducing pesticide exposure

I make a point of eating organically-grown food because it is better for me, the farmworkers and the planet.

However, I realize not everyone is fortunate enough to have a great farmers market nearby, or a family who is willing to eat seasonally.

Since it is always better to eat non-organic produce than to avoid fruits and vegetables, I present here a list of produce which is safe to eat even if not organic.

The list is compiled by the Environmental Working Group, which tests fresh U.S.-grown produce for levels of pesticide residue.

You can find their full report here. They mention that if you choose your daily 5 servings of vegetables from the Clean Fifteen list instead of the Dirty Dozen, you will reduce your pesticide intake by 92 per cent. That's worth doing.

New on the toxic list from last year: spinach, blueberries, potatoes and collard greens. Make sure to find those in the organic section of your supermarket. Grapefruit, mushrooms and cantaloupe are new on the safe to eat even if conventionally-grown list.

Dirty Dozen - eat only if organic
apples
celery
strawberries
peaches
spinach
nectarines - imported
grapes - imported
bell peppers
potatoes
blueberries
lettuce
kale / collard greens


Clean Fifteen - safe to eat even if not organic
onions
sweet corn
pineapples
avocado
asparagus
peas
mangoes
eggplant
cantaloupe
kiwi
cabbage
watermelon
sweet potatoes
grapefruit
mushrooms

Agricultural Chemicals in Drinking Water

There has been a rash of stories recently about agricultural chemicals getting in the drinking water of farming communities.

More than 1 million Californians live in places where the tap water is not reliably safe to drink.

And I'm not talking chlorine or fluoride, chemicals intentionally added to municipal water supplies. No, the dangers are the chemicals that seep into the groundwater from chemical applications in the fields and orchards.

I'm glad people are realizing that what you spray on plants and soil will end up in the water supply. Now we need to crack down on the types of chemicals that are sprayed in this way (including lawn-care chemicals and garden pesticides).

We consumers have an impact by buying organic produce. Also organic cotton, because cotton is the most heavily pesticided crop in America. Better yet, wear hemp, which requires no chemicals to flourish.

On Fresh Air the other night, Terry Gross interviewed oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee who has just written a book called The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. The highlight for me was near the end of the interview when he mentioned the role chemicals play in causing cancer. He said that all chemicals, not just newly-introduced ones, need to be re-examined solely and in combination, and those that cause cancer should be banned or restricted.

Wouldn't that be great?

While they're doing the testing, they could look at the effects chemicals have on hormones too, and look at which ones are poisonous to humans. Even better, science might find ways to achieve the same beneficial results without harmful chemicals.

I keep hoping.

Fresh Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob is the epitome of summer. But I didn't eat it for years because I could not find it organically-grown.

I'll buy a lot of produce from no-spray farmers, but not corn. No-spray farmers commit to not using chemicals on their plants, but they can start with non-organic seed. Organic farmers must use organic seed, and I want corn that is grown from organic seed, not genetically-modified seed. I don't want to put one dime into Monsanto's pocket. Apart from the disturbing health effects, there's something wrong with eating seeds that have been genetically modified to be all alike.

(Democracy Now reported in Jan. 2010 that a study in the International Journal of Biological Sciences found that Monsanto's genetically-modified corn helped cause organ damage in rats. The study’s author called Monsanto’s GM methods "a very serious mistake, dramatic for public health.")

My mother told me recently about a series on CBC radio by David Suzuki called The Bottom Line. The episode that got her attention included an interview with a seed-saver in India. Vandana Shiva said there used to be more than 300 varieties of rice. Different seeds grew in different conditions. One even grew in salt water. After the 2004 tsunami, a lot of land was salinated, and the genetically-modified rice could not grow in it. However, this seed-saving eco-activist sent the farmers rice seeds that thrive in the salty soil. Feeding the hungry: science can't do it, nature can.

That's why I only eat organic corn on the cob. I believe in diversity in all its forms. Organic has it. GMOs don't.

Last week Finley Farms at the Hollywood Farmers Market had organic corn. I bought six ears and we have relished them. Later I'll use fresh corn in cooked dishes like risotto and bean stews, but the first ears are saved for pure corn-on-the-cob enjoyment. Boiled for seven minutes, they don't even need butter, salt or pepper.

This weekend, if Larry lights the barbecue, I'll peel back the husks to rip out the silks, layer the husks back on the kernels and tie them with string, then soak them for 20 minutes or so while he's heating the coals. Then he'll cook them in their husks over the coals (about 20 minutes) for an even more intense fresh corn flavor.

But only if Finley Farms has more of that great organic corn.

Summer Peaches

A ripe peach tastes like summer.

For a few fleeting but delicious weeks I feast on peaches, nectarines and plums, and then that's it until next year.

Let me remind you that conventionally-grown peaches, nectarines and strawberries contain higher levels of pesticide residue than is considered safe, so don't eat them. (Click here for the full list of non-organic produce to avoid.)

You are more likely to find good peaches and nectarines at the farmers market than the grocery store, because they are less likely to have been chilled before you buy them. Refrigerating ripe peaches keeps them at that state of perfection for a couple of days. Refrigerating under-ripe ones gives them a dull flavor.

It is an art to serve perfectly ripe stone-fruit. And yes, you have to ripen it yourself. Even at the farmer's market, it is rare to find ripe fruit. A ripe peach bruises easily and goes off quickly, so farmers pick it almost-ripe, and leave us to finish the ripening at home. Select fruit which smells good, but is still firm. The people at the farmstand can select good ones for you.

At home I put the peaches, plums and nectarines in a shallow bowl on the kitchen counter. I inspect each piece of fruit daily. If it is soft and fragrant, I either slice it into our morning fruit or store it in a bag in the fridge. This daily check is imperative, especially in this hot weather. Once one peach goes off, it spreads quickly and you can lose them all. If a peach has a small bad spot, I chop it out and then use the good parts immediately (tasting first to make sure it's still good). A bad peach won't harm you, but why have a bad taste experience? If a peach is soft and particularly fragrant, serve it or refrigerate it.

On a recent Saturday evening I served donut peaches (pictured) from Joshua Tree along with orange almond cookies for dessert. The peaches were the hit of the evening - beautifully ripe and fragrant.

Ahhh, there's nothing like summer.

Bowl of cherries

I loved cherries as a child growing up in the suburbs of Montreal. We ate them on the back deck, seeing who could spit the pits farthest into the flowerbeds, hoping a cherry tree would magically grow. The firm skin and juicy insides with that subtle cherry flavor were made to be popped raw and whole into the mouth.

Dexterity was required to chew the cherries without cracking teeth on the pits and to suck them clean before spitting -- no, really blowing -- them out across the lawn. Cherries and watermelon are the original foods as entertainment -- no chemicals required.

I couldn't figure out why the candies labelled cherry-flavored tasted nothing like cherries. Even cherry pastries and cherry pie left me cold.

But fresh cherries straight up - I loved them.

Part of the fun was probably their short season - 2-3 weeks, then no more until next year. Isn't it true that we have more appreciation when the anticipation lasts longer than the reward?

As a young adult with multiple-chemical sensitivities, I avoided cherries because of their high level of pesticides. Even now, cherries are among the most heavily-sprayed fruits and should be avoided.

Every June I walk through the farmers market looking at the piles of pesticided cherries and thinking wistfully of the cherries of my childhood. Sure I'm strong enough now that I could eat a few toxic cherries with little ill effect, but how could I explain to the ladybugs and bees that were killed by the sprays that I gave money to the farmer who poisoned them?

So my memories of cherries have been just that, memories, until last week when I found a stall at the Hollywood Farmers Market selling organic cherries. Delicious deep black and ruby red organic cherries. I bought a pound, took them home, and ate them outside (although I did not spit the seeds into the flowerbeds). They were just as good as I remembered, and I sent thanks to the farmer who had the foresight to stop spraying the trees and instead let nature do its work.

ADHD and Pesticides

A new study in the journal Pediatrics shows a direct link between the pesticide malathion and ADHD.

Malathion is a commonly available pesticide used by farmers and backyard gardeners to kill caterpillars and other insects on fruit trees and in vegetable gardens.

You might have it in your garden shed.

It's been generally known that children of farmworkers and others exposed to high levels of pesticides suffer from neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders.

This study, however, looked at a wide cross-section of American children. Their main exposure to pesticides was from food, the authors of the study speculated.

I am glad that scientists are proving what I've been saying for 20 years: eating pesticided food is bad. (See Safe Produce for a list of foods with the highest levels of pesticide residue.)

It is a little scary to find out exactly how bad it is.

The researchers used urine samples to determine the level of malathion in the children's bodies. They found minute amounts of malathion metabolites in the children's urine, meaning they had had some exposure to the toxic chemical, probably from eating non-organic food. And the researchers discovered that children with a tenfold increase of malathion metabolites (still a small amount) had a 55% higher risk of having ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Malathion is an organophosphate. There are 40 similar pesticides on the market, and at least 73 million pounds are used in agricultural and residential settings in the U.S. each year.

You can read more on the study in the Los Angeles Times.

I was writing 20 years ago about organophosphates being neurotoxic. It's great to see major studies backing this up, and that these studies are making the mainstream press, even though they're on page nine instead of page one.

And it's good to have a reminder that eating organic is not just a trendy thing to do. It is essential for the health of future generations.

Rice farming

I read an article in the New York Times magazine yesterday about a Louisiana rice farmer who converted 15 years ago to growing organic brown rice.

If you want to read an uplifting story about a farmer taking an earth-friendly approach to growing food, click here to read it.

In the days of non-organic farming, Kurt Unkel's land had no life in it. "It got to where you could plow 100 acres and you wouldn't find one earthworm," he told the New York Times. Now his ground is full of worms again.

You don't need to buy his Cajun rice. You can find organic brown rice at your local independent health food store, and you can cook it in your rice cooker or on the stove just like white rice (1 cup rice to 2 cups water - it will take longer than white rice).

There are many thousands of farmers working to provide you with healthy food. Support them with your food dollars.

Pesticide pollution

Fifteen midwestern towns and cities are suing a weedkiller manufacturer over drinking water contamination.

The weedkiller, Atrazine, is a hormone-disruptor. Studies show that it can turn male frogs into females.

It has been banned in Europe, but about 80 million pounds are used in the U.S. each year, mainly in cornfields, according to a report on Democracy Now.

The lawsuit was filed by towns and cities in the cornbelt states of Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and Iowa. They are concerned that the run-off from the cornfields will have harmful long-term effects on residents.

Last week I posted a list of fruit and vegetables that Environmental Working Group has found to be safe to consume even if not organic. These items might be safe to eat, but they are not good for the earth.

Eating organic is not just about keeping our bodies healthy. It’s also about keeping our communities healthy. The chemical pesticides and fertilizers used on non-organic crops get into the groundwater. They move through the ecosystem, doing damage like distorting the sexual characteristics of wildlife, or killing honeybees and other beneficial insects.

I wonder what long-term effect they have on the farmworkers who apply the chemicals and then harvest the produce. (Don't forget, we've only been using chemical fertilizers and pesticides since chemical weapons were banned after World War I. The weapons manufacturers needed to find other uses for their poisons, so chemical warfare in the vegetable patch began.)

This is another reason I eat organic. I don’t want to be responsible for any of these chemicals harming people or the earth.

Safe Produce

Living green and eating organic is trendy, but I've been doing it for twenty years. It's the most life-supporting thing I can do (for me, the farm workers and the earth) and it's not easy. There are the logistics of buying and cooking organic produce while maintaining a busy schedule. I can do it because I've had a lot of practice, I live near the Hollywood Farmers Market, and my husband supports me in this endeavor.

For those of you with more finicky eaters in your families, here is the Environmental Working Group's 2009 Shoppers Guide to Pesticides, a concise look at the foods to avoid and those that are safe to eat. (Visit their site to download an iphone app of this list.)

They update the list annually based on mainstream agricultural practices.

Although it is always better to eat fresh fruit and vegetables rather than packaged foods, the following contain larger traces of pesticide residue than are considered safe. Avoid them in any form unless organic.

Eat only if organic:
apples
bell peppers
carrots
celery
cherries
grapes (imported)
kale
lettuce
nectarines
peaches
pears
strawberries


The following are considered by the Environmental Working Group to be safe to eat if non-organic. They have minimal to no pesticide residue. (Some of these surprise me.)

Okay to eat non-organic:
asparagus
avocados
broccoli
cabbage
eggplant
kiwi
mango
onions
papaya
pineapple
sweet corn
sweet peas
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
watermelon


(Source: Environmental Working Group)

Remember, eat food, not too much, mostly plants; and support local organic farmers whenever possible.