Each year, the Environmental Working Group comes out with an updated Shopper’s Guide: The Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables which is a list of the 12 conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with the consistently highest amount of pesticide residue. The goal of the Environmental Working Group is to encourage people to consider buying organic produce at least when buying these “worst offenders”.

It’s a very noble goal, I think, and the details of the studies behind the list and the many reasons to minimize dietary pesticide exposure can be found on the EWG website. The challenge is, however, that this information can be downright frightening. And most people don’t respond well to anything that feels like alarmist threats about their health, especially when related to buying organic produce versus the conventional variety.

So, I have written a little poem, to gently coax people- without bias or scare tactics- into making their own informed decisions as they shop for fruits and vegetables.

I now present, for your consideration: Ode to the Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables Read the rest of this entry »