Find Pesticide Free Foods

How do you find good-for-you reasonably priced, organic and pesticide free foods? That is a good question Amanda! Thank you for the post and for watching my cooking show Now We’re Cooking. For those of you who have not seen the show, Click here

The Now We’re Cooking episode The Pineapple Show is posted there. Just hit the back button to return here after it plays. The Google presentation is about 24 minutes. (no commercials).

Living in York, PA there are many farmers markets to go to and actually talk to the growers. I think that is the best way to go when looking for fresh fruits and veggies. Anytime you can have a conversation with the farmer, or possibly a knowledgeable purchaser, you have better choices available to you. I go to York’s Eastern Market, basically because it is in my back yard. (Memory Lane, Fridays from 7AM-6PM) and I like to be able to talk to the farmers. Some farmers will not pay any attention to whether the food is treated with chemicals or pesticides. After going to the market you will know which vendors actually care and because they know you are going to be asking, become more conscientious. York’s Central Market has an organic vendor and I go there occasionally when it matches my schedule better.

The best thing to do is to keep asking every vendor about pesticide-free veggies, week after week. After a while they will start to realize there is a call for carrying it. Once you develop a relationship with a willing produce carrier, then they will be more aware of your desires and pay closer attention in general.

At Eastern Market, I have developed a relationship with Fitz Brothers Produce. Joel is the owner. There are 2 Fitz Bros. in Eastern Market, it is the one closer to the street. Joel is tall, black hair about 38-40 and his family is Mennonite. Because they expect me, even if Joel is not there, the kids or family will know what is pesticide-free, and be ready to tell you when you ask. (As opposed to other vendors, who could care less) Also at Eastern Market is Brogue Hydroponics. They have an organic section and also a huge selection of hydroponics which is pesticide-free, but not organic. I think Brogue is a bit better priced than the organics at Central Market. Central has the grain lady that has organics, there are no organic grains available at Eastern Market.

My local grocery store, Weis Market, has a reasonably decent selection of organics, due I like to think, from my prompting. The key really is to develop a relationship with the seller/growers/purchasers. When you find a product at the health food store , that you would like to have at the grocery store, take the packaging over and ask them to order it. The more you communicate with your grocer, the more pesticide-free or organic foods they will carry. Get in the habit of purchasing an organic product every time you are at the grocer, so they know that there is a demand. Go to the customer service desk every time and ask them for something or tell the manager how glad you are to see a specific new product.

I know that many people will read this post that do not live near York, PA. The same holds true with anywhere in the world. Tell your vendors what you want. Ask them what is pesticide-free. Communicate your desires frequently. If you find a product you like at a health food store, go to the grocer and ask them to get it. Buy what they offer you to be organic or pesticide-free so that it does not go to waste.

Frequently at the Eastern Market Joel will say something is pesticide free and I may not really care for that product so much (like cucumbers), and yet I buy it anyway to reinforce their efforts. Sometimes when a farmer or purchaser is deciding how to treat their crops or what to buy, if they know that they have a market for a pesticide fee product they will refrain from using pesticides. Your purchase rewards that behavior. If a vendor takes the time to find, grow, or communicate with you about the quality products you are looking for, then be sure to refer friends, and purchase as much of their items as you can use!

Those of you who haven’t seen the fun, fast, healthy cooking show Now We’re Cooking check it out by clicking here: Or to purchase videos go to www.FoodSmart.tv

The closer you can get to the source of food, the easier it is to find quality products or at least get the real answers to how the food was grown or processed. I like farmers markets because I can talk to the grower and purchasers.