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[Kat]

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is the cauldron where some of the worst science and most creative smear campaigns are cooked up. A web of vested interests including both organic marketers and their public relations operatives reap the benefits of these deceptive advocacy campaigns.

Craig, revealed this from a site he found, so the list is questionable 
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/113 

To buy or not to buy organic?

With fruits and vegetables, many of them contain thin or edible skins than can contain pesticide residue. In addition, some of them have to be heavily sprayed due to their high level of pests.
This list of fruits and veggies shows the most and least pesticides so you'll know which ones to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown ones are okay when organic isn't available. 

We ranked a total of 44 different fruits and vegetables but grapes are listed twice because we looked at both domestic and imported samples.

 
RANK       FRUIT OR VEGGIE           SCORE
 
1 (worst)   Peaches                       100 (highest pesticide load)
 
2              Apples                          96
 
3              Sweet Bell Peppers          86
 
4              Celery                           85
 
5              Nectarines                     84
 
6              Strawberries                   83
 
7              Cherries                         75
 
8               Lettuce                         69
 
9               Grapes - Imported           68
 
10              Pears                           65
 
11              Spinach                        60
 
12              Potatoes                       58
 
13              Carrots                         57
 
14              Green Beans                  55
 
15              Hot Peppers                   53
 
16              Cucumbers                     52
 
17              Raspberries                     47
 
18              Plums                            46
 
19              Oranges                         46
 
20              Grapes-Domestic             46
 
21              Cauliflower                      39
 
22               Tangerine                      38
 
23               Mushrooms                     37
 
24               Cantaloupe                     34
 
25                Lemon                           31
 
26                Honeydew Melon             31
 
27                Grapefruit                      31
 
28                Winter Squash                31
 
29                Tomatoes                      30
 
30                 Sweet Potatoes             30
 
31                 Watermelon                   25
 
32                  Blueberries                    24
 
33                  Papaya                         21
 
34                  Eggplant                       19
 
35                  Broccoli                        18
 
36                  Cabbage                       17
 
37                   Bananas                       16
 
38                   Kiwi                             14
 
39                   Asparagus                     11
 
40                   Sweet Peas-Frozen         11
 
41                   Mango                           9
 
42                   Pineapples                      7
 
43                   Sweet Corn-Frozen           2
 
44                   Avocado                         1
 
45 (best)          Onions                            1 (lowest pesticide load)
 
The produce ranking was developed by analysts at the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2005.

Nearly all of the data used to create these lists already considers how people typically wash and prepare produce (for example, apples are washed before testing, bananas are peeled). While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
http://foodnews.org/

[Ninny]

Kat,
That is good info, thanks.  We have been talking about feeding our little grandson organic where possible. This is extremely helpful! I will pass this on to my son & his wife.
Kathy

[OBrenda]

Good to know things we eat most like lettuce & strawberries are at the top of the list.
{So we can target those to spend more money for organics}

Thanks Kat, it never occurred to me there was a difference,
Brenda

[Kat]

I ran across this list and thought it had real good info to know, because I didn't know which was the best to spend money on.

But this gives me more motivation with the fall garden I'm starting 

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Samson]

Thankyou Kat,

                     Thats sad about the ranking of peaches, one of my favorite fruits. People have been telling me for years to wash my Fruits and vegetable prior to consumption. No wonder I'm alittle touched in the Brain, I still don't wash my vegetables. My tomatoe crop didn't turn out very well this year, but boy they tasted so much better than store bought, I don't think that I'll be able to eat the store bought ones.

                     I noticed that onions did really well, I prefer the White ones.

                      Interesting Thread !

                                                  Samson.

                    

[Linny]

This was our first year with a garden and I found out quickly what I was really missing in it. We provided the tilling and the land and our neighbors provided the plants. We had tomatoes galore!  Also tons of hot peppers!  And too much cabbage! The cheapest way to go organic that is for sure.
Our neighbor had plum and peach trees that he let us pick from.

I notice that you can buy more and more organic in the groceries. And I always look for the markdowns. Organic lettuce (we buy mostly Romaine) is really not that much more expensive. We always buy that.
Farmers Markets are another good place to buy.

My favorite thing this fall was our apple tree. We've been here for 3 summers and this was the first time it produced. WOW. My kids and the kids we keep are constantly walking around with a fresh, organic apple!

Thanks for the list Kat.

By the way, in case you didn't know this, once you try organic carrots, you'll never go back. Organic celery too.
Both are SO much better tasting than the regular.

And if you juice the produce, I've heard it said that the poisonous stuff sticks to the pulp so when we sift it well, we aren't getting too many toxins. 

Lin

[Craig]

I'm not sure I would put alot of stock in this groups findings.

http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/113

Craig

[Kat]

Thanks Craig,

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is the cauldron where some of the worst science and most creative smear campaigns are cooked up. A web of vested interests including both organic marketers and their public relations operatives reap the benefits of these deceptive advocacy campaigns.

   Who can you believe 

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Linny]

It is sad, if you are in a business needing to make a profit, you often find yourself talking about the other guy to make your own product look better.

That being said, and not knowing anything about either of these particular "watch groups", here is some pretty commonsensible info on organics and why they are better for us...

"Organic farming differs from conventional farming in the methods used to grow crops. Where traditional farmers apply chemical fertilizers to the soil to grow their crops, organic farmers feed and build soil with natural fertilizer. Traditional farmers use insecticides to get rid of insects and disease, while organic farmers use natural methods such as insect predators and barriers for this purpose. Traditional farmers control weed growth by applying synthetic herbicides, but organic farmers use crop rotation, tillage, hand weeding, cover crops and mulches to control weeds.
The result is that conventionally grown food is often tainted with chemical residues, which can be harmful to humans. There is debate over whether dietary exposure to pesticides at levels typically found on food is dangerous, but experts say that consumers should use caution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic.
Pesticides can have many negative influences on health, including neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity and immune system suppression. Pesticide exposure may also affect male reproductive function and has been linked to miscarriages in women.

Aside from pesticide contamination, conventional produce tends to have fewer nutrients than organic produce. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce. Studies have found significantly higher levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and significantly less nitrates (a toxin) in organic crops.

Buy Organic Produce. Buying organic is currently the best way to ensure that your food has not been genetically modified. By definition, food that is certified organic must be free from all GM organisms, produced without artificial pesticides and fertilizers and from an animal reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs."

We are losing our bees due to pesticides. This is a scary thing knowing how much the bee population does for our planet.
Toxins are bad, natural ways are better. 

Lin

[gmik]

Kat, where (or what #) would you think is a good place to draw the line between organic/regular??  Is 50 too high???  I really want to start buying more organic.  Thanks.

[Kat]

Well Gena, after Craig's post we are going to have to take this list with a gain of salt, so to speak.  So maybe there is some truth to the order, but the level of toxins is probably way off.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Douglas Wayne Thomas]

I am wondering, if organic farmers use their fields according to the Bible? Do they let their fields set fallow,empty, every 7 years like the Bible suggests?

When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord . . . Six years thou shalt sow thy field . . . But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land. (Lev 25:2-4)

just wondering.

[Linny]

Doug, I doubt it.

Here is another list on pesticides. See how it compares to the other...

..Produce with Highest Levels of Pesticide Residue..... 
 Fruit/Vegetable

Strawberries

Bell Peppers
...Green
...Red

Spinach

Cherries (US)

Peaches

Cantaloupe (Mexico)

Celery

Apples

Apricots

Green Beans

Grapes (Chile)

Cucumbers

Pears

Winter Squash (US)

Potatoes (US)


..Produce with Lowest Levels of Pesticide Residue..... 
 
Avocados - vitamins A, C, folic acid

Sweet Corn (frozen)- carotenoids, folic acid

Onions - trace vitamins, carotenoids

Cabbage - vitamin C, potassium

Cauliflower - vitamin C, potassium

Brussels Sprouts - folic acid, vitamins A, C

Eggplant - vitamins A, C, folic acid

Mangoes- beta carotene, vitamin C
 
Grapes (US, Mexico) - vitamin C

Bananas - potassium, vitamin C

Plums - vitamin C

Asparagrus - folic acid, vitamins A, C

Watermelon - potassium, vitamins A, C

Broccoli - potassium, vitamins A, C

Pineapple - vitamin C, potassium, bromelain

Sweet Peas (frozen) - beta carotene, niacin
 
 ................................................................................ 
 Information Sources:   
   Consumers Union
Environmental Working Group
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
 San Diego Earth Times
Environmental Protection Agency
Food Quality Protection Act