Strawberry Season and Pesticides

Strawberry season is now open and, in fact, will have reached its peak by the end of this week. I love strawberries and I usually freeze quite a few bags of them in order to get through the winter, but according to EWG, strawberries are now in the top twelve fruits and vegetables you should not eat unless they are organic.

From Mother Jones (http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/03/econundrum-12-most-contaminated-fruits-and-veggies)

In descending order, the EWG's 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables:

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet bell peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Kale

9. Lettuce

10. Grapes (imported)

11. Carrots

12. Pears

For the full list of all 47 fruits and veggies, go here.

Solstice

Almost at the summer solstice. It is hard to believe that summer will ever come. The weather has been unseasonably cold and wet. The garden is growing but the fruit will not set or if it does, it will be watery tasting. The fruit needs the sun to sweeten it. I feel, like I need the sun to chase away the grey.

Quail

I spent a few days on Salt Spring Island. It was a little wet and cold but pretty manageable. Good weather for hiking but not so good for swimming. The island was swarming with quails, a most improbable looking bird.