Yourmom always told you it's healthy to eat lots of fruits and veggies, right? She'swrong. Most of us are not aware that with every salad or serving of broccoli,we're contaminating our bodies and the environment with toxic pesticides,chemical fertilizers and preservatives. Now there's some food forthought!

With every new discovery in farm technology, yet another toxicchemical is added to the countless harmful additives used to produceconventionally grown foods. These chemicals contaminate the soil, the water wedrink and the produce and meat we consume. Shouldn't you be a little more carefulabout what you're putting into your body?

Thousands of people arerealizing the health and ecological dangers of buying and consumingconventionally grown foods. That's why more and more are turning to organic foodsas a safer alternative. Organically cultivated foods are grown without any of theunhealthy and environmentally unfriendly additives.

Research shows that 26percent of consumers who buy organic foods do so because of concern for theenvironment. Organic farming is very eco-friendly. How would you feel if you knewthat pesticides used on conventionally grown foods now kill more than 67 millionbirds every year in America? That's over 180,000 birds every day! These poisonshave also wiped out species of insects, snails and fungi.

Conventionalfarms contaminate not only our food with synthetic fertilizers and deadlypesticides, but also the soil and water. Pesticides can remain in the soil up to30 years, which means that dangerous pesticides that have been banned, like DDT,are still contaminating the soil. The Mississippi River dumps enough toxicfertilizers into the Gulf of Mexico to create a 60-mile wide area devoid oflife.

Organic farming not only reduces the amount of chemicals andfertilizers dumped into the environment, but also increases the quality of lifefor animals raised for slaughter and dairy products. Organically raised animalsmust have access to the outdoors and be given organic feed. Many farmers who useconventional methods to grow livestock inject their animals with preventiveantibiotics to ensure that the animals do not become infected with harmfulbacteria. This, however, can create bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

Another major reason consumers are buying organic foods is for healthconcerns. Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are often coated withharmful pesticide residues, which generally do not wash off. Organic foods,however, rarely have pesticide residues. Also, studies show that organic foodscontain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than conventionally grownfoods.

Organically grown foods are clearly safer and more environmentallyfriendly. So, next time you visit the grocery store, keep in mind the harmfulpesticide residues, contaminated soil and water, and the innocent animalspoisoned by toxic chemicals and do the right thing. Spend a little extra money,buy organic foods, and know that you're really making a difference in the world.