Many people are concerned with the level of pesticides and chemicals used in the production of our food supplies. Out of this concern, standards have been developed and a culture has arisen around “organic” fruits and vegetables. Organic produce is a multi-billion dollar industry. Strawberries are also a multi-billion dollar industry. Strawberry production poses several problems, however, when purely organic methods are employed.
Consequently, there is a tremendous desire to “cheat” a little. Unfortunately, just about all of the big strawberry producers are NOT using organically-grown stock plants. The stock plants are treated with chemicals and soil fumigants and are still allowed to be labelled as “organic” under the current regulatory environment. The furthers the profits of the biggest players and puts the truly organic producers out of business. All the while, your organic strawberries aren’t truly organic. See the story in The Bay Citizen: Organic Strawberries? Not So Much (for more, see here: Strawberry Crowns and What We All Can Do)
