Dare I even get into the local versus organic debate? Yes, I dare. It's a big issue in our house, balancing food miles and pesticide use. Lately, we're tending to come down more on the local side of the question. Many local farmers use limited or no pesticides, but can't afford the organic certification, meaning we don't always have to choose. As pointed out in this recap of some of the big issues, our Whole Foods has really risen to the challenge of promoting local farmers. I know the names of most of the farms where our in season produce from Whole Foods comes from, and the rest typically comes from the farmers' market, where I actually meet the farmers. I'd say about 50% of them are certified organic. It gets harder in the winter though - especially the long winter here in Michigan. In February, I bet I'll be asking myself, "is an organic cucumber from Chile better than a conventional one from California?" Hmmmm.