Nothing beats home grown strawberries!

Using the Environmental Working Group’s ‘Dirty Dozen‘ List to plant a Healthy Harvest!

*Post updated 4/24/2024*

I’ve used this guide for years to help me choose what I plant in my veggie patch. I pay close attention to the Environmental Working Group (EWG’s) ‘Dirty Dozen’; an annually updated list of the twelve fruits and veggies found to have the highest levels of pesticide and herbicide residue. This is a straightforward publication that can help you both in purchasing healthy food,  and planning what you want to plant. The EWG has so much well researched information; their website is worthwhile for their “Food Scores” app among others.

Why do you grow your own fruits + vegetables?

Of course the taste is far better than you can buy in the grocery store, and the nutritional value is higher because of freshness… but after a few common truths, the reasons we grow our food are as wonderfully varied as each garden. I see this as part of the inherent beauty of growing your own food.  Beauty in diversity through and through♥!

For my family, we grow what we like to eat (duh). You have to enjoy the ‘fruits’ of your labor or else tending the garden will become more work than pleasure.

One way I can easily justify spending my time hauling compost and growing seedlings is knowing how much tastier and healthier the food we’re eating is than what I can get in the grocery store. Another thing that keeps me weeding through the steamy months is how much money I’m growing- I mean saving –  my family.

For those of you interested in getting the most bang for your buck with garden space…

All the leaf lettuces, (like spring mixes, arugula, cress, claytonia, mizuna), herbs (like cilantro, basil, parsley) Cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers were the most cost effective plants to grow for space required to grow them. I’d add pole beans that cover a trellis growing straight up and keep producing until the plants freeze. 😉 And for the first time in the decade I’ve been paying attention, green beans made the dirty dozen list- luckily those are some of the easiest to grow and most loved veggies for my family- and hopefully yours as well!

Do your kids love strawberries? Do you cringe every time you buy a $12 box of organic berries… you could plant strawberries, or spinach or potatoes- or whatever you eat the most of that’s on the list. They update this annually, you can download your copy HERE.

Red Fingerling Potatoes

*Updated* EWG’s Dirty Dozen List 2024


Strawberries
Spinach
Kale/Collards
Grapes
Peaches 
Pears
Nectarines
Apples
Bell/Hot Peppers
Cherries
Blueberries
Green beans

Strawberries and spinach have topped the list for years, so those are some of the foods we’ve been growing for a long time. Also, potatoes have long had a bad rap for holding onto pesticides so we make sure there’s lots of space for those (2022 was the first year since I started counting that potatoes haven’t made the dirty dozen list- but they’re not far down).

We love growing celery because we (especially my kids) eat a ton of it, and organic celery is one expense I can minimize, since I’ve got the space and grow lights to start off those seeds. 2024 marks the first year I’d seen green beans on the list- and it took the place of celery, which is still within the top 20.

The fruit trees on the list make me realize there’s only so much we can grow- but between adding a few fruit trees this summer and frequenting a local organic orchard or two we’re doing what we can. And enjoying doing it!

Luckily, there’s also an EWG list highlighting the “Clean Fifteen” – the fifteen fruits and veggies found to have the lowest levels of pesticide and herbicide residue.

EWG’s Clean 15 List 2024

Avocados
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Onions
Papaya
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Honeydew
Kiwi
Cabage
Watermelon
Mushrooms
Mangos
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots

Just reading that list make me hungry- and happy that so many fruits I can’t grow b/c of location are listed here!

Get your family to Eat more of those Veggies with my tips and tricks!

While I’m happy to grow a few of the vegetables on the clean list, I also enjoy buying these direct from local farmers to freeze and preserve for the winter- knowing that buying locally grown food is going to be better for the nutritional value, the local economy and my taste buds. But when I’m at the end of spring and my freezer and pantry are running low  you bet I look for cabbage, cauliflower and peas in a regular grocery store over anything on the Dirty Dozen list.

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen are just two ways to help tackle the gardeners dilemma of “what do I plant”? What ideas, resources or guides help you decide what to plant in your garden space?

Regardless of what you’re planting, I just can’t wait to Dig In!

Michelle