You might have noticed some holes in the local organic greens we’ve had lately.  WHY?  Is this okay?

A few holes in your produce (especially greens) are a very telltale sign that it’s organic.  It’s actually a good thing, because it means the produce is not sprayed with any chemicals to repel the pests.

For more info, read What’s With These Holes In My Kale?

So you might be asking, “Why aren’t there holes in organic produce at the grocery store?”

Most big grocery store chains – even those that sell a lot of organic produce – are concerned with a perfect “look” to the produce.  Several of our local organic farmers say they are not able to sell produce that isn’t perfect-looking to many of their big chain accounts.  Guess those cute local peaches with a “nose” won’t make the cut.     The same goes for greens that have some bug holes.  But we’ll take ‘em!  We love the imperfect look of organic produce straight from the local farmer.  And we hope you do, too.

So you see, a few bug holes aren’t necessarily a bad thing. For me, they’re more of a seal of approval. I see bug holes less as blemishes, and more as [Mother Nature's] way of telling me ‘there’s nothing here that would so much as harm a bug, so go ahead and enjoy.’ My apples grew without the tiniest drop of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The fact that the bugs have happily indulged in more than a few meals is just proof-positive that the apples are safe to eat. Mind you, there is a difference between a few holes here and there, and produce which has been overrun with bugs, which is generally a sign of weakness, either in the soil or the plant. But, in general, a few bug bites can be a good thing. – from hungerandthirstforlife.blogspot.com

Hear more on the topic from our UA staffer, Liz…

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