Following up on my last post, I ran across another resource in the quest for transparency.

What’s On My Food is searchable database that uses research from the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program to rank the toxicity of fruits and veggies (fresh, canned and frozen), meats, grains, dairy products and water. (via Bitten)

I’d love it if someone could turn this into a mobile tool for people faced with the choice of $8.99/lb for organic, local garlic vs. $2.99/lb for conventional, domestic garlic, as I was yesterday.  I chose the cheaper garlic because my budget is limited.  And while there’s no specific data on garlic in the database, I learned that onions, a similar crop, have extremely low amounts of pesticide residue, which made that choice a little easier.

Peaches and apples, on the other hand, are a different story.  Armed with data on the residues found in these fruits, it was an easy choice to buy the more expensive local, pesticide-free options.

As I’ve noted before, when we get cheap food, we aren’t necessarily paying for its true cost.  There are hidden costs to the environment, to individual health, and to local economies.  With an unlimited budget, I’d always choose the local, pesticide-free option.  Most of our food budgets, however, are limited.  Easy to use, data-driven tools can make it a little easier to spend wisely and eat well.

Post script on the price of garlic…

Farmers should get a fair price for their products and, more often than not, they are paid far too little.  However, $8.99 a pound for garlic is a little extreme.  This was garlic that a talented local farmer sold direct to a wonderful local retailer.  It’s good garlic.  But I needed a lot of garlic to cook with the 2 bushels of tomatoes I’m turning into sauce for the winter.

As of October 2nd, Rodale’s Price Report lists the highest price for bulk organic garlic at $99.75 for 30 pounds in Seattle, and the lowest at $79.50 in Los Angeles.  Which means the wholesale price range is $2.65 – $3.33 per pound.  And certainly, it costs more for a small scale farm to produce garlic locally than a big-ag organic farm.  But what’s reasonable?  What’s possible? And how do we make this accessible?  Any thoughts on this?