h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Buy gardening magazines in the Autumn. Seed catalogues will throw themselves at your feet (literally). Or garden centres.

of course!

http://www.irene.org.uk/iogg/suppliers.htm

Here are a couple of good suppliers. Try google.co.uk - there are loads.

Organic potatoes are really easy to grow...just buy some and plant them. I've got loads in pots.

Even if you can't get organic seeds, you can grow ordinary seeds without pesticides and they will still be better for you.

My first husband died from cancer...before he had the conventional treatment (which, ironically, killed him...) we went on a 100% organic vegetarian diet. After six weeks - the time it takes to clear the liver - the tumours stopped growing. And I mean, stopped dead!

In fact, the doctors insisted he came off the diet because he couldn't have chemo without the cancers growing. So he did.

I don't know if he would have lived if he just continued with the food but he was completely without symptoms on the organic stuff - and that's good enough for me!

I like the idea of a worm farm - so how would I go about setting one of those up?

Just another thought on self-sufficiency - homemade wine! Yay!

"Can someone reassure me with some convincing arguments for organic food?"

As a fully paid up pedant I'd like to point out that, by virtue of the nature of our digestive tracts, we derive no nutritional value from inorganic compounds, and therefore they can't be classed as food. So, by definition, all food is organic...

Don't forget that those arguing against organic foods include the pharmaceutical companies who are among the largest and most powerful lobby groups on the planet. Think how strong the evidence had to become that tobacco does indeed damage your health before the tobacco companies stopped saying 'not proven'.

I am not entirely sure that organic food does taste better. A bit perhaps, but not startlingly so.

What is noticable to me is that when I reach about 80% organic I actually feel the difference. You know how you feel the next day if you have had a lot to drink, but are not actually hung over? The difference between the way I feel at about 80% organic compared with normal is about the same, but in at the other end of the scale.

I am also noticably more likely to be ill when I am not eating organic foods, (but that may be attributable to other life-style changes) and I have less stamina and tire more easily.

What my system tells me is good enough for me.

Ben

Oh. And 20%-25% of the world's pesticides are used on the cotton crop. So I buy organic sheets.

Unfortunately most natural clothing materials (wool, leather, viscose - which comes from trees - cotton, linen and silk) are not organic. You can buy organic t-shirts, pyjamas, towels, and underwear; but with the exception of the towels you probably wouldn't want to.

Finally, it is worth noting that it is the use of pesticides, hebicides and other chemicals which has increased over the past 50 years. Not organic production. When I was a little girl called Ben in the 60s organic food was not an issue because so much less food production involved massive chemical support.

Ben

Thanks Hen and Ben (I've ordered one of the catalogues, so am making the first steps )

Thanks Peet, what would we do without you?

np, Anna!