On a large organic farm, broccoli may be interplanted with other organic veg, such as onions and spinach, to confuse broccoli-loving pests as they search for their favorite food. And some organic vegetables planted in the fall to winter may be plowed under in the spring rather than harvested, in order to enrich the soil for the broccoli. On conventional farms, huge fields of broccoli require pesticides to prevent infestation by broccoli-loving pests and herbicides to keep down competition from weeds.
A local producer of organic chicken must pay a premium for organic grain to feed the birds and then provide them with access to fresh air and sunshine. Contrast this with a conventional farm, where chicken are crowded in to cramped spaces and fed antibiotics to prevent disease.
Organic food is grown - and delivered to stores - with great care. This take more time, and time is money. That's why they cost of organic food is higher. Conventional food has many hidden costs that we pay for in other ways. Toxic chemicals harm the environment and cause human illness. With organic food, there are no hidden costs. There only benefits.
