Have you thought about the chemicals that are sprayed on the produce you buy? It’s probably not something you have really thought too much about, whether purposefully or not.
So, this podcast episode may just be a bit of an eye-opener for you as we talk all things fruit and veg with Kristen from Spray-Free Farmacy.
Who is Spray-Free Farmacy?
Spray-Free Farmacy was created by Trevor and Kristen Ottaway who love good quality fresh food and are passionate about healthy living.
It was born from a need to create a one-stop-shop after relentlessly spending each and every weekend going to farmers’ markets, then an organic online store to get the things they couldn’t source from the markets, and then to the supermarket for the rest. In fact, this is something you may do yourself every weekend, and can relate to how exhausting and time-consuming it is.
Through reaching out to a local farmer, they managed to source a box of fresh produce direct from the farm which was filled to the brim and so much cheaper!
It wasn’t long before their friends started to get in on the act and from there Spray-Free Farmacy was created servicing Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, and the Redlands areas.
What’s the difference between ‘spray-free’ and ‘certified organic’?
Put simply, organic produce is simply that, it comes from certified organic farms and has had no chemicals used in the growing process whatsoever.
Spray-free produce also comes from farms that do not use chemicals at all, but they have not obtained organic certification for various reasons.
There are a few organic certifying bodies in Australia but the main one is Australian Certified Organic. To become certified organic, a farm has to go through quite a lot of stringent testing processes to obtain that certification which takes years to get and costs thousands and thousands of dollars.
Whilst it is a great certification to have, and a lot of farmers do have that certification, and certainly a lot that Spray-Free Farmacy source their produce from, it’s not always economically viable for farmers to get that certification as it can be quite cost-prohibitive.
This is why Spray-Free Farmacy also supports farms that are ‘spray-free’ and don’t have that organic certification. They know that never in a million years would these farms ever use chemicals on their crops because it goes against everything they stand for.
It gives these wonderful farmers an outlet to sell their produce keeping in line with their own ethos and knowing that they are going into homes that truly appreciate their mission to be chemical and spray-free.
Just how bad is the produce you buy at the supermarket?
Sadly, Australia is one of the heaviest users of pesticides in the world with around 8,000 different pesticides approved for use here.
In fact, there are a lot of chemicals and sprays used in Australia, that pose very serious health and environmental consequences, that are banned in other countries around the world.
Unfortunately, the regulatory bodies in Australia aren’t doing anything about this.
It’s not just sprays used to get rid of bugs, but it is also toxic fertilisers that are going into the soil as well, so the produce is copping it on both fronts. This then leads to the plant microbiome being destroyed and resulting in inferior quality produce.
It also depends on the state you live in as well, because we know that all produce is sprayed before it comes into Tasmania, even if it comes from a low-risk area. This is due to Tasmania being fruit-fly free, so they fumigate everything that comes in to ensure they remain free from this pest.
What’s the soil quality like here in Australia?
There are a lot of good documentaries about this topic… Polyfaces and The Biggest Little Farm, just to name a few.
But they all touch on the fact that the nutrients in the plant all come from the soil. Our soils contain lots of different microbiomes that come from bugs, so when crops are sprayed and toxic fertilisers are put into the soil, they affect the good bugs that feed the microbiome that are working hard to build quality soil, as well as destroying the bad bugs.
Through this industrial method of farming, they are constantly stripping the top layer of the soil away. The soil of which it is estimated that we only have 55 years left before we are left with dirt that has had all nutrients stripped away leaving completely non-viable dirt left that will not be able to grow anything.
This is why regenerative farming is so important right now. We need more people switching over to this method of farming to build the nutrient density of the soil so that future generations can continue to grow our food.
What is regenerative farming?
Regenerative agriculture is all about conserving and rehabilitating our soils with a focus on topsoil regeneration. There are various techniques and methodologies used for regenerative farming.
In fact, the documentary Polyfaces is a good place to learn about regenerative farming. It’s about an Australian family who spends their life savings and moves to the USA and spends 4 years documenting their regenerative farming journey.
They create a farm that is completely chemical-free, produces food that feeds over 6,000 families, and supplies to restaurants and food outlets.
They produce food that works with nature and not against it, using the symbiotic relationship between animals and their natural functions, which creates nutrient-dense and high-quality crops.
What can we do if we can’t get access to organic or spray-free produce?
It can be really hard to minimise your toxic exposure to pesticides and the like when it comes to buying produce from the supermarket and we get that it can be hard to source organic or spray-free produce, and in some cases cost prohibitive too.
It’s interesting to note that studies have been conducted whereby people were tested for pesticide levels after eating regular foods that had been sprayed and then tested again after having spent time-consuming organic or spray-free foods, and the good news is that they noticed a marked difference even after having only eaten organic/spray-free foods for a week.
All we can do is make the best choice with what is available to us at any given time. This could mean buying some organic/spray-free where you can and accepting that you can’t always get or afford this all of the time.
Cleaning fruit and veg
We are big into cleaning our fruit and veg before we eat it, but the reality is it may not be doing much to get any pesticide residue off, unfortunately. It certainly won’t hurt the produce and it may get some of the nastiness off, but if nothing else it’s a good idea to clean your fruit and veg for the simple fact that you don’t know who has touched it before you.
Here’s a video showing you how we clean our fruit and veg – FRUIT & VEG WASH
What is The Dirty Dozen™️ list?
Are you aware of The Dirty Dozen™️ list when it comes to fruit and veg?
This is a list of the top 12 fruits and vegetables that are the worst offenders of being sprayed with pesticides.
Each year in the US the Environmental Working Group conducts assessments on the levels of pesticides in conventionally produced fruit and veg. It is worth noting that Australia partakes in similar farming practices to the US, therefore this list can be used as a general guide for us too. The 2023 guide includes data from 46,569 samples of 46 fruits and vegetables.
Of the 46 fruits and vegetables, these were the top 12 most contaminated with pesticides:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens
- Peaches
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Bell & Hot Peppers (ie. Capsicum and Chillies)
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Green Beans
Check out the full 2023 list HERE.
What is the Clean 15™️ list?
Conversely, there is also a Clean 15™️ list which is a list of the top 15 fruits and vegetables that contain the least amount of pesticide residues. These are:
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet Peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew Melon
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Mangoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Watermelon
- Carrots
Check out the full 2023 list HERE.
What is the purpose of these lists?
To arm you with knowledge so you can make the most informed decision possible. If you can’t get access to, or afford, organic/spray-free produce then you can work on buying only or partly from the Clean 15™️ list because you know they contain less pesticide residue.
For example, if you’re out and about and you want to buy a juice, consider buying a juice that contains fruits from the Clean 15™️ list instead of, say, apple juice because apples are heavily sprayed.
Where can you get organic or spray-free produce from?
If you live in the Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich and Redlands areas in Queensland then check out Spray-Free Farmacy for all your fruit, veg, and grocery needs.
Here’s how it works:
💻 Order online by midnight Tuesday
Pick what you want and select a pick-up location or home delivery.
📦 We harvest and pack Wednesday to Friday
Your produce and groceries are lovingly collected and packed in recycled boxes with minimal plastic. They only order what they need so there’s no waste.
🚛 Delivery to you Thursday to Saturday
Collect your fresh goodies from one of their 30+ pick-up locations across Brisbane and the Gold Coast or have it delivered to your door.
🥦 Enjoy fresh food without added chemicals
Feel great supporting local farmers and makers whilst feeding your family the best quality food.
💰 DISCOUNT CODE
Kristen has even been kind enough to give us a discount code to get 10% off your order. Simply head to Spray-Free Farmacy to place your order and use the code ADDITIVEFREE
If you don’t live in these areas, then check out your local farmers’ markets if you have them. You will often find organic or spray-free produce there.
Otherwise, there are plenty of fruit and veg box delivery services all around Australia so jump on Google and have a hunt around for what you can find. There may even be a co-op near you.
Jo has even been known in the past to search her local Facebook Marketplace where she has found great produce that people have grown in their backyards and are selling because they have an abundance.
If your only option is supermarket produce, then check out their organic section (if they have one) as you may be able to get what you can from there.
Supermarkets have a small array of organic produce which you can check out if that’s all you can access.
How can you save money on fruit and veg?
- Buy whatever is in season as this will ensure it is the cheapest.
- Buy organic frozen produce. The supermarkets have a range of organic frozen veg which is cheaper than fresh and a good option as well.
- Shop from farmers’ markets or direct from farmers wherever you can, to cut down on costs as well.
- Grow your own. It really isn’t that hard to grow your own vegetables and herbs and you don’t need a lot of space to do it.
- Buy in bulk and freeze what you won’t use straight away.
- Meal plan so you only buy what you need. It really is staggering how much food people throw away each year.
It may not be as expensive as you think to buy organic/spray-free, it just takes a little research to find what you need.
Spray-Free Farmacy
A big thank you to Kristen from Spray-Free Farmacy for taking the time to speak with us, we certainly learned a lot and we hope you did too.
You can check out Spray-Free Farmacy at the following:
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Website
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Much love,
Jo & Tracey x
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