• Home
  • Get to Know Me
  • Blog
  • Our Goat Herd
    • Livestock for Sale
    • BiteMe! Herbal Treats
  • Contact Me

The 104 Homestead

  • HOMESTEAD LIVING
    • CRAFTS & DIYS
    • GREEN CLEANING
    • HOMEMADE ALTERNATIVES
    • HOMESTEAD HOLIDAYS
    • SIMPLE SKILLS
  • REAL FOOD
    • BEVERAGES
    • DESSERTS
    • FOOD MATTERS
    • PRESERVATION
    • SIMPLE RECIPES
    • TIPS & TRICKS
  • BACKYARD GARDEN
    • BACK TO EDEN
    • GARDEN TIPS
    • GETTING STARTED
    • ORGANIC SOLUTIONS
    • SEED STARTING & SAVING
  • HOMESTEAD ANIMALS
    • CHICKENS
    • DUCKS
    • GOATS
    • HOUSE PETS
    • QUAIL
    • RABBITS
  • INSPIRING HOMESTEADS
    • URBAN HOMESTEADS
    • SUBURBAN HOMESTEADS
    • RURAL HOMESTEADS
    • FARMSTEADS
    • MORE INSPIRATION

05/30/16

What Was Ranked As the 2016 Dirty Dozen?



Heads up! I link to products and services that I love from time to time. More often than not I have an affiliate relationship with these providers. What does that mean? I might make a small percentage from any purchases you make, but don't worry, you won't pay even a penny more. Thanks for supporting The 104 Homestead. You can see our full disclosure statement here.

  • 25shares
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Share

Have you heard the terms dirty dozen and clean fifteen floating around? Seen the 2016 dirty dozen posters and brochures? Have you wondered what it was all about? A group called the Environmental Working Group has set about to test the amounts of pesticide residue on the foods we eat. This project was created to inform the public about pesticides, where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fails to.

The EWG has set about to test the amounts of pesticide residue on the foods we eat. This is the report of the 2016 dirty dozen and clean fifteen.

Every year the Environmental Working Group shares the Dirty Dozen (produce which contains the highest amounts of pesticide residues) and the Clean Fifteen (produce which contains the least amounts – or no – pesticide residues).

Why should I care?

We know pesticides have a very negative effect on our native bees and the environment, but that’s not all. Pesticides have been known to harm children’s brain development.

The PPR Panel found that acetamiprid and imidacloprid may adversely affect the development of neurons and brain structures associated with functions such as learning and memory. It concluded that some current guidance levels for acceptable exposure to acetamiprid and imidacloprid may not be protective enough to safeguard against developmental neurotoxicity and should be reduced.  – European Food Safety Authority

Pesticides may play a part in ADD and ADHD. Regarding a study conducted by Harvard and the University of Montreal…   

The sample included 1,139 children 8 to 15 years old, of which about one in ten met the criteria for ADHD, matching estimates for the general population. Researchers then measured the level of organophosphate “metabolites,” i.e. the chemicals that these pesticides break down into within the body, in these children’s urine. What they found was that as exposure increased, ADHD risk increased; a tenfold increase in exposure was associated with a 50% increase in risk of ADHD, which is considered very large. Again, the children in this study are not the children of farmworkers or residents of agricultural areas — they are “representative of the general US population.”  – Grist

Women exposed to DDT are five times more likely to develop breast cancer. Seeing a dear friend fighting breast cancer, that just isn’t a risk that is worth it to me.

High levels of the primary component of DDT, in women exposed before mid-adolescence, were found to be predict a five-fold increase in breast cancer risk. Many American women heavily exposed to DDT in childhood have not yet reached 50 years of age, therefore the public health significance of DDT exposure in early life may be large.  – The Public Health Institute

The 2016 Dirty Dozen

These are 2016’s dirtiest foods. You can grow many of these! Wouldn’t it be fabulous to enjoy these foods you love without the fear of pesticide residues?

The EWG has set about to test the amounts of pesticide residue on the foods we eat. This is the report of the 2016 dirty dozen and clean fifteen.

The lower the number, the “dirtier” it is…

#1 Strawberries

Can be grown in gardening zones 3-10. Considered ornamental and can be used as edible landscaping.

#2 Apples

Can be grown in gardening zones 3-8. Dwarf varieties can be grown on small properties.

#3 Nectarines

Can be grown in gardening zones 5-9. Dwarf varieties can be grown in containers.

#4 Peaches

Can be grown in gardening zones 5-8. Dwarf varieties can be grown in containers.

#5 Celery

Can be grown in gardening zones 2-10. Hard to transplant and intolerant of heat, celery may be best to get from a local farmer.

#6 Grapes

Can be grown in gardening zones 2-10. Plants trained to grow vertically take up very little space. Also considered ornamental.

#7 Cherries

Can be grown in gardening zones 5-9, but it obviously takes quite a while to start growing cherries on your homestead. Since this is the first time cherries has made the dirty dozen list, it may benefit you to buy from a local farm instead of invest space at your home.

#8 Spinach

Can be grown in gardening zones 3-9. It’s quick rate of growth makes it ideal for succession planting.

#9 Tomatoes

Can be grown in gardening zones 2-10. Perfect for container gardens and one plant produces enough tomatoes for at least two people.

#10 Sweet Bell Peppers

Can be hard to grow in cooler climates. May be best to get from a local farmer.

#11 Cherry Tomatoes

Can be grown in gardening zones 2-10. Perfect for container gardens and one plant produces enough tomatoes for at two or three people.

#12 Cucumbers

Can be grown in gardening zones 4-11. Trellised cucumbers require very little space. 

The 2016 Clean Fifteen

These foods have little to no pesticide residue. They are deemed the “cleanest” foods in the United States this year.

  • Avocados
  • Sweet Corn*
  • Pineapples
  • Cabbage
  • Sweet Peas
  • Onions
  • Asparagus
    Mangoes
  • Papayas*
  • Kiwi
  • Eggplant
  • Honeydew Melon
  • Grapefruit
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cauliflower
    * May contain GMOs. Buy organic. 

Pull out your containers, make some space in the garden. The 2016 dirty dozen are foods you should focus on growing. If you’re new to gardening I highly recommend checking out The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible and The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control. Craftsy also offers some great online classes for beginner to advanced gardeners. A few that might interest you include Grow Better Greens: From Seed to Salad, The Extended Harvest: Vegetables for Every Season, and Vegetable Gardening: Small Techniques for Plentiful Results.

Want to know what foods were clean and dirty in previous years, check out the 2014 and 2015 reports.

The EWG has set about to test the amounts of pesticide residue on the foods we eat. This is the report of the 2016 dirty dozen and clean fifteen.

You May Also Like

  • Organic doesn't mean idyllic. Organic farmers have loopholes regarding the zero synthetic pesticides and zero artificial fertilizers. Find out the truth about organic.The Truth About Eating “Organic”
  • Have you ever came back from your local grocery chain and snapped photos of your food to share with your friends? No, but homesteaders do.Homesteaders: The New Food Photographers
  • Who Owns Your Food?
  • If you are a real food junkie or you enjoy experimenting in baking, Bread Revolution a book you want to have in your library.Bread Revolution {Book Review}
  • 25shares
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Share
The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy Instagram profileMy Pinterest profile

Jessica Lane

I am a non-traditional homesteader. What is a non-traditional homesteader? I'd like to think we are the people who don't fit the mold. I am a busy mom on a small bit of property with not a lot of financial resources, but I am figuring out how to live the life I want. A homesteader's life.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy Instagram profileMy Pinterest profile

Latest posts by Jessica Lane (see all)

  • How to Make Vapor Rub with Essential Oils - March 7, 2018
  • Bringing a Barn Cat (or two) to Your Homestead - February 7, 2018
  • Creating a Silvopasture to Benefit Your Farm & Goats - January 18, 2018
  • Garden Supplies You’ll Want This Season - December 27, 2017
  • Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Meals for Dinner - December 23, 2017
Home » Real Food » What Was Ranked As the 2016 Dirty Dozen?

Leave a Comment
Real Food

Subscribe

« What is Fodder? Sprouted Barley for Livestock
Ask a Homesteader – June 3, 2016 »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome! My name
is Jessica Lane. I live a nearly self-sufficient lifestyle with my sweet
husband and three beautiful children on 1/4 acre in Maine. We raise Nigerian Dwarf goats, ducks, and chickens, and we grow as much food as we can. What we can't grow or produce ourselves we barter for. If we can homestead where we live, what's stopping you?

Read More…

Search This Site

Now Trending

Sand is becoming a very common coop bedding and it's easy to see why. Sand has so many benefits and when used properly, I think it's a bedding that you wont regret using.
Do you have a bunch of squash on hand? Freeze it for later! Freezing spaghetti squash is super easy and takes less than an hour from start to finish.
We love this classic and comforting broccoli rice and cheese casserole for easy weeknight meals. Freezer-friendly and reheats well for leftovers.

My Latest Videos

Keep In Touch

  • 52,233 Pinteresting Followers
  • 19,827 Fabulous Fans
  • 4,815 Twitastic Friends
  • 2,141 InstaBuddies
  • 81 Subscribers

BiteMe! Goat Treats

  • Home
  • Homestead Living
  • Real Food
  • Homestead Animals
  • Gardening & Outdoors
  • Inspiring Homesteads

Disclaimer

I am not a doctor, lawyer, veterinarian or Martha Stewart. Please use the knowledge acquired from this site responsibly.

See Our Privacy Policy

Disclosure

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Work With Me

Become a Contributor/Guest Writer
Meet Our Current Contributors
Advertise on The 104 Homestead
Contact Me

© 2013-2018 Jessica Lane of The 104 Homestead