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Certified organic farmers must comply to standards set by the National Organic Program (NOP). They may also rely upon the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI)to let them know which manufacturers of fertilizers and natural pesticides have complied with standards set by the NOP. Basic copper sulfate is not approved by either board. While it is safer than comercial fungicides for careful and controlled use in the smaller garden, it is not used in commercial production that will bear the label of "organic". While it is true that the adult human can withstand certain amounts of chemical additions found in non-organic food, studies have not been done, at least not very extensively, regarding their effect on children. Also, commercial pesticides mimic hormones in the body and can cause a myriad of problems by attaching to hormone receptor sites. Usually this manifests as cancers of the breast and reproductive organs.
To me it's worth the extra money to shop carefully for organics. I get what's on sale and freeze it, don't buy more than I need and avoid prepackaged foods which have more additives and tend to cost more in the long run. Buying in bulk is often a less expensive way to shop as well.
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Believe nothing, even if I tell it to you, unless it meets with your own good common sense and experience. - Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)
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