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[GWL]: organic/inorganic

   This subject is crucial. If we, as writers, are as confused and 
under-informed as the postings indicate (and I count myself among the 
people with many, many questions), how can we educate the general gardening 
public?
   One problem is that "organic gardener" is often perceived by home 
gardeners as someone who grabs Safer soap instead of Sevin, when "organic 
gardening" is a much broader concept in which use of  the least-toxic 
products is just one element. This is the fault, in part, of the lip 
service given the term "organic" in much of the media, OG included 
nowadays. Granted, the trend is more positive than our past assumed 
reliance on chemical weapons. But it seems no one is going beyond the 
obvious -- our confusion over new products, be they organic or not, is a 
case in point.
    I'm a former hard-line organic gardener who now allows that a newer, 
chemical product may be better in certain cases, even though the product 
may not be "organic." Some "natural" products are more lethal than chemical 
ones. But I need to know exactly what a particular product may be, what it 
does and what the potential repercussions are, before I use it.  I can't 
find that information on new products, and I won't rely solely on company 
info. Where do we get facts? Is there an independent testing authority?
   We owe it to our readers to provide all the information, not just one 
side or the other. I'm glad to hear that many gardeners now consider 
themselves "organic." But it's nearly impossible to switch from a 
conventionally gardened homesite to an organic one overnight. I know, I did 
it, in the '80s. It takes years to create the balanced ecosystem that is an 
"organic" garden. In the interim, there are situations that try the 
patience and conviction, and will send many gardeners running to buy as 
much diazinon as they can before the stock is pulled from the shelves.
We need to provide good, reliable information about all alternatives, 
organic and not. Where do we find it?
Gerri Bauer

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