Organically speaking...or not!

or·gan·ic  (ôr-gnk) adj. 1. Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms: organic matter. 2. Of, relating to, or affecting a bodily organ: an organic disease. 3. a. Of, marked by, or involving the use of fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin: organic vegetables; an organic farm. b. Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals: organic chicken; organic cattle farming. c. Serving organic food: an organic restaurant. d. Simple, healthful, and close to nature: an organic lifestyle. 4. a. Having properties associated with living organisms. b. Resembling a living organism in organization or development; interconnected: society as an organic whole. 5. Constituting an integral part of a whole; fundamental. 6. Law Denoting or relating to the fundamental or constitutional laws and precepts of a government or an organization. 7. Chemistry Of or designating carbon compounds. n. 1. A substance, especially a fertilizer or pesticide, of animal or vegetable origin. 2. Chemistry An organic compound. from: www.thefreedictionary.com A couple of days ago I just happened to be home when my doorbell rang. No biggy...except no one ever rings my doorbell except for someone selling something completely lame, the UPS guy or someone trying to convert me to a religion they think maybe I've actually never heard of. In this case it was the first...Now, I don't really mind this...hey, everybody needs to make a buck and he didn't look completely sketchy, so I decided to have a listen.  Now first, for any door to door salespeople that may happen to read this...you don't need to read off to me the names of my neighbors that signed up for your service. I am completely underwhelmed that the Joneses and the Smith family want you to kill their spiders. Also...I am not really interested in "keeping up" with said families. At least not over spider killings!  When I politely explained to the nice young man that I don't want to kill the spiders or any of the other insects in my yard he gave me his "perplexed look I learned in sales training" expression. I continued on to tell him my chickens love the spiders and pests roaming my yard. Young man then explained that he could also kill slugs and snails if I wasn't interested in spiders. Ahhhh...but, the slugs and snails are a true delicacy for my chickens...At this point, I could see that his light globe switched on! Oh, she's one of THOSE people, so I need to throw out the "O" word! "Hey lady...it's organic"!!! Oh, so it's okay to kill my entire ecosystem if it's organic? And, please...can you explain how it is "organic"? On this day, I let him go, I let him off easy, I let him wander off like I let the spiders wander off. Somedays it is just overwhelming to try and explain my feelings about why he may not kill my chicken food and the beautiful bees that come and go in my dandelions. It's always my dilemma? Should I ignore or should I try and educate? (Rhetorical question)... After young man left though, I started wondering what "organic" meant to the company he was representing. I am frustrated that "organic" and "green" are becoming overused buzz words that mean nothing! So...I went to the website of his company to read up on "organic" pest control. Here is what "organic" means to this company. Organic Nature of Our Products The Chrysanthemum flower has a natural insecticidal property found in the Oleoresin extract. Moxie Pest Control uses pyrethroids, a synthetically reproduced version of that organic botanical ketoalcholic ester. Pyrethroids serve the same purpose as the natural insecticide but provide a LONGER RESIDUAL EFFECT and are 50 TIMES LESS TOXIC. Pyrethroids can be found in topical head lice treatments, many pest treatments for household pets and are less toxic than ordinary table salt.  Environmentally Conscious Moxie is proud to use products that have no odor or visible residue. Our products are effective enough to use in warehouses and manufacturing plants but safe enough to treat schools, day care centers, nursing facilities, veterinary clinics as well as your home.  Safe and Effective Your continued safety in conjunction with successful treatment for household pests is Moxie’s number one priority. We use the state-of the-art pyrethroids that control over 50 different pests. These organic products prevent communication to a key neurotransmitter, specific only to insects—posing virtually no harm when used in residential areas. When The Pests Come Back We Do Too Both the inside and outside of your home are always under warranty. Moxie’s Pest Protection Program guarantees your satisfaction between regular scheduled maintenance with unlimited free re-services. If at any time you find yourself in need of an additional treatment between regular scheduled services, call us and we will return to re-treat your home absolutely free! www.moxienc.com http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reevaluation/pyrethroids-pyrethrins.html Huh? How can pyrethroids fit the definition of "organic"? And, even if they could, is this what organic means to me or you? Please feel free to read the fascinating definitions of the difference between pyrethroids and pyrethrins from the above link! Okay...it's not that fascinating but it is informative and validates my concerns about what is actually organic and what isn't! This all brings back memories of the last guy that rang my doorbell...he had a truck full of "organic, grass-fed beef"...uh huh... Random...after this blog post I felt the need to put a photo of a beautiful, true "organic" garden! Ahhh...that feels much better...