Photo by Alessio Maffeis: Flickr
With Canada’s food safety inspection agency being gutted of staff, there is even more reason than ever to start growing your own food. Organic apples are pricey at the grocery store, but not when you grow them in your backyard. The climate is right for apples in BC and most of southern Ontario, with a few varieties even being hardy enough for more northern climates. Even if you can’t find organic seeds and trees to start from, growing your own apples without using pesticides is still much better than purchasing pesticide-soaked apples at the grocery store.
Not sure what to do with your extra apples? Buy a juicer and make your own apple juice, or give them away to neighbours. Apple sauce will also keep for a long time if you can it properly, and the homemade stuff is much tastier than what you would buy at the grocery store. Some more tips for home apple growers here.
