VERMONT - Purchasing organic food is a growing trend in grocery stores, but is it worth it to pay the extra dollars?  According to a market research firm nearly 70% of Americans have claimed they bought organic foods, and it is no different for Vermonters who see organic as a part of life.

Bonnie Paris, co-manager of the Freight House in Lyndonville, said, "My grandparents bought the farm in 1956 and back then organic was pretty much what everybody did."  Paris's family strives to serve all organic foods in their restaurant.  Most of the food is grown at their family farm.  They don't use pesticides and they feed their cows green grass.

Although organic foods are more expensive, studies have shown that foods that are fertilized with manure or sewage may contain potentially harmful organisms and be cross contaminated with chemicals from other farms.  Paris said that for these reasons, her family farm has not used pesticides for seven years.

While the concept of buying organic pleases most consumers, not all of what you read may be true.  Sharon Anderson, a clinical dietitian at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, said, "I don't think that it means that non-organic foods are not healthy, so non-organic fruits and vegetables I wouldn't consider unhealthy.  If most people can't make those purchases, certainly purchasing whole foods is the important thing."

Pamela Strout was shopping when she said, "I noticed that the fruits and vegetables [that are organic] have a little better flavor and I feel like I'm eating something that's a little bit better for you."

Just because the label says it's organic, does not mean the product is part of a healthy diet.  Anderson stated that calories are calories whether they are organic or not.