I tend to buy organic because I've heard it's better but honestly I don't know why.... I guess I just buy into the hype so any information about this would be great!

They have a lot more laws and regulations over what is considered Organic. I figure it can't hurt right? I do notice a difference in some fruits and veggies, but others I don't.

Some fruits and vegetables, like strawberries, are better when organic; others, like bananas, it doesn't make a difference. It depends on how thick the skin is, because thinner-skinned fruits/veggies can allow the pesticides to be absorbed. I don't know much about other meats, but beef, you want to buy grass-fed. In industrial farms, the cows are fed mostly corn, which makes their meat fatty. Grass-fed beef is less fatty and has a higher concentration of Omega-3s.

Any fruit that is low lying like strawberries is important to buy organic. When pesticides are sprayed, they are sprayed downwards, so not only does the top get covered, but any splashes/when it rains will cause extra pesticide to go on the fruit.

If you're buying any organic produce/meat, stay away from anything that says "High Omega 3". Usually, unless it says "Grass Fed", the animals are fed on a fish pellet diet. Not only does the food taste different, but when you cook it, it tends to smell a lot like fish. It's not very appetizing. Meat is really the only thing that will have the high omega 3. With eggs and milk, the animal uses the omega 3 for itself, not for its eggs/milk.

Organic products meet stringent standards
Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs.
Organic food tastes great!
It’s common sense – well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals.
Organic production reduces health risks
Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.
Organic farms respect our water resources
The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.
Organic farmers build healthy soil
Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils.
Organic farmers work in harmony with nature
Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.
Organic producers are leaders in innovative research
Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment.
Organic producers strive to preserve diversity
The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.
Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy
USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.
Organic abundance – Foods and non-foods alike!
Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically – even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way.
Organic foods Save Energy
Organic farming requires more people-power. Weeding by hand and using green manures and crop covers rather than synthetic fertilizers to build up soil are the foundations of Organic agriculture.
Whereas, conventional farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the country’s total energy supply. Did you know that most commercial fertilizers comes from petroleum? More energy is used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the US.
Organic farming protect farm worker health
A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides had a six times greater risk than non-farmers of contacting cancer.
Organic Farming combats Global Warming
Data from The Rodale Institute’s® long-running comparison of organic and conventional cropping systems confirms that organic methods are far more effective at removing the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere. Organic farming improves the soil unlike conventional farming which strips the soil of all nutritional substance.
Organic Farming can cure world hunger
The Journal, “Nature” reported that organic methods for growing rice, corn and wheat all produced significantly higher yields—and at less the cost—than monoculture farms (farms where only one crop is continually planted).
Organic farming is good for the family farm
Many organic growers are small, independently owned farmers who have found that organic farming is one of the few remaining ways they can stay competitive with larger-scale farms.

The following definition of "organic" was passed by the NOSB at its April 1995 meeting in Orlando, FL.
"Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.
‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.
Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.
Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.
From the Organic Trade Association, www.theorganicreport.com

Non-Organic conventional beef is terrible for you! Cows are raised on huge K-fos where they are fed corn and antibiotics. The corn diet actually creates a perfect growing environment for e-coli. Ok short chemistry lesson, Cows normally have a low acidic or basic environment in their stomachs and humans have a high acidic stomach. This was our natural barrier from e-coli because the bacteria couldn't live in our stomachs. When cows eat corn the pH of their stomach gets more acidic and the e-coli bacteria adapts to it. Then we consume this new acidic resistant bacteria and get sick! Moral of the story, eat grass fed beef. It makes sense when you think about it, would a cow eat corn mash in the wild? (Read Omnivore's Dilemma for more info).