When I started Creekside Organics, I wasn’t just trying to grow beautiful microgreens. I was searching for something deeper: trust. Trust in what I was feeding my family. Trust in what I was putting into my body. Trust in the soil, the seeds, and the process.
Over the years, I’ve realized that “cleaning up our lives” means more than just tidying the house or eating more vegetables. It means becoming mindful of what we allow into our bodies through our food, our water, and even our skin. And while we can’t control everything, we can absolutely make more empowered choices.
One of the resources that helped shift my mindset early on was the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit dedicated to uncovering what's really in our food, water, and personal care products. Each year, they publish their Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists, which rank produce based on pesticide residue. And honestly, it was eye-opening.
Some of my all-time favorite fruits and vegetables appeared on the Dirty Dozen list again and again.
Strawberries. Spinach. Kale.
These were staples in my diet, foods I believed were nourishing me. Finding them on the list made me pause. That’s when I knew I had to do something different. I wanted to eat these healing plants without worrying about hidden chemicals or synthetic sprays. So I began growing them myself, the way nature intended. That simple decision eventually became Creekside Organics.
Today, I grow nutrient-dense microgreens like broccoli, kale, and sunflower in living soil. I know exactly how each tray is grown and harvested. That kind of transparency and trust is something you can feel and taste.
But cleaning up our lives doesn’t stop with food.
💧 Water matters. Even a basic under-sink or pitcher filter can help reduce your exposure to chlorine, microplastics, and heavy metals.
🧴 So do body products. Your skin is your largest organ, and what you put on it can impact everything from hormone health to inflammation. One of my favorite tools is the EWG’s Healthy Living app, which lets you scan the barcode of personal care or cleaning products to instantly see where they fall on a safety scale of 1 to 10. It’s a game changer.
🛒 And of course, where you shop matters too. Supporting local farms and organic growers not only helps reduce the use of harmful pesticides, but also strengthens your community’s food system and supports regenerative soil practices.
We can’t live in a perfect bubble. But we can create pockets of intention, protection, and healing.
So start small:
Choose organic apples or spinach next time you shop.
Install that water filter you’ve been thinking about.
Try a safer soap or shampoo with clean ingredients.
And when you can, support a local farm that grows your food with care.
Because what we grow and what we consume can change everything!
Gratefully rooted,
Courtney
P.S. If you haven’t already, check out this year’s Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen lists at www.ewg.org. It’s a great starting point and so is their free Healthy Living app, which makes checking product safety quick and easy.
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