Ames is becoming a haven for environmentally and health conscious consumers.

If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you may have noticed local stores have a growing selection of organic food products.

Randy Gehling, store buyer for Cub Foods, said there is a definite growing demand in Ames for organic food items. He said people who watch their diet for health reasons, vegetarians and athletes make up the majority of customers.

Cub Foods recently expanded their natural and organic food section to four mini-aisles. The store now offers natural and organic cereals, grains, canned goods, vitamins, herbal teas, juices and snacks. They also carry organic milk and tofu products such as cheese and meatless burgers.

Gehling also said Cub Foods has tentative plans to expand the selection to offer frozen food and dairy products.

Hy-Vee also carries some organic products. Jay Wadding, food store manager, said the store carries Horizon organic milk and organic produce, like salad mixes, carrots, potatoes and onions.

“We get a lot of requests for these kinds of products. If there’s a need we always try to get it,” Gehling said.

Wheatsfield Grocery, located in downtown Ames, has been carrying organic products for the past twenty years. The store offers a wide selection of organic produce, canned goods, dairy and meat products and packaged food.

In addition to the grocery stores, there are seasonal outlets for organic food products, although you’ll have to wait for the growing season. The Magic Beanstalk, a seasonal community-supported agriculture program, sells organic produce and other products such as eggs, chickens and honey. The Farmers Market, set up in the mall parking lot next to J.C. Penney, showcases the seasonal goods of local farmers.

Unfortunately, many people fail to realize our grocery store decisions impact larger issues.

Conventional agriculture has become too reliant on chemicals. Agricultural chemicals are polluting our soil, our ground water, our streams and rivers, and, in diluted form, the food we eat. Research suggests many of these chemicals are toxic to humans and that many of the pests they were designed to eradicate are now becoming more resilient, requiring higher concentrations to be used.

It is time to find better ways to grow our food so we are not polluting our bodies and planet in the process.

Fortunately, agriculturists have found a better way. Organic food is produced from a method of farming that sustains the health of the land. Sustainable agriculture protects soil quality, conserves water, utilizes modern and traditional low-impact management techniques and encourages biodiversity.

Supporters of sustainable agriculture say it not only protects the earth, but it also preserves the family farm lifestyle, protects the health of farm workers, carefully documents pest control and adds nutrition, flavor and quality to foods.

We hold a lot of power as consumers. Market forces show that if we want something changed, we can change it simply by putting our dollar elsewhere.

If you want safe, healthful and pesticide-free food and think we need to preserve natural resources like fertile topsoil and unpolluted water, then you should consider supporting the organic food industry.

And, you can do it right here in Ames.

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Jonquil Wegmann is a senior in community and regional planning from Bellevue.