Organic Gardening is Worth the Effort

"AKRON, Ohio — When Mark Roesner started working at Copley Feed & Supply in 1969, only the rare individualist was interested in its organic gardening products.

Today, those products are in demand.

With news stories highlighting environmental issues and celebrities embracing eco-friendly lifestyles, more gardeners appear to be turning their backs on synthetic chemicals. “It’s just concern for the environment,” said Roesner, who now owns the Copley Township, Ohio, store with his wife, Nancy.

Surveys bear out the trend. One study conducted in 2005 by Organic Gardening magazine and the National Gardening Association showed the United States has 5 million dedicated organic gardeners and another 7 million who use organic methods but still turn to chemicals sometimes. Another survey by Horticulture magazine determined 69 percent of its readers garden organically to some extent, while 14 percent have gone chemical free."

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