Peterson admits poor choice of words, says there is market for organic, local foods

"WASHINGTON — House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., offended organic farmers a few years ago, but now they seem to have kissed and made up.

In 2007, Peterson told the Financial Times of London that he couldn’t understand why “people are willing to pay two or three times as much for something that says ‘organic’ or ‘local’” but “if people are dumb enough to pay that much then hallelujah.”

The remark enraged organic farmers and locavores, and the Organic Consumers Association urged its members to send Peterson an e-mail saying he had won the award for dumbest quote of the week."

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