WHY GO ORGANIC?

Every piece of clothing we make at Garden Kids is crafted from 100% organically grown cotton. Here's why that's important.

Did you know that 25% of the world's insecticides are sprayed on just one crop -- conventional cotton? That's a lot of chemicals! In fact, cotton is the second most-sprayed crop in the United States today. And it's not just our clothing that's affected -- more than half of all cotton grown enters our food supply as cottonseed. Look closely at food labels and you'll see it in baked goods, salad dressings and snack foods. Since cottonseed is also used in animal feed, cottonseed pesticide residue eventually ends up in our meat and dairy products. At Garden Kids, we take this issue very seriously. Insecticides, herbicides, defoliants, and synthetic fertilizers are unsafe for the environment, unsafe for farm workers, and unsafe for our children.

ORGANIC IS SAFER

But there is another way! Organic cotton is grown without any of those harmful chemicals. Organic farmers use time-tested methods of crop rotation, beneficial insects, weeding, composting, and cover crops to grow bountiful harvests. No poisons end up in our water, soil or air and no workers have to breathe toxic fumes. And perhaps best of all, we can feel good about swathing our children in pure, natural fabrics.

ORGANIC IS STURDIER

Conventional cotton is not only sprayed with pesticides, it's also processed with chemical bleaches, dioxins and formaldehydes. By the time conventional cotton becomes a child's T-shirt, the cotton fibers have become weakened from so much abuse. Organic cotton, on the other hand, is remarkably sturdy. You'll be amazed at how long one set of organic cotton pajamas will hold up.

ORGANIC IS CHEAPER

Yep, that's right, organic is cheaper. First, because clothing made with organic cotton is so sturdy. The price you pay up-front may be a little more than what you'd pay for conventional, but it lasts so much longer. A pair of organic pants that costs $25 but still looks great after 100 wash-and-wears is cheaper than a pair of $10 pants that falls to pieces after 10-20 washes.

Second, organic is less expensive because we have to consider the real costs of conventional cotton when we make our purchasing decisions. Meaning -- the costs to our streams and rivers, to the wildlife we cherish, to the farm workers providing our cotton, and most of all to our children who will have to pay for it all later.

SMALL EFFORTS MAKE BIG CHANGES

We realize it's not realistic for most families to clothe their kids in 100% organic fibers. But each organic item you add to your child's wardrobe makes a difference. When you purchase three organic T-shirts from Garden Kids, you'll keep about a pound of chemicals from entering our environment. Now that's worth going organic!