Reasons to buy organic: Scary sized fruit

I normally purchase organic fruit and vegetables because though there is a cost difference, I worry about the higher levels of pesticides that have been known to be in non-organic fruit. There are differing opinions on how harmful pesticides are to humans, but I just prefer to stay away from them. I also try to remember to purchase locally grown fruit, and plan to make an effort to do that more often in the future.

On my last trip to the grocery store, I was in a rush and didn't look closely at the strawberries I grabbed with the intention of using them for a recipe. But when I opened them up yesterday, I saw a strawberry larger than my palm. That's a little scary to me. I'd never seen a strawberry that big. Needless to say, that gigantic strawberry is still sitting in my refrigerator. Genetically modified fruit that is unnaturally large is not for me. I hate to waste food, but I don't feel comfortable eating it. That will teach me to rush while food shopping....

There is a listing of the top 12 fruit and vegetables that have been found to have the highest quantities of pesticides. Strawberries are right up there on the list, so I feel better about not eating that large strawberry. I also came across this calendar recently that has a listing of fruit and vegetables that are in season by month. I'm not a gardener, so I don't know what fruit and vegetables are in season off the top of my head.

Do you eat organic fruit and vegetables despite the cost difference, or does eating organic food matter to you?