failure, one-third of the growers felt that IPM 

 was riskier (Table 2). Cranberry growers were 

 more likely than other growers to feel that IPM 

 reduces risk of loss or increases market quality, 

 possibly because of long history of bog scouting 

 and the intensive private sector scouting pro- 

 grams currently used on cranberry bogs. 



Growers agreed that IPM food is at least as 

 safe to eat as conventionally-grown food (Table 

 2) and over 40% felt that IPM-produced food is 

 safer. In our survey of the New England food 



industry, 63% of all respondents and 54% of 

 farmstand owners believed that IPM-grown 

 food was safer than conventionally grown food. 

 Despite media and consumer perceptions, there 

 is good evidence from research that our, prima- 

 rily conventionally-grown, food supply is safe. 

 For example, samples for pesticide residues in 

 produce in Connecticut (H. M. Pylypiw, Jr. and 

 L. Hankin. Connecticut Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station Bulletin 881 , 1990) show that most 

 produce has no insecticide residue at all, and less 



Fruit Notes, Fall, 1992 



