gardening is so fucking expensive. despite successful crops and an abundance of small creatures (actually, Sharpie size slugs, not small) my friends have me completely paranoid about pollution. so now I've got to spend at least $135 or more having the soil tested. Which sucks because I could just go on with life, eating my vegetables and being happy...or I can spend that money and find out I don't want to eat my vegetables and have been wasting all this time. I feel like crap. I put so much work into the garden and I feel like half the people I know are totally freaked out about the soil.

Here is the most popular article I found online. Families in toxic waste scare told not to eat garden vegetables. I'd like to point out that these levels were so high some plants were dying and lots of people were getting sick. I'm way more scared about the plastic we use (I rarely microwave plastic anymore, just the coverings on tv dinners and sometimes when making squash with saran wrap).

I'm in denial, but I think it's far more important to EAT YOUR VEGETABLES. Still, I'm probably going to get the soil tested.

So, anyone know someone who got sick from pollutants in their garden? It seems like e-coli and the like are much more dangerous.

Also, this area historically was residential and full of breweries. There may have been some industrial work going on here, and there is plenty in Brooklyn to have migrated via water and air to other areas...but it's not Greenpoint sitting on a giant oil slick or anything.