We know the O-word comes with some sighs and harrumphs.

“What’s the difference anyway?”

“Isn’t that just some marketing thing?”

“You mean spending an extra 19 cents?”

We hear you. And while we could skip straight to the answers (lots, no and not really—in that order), we didn’t create an organic drink company to leap up on our high horse. Quite the opposite, actually. We see Tractor as just one small part in a greater effort to create a more organic world, and can admit that while the perceptions around organic farming can get muddy, the actual benefits are pretty simple.

Consider the humble lemon, one of the most common fruits you’ll find in your drinks, meals, sauces and condiments. And with all the good stuff beneath the rind, what’s it matter if you’re choosing organic or not? Isn’t the pesticide buffer built in?

There’s some truth to that line of thinking—certainly a lemon’s rind protects you from unwanted chemical residues more effectively than, say, consuming an apple’s skin. Just two hiccups:

1. Rinds are the good stuff, too. If you like your pastas and desserts with a bit of zest—or you like your water with a wedge—you know the peel is hardly a throwaway. Rinds are one of our favorite ways to amplify flavor.

2. Not all rinds are created equal. Not even the most controlled farming operations can guarantee a lemon makes it through plucking, sorting, shipping and stocking without a few nicks and dents, potentially exposing its edible parts to artificial fertilizers and pesticides along the way.

When push comes to shove, you’re better off knowing no harmful chemicals brushed up against your lemon on its path to your mouth. And the easiest way to do that is by choosing organic. So a tastier output? Safer consumption? And a more responsible supply? We’d say that’s 19 cents well spent.