Hi Tiffany,
" I didn't even bother going shopping for winter plants this year. "
Was that because you thought they might have Styrofoam in their planting media? I don't think Styrofoam is a universal problem -- some growers have used it as a cheap substitute for Perlite, but not all do. Do you object to Styrofoam in the soil simply because it isn't a "natural" soil component? I can see how an Organic Gardener might be offended by Styrofoam, simply because it isn't "organic".
I live in a rural area, and we do have some foreign objects in our garden soil -- some broken pottery and glass and various sizes of nails, tacks, and staples. I pick up all such "sharp" stuff just to make the garden soil safer to work in. I don't go looking for it, but I keep a container in my shirt pocket in case I spot a dangerous item. However, I would not bother to pick up Styrofoam pieces or beads, simply because they don't pose a threat to personal injury.
ZM
