Caterpillar and Cricket/grasshoppers eating huge amounts...

[sakura]

..of my veg
Sweet potato and aubergines mainly. Have sprayed them with insecticide which I really didn'T want to do because now I think what is the point of feeding pesticide-ridden veg to the kids but then there was no point in leaving them the way they were: there'd be nothing left!!!

Any ideas for organic pesticides? Someone suggested planting marigolds as insects don't like the smell, but I can'T wait for them to grow