More on Organic

1. What is Organic?
   Organic refers to the way that agricultural products are grown and processed. It is food produced by farmers who forgo the use of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. By doing so, and through their emphasis of the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water, they help to enhance the quality of the environment for future generations. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.
   
   
2. What does "Certified Organic" mean?
   "Certified Organic" means the item has been grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by independent state or private organizations. The process of certification involves inspections of farm fields and processing facilities, detailed record keeping, and periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting the standards which have been set.
   
   
3. What does the USDA Organic seal mean?
   The USDA has strict standards for labeling organic products. Only those products that contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients can carry the USDA Organic seal.
   
   
4. How does the USDA protect the use of the Organic Seal?
   People who sell or label a product "organic" when they know it does not meet USDA standards can be fined up to $10,000 for each violation.
   
   
5. Does "natural" mean Organic?
   No. Natural and organic are not interchangeable. Other truthful claims, such as free-range, hormone-free, and natural, can still appear on food labels. However, don't confuse these terms with "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting USDA organic standards.
   
   
6. Why does Organic food sometimes cost more?
   Prices for organic foods reflect many of the same costs as conventional items in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. Organically produced foods must meet stricter regulations governing all of these steps, so the process is often more labor- and management-intensive, and farming tends to be on a smaller scale.
   
   
7. How will purchasing organic products help keep our water clean?
   Conventional agricultural methods can cause water contamination. The organic farmer's elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, in combination with soil building, works to prevent contamination, and protects and conservers water standards.
   
   
8. How do organic farmers fertilize crops? How do they control pests, diseases, and weeds?
   Organic farmers build healthy soils by nourishing the living component of the soil, the microbial inhabitants that release, transform, and transfer nutrients. Organic farmers use cover crops, compost and biologically based soil amendments to increase water-holding capacity and improve soil. These measures produce healthy plants that are better able to resist disease and insect predation. Organic farmers' primary strategy in controlling pests and diseases is prevention through good plant nutrition and management. Organic farmers use cover crops and sophisticated crop rotations to change the field ecology, effectively disrupting habitat for weeds, insects, and disease organisms. Weeds are controlled through crop rotation, mechanical tillage, and hand-weeding. Organic farmers rely on a diverse population of soil organisms, beneficial insects, and birds to keep pests in check. When pest populations get out of balance, growers implement a variety of strategies such as the use of insect predators, mating disruption, traps and barriers. As a last resort, certain botanical or other non-synthetic pesticides may be applied.