Organic? What’s in a name?

I do understand the need to feed our families nutritional, healthful foods free from chemicals and additives.  I am a believer in “organic”.  I also have seen a troubling trend in the last few years to place a trust in the wrong place.  Your trust should be in your farmer, your supplier, or your own garden, for Pete’s sake, not a label or an ad that has been “allowed” by the USDA.

Organic, as in organic food, is not even defined in Webster’s dictionary.  I think it’s defined so very loosely in the farm to table world.  Meaning, this food is safe from nasty chemicals and grown in fertile soil?  So we have come to trust the government to decide for us who meets their criteria for safe?  Does anyone see a problem here?

I do.

Just a teeny tiny little point from my perspective to make you think.  I have 30+ years of experience in growing, 2 years of vocational horticulture and a year of the Institute of Applied Agriculture, to back my opinion.

Hate to burst your bubble, but certified organic by the USDA doesn’t mean they don’t spray your fruit and veggies with chemicals.  They probably do spray less?  Here’s a good article to read about that issue.

I believe the healthiest food you could possibly obtain is from your own garden, or your local farmer who can show you exactly how they grow, or raise their animals. Small farmers and gardeners do not have the funds to use chemicals because they are expensive!  I also want to passionately plead with you that the SOIL is the important issue, not necessarily the chemicals used.

Healthy soil, full of good bacteria that break down the nutrients for the plant’s roots produce delicious and healthful fruit and veggies that will even survive a couple attacks from a beetle.  So the attention paid to what chemicals are used may be misplaced in my opinion,  when the bigger deal is the way a crop is grown.  Big production farms, organic or not, can’t love on the soil like I can in my little garden space.

The berries, herbs and veggies we grow here at Dodson’s Promised Land Farm are not certified organic by the USDA. I just don’t have the time or money right now to obtain this stamp of government approval.  But they are the healthiest, most amazing fruits and veggies I have ever eaten!  Homegrown at the PLF.  You can trust that certification.

Would love your opinion!

Liz  the kombucha lady