| This is a certification given to farms who have been following conventional practices but are switching over to organic (a 3 year process). This certification informs consumers that while they have not had 3 years of organic farming completed, they are on the way.
The info may prove helpful if you’re shopping, but what it is really about is providing transitioning farmers a piece of the ever growing $43+ billion (2015) a year organic industry. Conventional farms are trying to get in and they have the ear of some lawmakers in DC. Slowly then, we’re seeing the standards being lowered for organic farming and the list of synthetic and non-organic materials growing.
Chemical free, and that may be put an appearance we’re discovering, has become more about the money rather than a commitment to farming the way God intended.
The myriad of certifications, labels, and methods are changing, diversifying, and growing. What most of us want is simply quality food grown without junk. Large scale, conventional farms – whether organic, certified transitional, non-gmo project verified, etc are NOT sustainable.
America used to be made of thousands of small farms providing local communities fresh, local food. Small farming, even if the farm is not commitment to organic practices, does not need the level of chemicals large scale organic operations need.
We vote with our dollars – by shopping local and fresh at the markets & farms around us we can avoid the every growing quagmire label conglomeration of grocery store food.
Get to know your farmer. Ask questions. Visit their farms. We can’t be too busy to not care about the investment we’re making in to the health of our bodies. |
