ORGANIC, BUT NOT CERTIFIED!

Why Organic Farms Opt Out of  Government Certification

 

 

Only 1% (13,000) of the 2.2 million farms in the U.S. are certified as "organic" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 

A Multitude of Reasons

 

 

Small farms that have long been farming organically and newer farms attempting to farm organically, opt out of the USDA's certification process for a number of reasons:

 

• Extensive record-keeping requirements
• Fees that can amount to 6% of a small farm's gross sales
• Philosophical objections to joining a monolithic government-run program that also certifies huge operations that ship produce across the country and may export as well.
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Other Options  

 

 

Other non-government certifying organizations that some organic or would-be organic farmers join:

 

• Certified Naturally Grown (http://www.naturallygrown.org), tailored for direct-market farmers producing food for their local communities, without synthetic chemicals (now includes 700 farms in 47 states).

• Farmers Pledge, especially for farmers selling directly to consumers and/or retailers.  Some 130 farmers in New York and Connecticut sign the pledge committing them to a broad set of farming principles addressing labor issues, organic production practices, community values, and marketing (See https://www.nofany.org/farmers-pledgehttps://www.nofany.org/farmers-pledge and http://www.ctnofa.org/OrganicCertification.htm.)

Demeter, the certification for farmers abiding by the strict rules for those who farm according to the biodynamic method.  Demeter is an international standard.  Demeter food tests superior to food certified by the USDA. (See http://www.demeter-usa.orghttp://www.demeter-usa.org and http://www.demeter.nethttp://www.demeter.net.)

 

 

 

See also the San Diego daily newspaper, U-T, September 18, 2013, "Naturally Grown, But Shh!  Don't Call It 'Organic.'  Farmers dodge certification hurdles, adopt their own term."

 

 

 Just as there is more than one way to "skin a cat," as the saying goes,

Farmers find ways to claim they are "organic"

without Government "blessing" them!

 

 

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