Re: Organic Certification

FAQ: re Organic Certification

Organic Status - we cannot use the term organic, as the federal government nows owns that term!

Basically, our CSF members are our "certifiers". They can come to the farm, see our practices and always ask questions.

Knowing where your food is coming from & having it harvested locally & fresh are the keys!!

At Catalpa Ridge Farm, we do not spray any chemicals or use any chemical fertilizers, not even those allowed by the Federal Standards. What you need to know that buying produce from any source that is labeled as organic does NOT guarantee that the produce you are buying is pesticide free. The USDA Organic Standards allows for many organic pesticides to be used. As you will see in our FAQ "The fundamental difference between organic and synthetic pesticides is not their toxicity, but their origin—whether they are extracted from natural plants, insects, or mineral ores or are chemically synthesized. In fact, some organic pesticides have mammalian toxicities that are far higher than many synthetic pesticides."

Occasionally we get questions regarding our status for organic certification similar to the one below, which is followed by our explanation:

It says on the website that Farmer Rich is no longer a certified organic farm. Can you tell me why/what that means?

We voluntarily dropped out of the NOFA organic certification program when the US Government took over the Organic Standards. We were long-time NOFA –NJ certified growers, but when the government got involved the standards they set allowed for many things we did not agree with. They are even working on allowing for non-organic components to be included in processed food labeled organic in your supermarkets because that is what the big-boys want!! Even many OMRI approved pesticides are allowed with the government standards. Everyone thinks organic means pesticide-free but it does NOT. As quoted in an article by CFGI (Center for Global Food Issues states: "The fundamental difference between organic and synthetic pesticides is not their toxicity, but their origin—whether they are extracted from natural plants, insects, or mineral ores or are chemically synthesized. In fact, some organic pesticides have mammalian toxicities that are far higher than many synthetic pesticides." (1-link to reference below). Copper sulfate is an organic-pesticide that is allowed by the National Organic Standards. The U.S. EPA considers copper sulfate a Toxicity Class I pesticide, requiring the signal words "Danger -- Poison" on the label. Copper sulfate has actually been banned in Europe. Rotenone & pyrethrin were actually allowed up to a few years ago, and the definition on Wikipedia actually states " It is toxic to humans and other mammals".

What you need to know is that we have not sprayed any pesticides (even those allowed by OMRI organic standards) nor do we use any non-organic fertilizer. Our CSF groups know that they can come to the farm anytime & visit to see our growing methods. Basically they are the "certifiers". To our members, knowing where their food is coming from is more important than a piece of paper stating that we are "certified" and we have been delivering the our CSF members since 1996, and since 2002 being "uncertified". We cannot use the term "organic" for our produce as the federal government now owns that word! 1-Reference: http://www.biblelife.org/organic.pdf

Hope this helps you understand more.

Anymore questions, feel free to drop us a line.