What does it mean to be "certified organic"?
Produce that has been "certified organic" often bears the familiar USDA organic symbol (at right). When you see this sign, you know that the farmer has been held to the strictest national guidelines for the production of food without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and genetically-modified seed stocks.
To become certified, a farmer must disclose every detail of his/her farming practices, including the specific varieties of organic seeds used, the types of organic potting soils used to start seedlings, the test results from wells used to irrigate the crops, the types of all-natural methods used to fertilize the earth and combat common diseases and pests, and the different ways that the farmer creates and preserves habitat for wildlife on the farm. The farm is visited each year by an inspector from a local certifying agency (such as the NJDA) who goes over the application in detail and takes a comprehensive tour of the facilities, inspects all the seed packets, bags of compost, receipts, etc. to verify that all the information provided by the farmer is truthful and compliant with the national standards for organic food production.
For some small farms, the task (and expense!) of becoming certified is too daunting. These farmers may use "sustainable" practices of farming, but they opt to forgo the rigors of becoming officially certified. All too often, these farmers advertise their produce as "organic", but without any oversight from a certifying agency, it is impossible for the consumer to know for sure if they are purchasing truly organic produce. We are a small farm that is proud of its certification, because it means our customers can be confident in the quality and integrity of our produce. So, when you buy organic, please make sure to look for the USDA symbol! And we thank you for doing your part to support your local certified organic farmers.
Our certification for organic production, issued in 2007:
Copy of our most recent annual update:
