Certified Naturally Grown

I love the idea of alternative organic certification programs for farmers who opt out the government's program. Many of the farmers who choose these options use practices that exceed state and federal standards, but they have better things to do with their money than paying the certification fees, and better things to do with their time than filling out reams of paperwork.

Organic farming isn't just about growing crops without industrial chemicals. It's a whole way of thinking about caring for the land and building the health of the soil, and every organic farmer I know approaches it differently. My friends who farm organically say that most inspectors who oversee their compliance with the government's standards have virtually no understanding of the complexity and nuances involved in this kind of agriculure.

I see this same kind of oversimplification sometimes with my own customers, especially when they ask me, "Is everything organic?" Sometimes they say, "I assume that everything is organic." I don't know of any restaurant or food conccession that uses 100% certified organic ingredients, even the ones that claim to be all organic. There are always asterisks and qualifications and, given the current regulatory situation, that's the way it should be. We need to think beyond government labels and standards because these programs were also designed to meet the needs of big companies who want to make the claim "certified organic" on their cereal boxes.

Local Roots Farm uses a program called Certified Naturally Grown. The organization is based in upstate New York, they ask for a free-will donation, and for the most part they take a farmer's word about the integrity of their practices. Farmers are asked to schedule an inspection within six months of the time they sign up for the program, and these inspections are usually performed by other participating farmers in the region.

You may prefer to have your food grown by an operation that is inspected more regularly, but I think that any farm that's thinking deeply enough about the situation to seek out this kind of alternative is all right with me. Besides, that's the beauty of the farmers' market. If you have concerns about their growing practices you can ask them directly.