Labels and Fables: The Truth About Organic Certification

by Jas Faulkner 

One of the more difficult to navigate talking points when it comes to generating interest in buy and selling local products is the price.  Everyone wants to do the right thing, but there are few, if any consumers who don't balk the first time they see exactly how much they are going to pay for a bundle of kale or a pint of tomatoes.  No matter how pretty they are, no matter how good they taste, there is still the matter of the cost.

The matter can get even touchier when  vendors at some markets (who are more often than not resellers) claim that "organic certification is nothing but a label."  Some vendors and even some growers will go so far as to make claims that their produce is organic "in every way except by name."  The problem comes down to how the definition of organic could vary from grower to grower.    Even if one works with the idea that everyone is operating with the best of intentions, there is still too much guesswork involved and at this stage, with so much that is questionable being defined as potential food, it's also a bit risky.

Some people claim that the question, to be or not to be organic, comes down to paperwork and expense.  Looking at it from that perspective, it's easy to dismiss the protests that, in spite of the fact that there are fewer chemical or technological interventions going into organic crops, they are costlier to produce.  During an interview with Amy Delvin of Delvin Farms she discussed the process that farmers go through in order to get certified by the USDA.  Aside from the mountain of paperwork, farmers must keep meticulous records about the sources they use for their seeds and everything else they employ in the business of growing their crops. In addition to those formalities, each farmer is completely responsible for making arrangements for the required inspection by a USDA agent.  Doing so isn't as simple as paying a fee and waiting for someone to show up from the local agriculture extension office.  Farmers are on the hook for airfare, accommodations, a per diem for meals on top of the fees they have to pay for the inspection itself.  Once a farm passes the test, they are also required to pay a percentage back to the USDA National Organic Program.  The process of record-keeping and proof of compliance is unending.

At the same time, it has its rewards for both growers and their customers. For farmers, there is the satisfaction of having proof of the hard work that goes into creating organic crops.  For consumers there is the confidence that comes from knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that the food you put on your table is safe .   How to tell if the person who grows your food is certified?  Look for the seal pictured above.  Ask questions. Rodale has some useful tips for finding out if a farmer is organic right here. The mission of ENFM is to create a place for you to get your food directly from the person who raised it.

That kind of relationship is actually kind of rare  in today's mercantile economy, and yet it occurs at  210 South 10th  Street over and over from 3:30 to 6:30 every Wednesday.  What are you doing this coming Wednesday?  Why not join us?