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It's common sense; organic food is good food. Good to eat, good for the environment, good for the small-scale farmers and farm workers who produce it. By the year 2000, the USDA estimates that half of all U.S. farm products will come from only 1% of the farms. The EPA says that agriculture is responsible for 70% of the pollution to the country's rivers and streams caused by chemicals, erosion, and animal waste runoff. Organic farming may be one of the last ways to keep both ecosystems and rural communities healthy and alive.
Small-scale organic farmers finance innovative research designed to reduce agricultural impact on the environment. They preserve biodiversity by collecting seeds and growing heirloom varieties of plants. They naturally enrich the soil with manure and compost. They rotate crops in the fields and plant cover crops to stop weeds, nutrient leaching, and erosion. Consumer demand is a powerful force for change. Between 1989 and 1996 sales of organic products increased 20 percent annually. Every food category now has an organic alternative and more non-food crops are grown organically. As a consumer, you can help this trend continue by continuing to ask for and purchasing organically grown food, textiles, personal care, and other items.
Since the passage of the California Organic Foods Act of 1990, produce marketed in California as "Organically Grown" must be registered as organic with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. No synthetic pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fumigants, fungicides, or miticides) may have been applied in the last three years to the land where an organic crop is grown, a crop already in the field, or to the produce after it is harvested. Organically Grown crops may not be fertilized with any synthetic fertilizers. Organically Grown produce may be sprayed with various naturally-occurring pest-control substances such as sulfur, copper, dolomite, Bacillius Thuringensis, and diatomaceous earth. These are safer for farmers, farmworkers, and the environment than synthetic pesticides. For the last fifty years, conventional agriculture has relied upon synthetic fertilizers and pesticides derived from non-renewable petroleum resources. Though both organic and synthetic fertilizers supply nutrients to crops, organic farmers believe that their fertilizers also enrich the soil.
Currently, when a farmer registers with the State, he or she must pay a program start-up fee and an additional fee based upon their farm’s gross income. For many farmers, this fee adds up to several hundred dollars annually. The State inspects these farms only on a random basis or if it has a strong suspicion of non-compliance. The legally binding paperwork between the farmer and State serves as the consumer’s proof that the farmer is growing organically.
Certified Organic produce must be registered with the State Department of Food and Agriculture and certified by a third-party, non-governmental organization. The California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) is the major certifying organization in the state. CCOF certification and verification of the organic claim covers the crop, the land on which it is grown, the farmer and the food processor. Initially, a three-year land transition period is required before any crop harvested from that land can be certified organic. Thereafter, all aspects of CCOF certified operations are inspected annually. Farming practices subject to inspection include long-term soil management, buffered zones between organic and conventional farms, product labeling and record keeping. Processing inspections include review of the facility's cleanliness, pest-control methods, transportation, storage, and record keeping. Consumers can recognize CCOF growers by the green-and-white sunflower logo signs.
Because of cost or other considerations, some of our small-scale farmers are not registered or certified organic. However this doesn't necessarily mean that their produce is not grown with sustainable methods. When you shop at our local farmer's markets, we encourage you to ask the farmers about their growing, fertilization, pest-control, and production methods. All claims made verbally about farming methods should also be posted on signs such as these:
No synthetic pesticides
This designates that only organically approved or no pesticides have been used in the current year. It may imply that commercial, i.e. petroleum based, fertilizers were used.
No synthetic pesticides on trees/plants
This states that only organically approved pesticides have been used in the current year on the trees or plants which produce the crop. It may imply the use of herbicides on the land and/or commercial fertilizer.
No synthetic pesticides on fruit
This designates fruit from trees that were sprayed when dormant or at bloom, but no synthetic pesticides have ever gone on the fruit itself. This may imply the use of commercial fertilizer and/or herbicides on the land.
No Sign
If there are no signs, the customer may assume that the produce is conventionally grown in accordance with U.S. Department of Agriculture and California Department of Food and Agriculture regulations.
Berkeley Farmers' Markets
2530 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94702
Phone: (510) 548-3333
Email: bfm@ecologycenter.org