Q: Where can I go to find products approved for organic use?
A: The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI: www.omri.org), and the Washington State Dept. Of Agriculture (WSDA: www.agr.wa.gov/) are two agencies recognized as placing a "Stamp of Approval" on those items approved for Organic Use and is a good starting point.
FYI: Keep in mind that products are not required to be OMRI or WSDA listed to be approved for organic use. Being listed as "Organic Approved" by these agencies takes the guess work out of your decision making process. Folks whom are "certified organic" should always check with their CERTIFYING AGENCY for the final decision regarding the approval for any product considered for use in organic production.
Q: Some vendors at the farmers market say "they're as organic as you can get."
Is that the same as being 'Certified Organic?'
A: NO.
In the organic world there is no such thing as being 'almost' or 'as much as you can get'.
Its more of a Yes or No Statement: Yes, you are organic; or No, you are not organic.
In fact if any vendor claims to be organic in any sense of the word, ASK to see
the vendors Organic Certificate since they are required to produce the certificate
upon request. If a certificate is not handy, then their organic Identification
Number and Certifying Agency should be available, or at the least, information on
how to obtain their organic credentials. There are many good conventional and organic
gardeners and farmers out there who are honest and take pride in what they
do, but BEWARE of the scammers! Look for the USDA Organic Seal this is your assuance that the products and facility has been USDA inspected for Organic standards. There are products labeled as "organic" that are not organic!
FYI: Doing the best you can to be organic is great for the home gardener, since
they are not selling products to consumers or market goers. To be certified
organic, an annual inspection is required in addition to an audit trail for all seeds,
feeds, inputs and facilities management. In fact in Michigan just to use the word
"Organic" the operation MUST BE CERTIFIED, and the National Organic Program
waiver Does Not Apply that allows non-certified operations grossing $5000 or
less to use the term organic. Don't be shy, ASK to see the vendors Organic
Certificate! If you make an Organic Certificate inquiry and there is the slightest
doubt, chances are pretty good the vendor IS NOT Organic and although they may
be as organic as they can be, the probability exists that a pesticide or some other
input has contaminated their product.
Q: If I rototill my garden will I kill all of the worms?
A: Probably not.
F.Y.I.: Although the soil usually must be worked up to some degree to prepare
the seed bed, "No Till" is best since the soil structure and "micro-herd"
(earth worms, microbes, and other beneficial critters living in the soil
that turn organic matter into rich soil) are not disrupted or destroyed.
Rototilling generally penetrates approximately the top 3-8 inches
of top soil and unfortunately this is the same area inhabited by
most of the "micro-herd". Fortunately for us, Mother Earth has
provided us with a micro herd that under favorable conditions is
pretty resilient. For example depending upon the variety of earth worm,
their eggs will contain from 1-3 worms per egg and hatch about every 21 days,
the eggs do not need the mother worm for incubation or nursing the young.
Think of the soil structure and micro-herd as a community (just like the one
where you might live), if your living environment is satisfactory and secure, then
you're happy and productive. However if the community becomes terribly disrupted
(or destroyed) then a rebuilding or relocating process occurs (Earth worms will
indeed leave an area under bad circumstances). What is worst than using mechanical
tillage or cultivation methods, is applying any type of synthetic herbicide that
not only kills the target vegetation but also ends up destroying the micro-herd
(and its food chain), leaving behind a dead sterile soil (Which most synthetic herbicides do!)
Here's the biggest joke of all: Planting a cover crop/green manure to improve soil fertility and microbial growth, only to follow up with a pesticide like glyphosate or a related product. i.e. Good bye micro-heard!
Q: Why use Organic Seed?
A: Organic seed that falls within the National
Organic Program rules is uncontaminated seed, and
it all starts with clean safe seed before the food reaches
the plate.
If you start with uncontaminated seed, then you can
grow uncontaminated plants. If you use seed that is
contaminated in any way, then you have No choice but
to produce contaminated plants since the plant was doomed
to begin with.
FYI: In almost All accounts, contamination is caused by
human intervention.
Once the plant is infected, the poison is passed on
from parent to offspring (seed) by heredity or
cross pollination.
Q: When I plant my Organic seedling is it still Organic?
A: Yes.
However just how much it remains organic is entirely
up to you, and depends upon such factors as soil
preparation and condition, soil inputs, pest control, etc.
The bottom line: You're either Organic or Not. This might
seem harsh buts its kinda like being "pregnant" its either
yes or no, you're never "how much pregnant".
The type of soil condition you provide
determines what your plant becomes after planting
and as it grows. It takes work and dicipline to manitain a 100%
Organic garden and the important thing is to strive for perfection
every season. (If it was easy everyone would do it, and since you want
perfection that's what separates you from the rest!)
To get started, a very basic way to think about it
would be that a 10% Organic soil condition/applicatipon means that
your plants & veggies are at best 10% Organic
(The rest is 90% pesticides/synthetic fetilizers, GMOs and
other contamnation). Whereas,100% Organic soil condition
means your plants & veggies are 100% Organic,
and so on. Remember, its not a question of "how" organic, your
plant's growing environment is, it either "Is" or "Isn't".
FYI: You are in control from start to finish.
If you start with contaminated soil, then your plants & veggies
will eventually become contaminated and you will soon
eat contaminated food, whether you grow it or someone else
grows it for you-This also applies to container grown plants as well.
If you prepare your potting mix or feed your soil with uncontaminated
compost, mulch, grass clippings, leaves, etc. before planting, then
you are on your way to a sustainable organic environment. DON'T
GIVE UP! If your plant store doesn't have the product you want
look elsewhere, Don't Settle for growing poison, If You Want To
Grow Safe Healthy Food, You must WORK FOR IT and you will
not regret it!
Q: I want to turn my garden into an organic garden, how
long does it take?
A: It all depends upon what you have been doing to prepare
your garden soil, feeding your plants and managing
weeds, insect and disease issues from past seasons.
In other words, just how contaminated is your soil?
(For some soil conditions, it takes Mother Earth longer to repair)
Organic gardening and farming are more about feeding
the soil to maintain an uncontaminated sustainable
environment where the plants (and most everything else)
will thrive.
Keep in mind there are no quick fixes here since creating
a sustainable Organic environment is a slow acting process,
but rest assure it is well worth the effort.
FYI: There is a cleansing period for your soil.
The USDA National Organic Program rules
state that organic practice must be maintained
for a minimum of 3 years. Some Organic producers
indicate that the most noticed improvements are
realized after 5 years.
Sound like a long time? Remember, each season that
you practice organics will produce veggies from your
garden that are cleaner from toxins as each year goes
by, it will only get better!
Q: Are Sustainability and Organic the same thing?
A: No.
In short, "Sustainability" means to "put back" what we've
taken out of the system, to continue or begin a new cycle.
Whereas "Organic" means to be clean of any
prohibited interventions or treatments harmful to
the environment as we know it.
FYI: Conventional Gardeners and Farmers alike have
been practicing "non-organic" sustainability for a
long time. However crops contaminated with synthetic
pesticides and other toxins are being recycled as compost
and poisoning the environment with catastrophic
effects, some of which are irreversible.
To maintain a sound human environment, in
nature as in the garden, to be sustainable you must
have organic-Period!
Sustainability is not that difficult, but how much
"Organic" you are willing to commit to is another
story, since more attention must be given to the
type of treatments (and their ingredients)
that are applied to the soil or plant.
To maintain a "healthy" ecosystem, a sustainable
organic lifestyle is a must! However, we must also keep in mind
there are some extremely powerful "Organic" materials
in nature as well, some of which can even harm humans.
For example: It wouldn't be wise to eat "organic" poison ivy.
Q: Doesn't Organic mean higher price?
A: Not Always.
Sometimes a market may run a special sale where organic produce is
the same or less costly than conventionally farmed produce.
Generally, Organic produce will cost an average of
30%-50% higher (sometimes more) than conventionally produced food,
since Organic gardening/farming is more labor intensive.
Unfortunately, there is also the reality of those folks who
abuse the Organic label just to hike up prices.
But then again, there are folks who also claim that their inexpensive
(non organic) "all natural products" contain 100% natural
ingredients, when in reality the product may only contain
1% of a 100% natural product, with the remaining ingredients
being 99% unhealthy by products and preservatives. Unfortunately
due to marketing scams, the term "All Natural" doesn't have the same
credibility as it once did.
FYI: In addition to the usual Organic gardening/farming
treatments, for a farmer or gardener to be "Certified Organic",
there is an annual USDA Inspection with a required fee. Furthermore,
there is an ongoing and time consuming audit trail and record
keeping requirement. Any activities performed that vary
from standard operating procedures generally require
confirmation of being within the Nation Organic Program
guidelines by submitting an affidavit of authentication.
And of course, there is a fee required for the Organic certifying
agency and additional fees for soil or water testing that may
also be required.
When considering the medical costs for human disorders
i.e. autism, ADHT disorder, diabetes, seizures and even death
caused by pesticides, the cost for Organic produce becomes
negligible. In fact, the research evidence continues to
mount and conclude that there is a definite link between
pesticide use and human health disorders.
Krow Acres is certified 100% USDA Organic, and our goal is
to provide you with the Cleanest, Safest Products
for Your Good Health, Period!
Q: Are there Organic hybrids?
A: Yes.
Two Organic plants are cross bred with one another
to produce a veggie or fruit with a certain desired characteristic.
The seed saved from Organic hybrids just as those from
conventionally produced hybrids will not produce a
veggie or fruit that is true to its original form.
Also, Don't be fooled, a genetically engineered plant, or
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) also called
Genetic Engineering, IS NOT the same thing as a Hybrid!
Q: Organic, genetically modified, and conventionally
grown veggies look the same, but are they really
that much different?
A: Yes.
This is one of the real BIG problems, you can't tell the
difference by sight alone.
FYI: Modern day humans are attracted to food first by sight
i.e. If it looks good, then it must be good.
However, if you had two great looking chocolate sundaes in front of
you that looked the same and you knew that one of them
was poisoned, would you eat it?
Probably not, so why would you want to eat food that is contaminated?
Remember knowledge is power, know what you are growing and eating.
For more information, visit the Krow Acres website, click on Knowledge Center
tab, click on the video button and check out the video The Future of Food.
If you need more information, goto
www.youtube.com and enter The Future of Food, GMO, etc.
Q: Organic produce is too expensive and I don't make that much money,
what should I do?
A: Eat as much Organic as you can, when you can.
FYI: The less toxins that you put into your body the better. If you can?t
remove all of the toxins from your body, at least lower their level!
And at the very least, eat all of the junk food that you
want, but feed your children organic food.
Q: With the growing world population becoming a concern, can Organic
agriculture meets the world's food demand?
A: Yes.
In fact, repeated research studies have indicated that Organic crop
yields in most cases surpass genetically modified or conventional crop yields.
Q: Does Organic produce taste better then conventionally
grown produce?
A: It all depends.
There is current literature that says, Yes.
FYI: There is research that suggests that pesticides inhibit
a plant's nutrient consumption and suppresses a veggie's full flavor.
Furthermore, the preservatives used with most conventional produce
may suppress a human's tasting ability.
Keep in mind, Organic produce does not use preservatives, sometimes
it is harvested slightly early and allowed to finish ripening while in
the store to provide a longer shelf life.
If you've purchased early harvested Organic produce and eat
it right away, it might taste rather bland since it was not matured and
may have lacked adequate sugar or nutrient content, and thus not taste as
good because it is under ripe.
You have 3 options for better tasting fresh Organic produce:
1) Join an Organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
This is where an Organic farm grows produce for you and it is delivered
to a "pick-up" place, weekly as the produce comes into season;
2) Ask your store clerk or farmers market person for the arrival day
of the Organic produce. Arrive promptly on that day, and upon
selecting the best looking produce you will be able to better monitor
at home when the produce is fully ripened; 3) Grow your own produce.
4) Visit a local Farmers Market. Most producers harvest their produce
24-48 hrs. before market ensuring you get their best product.
Keep in mind, store owners have a difficult time keeping fresh Organic
produce in stock since it must be sold quickly due to its shorter
shelf life, so in turn the store might only keep a limited selection or
supply of Organic produce on hand, since as the produce spoils the
store loses money.
Another option might be to talk to your store clerk about your
Organic interest, since if there is a demand and better product
turnover, the store may be more inclined to bring more Organic
selections to the shelves.
Remember, its normal for clean safe produce to spoil when
harvested and stored on the shelf too long, and spoil even faster
upon poor storage conditions
However, produce that remains fresh for extended periods
on the shelf are generally treated with some type of preservative,
whether it be a wax type coating (and who knows where that came from)
or chemical treatment, and in the end find their way to the dinner
table as part of that good looking healthy tasty salad full of nutrients,
preservatives and pesticide.
Q: Is Organic food more nutritious then conventionally
produced food?
A: For some foods the research indicates, Yes.
However, at the present time there is a continued debate
about this issue and more research is needed in this area.
The reality, is that more and more research supports that
organic foods contain higher nutrient levels, are generally
more healthy for you, and tastes better as well.
Besides, what's so nutritious about eating pesticides
absorbed and stored in conventionally produced veggies,
meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy?
FYI: Genetically modified and conventional food
is usually produced for a certain characteristic other
than nutrition.
i.e. looks, being resistant to pesticides, etc.
In fact, when a plant has been genetically modified to be
pesticide resistant, it becomes the toxin itself!
Conventional farming and gardening is generally content
on the "quick fix" focusing primarily on only 3 inputs (N) nitrogen,
(P) phosphorus, and (K) potassium to treat the plant more
so than feed the soil, while continuously inducing additional toxins
to control weeds, and insects which end up being absorbed by
the plant itself and ultimately on the dinner table.
Whereas, Organic practice not only includes N,P,K, without
inducing toxin, but also feeds the soil to provide
most, if not all, of the 90+ nutrients naturally found in the soil.
Remember we are what we eat, and this applied to what is fed
to the soil for the plants to eat as well.
Q: What is Compost Tea?
A: Compost Tea is produced by placing composted manure and/or vegetable matter in
a fine mesh bag and seeping it in water to produce a tea, then adding a
microbial food and preservative (generally molasses).
Compost Tea generally has a longer shelf life due to the addition of molasses. However,
using compost tea also has its risks since the manure used may not have been
thoroughly composted or may contain harmful bacteria such as E-Coli. Furthermore,
the molasses used in compost tea can stimulate the growth of E-Coli.
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