permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

Melody Morrell
[image: Inline image 1]
Jun 29

DIY Organic Certification: Find the Healthiest and Most Delicious Food This
Summer

When Certified Organic Is Not Available, Ask the Right Questions at the
Market



https://www.cornucopia.org/2017/06/diy-organic-
certification-find-healthiest-delicious-food-summer/



CORNUCOPIA, Wis. -- As market season kicks into high gear, farm stands

beckon shoppers with signs: Local! Organic! Natural! No Spray! Sustainable!

Organic is defined by strict federal standards. But what do these other

claims really mean, and which are worthy of support?



The Cornucopia Institute, a farm and food policy research group, has

prepared a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) organic certification guide

(https://www.cornucopia.org/farmers-market-guide/)

to help shoppers navigate their local markets and reward the most ethical

farmers, while bringing home the healthiest food for their families, when

a certified organic farm vendor is not available.



“It’s important to know that just because it’s called a farmers market,

this does not mean that all of the food for sale was grown locally or

organically,” said Linley Dixon, PhD, Cornucopia’s senior scientist.

“There are instances of greenwashing at farmers markets, ranging from

reselling industrial produce that was bought wholesale, to ‘no-spray’ and

‘natural’ signs that may, or may not, mean what you think they do,”

Dixon added.



That’s why Cornucopia highly recommends buying from a certified organic

vendor, or CSA, if there is one available. “These are farmers who jump

through all the hoops, maintaining scrupulous records, and opening their

operations to inspections every year,” said Dixon.



Cornucopia published this guide because many smaller, local farms have

chosen not to go through the certification process and, without

third-party inspections, consumers need to be a bit more engaged in

judging the practices employed on these non-certified farms.



Local farm stands, CSAs, and farmers markets give access to some of the

freshest and healthiest seasonal food, while providing an opportunity to

directly support the people who produce it. They also create community

around food, advance the good food movement, and support neighborhood

vitality.



“The food you find at farmers markets, or CSAs, might have been harvested

10 hours ago down the road, rather than 10 days ago across the country.

You just can’t get better nutrition or flavor than that,” said Dixon.



Cornucopia’s new guide helps patrons ask market farmers the kinds of

insightful questions that an organic certifying agent would ask when

inspecting an organic farm.



Cornucopia says they hope consumers, after first choosing certified

organic food providers, will do their homework and ask tough questions of

alternative producers, assuring that they are getting the safest and most

nutritious food and rewarding the true heroes in their local marketplace.



Questions detailed in the guide fall under three main categories:



1.            Is it local?

2.            How was it grown (produce)?

3.            How was it raised (livestock)?



Under each of these categories, the guide discusses issues like the

difference between free-range and pastured eggs, the importance of soil

health for combating plant diseases, why hydroponics is not organic, and

the differing approaches to animal welfare practices.



“We hope shoppers use this guide to become more comfortable talking to

farmers. It offers an easy-to-understand background on key farm practices

that can form the foundation of meaningful farmers market conversations,”

said Will Fantle, Cornucopia’s research director.



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The Cornucopia Institute is engaged in research and educational

activities supporting the ecological principles and economic wisdom

underlying sustainable and organic agriculture. Through research and

investigations on agricultural and food issues, The Cornucopia Institute

provides needed information to family farmers, consumers, stakeholders

involved in the good food movement, and the media.





Melody Morrell
Data Analyst and Research Specialist
The Cornucopia Institute
morrell@cornucopia.org
320-364-3133

P.O. Box 126
Cornucopia, WI 54827
www.cornucopia.org


-- 
Lawrence F. London, Jr.
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared