Organic Farming

Go Green by Growing and Farming Organically

You may wonder what those organic food labels you see in your local supermarket actually mean. Exactly what types of farming practices result in an "organic" certification? For a long time, the United States had no officially recognized standards for the production of organic food. In 1990, however, Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, and since that time, the Department of Agriculture oversees the certification of organic foods.

Standards adopted by the Department of Agriculture require that only food grown on land that has not had a prohibited substance applied to it in the previous three years can qualify as organic. The rules also prohibit the use of genetic engineering and sewage sludge as a fertilizer. The department also demands that organic farmers focus on such practices as crop rotation and cover crops rather than relying heavily on pesticides.

Organic farming is a growing practice that is an important part of the food production industry. The future for organic farming, and those farmers hoping to profit from it, looks bright.