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National Organic Program

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deluxestogie

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I think it is worthwhile for any grower who is concerned about the use of potentially toxic chemicals or non-sustainable practices to browse the copious documents available from the USDA on the National Organic Program site (link in FmGrowit's post, above).

If you diligently follow the "organic" standards, but transact less than $5,000 per year in organic produce sales, then you can actually label your product as "Organic" (which is now a legally qualified term, rather than a description of your practices) WITHOUT needing to pay for inspections, chemical residue tests and the cost of formal "Organic" certification.

If, on the other hand, you label your product as "Organic," and have failed to meet the federal standards for certification, regardless of whether or not you are required to formally obtain certification, then you may be subject to a penalty of $11,000 per individual violation. Nasty business.

Most small growers of agricultural products that are raised chemical-free, and in a sustainable and healthy manner simply avoid the onerous governmental costs and threats by labeling their products using any descriptive term other than "organic." So, labels such as "pesticide-free," "chemical-free," "natural," "sustainably-grown," etc. are yours to use as your conscience allows. The term "organic" is owned by the government, and subject to their jurisdiction.

Bob
 

BigBonner

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I wonder sometimes about a product being truly organic no matter how well you take precautions .

One reason is that Radon is in every state there is
Two the acid rains we now have
Three air polution
Four water quality .
Five what chemicals the soil has had applied in the past .
 

Daniel

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BB, Not that your thought are invalid. But from what I understand Organic applies to what the grower has done or has been added by intention. Not what nature has done. As for what has been added to the soil in the past. I think if you do not know the history of the land you have to grow on it by organic standards for 5 years before you can then call your products organic. I may run into this problem this year with my borowed land crop. This person is an organic farmer so I will have to find organic methods to grow the tobacco.
I am going to get a soil analysis done next week but am not sure what I will do with what it says. I have no source for manure composted or otherwise. I am hoping the land owner does. She says she has compost there but I don't think she has any idea what 1600 tobacco plants requires in the way of space. She will after Saturday. I will know if I still have a deal with her then also.
 

FmGrowit

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Everything I've read about organic tobacco indicates there is a going market for it. Organic tobacco also pays two to three times what commercial tobacco pays.
 
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