OrGanic ceRtificatiOn

Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, food processors, retailers and restaurants.

Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:
avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc) and genetically modified organisms;
- Use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);
- Keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);
- Maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;
undergoing periodic on-site inspections.

Certified organic producers are also subject to the same agricultural, food safety and other government regulations that apply to non-certified producers

PurpOse oF certifiCation

Organic certification addresses a growing worldwide demand for organic food. It is intended to assure quality and prevent fraud. For organic producers, certification identifies suppliers of products approved for use in certified operations. For consumers, "certified organic" serves as a product assurance, similar to "low fat", "100% whole wheat", or "no artificial preservatives".

It is important to note that certification is essentially a marketing initiative, aimed at regulating and facilitating the sale of organic products to consumers. Individual certification bodies have their own service marks, which can act as branding to consumers—a certifier may promote the high consumer recognition value of its logo as a marketing advantage to producers, although it represents certification to identical organic standards as its competitors.
Certification standards and organic laws do not affect existing agricultural policies or legislation.

tHe CertifiCation ProcesS

In order to certify a farm, the farmer is typically required to engage in a number of new activities, in addition to normal farming operations:

Study the organic standards, which cover in specific detail what is and is not allowed for every aspect of farming, including storage, transport and sale.

Compliance - farm facilities and production methods must comply with the standards, which may involve modifying facilities, sourcing and changing suppliers, etc.

Documentation - extensive paperwork is required, detailing farm history and current set-up, and usually including results of soil and water tests.

Planning - a written annual production plan must be submitted, detailing everything from seed to sale: seed sources, field and crop locations, fertilization and pest control activities, harvest methods, storage locations, etc.

Inspection - annual on-farm inspections are required, with a physical tour, examination of records, and an oral interview.

Fee - an annual inspection/certification fee (currently starting at $400-$2,000/year, in the US and Canada, depending on the agency and the size of the operation).

Record-keeping - written, day-to-day farming and marketing records, covering all activities, must be available for inspection at any time.

In addition, short-notice or surprise inspections can be made, and specific tests (e.g. soil, water, plant tissue) may be requested.

For first-time farm certification, the soil must meet basic requirements of being free from use of prohibited substances (synthetic chemicals, etc) for a number of years. A conventional farm must adhere to organic standards for this period, often, three years. This is known as being in transition. Transitional crops are not considered fully organic. A farm already growing without chemicals may be certified without this delay.

Certification for operations other than farms is similar. The focus is on ingredients and other inputs, and processing and handling conditions. A transport company would be required to detail the use and maintenance of its vehicles, storage facilities, containers, and so forth. A restaurant would have its premises inspected and its suppliers verified as certified organic.

CertifiCatiOn & pRoduct laBelling

Being able to put the word "organic" on a food product is a valuable marketing advantage in today's consumer market. Certification is intended to protect consumers from misuse of the term, and make buying organics easy. However, the organic labelling made possible by certification itself usually requires explanation.

In the US, federal organic legislation defines three levels of organics. Products made entirely with certified organic ingredients and methods can be labelled "100% organic". Products with 95% organic ingredients can use the word "organic". Both may also display the USDA organic seal.

A third category, containing a minimum of 70% organic ingredients, can be labelled "made with organic ingredients". In addition, products may also display the logo of the certification body that approved them. Products made with less than 70% organic ingredients can not advertise this information to consumers and can only mention this fact in the product's ingredient statement. Similar percentages and labels apply in the EU.

RefeRences:


Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA National Organic Program: Final Rule (7 CFR Part 205; Federal Register, Vol. 65, No. 246, 21 December 2000)
OCPP/Pro-Cert Canada Organic Agriculture & Food Standard (OC/PRO IS 350/150)
The Australian Organic Industry: A Profile, 2004, [1] (pdf)
European Commission: Organic Farming

orgAnic farminG

Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on ecosystem management and attempts to reduce or eliminate external agricultural inputs, especially synthetic ones. It is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.

In preference to the use of off-farm inputs, organic farming emphasizes management practices, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. Utilizing both traditional and scientific knowledge, organic agricultural systems rely on agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods (these may require external inputs of nonrenewable resources, like tractor fuel), as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system. Organic farming is also associated with support for principles beyond cultural practices, such as fair trade and environmental stewardship, although this does not apply to all organic farms and farmers.

meThods

Organic farming involves fostering natural processes, often over extended periods of time, and a holistic approach. Chemical-based farming focuses on immediate, isolated effects and reductionist strategies, often based primarily on the desire for profits.

In large commercial operations, technology is used to regulate local conditions—hybrid seed, synthetic chemicals, high-volume irrigation—while sophisticated machinery does most of the work, and operators' feet may seldom touch the ground. Beyond the strictly technical aspects, the philosophy, day-to-day activities and required skill sets are quite different.

Enhancing soil health is the cornerstone of organic farming. This is a biological process, driven by microorganisms, that allows the natural production of nutrients in the soil throughout the growing season, and has been referred to as feeding the soil to feed the plant. A variety of methods are employed, including crop rotation, green manure, cover cropping, application of compost, and mulching.

Organic farmers also use processed natural fertilizers such as seed meal, and various mineral powders such as rock phosphate and greensand, a naturally occurring form of potash.
Differing approaches to pest control are equally notable. In chemical farming, a specific insecticide may be applied to quickly kill off a particular insect pest.

Chemical controls can dramatically reduce pest populations for the short term, yet by unavoidably killing (or starving) natural predator insects and animals, cause an ultimate increase in the pest population. Repeated use of insecticides and herbicides and other pesticides also encourages natural selection of resistant insects, plants and other organisms, leading to increased use, or new, more powerful, controls.

Pest control targets animal pests (including insects), weeds and disease. Organic farming tends to tolerate some level of pest loss, rather than aiming for total eradication. Organic pest control involves the cumulative effect of many techniques, including, allowing for an acceptable level of pest damage, encouraging beneficial organisms, careful crop selection and crop rotation, and mechanical controls such as row covers and traps.

These techniques generally provide benefits in addition to pest control—soil protection and improvement, fertilization, pollination, water conservation, season extension, etc.—and these benefits are both complementary and cumulative in overall effect on farm health. Effective organic pest control requires a thorough understanding of pest life cycles and interactions.

Crop diversity is also characteristic of organic farming. Planting a variety of vegetable crops supports a wider range of beneficial insects, soil microorganisms, and other factors that add up to overall farm health, but managing the balance requires expertise and close attention.

Organic farms that raise livestock and poultry, for meat, dairy and eggs, provide animals with "natural" living conditions and feed. Ample, free-range outdoor access, for grazing and exercise, is a distinctive feature, and crowding is avoided. Feed is also organically grown, and drugs, including antibiotics, are prohibited by organic standards.

Animal health and food quality are thus pursued in a holistic "fresh air, exercise, and good food" approach.
Horses and cattle used to provide labor, for hauling and plowing, fertility, through recycling of manure, and fuel, in the form of food for farmers and other animals.

While today, small growing operations often do not include livestock, domesticated animals can enhance biodiversity and contribute to sustainability: the ability of a farm to function as a self-renewing unit.

References

^ Maeder, P. et al Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming from Science v296, 31 May 2002, 1694-1697. Retrieved on 2006-01-06.
^ the Information Bulletin of the Organic Farming Research Foundation. Retrieved on 2005-12-18.
^ 404. Retrieved on 2005-12-18.
^ Le Dossier juin/juillet 2001 (in French). Retrieved on 2005-12-18.
^ What is Sustainable Agriculture?. Retrieved on 2005-12-18.
^ The Future of Food. Retrieved on 2006-01-04.
Kuepper, George and Gegner, Lance. "Organic Crop Production Overview", ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: August 2004.
Emsley, John (April 2001). "Going One Better Than Nature". Nature 410: 633-634.
Smil, Vaclav (2001). Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food. MIT Press.
Trewavas, Anthony (November 1999). "Much Food, Many Problems". Nature 402: 231-232.
Trewavas, Anthony (March 2001). "Urban Myths of Organic Farming". Nature 410: 409-410.

How to Start Off youR vegetables

New Garden

The first task is to find a position for your new garden that is not hidden away neatly in a corner of your back yard or the front yard. "Why not"? A good veggie garden is worth showing off and your garden needs to be in a sunny situation for at least six hours a day. Morning sun is best from around 8am to 2pm, longer the better especially in mid winter. Your garden should ideally face North to South, that's in the southern hemisphere.

The second task; if you have decided to have your new garden where your manicured lawn was it will need to be turned over. An ideal size to start off would be 2m x 4m (3'x12'). You will need four pegs and a roll of string or twine to peg out your new garden, or you could use your garden hose to mark out your garden. It does not have to be square or rectangle, it could be round, whatever you like. After you work out the size and shape of your garden you then can cut and dig out the grass, 300mm squares by 50mm 1'x1'x2" sods are easy enough to handle with a spade. Lift the lawn sods and flip them over. By doing this the grass will rot down into compost. You don't have to keep the grass sods - it's up to you, you might like to repair a lawn else where.

If you have any compost and/or any old animal manure, now is the time to throw it on top of the garden, then give the your garden a good soak and cover up with mulch, see mulch leave for a fortnight (then fork in) before you plant out your seedlings. see transplanting You will also need to decide on a border for you garden, that's another topic on which I will write about that later on. In the mean time you could have a look at a No Dig Garden this is another method of making a new garden.

Existing Garden

If you are going to use an existing garden such as an old flower garden you can try this. Pull out any weeds that have grown during the summer. Don't turn your garden soil over as it will do more harm than good. By all means use a pitch fork to loosen and aerate the soil. If you have any compost and/or any old animal manure, now is the time to throw it on top of the garden and fork in, then give the your garden a good soak and cover up with mulch, leave for a fortnight before you plant out your seedlings see transplanting

See how the planted is;

Planted here among the Cauliflowers and Cabbages, have planted Lettuce and Garlic Chives to help deter the bugs. For Mulch have used broken down grass clippings, not fully decomposed as it will break down in the garden and feed the plants and the worms. The way the garden is that the whole garden is actually one big compost heap.

Snap Peas 2 weeks old starting to climb up the wire trellis. Comfrey on the path, not only keeps the weeds down but when it breaks down it will be the site of the next row of vegies.
Plant your seedling give a good water push in around the seedling a pot that has the bottom cut out of it around the seedling.

Then cover with a pot, then mulch with dried out grass clippings, leave for a couple days then remove the top pot, once the seedling starts to climb out of the bottom pot it's time to remove the pot.

Composting | Earthworm Casting

COMPOSTING

Composting is the age old method of turning waste materials into humus, which will lighten and enrich your soil. Sir Albert Howard, doing research in India, developed the Indore method of layered composting.It is suggested;

a bottom layer of brush for drainage
a 6" layer of green matter
a 2" layer of manure
a thin layer of topsoil (contributes micro-organisms) powdered limestone (to counter-act acidity)

Continue layers until the heap is 4 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 5 feet high. Turn every six weeks and compost will be ready to apply in two to three months.

There are two types of composting; Aerobic and Anerobic.

Aerobic is the system utilizing oxygen. This method is the most simplistic and successful, even though the minimal loss of nitrogen through free elements into the atmosphere is present.

Anerobic composting requires storage tanks and other systems to keep oxygen from invading the anerobic decay process. This method also takes longer to complete and manufactures methane gas as a by-product. The odor is disagreeable, the gas itself is flammable, and should be vented off periodically. It is generally ill suited for the home composter.

Earthworms however, are an excellent addition to the composting process. Composting is basic to the breakdown of organic materials and can be practiced on either large or small scales. The waste a family generates can be turned into nutrient rich earthworm castings for your plants, flower beds, and garden plot.

Composting involving earthworms is both aerobic and advantageous. The worms process the material, creating a micro-biological decay cycle of approximately sixty days. Home composting can include everything from kitchen waste to yard waste, but attention must be paid to what is used on your yard plantings and lawn, (pesticides, weed killers), many of which are harmful to earthworms. Many substances cannot be digested by earthworms, or are harmful to the earthworm, and it may avoid the area altogether.

It is best to introduce worms from the outside of the compost heap, giving them time to identify substances or areas of the heap that could be avoided. The internal temperatures generated in a compost heap can reach 160° F, which earthworms will avoid at all costs. Earthworms survive best in temperatures ranging from 50° F to 75° F, which is the approximate temperature of a cooled compost heap.

It is easy to harvest the castings in your compost heap. Take compost from the outer edges until worms appear. Wait 30 minutes. The worms will retreat as light causes pain to their skin. Repeat the first step as many times as it takes to get a compact mass of worms in the center of the bottom of the heap. If the first outer "scalp" is not fully composted, set it aside to become the first layer of the new heap. The castings can be used immediately, or set aside for use at a later time.

Earthworms are important contributors to soil health; tilling, keeping a porous quality to the soil, allowing plants to take nutrients freely. This, combined with the auxins and cytokinins (plant growth stimulators) in earthworm castings, provides an ideal medium for plant growth and health.

Red worms are different from the common field worm, or angle worm. Red worms feed primarily on decomposing organic material at the surface level. Field worms feed primarily on earth and bacteria contained with soil. Red worms also reproduce at a faster rate than field worms, providing a larger amount of castings for your garden.

The soil must be amended with organic material for any worms to thrive there. Adding nitrogen fertilizers can create an acid condition in the soil that all worms may avoid. Most pesticides are toxic to earthworms and may harm beneficial insects as well.

The nutritional value of earthworm castings is best realized when mixed with soil. Even with sufficient organic matter at hand, all species of earthworms consume some soil, creating a rich humus when castings and soil are combined. The texture becomes ideal for plant growth, as many types of bacteria are consumed then neutralized by earthworms. Castings have a pH level of 7.0 (neutral).

Large numbers of earthworms in your garden will combat both acid and alkali conditions in the soil. Earthworm tunneling increases water absorption and retention along with creating passages for water and air to filter through to lower levels of the soil. Most red worms are sold in bed- run form. Bed- run contains all ages and sizes from cocoon to bait size, and adapt to a new environment easier.

EARTHWORM CASTINGS

Earthworm castings are a soil amendment of the highest quality. As organic materials pass through the earthworm, many of the nutrients are made available to growing plants.

An excellent organic fertilizer and soil conditioner, earthworm casts won't harm your plants through over-application. Castings as a soil conditioner make the ground friable, retain moisture, and provide nutrients. Confirmed tests have indicated that castings, when compared to native soil contain about 5 times the available nitrogen, 7 times the phosphorous, 3 times the magnesium, 11 times the potassium, and 1½ times the calcium. There are also results stated in terms of optimal values, 2 times the nitrogen needed for optimal growth, 7 times the phosphorous and potassium.

This is so because earthworms, passing soil and organic matter through their digestive tracts, liberate minerals for use by growing plants. Earthworm castings cannot be compared to commercial chemical fertilizers, nor should they be.

When we became aware of the value of earthworm castings, use of commercial fertilizers ceased. The flavor and appearance of our food grown in our garden convinced us. Oh yes, earthworm castings will benefit the growth of most all plants, including weeds.

EARTHWORMS IN YOUR GARDEN

All farmers and gardeners are concerned with the "tilth" or health of their land---the condition of the soil. To be wholesome, a soil should:
Readily accept and retain moisture: Clay and loam soils are often too compact to let water in. As they tunnel, earthworms create channels which allow water in, minimize run-off, and drain well .
Be aerated: Air spaces are essential for good root growth, the growth and function of all soil organisms, and the oxidation of minerals for plant use. Tunneling increases air spaces and allows roots to spread easier. Castings help prevent compacting of the soil for additional air penetration.

Contain humus (organic residues): Castings are high quality humus, rich in nutrients, and are constantly being generated by earthworms. An earthworm can produce its own weight in castings in a 24 hour period. So if you have 100 pounds of earthworms, they might produce 100 pounds of castings per day!! The gardener must help by encouraging earthworms. You should allow humus to accumulate, or provide additional humus for earthworms to eat. You can do this by allowing crop remnants to remain on the ground, and by adding to it such materials as manure, grass clippings, alfalfa or grass hay, straw, and leaves. If you fail to do this, the earthworm population will decline and possibly disappear, as will the other criteria for a healthy soil. Plants grown in humus-rich soils are bigger and produce more fruitful growth.'They also tend to be more resistant to insect damage.

Have plant nutrients: Earthworm castings are rich in all of the essential plant nutritional elements. Studies done comparing native soils and castings show castings to be richer in every nutrient. Worms bring up additional materials and deposit them at the root level. Nutrients are always around, but not always available to the plants. Earthworms consume these unavailable minerals, and enzyme action in their digestive tracts makes them water soluble. They can then be absorbed by the plant's roots.

Have good tilth: Tilth is one of the most important aspects of any soil. It refers to the physical condition of the soil as it relates to ease of tillage, and,also describes the structure of the soil. A soil with good tilth is sufficiently loose in structure, well aerated, and easily penetrated by roots. It retains water better; soluble mineral nutrients do not leach off as fast. Earthworms dig deep into the subsoil, loosening it. Gradually the topsoil layer becomes deeper.

Castings are excellent soil particle binders. Tiny individual mineral bits will group together into larger granules that don't compact or stick together in a gooey mass; yet retain water better. Castings also contribute to soil by giving it a more neutral pH, a measure of acid or alkali conditions.

Contain an active biological population: Earthworms will live in the soil if the farmer does his or her part, as in item 3. Chemical fertilizers can increase the overall acidity of the soil to a point where the earthworm populations decline. Pesticides are toxic to earthworms and many beneficial insects and micro-organisms.

Links Organic Food

Organic Delivery
London's award winning organic food delivery people

Cumbria Organics
Co-operative of Cumbrian organic farms

Flour Power City
Delicious organic baked things

Blue Lotus Products
Delicious organic vegan cakes

Maison Plasse
French organics delivered to London

PanAlive
Organic herbs and spices

Chateau Papillon
Fine quality organic wines from Europe

Vintage Roots
Fine quality organic wines

Pet Organic
Organic animal food and care advice

Zaytoun
Ethical, fairly traded Palestinian olive oil

Raw Living
Raw food information site

Newfields Organics
A lovely English organic farm

Rude Health Foods
Nutritious organic cereals and goji berries

Organic Gardening Systems

Systems of organic gardening include: biodynamic agriculture which predates organics by some 20 years, permaculture which emerged in the mid 1970's, Vegan organic gardening, which excludes the usage of animal products such as blood, fish and bone and animal manures (although composted human waste - known as humanure - is permitted) and Veganic gardening, which similarly excludes animal products but uses distinctive 'no-dig' surface cultivation methods. Forest gardening is the growing of a whole ecosystem of native plants in an interlocking system, so that they are all companion plants growing on multiple levels in the same environment. Aquaponics is a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture. It is a system of farming that can be completely organic, using the interactions between fish and plants, with bacteria being the main ingredient which makes the system work.

See also
For more detailed information on subjects relevant to organic gardening and farming see the list of organic gardening and farming topics. Of special relevance may be the article under organic horticulture.

External links
. http://www.organicgardening.com
· Kitchen Gardeners International - A global nonprofit promoting organic gardening
· Aquaponics - An organic way of farming
· Path to Freedom - Urban Agriculture & Sustainability
· Garden Organic, web site of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA), the main UK organic gardening organisation
· South East Essex Organic Gardeners, a local UK organic gardening group, site links to local example gardens as well as tips and other informative articles

Best Organic Food

Organic food is, in general, food produced without the use of artificial pesticides, synthetic fertilizer and in many definitions genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Farms that grow organically, often do so in a sustainable, environmentally sound, manner, and more often than not, are small family-run farms. These qualities of organic farming, among others, are in stark contrast to the more common industrial farm.

Once only available in small stores or farmer’s market, organic foods are becoming much more widely available. Organic food sales within the US have enjoyed 17 to 20 percent growth for the past few years while sales of conventional food - while still larger in size - have grown at only about 2 to 3 percent a year. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market.


Other Organic Food Information :

- Why Certified Organic Food Is Better Food - from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
- Eat Well Guide Listing of farms, restaurants and grocers that sell organic foods
- Pesticides in Food from the Northeast Organic Farming Association
- A Revolution in Sustainable Agriculture - from Big Picture TV
- Brief Introduction to Organics
- The British Library