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Strategies & Market Trends : VOLTAIRE'S PORCH-MODERATED -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (51234)	5/10/2002 10:42:23 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 65232

Well, duh? Pretty much a no brainer. Ideally, there should be no residue at all, but that is difficult for farmers living in major ag areas because of wind drift from the commercial farms. Most of the growers where I am are isolated from commercial ag by 30 miles or more. Even drift or run-off from the highway department's weed control program is zero, cuz my county got them to stop spraying and mow instead. (too many people worried about run-off into their water supplies). Organic standards are pretty strict, regarding what can be used. Sometimes, specific products are banned because the manufacturer won't release the ingredients to the certifier. The ag department goes to the Farmer's Markets to keep things honest. In California, you can't use the word organic (regarding your product) unless you are certified, at least by the county. Backyard growers who sell have to say "natural", or"no pesticides or chemical fertilizers"; the be breaking the law by calling their organic products organic. Part of the requirements for certification includes a soil analysis every 3 years. They are not looking for chemicals; they want you to show you are trying to improve the condition of your soil. The state will inspect produce if they suspect cheating. Our eggs were natural or free run, not organic, because we feed them cracked corn or oats from the feed store, which may not have been grown organically. To be considered organic, you have to buy organically certified feed, and be able to prove it. All the cattle up here are de-facto organic, because they are range feed, but there is no organic industry, unfortunately; all the cattle get sold to feed lots which generally don't even know the word. Honey isn't certifiable as organic, cuz you don't know the source of it. Chance are good that the bee bring some chemicals home. (Nobody bothered to set standards for remote areas like mine; too unimportant in the overall scheme). Besides, you have to treat bees with streptomycin and with bad stuff to kill several species of small furry mites, or you lose your hive. Rat