Why Organic?

What is Certified Organic?
All of our growers are U.S.D.A. certified organic by independent testing organizations, whose stringent standards ensure that no prohibited chemicals have been used in the production process.

Organic food tastes better.
Organic farming starts with nutrients of the soil, which leads to the nourishment of the plant. Although there is no scientific data available on the subject, we feel organic produce tastes better; we know you will too!

Organic production reduces health risks
Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of the chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us. The food choice you make now will impact your child's health in the future.

Protect Water Quality
The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources.

Save Energy
Farms have changed drastically in the last three generations, from the family-based small businesses dependent on human energy to large-scale factory farms highly dependent on fossil fuels. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the United States. Organic farming is still mainly based on labor-extensive practices, such as weeding by hand, and using composting and crop covers rather than synthetic inputs.

Protect Farm Workers Health
A National Cancer Institute study found that farmers exposed to herbicides were six times more likely to develop cancer than non-farmers. In California, reported pesticide poisonings among farm workers have raised an average of 14% a year since 1973, and doubled between 1975 and 1985. Pesticides poison an estimated 1 million people annually.

Help Small Farmers
Most organic farms are small independently owned and operated family farms of less than 100 acres. It is estimated that the United States has lost more than 650,00 family farms in the past decade. Organic farming could become one of the few hopes left for family farms.

Promote Biodiversity

Mono cropping is the practice of planting large plots of land with the same crop year in and year out. While this approach tripled farm production between 1950 and 1970, the lack of natural diversity of plant life has left the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients.

Organic farming encourages food production that nurtures our soil through the absence of pesticides and the presence of rich compost. The inherent commitment of organic farming to crop rotations, living soil, rural enterprise, pure water, and sustainable agriculture is a critical step toward protecting our environment and our individual health. In buying organic, you provide a market place for growers who have made the future of our planet a top priority.

To learn more about organic farming, visit CCOF - California Certified Organic Farmers at www.ccof.org or, CAFF - Community Alliance with Family Farmers at www.caff.org