True Organic Gardening Vs. Federal and State Rules

Federal/State Organic Programs

The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA)
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to approve
State organic programs that are consistent with the
national organic standards and regulations established
under the OFPA. Under USDA's National Organic Program
(NOP), a State government may request the Secretary to
approve its State organic program. Once a State's
requested organic requirements are approved by the
Secretary, those requirements become the NOP
requirements for organic producers, handlers, and
certifying agents operating in the State.

So even though you may be following the Federal
Standards. You need to look into your State ones as
well. There are certain percentages in both Fed and
State of allowable substances that can be in your
garden and yet still be called "Organically Grown".

I only use organic materials in my gardens (Lime, Leaves, twigs, and grassclippings). I was going to use some cow maneure, but didn't as I do not know where or how it was processed so I stick to natures best, what is all natural. The lime is from pure lime stone ground up no additives and is for PH balance only. Your garden shop and Nursries can help you with that. Green Stone, Gypsum, and bone meal, blood meal, and fish emulsion (phew it stinks though) are natural also and very good. (Gypsum is used to make sheet rock, yup the walls in most of your homes). Watch out for and stay away from treated wood mulches.

Quote from Fed: (Federal Standards Rules) We adopted 5
percent of the Environmental Protection Agency's
pesticide residue tolerance as the pesticide residue
compliance threshold. We increased the minimum
percentage of organic ingredients in products labeled
"Made with Organic Ingredients" from 50 percent to 70
percent.

Well that allows a 25% margin of "non-organic
material". Interesting huh? We all know pesticides get
into the crop. (I do not use pesticides of any type). If there was any type of leaching from
stained wood or polyurthane sealer it would be well below 25% non-organic material.

I myself stained with a "Plant base Oil". Look for
"Bio-Degradeable products" These are safest and they
are available.

Heres one site you can look at:
[HYPERLINK@www.primeshop.com]
The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) is all
zero's...that's right - it's non-toxic, non-hazardous,
non-combustible, and environmentally safe.

I think I try to be a "True Organic" Gardener. My hopes with this forum is you'll see why it is important and share your ideals.

You may find this interesting:

http://www.techcentralstation.com/062404E.html

Thanks for the info, Ed.

Raised Bed Bob, the info at that link is ludicrous, half truths, and deception. All based on the writer's opinion you will notice.

Organic is more than health for me or my kids. It is health for the land and its future. Health for the eocsystem around me. And it is biodiversity and enjoying God's creation without Lording over it myself.

The truth is, that once chemists found they could break up atoms and build mirror images of substances found in nature, the fate of industrialism was set, and the wheels may never turn back. But there have always been some who resisted the change and kept things pure and true. That is why we still have some heirlooms today. And that is why some farmers land has never been touched by chemicals.

I have found that anything in its natural form has good beneifts, while any man made copy of it has side effects. Then I learned that man-made substances are mirror image, D-form rather than L-form. My body can't break these chemicals down because it does not recognize them. Lluckily, God designed our bodies to handle and dispose of toxins we consume. But due to a spinal cord injury, toxicity is a scary and deadly thing for me. I cannot afford to get repeated infections, then end up like Christopher Reeve.

Mostly the organic issue is just politics, and many are blowing their horns about it now because it is election time. The statements made during election time always tend to be slanted, don't they!

Thanks to you both for the info, everybody gets to make their own choices, because God gave us free will, and our country gave us freedom to exercise it. (Boy I hope that statement doesn't open up a new can of worms LOL)

And thank you Dave, for giving us a place to share information and ideas. And thank you to Mr. Rodale, for standing firm many years ago when it was not popluar to do so.

Tamara, Organic Gardener, and proud of it.

Now, check out the stories at this link:
http://www.newfarm.org

Here's a lengthy, thorough, referenced article:

http://www.newfarm.org/depts/gleanings/0504/pesticide.shtml

I am going to post this on a new thread also.

Sure makes you think, doesn't it? I don't call myself an organic gardener, but I avoid using any chemicals that I can in my garden. This year, all I used was a fungicide on my magnolia, and I only fertilized with compost from my own pile. My aunt called with this crazy newspaper article that said that America's land is used up and vegetables are only 10% as nutritious as they were 100 years ago. That doesn't make any sense! Then I think about genetically engineered crops that feed parts of the world that have bad growing conditions. I'm thinking of that grain that grows in virtual desert in Africa. People have something to eat that will grow through drought. How can feeding people be bad? Anyway, I'm not trying to start an arguement or anything, I am just thinking about things. I know that nothing tastes like fresh produce from your own garden. I also know that aquarium fish do better with live foods in their diet than they do on only packaged foods. It gets sort of overwhelming to think about after a while.

Well said, TamaraFaye. (Freedom of Choice)

Sylvi, I wouldn't call myself an organic gardener either, although I strive for that goal. While I do not want to be argumentative myself, I have to agree with your aunt:

Okay, I agree that mismanaged farms can certainly ruin the soil. But the idea that all vegetables are no good because we have used up the land? I think used up land can be rejuvenated with manure, cover crops, crop rotation and the like to put nutrients back into the soil. I'm not a farmer, but I want to think that we can work with our planet instead of against it. I also wonder about the time from harvest to table in these studies. Don't nutrients start leeching out during shipping and storage?

Since Tamara elected to repost her article in a new thread, I decided to share a few of my comments about that article on pesticide residues as compared to the link Bob posted here.....in that thread and not here.

There's room for strict organic growers, middle of the road organic growers and non-organic growers in my way of thinking, and I've tried to share those thoughts in the post I just wrote in Tamara's new thread.

Carolyn

sylvi, I agree with you 100% on this:

I worry about those big corporate farms too. The bottom line for them always seems to be money. I think it is a scary time for independent farmers, especially with some of the weird weather we get.

TamaraFaye

I'm not entirely sure that all things in it's natural form has good benefits, I'm still not going to try the toadstool stew ;) Seriously, some of the organic approved pestisides are pretty lethal to a wide range of things, the link mentioned Pyrethrum for one, Bordeux Mixture being another.

You're right, it's our choice and I'm all for honesty and openess in food production, pesticide residues are a concern and we should be working towards better management techniques rather than blanket measures.

I found Gardening101usa's link interesting, yes it's an opinion but it's does contain some interesting points.

Sylvi74

"Then I think about genetically engineered crops that feed parts of the world that have bad growing conditions. I'm thinking of that grain that grows in virtual desert in Africa. People have something to eat that will grow through drought. How can feeding people be bad?"

This is always a difficult topic. I don't think it's a good thing to take away a farmers right to save some of the seed from his crop for replanting, if he grows these crops and does save a seed crop, he can and some have been taken to court for it. This is a difficult thing for a western farmer to face let alone those in poorer countries trying to make a living for their families and comunities. There is at least one example of a non-gm crop growing farmer who was taken to court because he saved seed of his crop that had cross pollinated with a gm crop.

I don't expect any company to give it's products away for free but I object to being told that once a product is paid for and used that the result still doesn't belong to me. Having these stipulations on a houseplant is bad enough but to do it to one of the absolute basics of life is beneath contempt IMHO.

I love the idea of organic sustainable farming and gardening but there are lots of inconsistencies in the certification, For example there are huge regulations regarding pesticide useage and buffer areas around an organic grower but they can drive a huge pollution belching tractor through the crop and let it idle for hours in one spot and who is to know... There is also nothing that says you have to use organic seed. No little back yard market gardener is going to get organic certified even if he believes in it and tries because if his neighbor uses roundup on his weeds next door he cant. No buffer zone. I am working on a solution where an organically minded market gerdener/rancher/ store can let the world know what he is working with and that he believes in it and tries his best but there will be a modicum of practicality in what is "certifiable" behavior and what is not. Give me 3 or 4 weeks and l will let you know more about this project... I will actually be asking for a little help with it... Perhapse from Dave himself but first I have to wrap up the TMs and websites.

Drew

Drew, I'd love to see your project, as it progresses.

I'm one of those that was affected by the government buyout of the "organic term".

As for the " There is also nothing that says you have to use organic seed."...Actually there is. In the NOS rules it says organic seed must be used, but!!..get this...it also says something to the effect of "if no organic seeds are available then other seed may be used if needed". Now isn't that a bit two-faced, eh?

Please check back in here and let us know how you're doing w/your project.

And you can feed your stock feed that is not organic if the non-organic feed costs 2 times as much... Now if I was Monsanto I would just start an organic line of feed and jack the price up to about 3 times as much and sell away! There are a ton of stupid loopholes some are draconian and some are obviously caving to some lobby somewhere who bought an exception... Not Practical... Wink, wink...

Drew

P.S. Soon Ill post that E-mails content here but not quite yet...

Horseshoe, Yeah, some loophole. Also, if you have a biennial, like onions, you can buy them non-organic, leave them in the soil, grow them under organic methods, and they are considered organic the following year. This worked for me because last year I lost my Organic onions I started from Organic seed, and could not afford the Organic Sets, so I bought the non-hybirds from the local green house. This year they are growing out, and I can call them organic. Plus, maybe the ones I started from seed this year will do well, who knows?

Has anyone read about the term "Naturally Grown"? It uses the same rules, but reduces paperwork, and encourages small growers. No fee to get certified, just agree to inspect one other farm that doesn't inspect you. Also, in the NY area, I recall another organization called "Authentically Grown". Personally, until I can get certified, I will likely call mine "Ecologically Grown". That term just spells it out more to me.
I think this is the link...

http://www.naturallygrown.org

I am VERY interested to know what you are doing, Drew!

That is interesting... Close to what I am working on...