In the midst of our winter farming endeavors, we’ve also been hard at work on our organic recertification for the year ahead. Given that it’s the start of a new year it seems like another good opportunity to talk about what it means to be an organic farm and all the different flavors that that entails.
For starters, not many know that just because we have been certified organic previously doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. Each year (and we’ve been certified for 25+ years) we must submit a detailed system plan to our accredited certifying agency that shows how our farming practices are adhering to the standards set by the USDA. That certifier then sends an inspector who comes to the farm and spends a day making sure what we’ve put on paper matches what they’re actually seeing, boots on the ground. They take their report back to the agency, a team reviews it and reaches out with any followup questions. We’re then given the nod that we may maintain our USDA organic certification and continue using the organic label that you’re used to seeing on the products that we sell, donate, ship, etc.
A couple years ago we also became Real Organic Project certified. The application and certification process is stringent in its own right—essentially, the Real Organic Project’s mission is to recognize certified organic farms that are going above and beyond the requirements set out by the USDA. These farms take the spirit of being organic to heart and prioritize regenerative agricultural practices, such as raising livestock on pasture and building soil health, as well as focusing on employee wellbeing. But just like with our USDA certification we had an inspector come to our farm to go over our entire operation, ask questions, and observe our team in action. After the inspector’s report was reviewed by the certification committee, we were told that we were Real Organic Project Certified!
Truth be told, being organic isn’t always the easiest choice. Namely, organic farming is much more costly. For example, the organic grains that we give to our chickens, turkeys, and pigs are often notoriously difficult to source and come with a higher price than what is regularly available at feed stores, due to the requirement of more human power to produce it to required organic standards at the scale required to sell in large quantities. Then there is time and labor to consider. For example, to implement rotational grazing of livestock requires a regular moving and monitoring of portable electric fencing, by hand, multiple times per week.
For us, being organic goes far beyond a label. Instead, it’s knowing that we’re helping to better the planet and producing great tasting, wholesome food while doing it. We are grateful for your trust in us and our work, and we are dedicated to our continued commitment to all things organic.
To you and your health—Mac Stone