Bethany Beach Wave, DE
04-18-07
Going organic is not always easy
By Rachel Jackson and Katie Wais
The News Journal/Wave Staff Writer
CLARKSVILLE -- For Susan Ryan, owner of the Good Earth Market in
Clarksville, going organic is worth the extra effort.
On the ten acres of farmland adjacent to the store, Ryan operates one of the only
four U.S. Department of Agriculture certified organic farms in Delaware.
"People are becoming more enlightened about what they're eating. The more
acres that are farmed organic is better for everyone," Ryan said. "It's still not
mainstream, but it's becoming that and more and more people are willing to pay
for it."
Out of an estimated 20 to 30 farms that use natural methods in Delaware, only
about three other farms besides Ryan's have the official organic certification, a
label many say is the only reliable standard. The rest might use terms such as
"natural" to refer to produce or "grass-fed" to describe cattle and about five farms
in the state use a different certification called Certified Naturally Grown.
In order to obtain the USDA certification -- which earns farmers the right to place
a true "organic" sticker on their produce -- farmers are required to go through a
process that requires a somewhat lengthy application, fee submission, inspector
review and, in the case of land formerly used for farming, a three-year wait to
clear property of herbicides and pesticides.
Ryan suspects the seemingly "daunting" process, in addition to the laborintensive practices demanded to meet USDA certification, intimidates farmers
considering going organic. But for Ryan and other environmentally-minded
produce growers, it's a necessity.
"Unless you know who exactly is growing (your produce) -- which is Utopia -- that
USDA certification is really your best assurance for the consumer," Ryan said. "It
really, really assures customers what they're getting is pesticide and herbicide
free and adheres to USDA standards ... There's no way around it. Most (farmers)
are doing it for bigger reasons than that sticker."
While the demands of the federally certified organic program may be well-suited
to large-scale farms, some farmers with smaller operations say the requirements
can be as off-putting as forecasts of a snowstorm at planting time.
And as the environmental movement touts buying locally nearly as much as
buying organic, stocking a pantry can make eco-conscious consumers want to
just forget about the whole thing.
The National Organic Program went into effect in October 2002, designed to give
consumers confidence in the products they were buying -- and able to levy a fine
up to $11,000 for false labeling.
Since then, major grocery chains have launched their own lines of organic
products, and the nation's largest retailers, such as Wal-Mart, have stepped up
marketing of their organic offerings. The organic label has been welcomed by
consumers, who like the assurance that the products they buy are organic. And
growers around the world jumped on board the USDA's program. But for small
farms, the designation created obstacles.
Seeking out other options
After learning he could no longer use the organic label without being certified,
Dave Size left his New York organic heirloom vegetable farm -- which produced
tomatoes featured on "Good Morning America" and the Food Network -- and
eventually took over a berry farm near Frankford. He stuck with his natural
growing methods -- he makes his own compost and uses critters such as
nematodes to control pests -- and applied for the Certified Naturally Grown label.
Run by a New York-based nonprofit, Certified Naturally Grown says it holds
farmers to the same standards as the federal program, but doesn't require as
much paperwork or the same financial investment -- only a suggested donation
of $50 to $150.
Certified Naturally Grown Director Alice Varon said her program is in no way
meant to undercut the federal organic program. Instead, she said, it's designed to
provide a more viable option for the little guys.
"We're not setting ourselves up as 'We're better than organic,'" she said.
More than 500 farmers nationwide are part of the program.
Middletown farmer Rebecca Boutz, who left a computer job to grow flowers and
vegetables, said she likes the Certified Naturally Grown program because it
relies on peer review. Her farm is inspected by other farmers. "They've got some
checks and balances here that really keep people on their toes," she said.
Official certification
While the Certified Naturally Grown program is gaining traction in Delaware,
Gordon Johnson, an extension agent with the University of Delaware, said he still
encourages farmers to take the next step and become government certified as
organic.
"What the certified organic gives you the potential to do is to sell to any market,"
he said. "It allows you to sell to wholesale outlets who will only accept certified."
Ryan said one thing many farmers may not be aware of is that help is out there.
Good Earth Market relied on the Delaware Organic Food and Farming
Association to assist with applications for USDA certification and in locating a
farm inspector.
"DOFFA is very, very helpful," she said.
Barbara Haumann, spokeswoman for the Organic Trade Association, said she
wasn't familiar with the Certified Naturally Grown label, but stressed that it's hard
for a nonprofit to have the same power and reach as a government program.
"With national organic standards, there is a governmental agency behind it that
can enforce it," she said.
She said her organization is lobbying to secure Farm Bill funds to help small
growers with the high costs.
With the handful of organic producers in the state, it is possible to buy organic
produce from local growers. However, most of the produce in stores has been
shipped in from other states, raising some environmentalists' eyebrows about
fuel consumption.
At the Good for You Market in the Lewes area, for example, all produce is
organic. These days, you can buy organic salad greens grown in Northern
California and organic tomatoes grown in Mexico. Owner Andy Meddick, 41, said
he'd like to be selling local produce -- he's even in the process of certifying his
own farm as organic -- but nothing is in season just yet.
Barriers to eating local
Food that is organic is not necessarily more environmentally friendly. The
environmental movement touts buying locally, but most Americans don't.
A 2003 study by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State
University found that produce traveled about 1,500 miles to get from the field to
plates in the upper Midwest. An older study by the Capital Area Food Bank in
Washington found that crops traveled 1,685 miles to reach a particular market in
Maryland.
The U.S. also imports far more organic food than it exports. According to a USDA
report, the value of organic imports in 2002 was estimated at $1 billion to $1.5
billion. The value of organic exports was between $125 million and $250 million.
With local organic produce harder to find, the debate for some people is between
saving fuel or eating organic.
Shirley Mitchell, 53, who lives in Ellendale and buys from a Certified Naturally
Grown farm, said there is a major taste difference between organics she buys in
grocery stores and buying vegetables straight off a farm. "Fresh-picked," she
said. "That is one true advantage.
Carlton Jones, who raises grass-fed beef near Seaford, said that even though he
doesn't have the certified organic label or a Certified Naturally Grown label, he
has no shortage of customers.
"We got into this thing at a very good time, because there are more and more
people aware of the benefits of grass-fed products," he said.
Right now, he said it doesn't seem necessary to become certified organic. "It is
not that much of an advantage to us," he said. "You have to do an awful lot of
paperwork; everything has to be documented. I've got a lot of weaknesses, but
paperwork is one of my bigger ones."
Ryan is "thrilled" at how much the organic market has grown since the National
Organic Program went into effect.
"It's grown over 20 percent in the past four or five years," she said. "It's the future
... The more you learn about the difference in food, you understand the difference
in the price ... I'm just thrilled that the market has grown and I predict the market
will continue to grow as consumers become more savvy."
kwais@dmg.gannett.com