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Garden Gate:  What defines an Organic Vegetable?  |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3338 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3338 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 1:49:25 PM
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I will be planting a total of 7 huge vegetable and flower beds as soon as it decides it is spring here in the great north woods...
My DH and I have a standing debate over what constitutes "ogranically" grown veggies.
How far back to you have to go to be considered organic?
What it is grown in? What type of fertilizer? And, what about the seeds you use to plant?
Need some info please....
Thank you girls!
"The best mirror is an old friend."
- George Herbert
Melody
Farmgirl #525
www.melodynotes-melodynotes.blogspot.com
www.lemonverbenasoap.etsy.com
www.longtallsallys.etsy.com
www.andsewitgoes.etsy.com |
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 1:57:04 PM
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Well I do know that because I live on an apple farm, I would never be able to label my vegetables organic. They spray the apple trees, which are not far from my garden, my dad(retired doctor) says not to worry too much, but I do anyways), but no way could sell them as organic, even though everything else I do IS organic.
Okay-
Use organic seeds, these have been taken from organically raised plants.
Compost, fertilizer, etc. have to be organic.
Nothing that constitutes "non-organic" can have been used in the ground, for I believe, 5 years. I know I read about that in "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle", but did not pay much attention as I obviously can't use it right now.
I would think if you contact your Cooperative Extension, they can define organic for you, but hopefully this will get you started, and the other girls will correct me and/or add more!
No sprays, pesticides of any kind.
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way. Lee J. Colan
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 22 2010 : 4:41:39 PM
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Melody, I do not use any pesticides at all here. I do not use man made fertilizers either. I use all my own animal poop and that's all I use for ferilizer. But since I do not feed them organic feed I couldn't be considered organic either. Also there are fields all around me that do spray pesticides and use conventional methods. I know some of the drift gets on my plants sometimes. But there has been no pesticides used on this land in years. I probably couldn't become certified organic. Plus it costs a fortune. I can say all natural. I do use organic and heirloom seeds though.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 5:26:06 PM
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No spraying
No planting where sprayed plants can carry drift-- it can carry from farms up to a mile I think
No use of synthetic soil enhancers. We had a friend who used bone and blood meals instead of synthetic nitrogen pellets
No genetically modified seed, so it has to heirloom or a pure strain
Is anything missing?
Best of luck to you |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 5:29:06 PM
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Same goes for herbicides too. But you may have already known this.
Some purists also practice no till gardening, but I get better and faster satisfaction from tilling up weeds where it's possible
SOme use chicken tractors in between raised beds for weed control too |
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Garden Gate: What defines an Organic Vegetable? |
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What defines an Organic Vegetable?
