Organic foods are becoming the choice for most consumers, especially for health-conscious individuals. Although they are a bit more expensive, they are also healthier, as they are wholesome and are not tainted with chemicals from pesticides. When you purchase grass-fed organic beef, or organic dairy products, do you ever ask yourself where they come from?
Organic farming
Organic farming means that that the products you purchase were grown holistically. Simply put, organic farmers allow nature to do what it does best. Plenty of goods are products of organic farming including eggs, dairy, meat, and grains. These are called organic, as they were not grown using fertilizers and pesticides. They stay in their natural state as much as possible. Today, organic farmers produce up to 2% of the food supply in the United States.
Organic farming methods
Organic farming methods make use of conservation of soil and renewable resources in order to grow organic food. Organic farmers make use of different techniques in order to manage the quality of soil where the produce will grow. Some of the things they use include green manures, compost, and the technique of crop rotation.
- Green manure. Crops that have been uprooted are also called green manure. These are used in order to improve the quality of the soil. In addition, the cover crops are used to protect the surface of the soil from wind and water erosion. This prevents the structure of the soil from crumbling.
- Compost. Composts are organic materials such as wood chips, leaves, grass, coffee grounds, fruits, tea bags, and vegetables that are used to start the growth of bacteria, which is beneficial when planting. The compost makes the soil moist, and it also eliminates the need to use fertilizers.
- Crop rotation. Crop rotation is a technique that is used by organic farmers in order to keep the fertility of the soil. When the same type of crops is planted in the same soil, the soil can lose some of its nutrients, which is why crop rotation is important.
Organic farmers also have to follow strict rules and regulations set by the federal government in order to meet high standards of organic farming. Therefore, all the organic products that you can find in grocery stores come from certified organic farmers and certified organic food producers all over the country. Organic farmers from around the world who wish to export organic food into the country must also adhere to strict guidelines.
Where does organic food come from?
Organic farming is now a large industry. From about 3,000 organic farmers in the United States in 1994, the number has risen to about 10,000 organic farmers coming from the different states. In 2005, the value retail sales of organic food ballooned to $20 billion, and the number only continues to rise with more people choosing to consume organic food. So, the next time you ask where your organic food comes from, they came from organic farmers who follow strict practices to provide healthy and pesticide-free food to consumers.
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