The concept of organic farming takes us back to the days when the early settlers were growing their foods. They took care of the soil, planted by hand, harvested by hand, and they didn’t add anything that was bad for the land or the food to it. Fast forward things though and you have conventional farming methods that allow us to get more food processed in less time.
That concept is one that came from the high demand for producing food in our society. While it has given us lots of benefits it has also led to very strong chemicals being used to keep pests and weeds out of the picture. When crops are destroyed by those types of elements then it cuts into the overall profits.
The idea of organic farming goes back to those early roots when no chemicals were added to the foods. It is a process that continues to grow around the world and to get stronger all the time. There are plenty of farmers out there that want to get involved with it. They strive to make money from it but they also want to offer people the best possible products. They want to preserve the land by using methods of farming that will help to keep the soil as healthy as possible.
When a farmer decides that they would like to be a part of organic farming methods they can’t just jump right in and start doing so. Instead they have to follow a checklist of things that need to be in place. The waiting period is at least five years because that is how long the soil must not have any types of chemicals used on it for any reason.
They also have to show a plan of action to show how they plain to meet all of the specified regulations. Detailed records must be kept ongoing and can be reviewed by the FDA at any time. The use of crop rotation methods need to be in place too so that erosion of the soil is as little as possible.
Once the FDA gets involved and does an inspection they will let the farmer know of any things that need to be changed. This can be both expensive and time consuming but the farmer has to compile or the certification will never happen. There are surprise existing home inspections that occur too after that initial certification so that it is known that the farm is still following those strict guidelines.
Today organic farms are found in 49 state of the USA. Yet there is only about 2.5 million acres of farmland in the USA dedicated to organic farming. When you consider that there are more than 8 million acres of such land out there you can see that we still have a substantial amount of room for changes and for growth in the world of organic farming.
Most of the organic farms in the USA are in the Midwest region. A variety of products are produced there. California is the location of the most organic farm area and following right behind is Oregon and Washington. The products grown here are shipped all over the USA as well as to many other countries.
This is an area of farming though that will continue move forward. Even though it can be hard to get all the red tape out of the way it is also a rewarding way for farmers to contribute to the production of quality foods and saving the environment. Making a profit is a side bonus for them to all of that.
{ 0 comments }
