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This is the first in a series of articles on sustainable living in the Cape Region. The series focuses on organic and chemical-free farming, lawn fertilization and green living innovations.
Pollution and climate change are now drawing worldwide attention, and one result of increasing awareness is a new interest in organic farming techniques and buying from local producers.
Helaine Harris, president of the Historic Lewes Farmers Market, said in the Cape Region, more farmers are producing chemical-free and organic products, and that’s attracting more consumers to local farmers markets. More farmers are using organic and chemical-free practices, and more consumers are demanding their produce.
Grocery stores are also surfing the organic wave. Safeway, Super Fresh and Food Lion all feature organic products.
“We encourage farmers to grow sustainably and the farmers that grow without pesticides are very popular,” said Harris. “It has gotten more popular over the years, and now there’s a real surge for natural growing and organic, probably because people want to eat healthy.”
Harris said besides eating organic or chemical-free produce, it is important to eat locally grown produce. Locally grown fruits and vegetables do not have to travel very far, meaning transporting them does not contribute as much to pollution and as a result, global warming, said Harris.
“It tastes better if it’s local,” said Harris. “Organics from far away waste energy to get that apple here.”
At the Lewes Farmers Market, consumers can purchase enough on Saturdays for a week of meals. This year’s market will feature 25 varieties of peaches from Bennett’s Peach Orchard in Ocean View, which grows without chemicals. The market will also feature popular stands from Community Organics and Hattie’s Garden.
Community Organics is a farm located in Greenwood which grows a variety of vegetables, including heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. Owner Tim Bell said he is committed to organic principles and his products are certified naturally grown, a national program in which member farmers hold each other accountable for the integrity of their growing practices. “Our soil quality is a key focus for us. We have paid attention not only to fertility needs, but also to trace elements and minerals,” said Bell. “Community Organics’ basic operating principle is that human health is dependent on the balance and health of the soil that our food comes from.”
Hattie’s Garden of Lewes, features specialty cut flowers and herbs, as well as gourmet and specialty produce, all grown without pesticides or fertilizers. Hattie Allen, owner, is a strong proponent of sustainable agriculture and has joined the movement in the United States to increase the availability of locally grown products to local people.
“There will be a diverse selection of vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, melon and squashes, berries and even an artisanal cheese maker,” said Harris. “The market gives people an opportunity to support local farmers. It puts money into the families that are still farming and helps them continue to farm. In a way, it’s saving farmland in the county.”
The U.S. organic industry grew 17 percent overall to reach $14.6 billion in retail sales in 2005, according to The Organic Trade Association’s 2006 Manufacturer Survey.
Organic foods grew 16.2 percent in 2005 and accounted for $13.8 billion in sales. Nonfood organic products (personal care products, nutritional supplements, household cleaners, flowers, pet food and clothing, bedding and other products from organic fibers such as flax, wool and cotton) grew 32.5 percent, to total $744 million in U.S. sales in 2005.
Organic foods’ share of total retail food sales is up to 2.5 percent, from 1.9 percent in 2003, a 31 percent increase.
According to the survey, sales of organic foods were expected to reach nearly $16 billion by the end of 2006. The fastest-growing food categories and their rates of growth over the previous year are organic meat, 55.4 percent; organic sauces and condiments, 24.2 percent; and dairy products, 23.5 percent. The fastest-growing nonfood categories are organic flowers, 50 percent; pet food, 46 percent; and fiber, 44 percent.
Organic foods are increasingly sold in mainstream retail establishments, which together represent roughly 46 percent of sales. Large natural-food chains, along with small natural-food chains or independent natural groceries and health food stores, represented about 47 percent of organic food sales.
About 4 percent of organic food is sold through farmers markets.
Farmers protest organic
Organic certification is a concern to farmers because some consider themselves organic growers, yet they cannot jump through all the federal government’s hoops to become certified, said Harris. Many farmers say their produce is chemical-free, but they can’t call it organic, she said.
Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food certified as organic must be produced without most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Antibiotics, growth hormones and feed made from animal parts are also banned.
In 1990, Congress adopted the Organic Foods Production Act as part of the farm bill. This action set the stage for organic standards and was followed by more than a decade of public input, which led to the National Organic Program final rule, published in 2000 and implemented in 2002.
In order for a product to be called organic, the ingredients must come from an organic farm. In addition, any processing of those ingredients must meet the conditions required by national organic regulations. In general, the national organic regulations allow the use of natural materials and prohibit the use of synthetics in food production. There are a few exceptions, however.
The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances is the list of exceptions to the general requirement that natural materials are allowed and synthetic materials are prohibited.
The National Organic Standards Board, a group of 15 volunteers appointed to advise the secretary of agriculture, is responsible for recommending which materials will be on the list. The agriculture secretary makes the final determination. A technical advisory panel gathers and evaluates the scientific data and makes recommendations to the board based on seven review criteria:
• effect on human health
• effect on the farm ecosystem
• toxicity and mode of action
• availability of gentler alternatives
• probability of environmental contamination during manufacture, use and disposal
• potential for interactions with other materials used
• overall compatibility with a system of sustainable agriculture
The National List is part of organic regulations available at www.ams.usda.gov/nop
For more information on the Historic Lewes Farmers Market, call 302-644-1436. The market is opens Saturdays, starting June 9, in Lewes. For more information, go to www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org.
Rehoboth’s Farmers Market, just off the circle at The Grove, will be open Tuesdays starting June 5. The market will feature sustainable, natural and some organic products. For information, go to www.rbfarmersmarket.com.
What are organics?
The Organic Trade Association offers the following answers to questions about organics:
Can any type of agricultural product become certified organic?
Yes, any agricultural product that meets third-party or state-certification requirements may be considered organic. Organic foods are becoming available in an impressive variety, including pasta, prepared sauces, frozen juices, frozen meals, milk, ice cream and frozen novelties, cereals, meat, poultry, breads, soups, chocolate, cookies, beer, wine, vodka and more. These foods, in order to be certified organic, have all been grown and processed according to organic standards and must maintain a high level of quality. Organic fiber products, too, have moved beyond T-shirts and include bed and bath linens; tablecloths; napkins; cosmetic puffs; feminine hygiene products; and men’s, women’s and children’s clothing in a wide variety of styles.
Who regulates the certified organic claims?
The federal government set standards for the production, processing and certification of organic food in the Organic Food Production Act of 1990. The National Organic Standards Board was then established to develop guidelines and procedures to regulate all organic crops. The U. S. Department of Agriculture during December 2000 unveiled detailed regulations to implement the act. These took effect on April 21, 2001, with an 18-month implementation period ending October 2002. At that time, any food labeled organic must meet these national organic standards. The Ag Department’s National Organic Program oversees the program.
Are all organic products completely free of pesticide residues?
Certified organic products have been grown and handled according to strict standards without toxic and persistent chemical inputs. However, organic crops are inadvertently exposed to agricultural chemicals that are now pervasive in rain and groundwater as a result of their overuse during the past 50 years in North America and as a result of drift via wind and rain.
Do organic farmers ever use pesticides?
Prevention is the organic farmer’s primary strategy for disease, weed, and insect control. By building healthy soils, organic farmers find that healthy plants are better able to resist disease and insects. Organic producers often select species that are well adapted for the climate and therefore resist disease and pests. When pest populations get out of balance, growers will try various options such as insect predators, mating disruption, traps and barriers. If these fail, certifiers may grant permission to apply botanical or other nonpersistent pest controls under restricted conditions. Botanicals are derived from plants and are broken down quickly by oxygen and sunlight.
How will purchasing organic products help keep our water clean?
Conventional agricultural methods can cause water contamination. Beginning in May 1995, a network of environmental organizations, including the Environmental Working Group, began testing tap water for herbicides in cities across the U.S. Corn Belt and in Louisiana and Maryland. The results revealed widespread contamination of tap water with many different pesticides at levels that present serious health risks. In some cities, herbicides in tap water exceed federal lifetime health standards for weeks or months at a time. The organic farmer’s elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, in combination with soil building, works to prevent contamination and protects and conserves water resources.
Is organic food better for you?
There is no conclusive evidence at this time to suggest that organically produced foods are more nutritious. Rather, organic foods and fiber are spared the application of toxic and persistent insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers.
Many federally approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. In the long run, organic-farming techniques provide a safe, sustainable environment for everyone.
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