As you all know, our farm is certified organic. Our organic certification means a lot to us, we work hard to prove our integrity, and we know it means a lot to our customers - that's why we get certified and don't just call ourselves "natural" or leave you guessing!
Within the last few years, the USDA has relaxed their organic standards for farms across the US (dairy, meat, produce and fruit alike). Without going into too much detail, what we dislike the most is that hydroponic production is now allowed to be certified organic (hydroponic fruit and vegetable production is growing without the use of soil). Since hydro producers aren't required to label their products as such, the consumer never knows if they're eating an organic crop grown in soil or grown in a water bath and fed with liquid fertilizers. Many consumers may not care about the difference (there aren't any "harmful" chemicals allowed in certified organic hydro production after all, but that's debatable), but we know that many consumers DO care and would rather eat food grown in soil as nature intended.
Enter the Real Organic Project. We just became certified by ROP as a way to show that we don't grow anything hydroponically, and to ensure that the food we produce is grown in soil as nature intended. To be ROP certified, we have to first maintain our USDA organic certification, and then prove that we meet numerous other stringent standards (including fair labor practices, and the soil has to be connected to bedrock, so no grow bags!) It is called an add-on label. We went through a video inspection (because of COVID, otherwise an inspector would have been on site), submitted receipts and filled out paperwork to prove our eligibility.
The ROP label will start showing up on store shelves, and we'll add it to our grocery store packaging as soon as we re-print. We just wanted to share with you all this milestone because we're proud of it and want you to be informed about your food shopping, whether it's with us or out in the grocery stores!
Enjoy your produce this week. Eggplants and hot peppers make their debut!
