What You Should Know About Organic Farming

When did farming become more than just farming? Now there's farming and then there's organic farming. But what is it that makes organic farming a better form of farming than anything else? Here's what you need to know about organic farming to understand the benefits you are receiving from these crops.

1. Organic farming is a holistic approach to farming. Organic farmers use ecologically-balanced agricultural principles to control pests, tend to the soil, and manage crop rotation. Simply put, it lets nature take its course.

2. Organic farms include everything from vegetables to grains, to meat, dairy, eggs, and even cotton. To be considered organic they must remain as close to their natural state as possible without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. And when raising animals, they do not use synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics on their livestock. The animals eat only organic feed and in some cases, are allowed to roam outdoors.

A USDA map of the United States showing the number of organic farms per state in 2007. 0–100 organic farms 101–200 organic farms 201–500 organic farms 500+ organic farms. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. When organic farming began being monitored and tracked in 1994, there were 2500-3000 certified organic farms in the United States. Today there are more than 10,000 certified organic farms in the United States which provide 2% of the total food supply.

4. The basis of a good organic farm is the soil. It must begin with the right mix of soil that leads to healthy crops and animals. This reduces incidence of disease, and makes the farm more productive overall.

5. To create this productive soil, farmers need three basic things.

* Compost. This is organic materials that are decaying such as yard trimmings (wood chips, grass, and leaves), food waste (coffee grounds, tea bags and fruits and vegetables), and manure. Using compost allows beneficial bacteria and fungi to grow which creates a nutrient-rich moist soil.

* Green manures and cover crops. Cover crops are plants grown specifically to benefit the crops and are used to help protect the soils surface from water and wind, maintain soil structure, and maintain the healthy organic matter in the soil. Green manure is a cover crop that is grown and tilled in to the soil to add nutrients back into the soil. Cover crops also keep weeds at bay and to distract pests. They constitute a natural fertilizer/pesticide.

* Crop rotation. This is done by using different fields for different things each year. So one year a field could be used to grow pumpkins and the next field be used to graze sheep. The next year these fields would be switched. This way the nutrients are not depleted in one field, and it also minimizes the buildup of pests and diseases common to a specific crop.

Pig farming, Stancombe Down. Part of Sheepdrove, a large organic farm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

6. Livestock is handled with the same level of care. They often may live in habitats similar to their natural habitat, and receive humane treatment. They don't receive hormones that promote growth and they don't receive antibiotics for any reason. They do receive vaccinations, though, as preventative care. Their diet consists of 100% organic food.

Organic farming really goes back to the roots of farming before intensive mass production was encouraged and expected from farmers in order for them to succeed. It's the way our food should be grown so we don't have to worry about pesticide poisoning or the alteration of our hormones due to the hormones that are fed to animals.

Clearly it's also becoming much more common and easier to find organic foods, even in your local supermarket. The price tag might be a bit higher for these organic foods, but it's worth it - not just for your health, but for the health of the farmers who grow the food, the planet, and future generations to come.