How many actual farmers are at your farmers market?
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
In my last post, I presented a list of questions you might like to ask the farmer you’re buying your market produce or CSA from. One of these questions was “Did you grow this food yourself?” At first glance, this question may appear to be irrelevant: after all, farmers’ markets are for farmers to sell the produce they’ve grown, and CSAs are for you to buy a share of the crop the farmer is growing. ...
A discussion about the value and limits of organic food certifications
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
The discussion about the different ways in which the word “organic” is being applied in an agricultural context would not be complete without addressing organic certifications. By now, you have almost certainly noticed the creeping tide of organic certification logos appearing on more and more products in your supermarket. On the face of it, this would appear to be a positive development: it is now possible for concerned consumers to see at a glance which ...
The second in a series of posts from an organic farm internship looks at the differing interpretations of “organic” agriculture.
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Organic is a word that conjures up different meanings for different people. For some, it simply signifies that no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides were used in the production of the product. For others, it may be more evocative, conjuring up images of a small-scale farm, complete with rustic barn and farmhouse, and cows grazing happily on lush green pasture. And there are those for whom organic agriculture is synonymous with sustainable agriculture, a return ...
