On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 12:51:47 GMT, animaux
wrote:

On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 05:20:51 GMT, Elliot Richmond
opined:

This is probably good stuff. A&M should know, and being an Aggie Ex, I
tend to trust 'em. Nevertheless, the use, over use, and misuse of the
word "organic" drives me crazy. What does organic mean used in this
context? The stuff is a toxic chemical, for pete's sake. By the same
logic as is presented on the website, botulin is organic.

Organic is anything carbon containing. The term organic when used in gardening
situations means natural, not a synthetic. Because something is natural does
not mean it is non-toxic, it means it is naturally occurring in the land, water,
air...

This is almost exactly correct (calcium carbonate, limestone, is not
considered an organic compound). However, used in the context of the
website, "organic" would seem to imply that an organic farm (certified
organic by the state department of agriculture) would be able to use
this stuff without losing certification. That is what I was asking and
I did not see the answer on the A&M page. Maybe it is too new to be
classified yet.

Elliot Richmond
Freelance Science Writer and Editor