In article , Gary
writes
Hi Alan
I appreciate the information you have provided and I try to follow the
'organic' philosophy. I do have a question regarding the term organic.
Although I use organic methods and can therefore call my vegetables organic,
I cannot call them 'Certified Organic". My point being that certified means
just that. Farmers who are Certified Organic are inspected by the governing
body to ensure they are following the rules. As you say, should it be
discovered they are not, then they would instantly lose the right to use the
term Certified Organic.
I have worked on two different Certified Organic farms here in BC and
both farmers are organic...nuts...certified even! Even under dire insect
attacks on their crops they absolutely refuse to use any pesticide that will
kill the pests...
Gary
Fort Langley, BC
Canada

Thank you Gary for your perceptive response, I will try to go over your
points briefly. It has long been recognised that the term organic can
lead to misconceptions about the style of horticulture being referred
to. It derives from the idea of working with living organisms rather
than inert substances, but an organic system will include inert objects
such as stones, garden tools etc. while a non-organic one includes
living plants, insects etc. Gardening is not an exact science.

You can call your vegetables organic if you wish, but you cannot legally
sell them as organic unless you are registered by a recognised authority
as a suitable grower - i.e. your produce is 'certified' (yes, another
variable expression!) In UK any produce being sold as organic must carry
a symbol which indicates its observance to legal requirements.

Organic systems can be vulnerable to pests just as non-organic ones can.
The difference of dealing with them is mainly in prevention, good
hygiene and the use of natural predators rather than using pesticides.
Prevention includes crop rotation, use of healthy seeds, plants, compost
and equipment. These methods may seem onerous compared to the short cut
of pesticides, but once an organic system is fully established, it
requires much less work, attention and expenditure and IMHO it is much
more pleasant and rewarding to carry out.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.