The Newfarm Forums

[maryanne]

I was wondering if anyone knows the answers to this problem I have been having about organic farming? I really want to move to a area that has a lot of organic farms because I want to get my food strait from the farms because I don’t know if I can trust the quality of the grocery stores products and I want to get my food extremely fresh and also I want to eventually grow a lot of my own food.
Do you know what places would be good in the states along the west coast? Also included: British Columbia.
I have been researching crazily, but I have been rather futile. No people I know know anything.
Thank You!

[Carriage House Farm]

I know Steve is going to come down on me for saying this but...

My suggestion is that you focus on locally grown and get to know the people growing you food. Organic for some is not organic for others.

For example, Glory Bee labels some of their honey and bee related products as "organic". Bees forage 6000 acres normally and sometimes 4 or 5 times that in poor weather conditions. There is no way in the world you can guarantee its organic.

I sell chemical free apples. No pesticides, no herbicides, cleaned using water from a fresh, clean spring. My apples are far more "organic" than the ones you pick up in the store labeled "organic" which use a whole host of pesticides and fungicides and the like.

"Organic" labeling is more of a tax these days where you pay for the right the use an owned label.

I think its far more important to know your source than to see the label. I'd start looking at farm blogs there are hundreds of them and they are all over the United States. The larger the nearby population center the larger the number of farms usually but the price they can command is often times higher too.
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Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, OH

An Ohio Century Farm
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com

[maryanne]

Yes, that is one of the main reasons that I am interested in locally grown, because it seems like any old company these days is producing organic food, and I am having a really hard time believing that companies, like say, "ruffles" are truly focused on quality. I am now zeroing in on Oregon and Washington, and it seems like they have a good amount of the farms I'm looking for.

[Drawbar]

I know the East Coast is outside of this discussion (as you specifically said the West Coast), but I am proud to say that Maine has the highest ranking of the general population to organic food availability.

I am a conventional farmer, yet buy organic food only for my 2 year old daughter. I still agree with CHF in that organic is a label that has lost its luster. Just last week there was article about how the high prices have caused the decline in organic food. When productions drop to certain levels, the NOP Rules allow less stringent organic guidelines and that is what's happening.

There is a movement now to try to strike a balance between organic food and conventional food called "Naturally Grown." Locally grown grass fed meats and produce fit into this niche very nicely I think,and ultimately its the consumer who wins.
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No one person here is smarter then all of us put together!

[EcoReality]