Organic gardening is growing food without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
"But gardening organically is much more than what you don't do. When
you garden organically, you think of your plants as part of a whole system
within Nature that starts in the soil and includes the water supply, people,
wildlife and even insects. An organic gardener strives to work in harmony
with natural systems and to minimize and continually replenish any resources
the garden consumes. Organic gardening, then, begins with attention to
the soil. You regularly add organic using locally available resources
wherever possible. . . The other key to growing organically is to choose
plants suited to the site." Organic
Gardening
The "science" of organic gardening is dependent on compliance
to standardized regulations that assure to the nation's consumers that
when they choose food labeled as "organically grown or produced"
it truly is of the purity grade they expect. It would do the reader well
to read the National
Organic Program regulations below to gain an understanding of the
rigor involved.
Food that is marketed and sold as "100% organic" must comply
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program regulations.
Organic crop food must meet the following standards: [The NOP Standards]
To be sold or labeled as "100 percent organic," "organic,"
or "made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)),"
the product must be produced and handled without the use of:
" Synthetic substances and ingredients, except as provided in § 205.601:
(a) As algicide, disinfectants, and sanitizer, including irrigation
system cleaning systems.
(1) Alcohols.
(i) Ethanol.
(ii) Isopropanol.
(2) Chlorine materials - Except, That, residual chlorine levels in the
water shall not exceed the maximum residual disinfectant limit under the
Safe Drinking Water Act.
(i) Calcium hypochlorite.
(ii) Chlorine dioxide.
(iii) Sodium hypochlorite.
(3) Copper sulfate--for use as an algicide in aquatic rice systems, is
limited to one application per field during any 24-month period. Application
rates are limited to those which do not increase baseline soil test values
for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the producer and accredited
certifying agent.
(4) Hydrogen peroxide.
(5) Ozone gas--for use as an irrigation system cleaner only.
(6) Peracetic acid--for use in disinfecting equipment, seed, and asexually
propagated planting material.
(7) Soap-based algicide/demossers.
(b) As herbicides, weed barriers, as applicable.
(1) Herbicides, soap-based - for use in farmstead maintenance (roadways,
ditches, right of ways, building perimeters) and ornamental crops.
(2) Mulches.
(i) Newspaper or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks.
(ii) Plastic mulch and covers (petroleum-based other than polyvinyl chloride
(PVC).
(c) As compost feedstocks.
Newspapers or other recycled paper, without glossy or colored inks.
(d) As animal repellents.
Soaps, ammonium - for use as a large animal repellant only, no contact
with soil or edible portion of crop.
(e) As insecticides (including acaricides or mite control).
(1) Ammonium carbonate - for use as bait in insect traps only, no direct
contact with crop or soil.
(2) Boric acid - structural pest control, no direct contact with organic
food or crops.
(3) Copper Sulfate - for use as tadpole shrimp control in aquatic rice
production, is limited to one application per field during any 24-month
period. Application rates are limited to levels which do not increase
baseline soil test values for copper over a timeframe agreed upon by the
producer and accredited certifying agent.
(4) Elemental sulfur.
(5) Lime sulfur - including calcium polysulfide.
(6) Oils, horticultural - narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and
summer oils..
(7) Soaps, insecticidal.
(8) Sticky traps/barriers.
(f) As insect management. Pheromones.
(g) As rodenticides.
(1) Sulfur dioxide - underground rodent control only (smoke bombs).
(2) Vitamin D3.
(h) As slug or snail bait - None.
(i) As plant disease control.
(1) Coppers, fixed - copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride,
includes products exempted from EPA tolerance, Provided, That, copper-based
materials must be used in a manner that minimizes accumulation in the
soil and shall not be used as herbicides.
(2) Copper sulfate - Substance must be used in a manner that minimizes
accumulation of copper in the soil.
(3) Hydrated lime.
(4) Hydrogen peroxide.
(5) Lime sulfur.
(6) Oils, horticultural, narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and
summer oils.
(7) Peracetic acid - for use to control fire blight bacteria.
(8) Potassium bicarbonate.
(9) Elemental sulfur.
(10) Streptomycin, for fire blight control in apples and pears only.
(11) Tetracycline (oxytetracycline calcium complex), for fire blight control
only.
(j) As plant or soil amendments.
(1) Aquatic plant extracts (other than hydrolyzed) - Extraction process
is limited to the use of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide; solvent
amount used is limited to that amount necessary for extraction.
(2) Elemental sulfur.
(3) Humic acids - naturally occurring deposits, water and alkali extracts
only.
(4) Lignin sulfonate - chelating agent, dust suppressant, floatation agent.
(5) Magnesium sulfate - allowed with a documented soil deficiency.
(6) Micronutrients - not to be used as a defoliant, herbicide, or desiccant.
Those made from nitrates or chlorides are not allowed. Soil deficiency
must be documented by testing.
(i) Soluble boron products.
(ii) Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron,
manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt.
(7) Liquid fish products - can be pH adjusted with sulfuric, citric or
phosphoric acid. The amount of acid used shall not exceed the minimum
needed to lower the pH to 3.5.
(8) Vitamins, B1, C, and E.
(k) As plant growth regulators. Ethylene gas - for regulation of pineapple
flowering.
(l) As floating agents in postharvest handling.
(1) Lignin sulfonate.
(2) Sodium silicate - for tree fruit and fiber processing.
(m) As synthetic inert ingredients as classified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), for use with nonsynthetic substances or synthetic
substances listed in this section and used as an active pesticide ingredient
in accordance with any limitations on the use of such substances.
(1) EPA List 4 - Inerts of Minimal Concern.
(2) EPA List 3 - Inerts of unknown toxicity - for use only in passive
pheromone dispensers.
[Substances allowed by this section, except disinfectants and sanitizers
in paragraph (a) and those substances in paragraphs (c), (j), (k), and
(l) of this section, may only be used when the provisions set forth in
§ 205.206 (a) through (d) prove insufficient to prevent or control
the target pest.]
" Nonsynthetic substances prohibited such as:
(a) Ash from manure burning,
(b) Arsenic.
(c) Calcium chloride, brine process is natural and prohibited for use
except as a foliar spray to treat a physiological disorder associated
with calcium uptake.
(d) Lead salts.
(e) Potassium chloride unless derived from a mined source and applied
in a manner that minimizes chloride accumulation in the soil.
(f) Sodium fluoaluminate (mined).
(g) Sodium nitrate - unless use is restricted to no more than 20% of the
crop's total nitrogen requirement; use in spirulina production is unrestricted
until October 21, 2005.
(h) Strychnine.
(i) Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate).
" Nonagricultural substances used in or on processed products:
The following nonagricultural substances may be used as ingredients in
or on processed products labeled as "organic" or "made
with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))" only in accordance
with any restrictions specified in this section.
(a) Nonsynthetics allowed:
Acids (Alginic; Citric - produced by microbial fermentation of carbohydrate
substances; and Lactic).
Agar-agar.
Animal enzymes - (Rennet - animals derived; Catalase - bovine liver; Animal
lipase; Pancreatin; Pepsin; and Trypsin).
Bentonite.
Calcium carbonate.
Calcium chloride.
Calcium sulfate - mined.
Carageenan.
Colors, nonsynthetic sources only.
Dairy cultures.
Diatomaceous earth - food filtering aid only.
Enzymes--must be derived from edible, nontoxic plants, nonpathogenic fungi,
or nonpathogenic bacteria.
Flavors, nonsynthetic sources only and must not be produced using synthetic
solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative.
Glucono delta-lactone - production by the oxidation of D-glucose with
bromine water is prohibited.
Kaolin.
Magnesium sulfate, nonsynthetic sources only.
Nitrogen - oil-free grades.
Oxygen--oil-free grades.
Perlite--for use only as a filter aid in food processing.
Potassium chloride.
Potassium iodide.
Sodium bicarbonate.
Sodium carbonate.
Tartaric acid.
Waxes - nonsynthetic (Carnauba wax; and Wood resin).
Yeast - nonsynthetic, growth on petrochemical substrate and sulfite waste
liquor is prohibited (Autolysate; Bakers; Brewers; Nutritional; and Smoked
- nonsynthetic smoke flavoring process must be documented).
(b) Synthetics allowed:
Alginates.
Ammonium bicarbonate - for use only as a leavening agent.
Ammonium carbonate - for use only as a leavening agent.
Ascorbic acid.
Calcium citrate.
Calcium hydroxide.
Calcium phosphates (monobasic, dibasic, and tribasic).
Carbon dioxide.
Cellulose - for use in regenerative casings, as an anti-caking agent (non-chlorine
bleached) and filtering aid.
Chlorine materials - disinfecting and sanitizing food contact surfaces,
Except, That, residual chlorine levels in the water shall not exceed the
maximum residual disinfectant limit under the Safe Drinking Water Act
(Calcium hypochlorite; Chlorine dioxide; and Sodium hypochlorite).
Ethylene - allowed for postharvest ripening of tropical fruit and degreening
of citrus.
Ferrous sulfate - for iron enrichment or fortification of foods when required
by regulation or recommended (independent organization).
Glycerides (mono and di) - for use only in drum drying of food.
Glycerin - produced by hydrolysis of fats and oils.
Hydrogen peroxide.
Lecithin - bleached.
Magnesium carbonate - for use only in agricultural products labeled "made
with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," prohibited
in agricultural products labeled "organic."
Magnesium chloride - derived from sea water.
Magnesium stearate - for use only in agricultural products labeled "made
with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," prohibited
in agricultural products labeled "organic."
Nutrient vitamins and minerals, in accordance with 21 CFR 104.20, Nutritional
Quality Guidelines For Foods.
Ozone.
Pectin (low-methoxy).
Phosphoric acid - cleaning of food-contact surfaces and equipment only.
Potassium acid tartrate.
Potassium tartrate made from tartaric acid.
Potassium carbonate.
Potassium citrate.
Potassium hydroxide - prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and
vegetables except when used for peeling peaches during the Individually
Quick Frozen (IQF) production process.
Potassium iodide - for use only in agricultural products labeled "made
with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," prohibited
in agricultural products labeled "organic."
Potassium phosphate - for use only in agricultural products labeled "made
with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))," prohibited
in agricultural products labeled "organic."
Silicon dioxide.
Sodium citrate.
Sodium hydroxide - prohibited for use in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables.
Sodium phosphates - for use only in dairy foods.
Sulfur dioxide - for use only in wine labeled "made with organic
grapes," Provided, That, total sulfite concentration does not exceed
100 ppm.
Tartaric acid.
Tocopherols - derived from vegetable oil when rosemary extracts are not
a suitable alternative.
Xanthan gum.
" Nonorganic agricultural substances used in or on processed products:
Any nonorganically produced agricultural product may be used in accordance
with the restrictions specified in this section and when the product is
not commercially available in organic form.
(a) Cornstarch (native).
(b) Gums - water extracted only (arabic, guar, locust bean, carob bean).
(c) Kelp - for use only as a thickener and dietary supplement.
(d) Lecithin - unbleached.
(e) Pectin (high-methoxy).
" Excluded methods, except for vaccines, Provided, That, the vaccines
are approved in accordance with § 205.600(a);
" Ionizing radiation, as described in Food and Drug Administration
regulation, 21 CFR 179.26; and
" Sewage sludge.