"Is Your Fruit Organic?"

On average, I have approximately 25 customers per day ask me the pivotal question: “Is your fruit organic?” What a great question. I always thank customers for asking this because it is important for the consumer to know what they’re buying.

Cipponeri Family Farms
Even though our produce is all conventionally grown (i.e. NOT organic), we use a lot of practices that organic growers use. For example, we typically only spray when we have to (this past year, we did not have to spray at any time other than the dormant season; dormancy is when there are no fruit on the trees and for stone fruits it is the winter time), and all of the sprays we use are actually sprays used by organic farmers OR that are currently on the list to be organic-approved. The major difference between our produce and organically-grown produce? Not much. In fact, you will not find ANY spray residue on our fruit whatsoever.

What is organic?
Here in the United States, the government uses the National Organic Program (NOP) Standards to certify our growers. According to USDA’s website,
Organic production is a system that is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 (PDF) and regulations in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. The National Organic Program (NOP) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards.

Organic v. Sustainable
What the general public does not really understand is that Certified Organic is a title that is purchased. Among other requirements, a farmer must follow a set of guidelines, fill-out tedious paperwork, and of course; dish out money (on top of all of the other costs farmers have) to have their land regulated in order to be a certified organic farmer. Worth it? Perhaps. Nevertheless, in my experience, I have found that a grower can be very sustainable but NOT be organic. Sustainability not only includes growing practices, but also labor and economics. What if a grower is certified organic but does not have proper hydration stations for their workers or isn’t utilizing their water supply efficiently? So does “sustainable” always mean “organic”? No. Contrary to popular belief though, “organic” does NOT always mean “sustainable”, either.

There is More to the Story!
I think that organic produce is fabulous. If a grower has the means to be certified organic, I think he should go for it. However, I think that there is more than just a yes or no answer when the question is, “Is your fruit organic?” It absolutely baffles me when customers ask that question and immediately walk away when I say “no” – as I am thinking to myself, ‘but you didn’t let me finish!’ If customers had a better understanding of what organic actually is, I think 95% of the customers who are die-hard organic fans would feel confident in purchasing my fruit. I once had a customer ask me whether or not our fruit is organic, and after I explained our growing practices, she looked me with the most puzzled look on her face and asked, “Sooooooo…is it bad for the environment?” The key here is EDUCATION. This is evidence that the average American consumer is not well-aware about what it is that American producers of foods and fibers (which by the way; only makes of 2% of the nation’s population) actually do. This is part of the reason why I started this blog, to help others understand and to share the story of American agriculturalists!