Organic Farmers MarketOrganic Foods, Green Products, Books & Farming Information

what do I need to Grow Organic Food?

If I wanted to start up my own business growing organic food, what equipment and resources would I need?

and what things do I need that are specifically used for growing organic food and not regular farming.

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FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ORGANIC FOOD
If you would like to start your own business growing organic food, there are certain federal requirements that need to be met in the growing, processing, marketing and labeling of the food.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) which mandated that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would regulate organic foods. Also, the National Organic Program (NOP) has regulations regarding labeling and certification of organic foods.

“Any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced must adhere to the national organic standards.” There are penalties of up to $11,000 for selling food as organic that isn’t up to their standards.

It also requires that “Land will have no prohibited substances applied to it for at least 3 years before the harvest of an organic crop.” So it’s not just what you do from now on — but what someone else may have done to the land before then.

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NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM
Here are links to the National Organic Program:

Fact Sheets / Background Information:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/FactSheets/Backgrounder.html

Consumer Information:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/Consumerhome.html

General Index of Information on their site:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexNet.htm

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SMALL GROWER EXCEPTION
There is an exception to the requirement of being certified, which applies to small growers (less than $5,000 worth of organic product). Here is the link to the Questions and Answers about it:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Q&A.html

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YOUR OWN STATE LAWS
There may also be laws and regulations imposed by the particular state where you are located.

Most (if not all) states have a state “Extension Service” which provides free information to their citizens on various questions and issues regarding growing plants, trees, crops of all types. You may want to contact them to get more specific information and help. Here is the link to your state’s service:

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/partners/state_partners.html

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ORGANIC GROWING ORGANIZATION

One more suggestion: CCOF is an organization which promotes and supports Organic Food Production. You may find their site helpful also. Here is the link:

http://www.ccof.org/about.php

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JUST FOR YOU
Of course, if you are growing organic food for yourself and not selling it, you don’t have to comply with their regulations!

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HELP FOR A NEW BUSINESS
Also, remember that the Small Business Administration provides invaluable information for anyone starting a new business of almost any type!

http://www.sba.gov/

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GENERALLY SPEAKING
If you are interested in learning more about growing organic food, in general, there are many good websites out there. Here are some good ones:

1. Rodale –

http://www.organicgardening.com/

2. Starting an organic garden:

http://www.organic-gardening.net/

3. Some basics of organic gardening:

http://www.organicgardening.com/channel/1,,s1-2,00.html

4. A simple explanation and tips:

http://www.gardenersnet.com/organic.htm

5. University of Florida’s website on Organic Gardening:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Organic_Gardening

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Good luck! I hope that this may be helpful to you (and possibly other readers). There is a definite expanding market out there if you decide to go for it!

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After I wrote my answer, I noticed several good folks writing about organic gardening resources in the UK. Perhaps, I may have missed something in your profile about where you were located? Are you from the UK?

(Although much of what I referenced is applicable to the USA, some of the sites I mentioned still may be helpful in many different regions. )

How to Grow an Organic Food Business

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Nuts+Nuts cashew nuts roasted in sweet & salty Homemade roasted cashews and all natural ingredients, The company started out with intention to help cashew farmers around Indonesia. Combining family recipe with no preservatives, the cashews are packed in aluminum foil to preserve its freshness and crunchiness….

Food, Inc. $6.54 Your steak and chicken may not taste quite the same after you digest all of the information found in this documentary about food production in the United States. Exposing not only the disturbing conditions under which livestock exist prior to their slaughter, the film examines the complex issues surrounding our health and the profits of corporations invested in supplying people with inexpensive (i…

Karma Organic Food for Dogs $24.99 Karma Organic Food for Dogs

PetGuard Organic Mature Cat Food $12.49 PetGuard Organic Mature Cat Food

Oxbow BeneTerra Organic Rabbit Food $9.03 Oxbow BeneTerra Organic Rabbit Food