Many of us, shocked by the knowledge that we are what we eat, have switched (mostly) from Cheetos and chips to organic foods. What’s organic? Good question. It began as a return to the hormone-and-pesticide-free farming of generations ago in an effort to eat healthier food grown humanely (in the case of animals) and sustainably. Once the government got into it, ‘organic’ meant more and more paperwork in an effort to standardize the ‘brand.’
Regulation and enforcement can be a good thing – don’t we wish we’d had some during the build-up of derivatives and credit default swaps! But if the goal is well-founded confidence that what we eat is not larded with a lot of additional crap that’s going to kill us sooner rather than later (and produce hermaphroditic frogs and fish – a related but different discussion) the ‘branding’ is not always necessary.
Joseph Towner ,who has been producing certified organic food for 26 years on his farm five miles outside Chestertown, recently decided to forego the certification due to the paperwork.
“I’m a one-person operation and the people I sell to take my word for it,” he says. ‘It’ refers to the fact that even without the certification he grows without pesticides and chemicals, an approach that is the logical default option for what we used to call ‘truck farmers’ (fruits and vegetables and maybe eggs).
“Most small growers are probably not going to use pesticides because [they’re] difficult to use and it’s expensive,” he says.
The organic label is necessary for big distributors who buy from a broad range of larger farms for places like Whole Foods. Without the benefit of personal knowledge of provenance, they need the documented assurance. Additionally, distributors want perfect-looking produce that’s as uniformly sized as possible. Not so much an issue for direct farmer-to-consumer transactions.
“The people who buy our produce know not to expect perfect-looking vegetables,” says Towner.
Towner sells some of his produce through Chestertown Natural Foods as well as at the Chestertown Farmers’ Market. There you look him and other local farmers in the eye, smile, ask how what they offer is produced, and be able to trust the answer — certified organic or not. It’s about connection. And of course fresh taste.
You can buy from local producers at the Chestertown Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings. Or Owen McCoy, (410- 639-7217), who both farms and manages the market, can hook you up.
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