Back to Basics With Organic Farming Methods

By Sam Junior

Organic farming excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or any “genetically modified organisms” in producing food. Many governments take organic farming very seriously these days and require that a farm claiming to produce organic products is certified and regulated.

While methods differ, most farms do share common practices and have similar goals. Not only does organic farming exclude synthetic chemicals, it also includes practices that protect the soil, promote biodiversity (for example growing a variety of crops rather than exhausting just one) and better grazing for livestock and poultry.

Individuals in organic farming develop their own systems according to their knowledge, circumstances and what the market or law requires, but the basic framework remains the same throughout the many farms.

There is a vast and noticeable difference between the various methods of farming. For someone unfamiliar with the industry this may come as a surprise. Conventional farming has earned a reputation for being especially cruel to the environment. Conventional farming is known to have large-scale and chemical based practices when it comes to growing food rapidly, and these have been used since the 1930’s, and to some extent we have all been guinea pigs to the experiment.

The basic differences between organic and conventional farming lie in methods used to grow crops and the overall size. Organic farming is usually small and independently operated. Conventional farming is large scale, usually owned or operated by a major food corporation. A farm that grows foods organically does not use purchased fertilizers and uses limited mechanics in the growing and harvesting process. Conventional farming uses heavy mechanics and production including special equipment facilities, and of course, many synthetic chemicals.

Many people remain unaware of how food is produced and that there is not an unlimited supply of it. If conventional farming is indeed destroying the earth’s capacity to produce more food, then organic farming along with other environmental concerns remain crucial topics—and ones that lately have been forgotten.

Although the quality and taste of food is one of the determining factors for a consumer choosing organic foods, organic farming has less to do with that and much more to do with the mechanics of the actual farming. Some claim that the argument of organic farming is exaggerated and that conventional farming produces food as well as it can be produced under the circumstances. While a debate can be made from both sides, organic farming continues to be a popular choice and a controversial issue.

For the average consumer it comes down to an issue of taste and price. Many people claim that foods grown in an organic way taste better, but the drawback is that they can be substantially more expensive depending on where you live. Personal choice really becomes the determining factor but more and more we’re seeing organically produced foodstuffs on our supermarket shelves. Products such as organic fruits and vegetables, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, and even organic dog food can you believe. In fact most popular consumables are being offered as organic alternatives these days.

	Basically, organic farming is an old concept not a new one. It simply means we go back to traditional farming methods. Perhaps a more specific description would be to say it’s a type of agriculture that stresses ecosystem management and reduces the use of external or synthetic products. Yeah, that’s what the greens would interpret as organic farming.