Forget about Atkins, the Zone or South Beach, San Benito County
residents are going organic.
Forget about Atkins, the Zone or South Beach, San Benito County residents are going organic.
“It’s much healthier,” Hollister resident Andrea Carquist said. “I prefer not to eat all the pesticides that come on commercial produce, and organic is the way to go.”
Carquist and many others shopped around at Farmer’s Market Wednesday, where they had a choice of organic lettuce, carrots, onions and much more, all grown in San Benito County. There are more than 30 organic growers in the county, and according to the 2003 Crop Report, organic farming acreage increased by 200 acres in the past year. San Benito County Agriculture Biologist Ron Ross said the trend of going organic started out as a narrow market, but is becoming more and more popular.
“Many of the farmers have been slowly trying out growing different crops organically,” he said. “This is just another way for them to market their crops, and there seems to be a definite following, so I see it continuing in the future.”
Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a government-approved inspector certifies the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet the United States Division of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards. Those rules include:
– Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products must be from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
– Produce must be grown without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bio-engineering, or ionizing radiation.
Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to the supermarket or restaurants must be certified as well, according to the USDA.
Herbert Farms in Hollister has been growing organic produce since 1989. Grower Becky Herbert said her family has been growing natural food long before the marketing trend kicked in, but that has boosted sales in the past few years.
“We’ve always grown organically because we feel it’s the most natural way to go,” she said. “A lot of people are attracted to organic food because they’re trying to eat healthier, and they’re not finding what they’re looking for in the supermarket.”
Hollister resident Michelle Rodriguez said that’s exactly why she buys the produce.
“I’ve got little ones at home, and it makes me feel better knowing they’re eating healthy,” she said.
As the trend continues to gain popularity, consumers should be cautious of how to read nutrition labels. The words natural and organic are not the same, according to the USDA. Words like free-range, hormone-free and natural, can still appear on food labels, but only labels marked organic have been certified by the USDA.
For more information, go to www.ams.usda.gov/nop or call the National Organic Program at 202-720-3252.
Christine Tognetti can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 330 or at [email protected].
