Organic farming refers to a set of practices in agriculture that revolves around the growth of food via the management of the natural ecosystem in place of synthetic external products. It is an alternative to the traditional form of farming that is eco-friendly for the planet.
Hillandale Farms–understanding how organic farming benefits the environment
Hillandale Farms is an esteemed food production company that specializes in eggshells and sustainable farming products. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines, there is no global definition of organic farming, and the most esteemed organizations specializing in organic farming consider it to be a specific system for production that targets to shun the deployment of synthetic and toxic pesticides, growth regulators, fertilizers, and additives for livestock feed. The USDA guidelines state that agriculture techniques conserve the environment and reduce synthetic agriculture and farming materials.
Organic farming systems
Most systems that deal with organic farming depend on what is commonly known as alternative farming methods like mechanical cultivation, crop rotation, green manure, animal manure, and pest management that is integrated into nature for the management of healthy plants, crops, soil, and weed and pest control.
In simple words, organic farming is based on the concept that a healthy ecosystem is comprised of interdependent plants that are healthy in nature. It eliminates any substance or method that might damage a part of the ecosystem at the cost of another.
Historical significance
It might come as a surprise to many people, but organic farming has been around for a long time and dates back into history. In fact, the system that was used in the past is similar to the modern-day systems for supporting farming. Again, there is a considerable debate on the issue where some critics state that this farming system has been created to produce massive volumes of food production in the shortest time possible.
Organic certification and the requirements under the USDA
Farmers in the USA can get their products organically certified via the USDA. The process entails submitting the fees and application to any certifying agent under the USDA. The will also be an on-site inspection before the certification is granted to the farm.
The land deployed to grow food products should not have been farmed in the past three years with any prohibitive substance or substances. The National Resources Conservation Service gives assistance to farmers who seek certification for assessing their current operations for the development of a conservation plan.
According to the experts at Hillandale Farms, the website of the USDA lists the different kinds of organic labels that can be deployed for food. With the exclusion of water and sale, 95% of the ingredients of a product should be labeled organic. If 100% of all the ingredients used in the product are organic, it can be labeled 100% organic. Again, there are food labels that also state that a product can be made with organic ingredients if at least 70% of them are organic in nature.
