Choose Your Farmer - Choose Organic!

When you choose USDA Organic, you're supporting farmers that restore our public lands and protect our natural resources while building resilience for future generations of American families.

When Rachel Boring took over property that had previously been leased to a conventional farm, she saw firsthand how non-organic farming methods can deplete our land and soil. In order to qualify for USDA Organic certification, organic farmers are required to protect natural resources like soil and water quality on their land.

Organic farming practices that restore soil health and biodiversity include:

• Rotating different types of crops planted in the same field
• Planting cover crops to continue enriching the soil after main crops are harvested
• Using natural fertilizers and eco-friendly pest-control methods

As organic farmer Rachel Boring puts it, “Organic brings life back to the soil.” Healthy soil grows healthy food. By eating organic food grown right here in the U.S., you’re supporting the land that will feed generations of American families.

Find organic farmers and products with our directory!

If your kids don't want to eat their fruits and veggies, try offering them an organic strawberry. Organic produce, milk, and meat are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as significantly lower levels of health-harming synthetic pesticide residues.

When you’re shopping, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of meaningless labels like “all-natural” or “eco-friendly.” The USDA Organic seal is the only eco-label that is federally enforced and backed by third-party inspection facilitated by accredited organic certifiers like CCOF. Organic farmers like Atlee Frechette of Webb Ranch take pride in knowing they’re feeding their communities clean, wholesome foods.

The USDA Organic seal means:

• Non-GMO and grown with natural fertilizers and eco-friendly pest control methods
• No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
• No growth hormones or antibiotics
• Traced from farm to store to ensure it really is organic

When you buy organic, you’re buying peace of mind and securing a sustainable future. It costs a little more because it guarantees a lot more.

Find organic farmers and products with our directory!

Organic farmers help build healthy communities and safe working conditions for farmworkers by relying on eco-friendly pest control methods and natural fertilizers instead of synthetic agrochemicals. This respect for the land and all its occupants, including humans, plants, and wildlife, drives farmers like Hektor Calderon-Victoria of Three Feathers Farm in their commitment to organic practices.

Some of the harmful synthetic pesticides used on non-organic farms have been linked to serious problems like cancer, brain diseases, and breathing issues. One two-decade study found that when pregnant mothers are exposed to certain pesticides, it can lead to problems with how their children’s brains develop. Organic farms help protect farmworkers and surrounding communities, including schools and local parks, by limiting the amount of these toxic agrochemicals that pollute our water and air.

Find organic farmers and products with our directory!

Organic farming doesn’t just reduce toxic runoff in our water and air. Organic farms use soil-building and biodiversity practices that are more resilient to extreme weather conditions such as drought and hurricanes. Worldwide studies show that organic farms experience fewer losses of crops, topsoil, and income after extreme weather events compared to non-organic farms. Buying organic invests in the future of food.

When organic farmers like Patrick Martin of Frantoio Grove treat their farmland like an ecosystem, they build high levels of soil organic matter. Healthy soil stores carbon and helps reduce levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

• Increasing the amount of California’s organic farmland from its current 4% to 10% would reduce emissions equivalent to 601,500 cars per year.
• Converting all California farmland to organic would equal removing 7.8 million cars from the road.
• Organic agriculture can feed 9 billion people by 2050 while protecting the environment at the same time.

Find organic farmers and products with our directory!