Don’t Panic, It’s Organic (And Then Some)

Don’t Panic, It’s Organic (And Then Some)

What it means to be USDA and Sun + Earth Certified.

We are a humble crew, but we’re pretty proud of our organic certifications. As longtime farmers of less federally-legal varieties, we haven’t always been eligible for certification by the US Department of Agriculture. It was exciting to get to apply for that special, signature USDA Certified badge. That said, it was honestly a pretty low bar for us to pass. Much of the organic certification for hemp comes down to these requirements:

• Soil has not had any prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
   
• No use of genetically modified organisms during the farming and harvest process, as in no genetically modified seeds or other materials when planting crops.
  
  
• No use of irradiation to manage bacteria, molds, and other pests; no sewage sludge as fertilizer. (Can you imagine?!)

We’ve never used any pesticides, chemicals, or synthetic additives on our farm—not in the past three years; not ever. We’ve certainly never considered sewage. Much of our inspiration for starting a farm in the first place was to do things as organically as possible, with as little interference with the natural environment as possible. So, USDA Certification was pretty seamless. The paperwork was the hard part. 🙃

Although USDA Organic is what most people are most familiar with, it’s the Sun + Earth Certification that means most to us. This is a multifaceted certification with very high standards that extend beyond farming practices to all parts of business operations. 

Requirements For Sun + Earth Certification

• Organic Regeneration. Plants must be grown under the sun, in native soil, without the use of pesticides and chemicals. Farmers must also actively build native soil quality through mulching, crop rotation, and reduced tillage. For example, use mulch to reduce conserve soil moisture and enhance habitat for beneficial flora and fauna. We support soil fertility on the farm through cover crops, compost, and homemade compost teas.
  
  
• Farmer Rights. Sun + Earth believes that for a farm to be truly regenerative, that includes the quality of life of the workers on the farm. Farm workers are a social group within agriculture who have long been exploited and marginalized. Fair wages, safe environments free from harrassment, and reasonable work schedules are considered for this certification. Regenerative farming is intended to renew the ecosystem, and people are a part of that ecosystem.
  
  
• Community Engagement. The standards include language that requires the farm to engage their local community with greater focus and intention. Certified farms must engage in a farming knowledge sharing activity annually, among other activities that actively improve their local community.  

You can learn more about Sun + Earth Certification requirements here. We are inspired by their work to highlight farms growing in regenerative ways that build a healthier planet and population and very proud to be among those who meet their standards.