You Asked...

What is organic?

We thought this definition from Wikipedia summed things up nicely:

Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:

  • avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge;
  • use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);
  • keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);
  • maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;
  • undergoing periodic on-site inspections.

What is local?

Technically, local means anything that's grown in this province, but we like to think even closer than that. Many of the fruits and vegetables we sell have been grown less than 40 minutes away. We try to source goods from Ontario first, Quebec, BC, and the northern US second, California third, and as a last resort, anywhere else. When we import products, we try to act as ethically as possible - as in, we only sell fairtrade organic bananas.

How do I know that something's really organic?

Organic certification. In order for a potato to be certified organic, the land on which it is grown must be free of pesticide use for at least 3 years. Each year, the farm must undergo an unscheduled visit by an inspector from an independant agency. During this inspection, the farmer must produce detailed records, including soil samples, must provide an extensive visual tour of the entire farm and facilities, and must also undergo a thorough interview. This process continues for every year that a farm is cerified organic.

What's the difference between organic and hydroponic?

The main difference is that some hydroponics growers use artificial fertilizers, instead of naturally sourced ones. Very few hydroponics growers have a need to use pesticides, and we ensure that all the farms we deal with do not.

What about those big US commercial organic farms?

Well, we like them, too. Some of them are really good at what they do, and farms like them have raised the overall standard of organic farming. Sure they're big and commercial and massive, but during the colder months, when we don't grow anything in Ontario, its nice to know that someone south of the border can be counted on to do a good job.