WE ARE CERTIFIED ORGANIC!
Exciting news!!! We are officially certified organic!!!
After months of paperwork, an on-site inspection, and a bit of $$, we made it through the process. Overall, it was fairly smooth, especially because our plots were previously pasture, which meant we didn’t have to go through the three-year transition period that many farms converting to organic face.
WHAT DOES ‘CERTIFIED ORGANIC’ ACTUALLY MEAN?
It means our growing practices meet a defined set of standards - no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers, no GMOs, and a focus on building soil health and ecological balance. It’s a regulated system designed to create holistic accountability, transparency and traceability in how food is grown and land is cared for in our global food system.
In the U.S., inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, food additives such as dyes, and growth hormones are often allowed in the food we eat until proven harmful, a reactive and often destructive approach. Organic certification, in contrast, leans more proactive: inputs must be shown to be safe before they’re allowed.
Certified organic, as we know it today, is actually fairly recent. While organic farming practices have existed for generations, the official certification system in the U.S. was established in 2002 through the USDA’s National Organic Program. As a consumer, you can reference the National Organic Program to better understand what is allowed under the organic label and what isn’t.
The creation of certification was a response to a growing demand for transparency and consistency. As the realities of conventional agriculture became more widely understood and organic food gained popularity, there needed to be a shared definition and a way to verify it. That’s where the current system comes in. It’s not perfect, but it creates a baseline. It is a common language that helps communicate expectations between farmers and eaters.
ON MY SOAP BOX
Relying on bureaucracy to guarantee safe and thoughtful food production can feel a little backwards. To us, it’s a sign of a broken system. One of our main motivations for farming is to help build a food system that is integrous rather than extractive.
In a perfect world, everyone would grow food in a way that cares for the soil, the land, and the people eating it. But the reality is more complicated and often disheartening. Shortcuts exist, margins are tight, and long-term stewardship isn’t prioritized. Even the full impact of an industrial farming system (one reliant on fossil fuels and heavy tillage) isn’t fully understood.
That’s part of what makes terms like “regenerative” so difficult to define. What it means to truly support healthy soil, plants, and people is still evolving. Land stewardship carries so much nuance and context that it’s hard to draw clear lines around what should be regulated and held accountable.
We didn’t get certified to raise our prices or for marketing. We did it to offer proof and peace of mind. As people who care deeply about what goes into our bodies, we value having a clear standard to help guide decisions, whether at the grocery store or the farmers market. We want to offer that same clarity to you.
At the same time, organic certification is not the end-all-be-all. It’s a step, a baseline, but it doesn’t capture the full picture. Important pieces are left out, like fair pay and worker representation, or practices like soil cover and reduced tillage.
Our food system needs deeper change. Stronger connections between farmers and community, more education and value around agriculture, and a closer relationship between what we eat and how the land is cared for.
This is the shit we really care about. We could go on and on. It’s why we farm the way we do, and why we hope Tomorro Farm can be part of a better food system.
& a reminder — our very first farmstand is happening April 12th, 11 - 2pm!
Come shop and get your hands on our produce for the first time.
A few notes:
– Bike and get 10% off
– Bagels and drinks provided by @thirdspacebagels
– First come, first serve
– Farm tour to follow at 2 pm
The location link should now be working, but reach out if you have any trouble finding us. Excited to see yall soon!
Your organic farmers,
Jake & Jesse :)