Overview

1. Overview • Conventional Farming • Organic farming • Video: My Father’s Garden • The difference between conventional farming and organic farming • Why are organic foods more expensive?

2. Conventional Farming • 1940’s began farming with agri-chemicals • Fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides • 1972 Congress ordered the EPA to test all pesticides for potential hazards. • All agri-chemicals can remain until EPA proves dangerous • 1990’s pesticide companies focus on genetic engineering • Using agri-chemicals and GE seeds is the predominate way food is grown in U.S. so it is now called “conventional” farming

3. Organic Farming • Based on : • Using natural, renewable fertilizer and pesticides • Compost, manure, Bt • Farming in a way that maintains and replenishes the life and nutrients in the soil. • The farmer feeds the living organisms in the soil. • Handful of organic soil – 5 billion microorganisms • Primary methods used: • Crop diversity • Crop rotation • Biological pest control

4. Organic Foods • Grown without conventional pesticides or fertilizers • Animals are fed organic feed and raised without use of antibiotics • Produced without genetically engineered seeds • Processed without irradiation or food additives

5. Why are organics more expensive? • Small number of organic farmers (less supply means higher price). • Labor intensive farming techniques. • True cost of growing our food in a way that replenishes the soil & preserves water. • No soil degradation • No surface water (lake and river) pollution • No ground water contamination

6. Agrichemicals in Produce • Dirty Dozen app by Environmental Working Group (www.foodnews.org) • The Dirty Dozen: A list of produce with the highest agrichemical residue • Clean 15: A list of produce with least amount of agrichemical residue