SEEDS MATTER

SEEDS MATTER, Part three

 WEBSITE: DIY ORGANIC GARDEN

If you purchase ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED products then the grower is obligated to use only organically certified seeds.  Don’t confuse certified seeds with organically certified seeds.  Non-organic "certified seed" is a quality standard administered through state departments of agriculture for many conventional agronomic crops. It guarantees specific requirements for germination, cleanliness and genetic purity, but does not address organic compliance.

In the NOP (National Organic Plan) under the eCFR – Code of Federal Regulations

TITLE 7--Agriculture

Subtitle B--REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

CHAPTER I--AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

SUBCHAPTER M--ORGANIC FOODS PRODUCTION ACT PROVISIONS

in Subpart C—Organic Production and Handling Requirements you will find 205.204 which is the Seeds and Planting stock practice standard.  

 205.204   Seeds and planting stock practice standard.

(a) The producer must use organically grown seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock: Except, That,
(1) Nonorganically produced, untreated seeds and planting stock may be used to produce an organic crop when an equivalent organically produced variety is not commercially available: Except, That, organically produced seed must be used for the production of edible sprouts;
(2) Nonorganically produced seeds and planting stock that have been treated with a substance included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production may be used to produce an organic crop when an equivalent organically produced or untreated variety is not commercially available;
(3) Nonorganically produced annual seedlings may be used to produce an organic crop when a temporary variance has been granted in accordance with § 205.290(a)(2);
(4) Nonorganically produced planting stock to be used to produce a perennial crop may be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced only after the planting stock has been maintained under a system of organic management for a period of no less than 1 year; and
(5) Seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock treated with prohibited substances may be used to produce an organic crop when the application of the materials is a requirement of Federal or State phytosanitary regulations.

 WOW!  Are you more confused than when you started?  Well the Federal Government did an additional favor for giving you GUIDELINES for these practices.  These guidelines are in the NOP – NationalOrganic Plan Handbook a 64 page book of guidelines for various practices.

 On this page about mid way down is a Table of Contents PDF a 4 page document, if you click on that and scroll down you will see guidelines for 4.1 Sourcing of Seeds, Annual Seedlings, and Planting Stock . 

 Click on that and the guideline will appear, which is a 6 page document.  Inside that document is describes how the seeds must be Organic, how they can be treated or not treated, when you can use non-organic seeds if you can not find certified organic seeds etc with reference to more documents and guidelines base on the type of seed you are going to use.

WHEW.  How does anyone get certified?  Basically you look for the regulations that apply to what you are planting.  If you are going to be planting cotton then it has special requirements etc.  Most larger operations will be doing a fairly regular scheme so corn soybeans and some kind of cover crop.  For those that have a variety vegetable garden like mine they research all the plants for Certified Organic varieties.

My ORGANIC PLAN is to create my own seeds and seedlings. 

NOTE:  (a) The producer must use organically grown seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock, it does not say must use CERTIFIED organic.  However if Certified seeds are available they must be used but "organically grown" is the phrase I am utilizing to plan my garden, moving from untreated seeds to one I grow myself so the second year planting I have ORGANICALLY GROWN SEEDS.

I purchased organic pepper seeds last year and tried to find varieties of untreated seeds or heir loom seeds for the remaining crops, tomatoes, squashes, cabbage, lettuces etc.  I dried most of the vegetable seeds that I could for planting seedlings this year.  These dried varieties, even though they did not start as Organically Certified were grown organically, they were not hybrids, were not treated when I bought them so in the second year they are Organic seeds.  

I documented the best I knew how my organic scheme for 2012.  NOP requires that accurate records be kept.  I couldn’t find what they meant by accurate records last year(2012) so I did the best I could. 

This year (2013) I have found “templates” that give examples of the type of records keeping that is necessary.  Suffice it to say my record keeping last year was not up to par.  This year I am writing more down with two different excel spread sheets and a couple of Word documents.  In Blogs to follow I will be giving examples of these.

If your have a small back yard garden the record keeping does not have to get as deep as I will describe.  I am wanting to say that I grow Organically and sell my products at Farmers Markets as Organically grown so I qualify under the NOP provision of  "Exemptions and Exclusions” I will not be getting my Organic Certification.  I will be selling under $5,000 in product so I am exempt.  However, I must follow all the NOP rules.

 In gardens where the grower will not be selling I recommend:

·        buying organic seeds when you can or can afford them,

·        learning how to dry seeds to cut down on your garden expenses

·        try starting your own seedlings to also save money on plant purchases.

When you grow your own you know what is in the soil to start with and know exactly what was in the soil while it was growing before it was picked by you to eat.  Complete quality control.

Here is a copy of how I have set up on Excel Spreadsheet to record my seed types

seed variety	company	purchase from	dried from 2012	organic	untreated
Roma Tomatoes	Ferry Morris		yes	yes
Jubilee yellow tomato	Ferry Morris		yes	yes
Rutgers tomato	American Seed	Dollar Store	yes	yes
beefsteak tomato	american seed	Dollar Store	no	no
large red cherry tomatoes,	American Seed	Dollar Store	yes	yes
Eggplant, Black Beauty,	American Seed	Dollar Store	yes	yes
Okra Clemson Spineless	American Seed	Dollar Store	yes	yes
Swiss Chard	Botanical Interests	Starks, 2013			yes
Kale, Italian Lacinato	Botanical Interests	Starks, 2013		yes
Jalapeno Pepper	Botanical Interests	Starks, 2012	yes	yes
Cayenne Blend Pepper	Botanical Interests	Starks, 2012	yes	yes
Chili Pepper	Botanical Interests	Starks, 2012	yes	yes
National Pickling Cucumber	American Seed	Dollar Store

 Try planting Organic only.  See what the difficulties on finding seeds or plants that are organically grown.  It only takes one small garden for you to realize just how exacting and difficult it is to plant and harvest only organic.  It gives a person an appreciation for processes that certified Organic Growers do every year to supply the public with healthy vitamin rich products.  Buy organic in your local grocer stores when you can.  The more the public buys and appreciates the efforts made by the Agricultural community to turn the food chain back into a healthy food market the lower the prices will go with the quality continuing to rise.  One or two purchases a year is all it takes to help yourself, your family and the Nation.  TRY SOME KIND OF ORGANIC PRODUCT THIS MONTH.

ADDITIONAL WEBSITES:

ORGANIC SEED ALLIANCE: