The U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented strict national organic standards in October 2002, specifying practices that are required, allowed, and prohibited, and materials that are allowed and forbidden. For instance, the land on which crops are grown must have been free of pesticides and other disallowed substances for at least three years. The organic requirements apply to production and handling of fruits, vegetables, feed crops, wild crops, livestock, dairy, and processed foods.

Organic certification is evidence that an operation adheres to a prescribed system of agriculture and food production, a system that involves building and enhancing the soil naturally, protecting the environment, treating the animals humanely, and generally not using synthetic substances. To become certified, each producer must write a plan for organic production and update it each year. Organic certification requires careful recordkeeping and an annual inspection by an independent inspector.

Penn State agricultural scientists are working closely with organic producers around the state. “In Pennsylvania, most of the knowledge on organic production resides with the growers, and we benefit greatly from working collaboratively with them to identify the scientific questions, so we can address them through research,” Barbercheck notes. “It has been an educational experience for the faculty to work so closely with organic producers.”