All-natural Roots: History of Organic Farming Methods
September 4th, 2009 Posted in Green Living & News
“Organic” is in the air. Everyone’s talking about it, from agriculture to…zagriculture?
Organic farming is all the rage, but where did it come from?
Surprisingly, it’s not as new of an idea as one may think.
When it started
One could argue that it started thousands of years ago, when the first homo sapiens started farming instead of gathering. (We won’t go back that far.)
Modern organic farming can be dated back to the 1940’s, shortly after World War II, when chemical pesticides and fertilizers were becoming more widespread.
J.I. Rodale
The organic movement in the U.S. started with J.I. Rodale, founder of the U.S. Soil Association, which is now known as the Rodale Institute.
Rodale believed farming with chemicals was harmful and that using soil rich in nutrients, not chemicals, was the safest way to go.
Rodale was also a publisher, first releasing his ideas on organic farming in his institute’s magazines, including Organic Gardening and Farming.
He farmed most of his life, running a farm in Pennsylvania until his death at age 72.
Rodale Institute
After J.I. Rodale’s death, his organization moved on, working to create more organic farming practices throughout the U.S.
In 1981, the Farming Systems Trials began looking into the transition from conventional to organic farming. The trial now studies soil enrichment and quality improvement.
The research also put forth the notion that organic farming is the most efficient way to combat global warming.
After ten years of lobbying, the Rodale Institute saw the 1990 Farm Bill passed, which created the National Organic Program (NOP) to set standards for the production and labeling of organic food. The standards were put into place in 2002.
Organic now
NOP now issues the “USDA Organic” seal, which affirms foods meet all the criteria for organic growing on a yearly basis. The process to be certified takes three years of organic growing.
Many U.S. farms are either organic or in transition to be organic.
Organic growing is possible in your own garden as well, and it’s effective in more ways than one.
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5 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!
By wendy Rock on Sep 9, 2009
I learned something new from reading this.
By Melina Messenger on Sep 10, 2009
I learned something too, and it was interesting even though I don’t have any interest in farming or even gardening in my own yard.
By bil on Sep 13, 2009
This was interesting; but I would also like to know is if he also no tilled and how or what he did or used for weeds and insects.
By detoxdietlady on Oct 3, 2009
every food that we eat should come from Organic Farming. i really get scared about those toxins coming from chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. I only eat foods which are certified that they are organically grown