BTW, the land where I grow my produce had laid fallow for more than 5 years before I planted my crops. I fertilize with compost and cow/horse manure. Why should I pay a bureaucrat to certify that my crops are "organic"? Why should the onus be set upon me to prove that the manure had been produced from animals fed only from "organic" sources?
All this regulation is not only obtuse, but it also raises the prices for the products which go to market. I am for tomato's which cost less than $1.00/lbs., corn on the cob for less than 50 cents per ear, or potato's which cost less than $3.00 for a 5lbs bag. These prices were in the Ft. Sam Houston Commissary yesterday.
Is that part of the requirements of getting certified organic? That is the reason people pay extra for the certified organic food. It's because they want to know where their food comes from and how it was raised. What's in the manure is what gets in the food. Why else would you need to use it?
I'm all for cheap food, don't get me wrong but I am also for quality as is most people who buy certified organic. The price will come down as the market continues to grow but if it's going to be compromised then what is the point?