Local farmers whose produce stocks the shelves of natural food stores or the stands at the biweekly Farmers Market feed a local appetite for organic food not readily found at commercial food grocers.
But the number of growers who can formally classify their products under the “certified organic” label might be dwindling.
Kevin Tidd, co-owner of natural foods store The Farmacy, 28 W. Stimson Ave., said the certification process is so pricey that some farmers who grow products via organic processes cannot afford the certification.
The certification can cost growers $800 or more per year, and many certifications exceed $1,000 each year.
“It’s basically squeezed the small farmer out of organics, unfortunately,” Tidd said.
Carrie Tidd, co-owner of The Farmacy and Kevin’s wife, said she and Kevin are wont to purchase certain food labels they know are produced chemical-free, even if they lack the certification.
One of the few reprieves for small-scale growers is that those with an income less than $5,000 can forego the certification process and tell consumers they “raise organic products,” said Rod Nippert, owner of Bodacious Berries, which sells organically grown berries.
Those who make more than $5,000 a year can say only that their produce is “chemical free.”
Nippert, who sells his berries at the Athens Farmers Market, has been growing organically since 2005.
“They exempt you,” he said. “You can say that you are ‘raising organic products,’ but you can’t say that you have ‘certified (organic) products.’ ”
However, Gregory Howard, co-owner of Gibson Ridge Farm with his wife Geraldine, said he believes the certification process is vital to the farmer selling the products.
“You have to go through that process to understand it,” he said. “Really, it is much deeper than they think.”
Howard, who first certified his produce in 1996, said he is recertified each year, which costs him more than $1,000 each time.
He said the certification process includes checking where seeds are purchased and how many of those seeds are planted, transplanted and harvested.
Fertilizers, minerals and animal feeds must also meet certain standards.
In addition, land must be free of non-organic inputs for at least three years before it can be used for certified organic growing.
“Basically, if you follow the rules and pay your money and fill out the paperwork, you can get certified,” said Mike Hamilton, owner at Shade River Organic Farm.
Hamilton said that when he originally certified his farm’s produce in 1989, it cost $150. More recently, it costs him about $850 to recertify each year.
“Just like anything, inflation hit the certification process,” he said.
Hamilton added that of the vendors at the Athens County Farmers Market who claim to grow organically, only about four or five of them are certified.
“I seriously doubt half the people (who aren’t certified) are actually organic all the way,” he said. “Because they aren’t getting certified, they’re not following all the rules. They probably don’t know what all the rules are.”
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