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For poultry, housing must allow for chickens to stand and move about freely and must provide access to the outdoors. Ruminant animals (such as cattle, sheep, and goats) must have access to grazing pasture for their region’s entire grazing season, and a minimum of 120 days. Animals cannot receive preventative antibiotics or added growth hormones. Each organic producer must create a management plan that explains how they will maintain soil fertility (through activities like cover cropping) and manage pests and weeds.įor livestock, all grazing land and feed must be certified organic, meaning that it was grown without using any banned pesticides or genetically modified ingredients. Instead, the program provides lists of approved and non-approved pesticides and substances. Many believe that certified organic means no pesticides, but this is a misconception. Organic regulations for produce, like fruits and vegetables, dictate what kind of pesticides farmers can use. However, very small farms that follow organic practices can use “Certified-Exempt” without going through the official certification process. Organic farms are inspected annually, and only producers that are certified and inspected by approved certification agencies may call themselves organic. Studies are mixed on whether organic food contains more nutrients, but organic produce does have less pesticide residue. Organic does not allow genetically modified seeds or inputs. Each type of product (produce, livestock, and processed products) has slightly different rules, though all emphasize prevention over treatment. Department of Agriculture establishes and oversees certified organic food rules. However, none of the labels mean that the product is local or produced by small or family farms. The organic, natural, and non-GMO food marketing labels differ in terms of what they mean and whether they are certified and inspected by government agencies. A UConn Extension expert breaks down all those confusing food marketing labels