is it worth being organically certified?

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is it worth being organically certified?
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is it worth having organic certification

yes

[ 2 ]

90%

[ 20 ]

Total Votes : 22

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Dumnonian

Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 67
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 8:55 am Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

I believe that most consumers are more interested in their food being ethically produced rather than organic. We looked into the certification and it was the same whether you have 5 acres or 500 acres - bloody expensive.

I would advise marketig on the basis of ethics, rather than a certificate.

Totally agree.

We need a system of Biodiversity Certification if anything.

The Soil Association's really gone downhill from what it was. It used to be a holistic approach for everyone to re-connect with the environment (see Peckham experiment, for example). Now all it is is a niche club for the chattering classes - in my humble opinion -

Not seen any mention of "organic status" on the WWOOF website. But they have had to climb on the insurance gravy train, and that might cost a bit, depending ...

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:05 am Post subject:
I sell a small amount of my veg in a good year to one regular customer and clients in the gite - it is virtually organically produced (certainly no chemicals applied) and I sell it as that - priced somewhere between the cheapest supermarket produce and the organic price.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 11:14 am Post subject:

Katieowl wrote:

My neighbours who sells veg from their smallholding in the summer calls their produce "Naturally Produced" She explains to her customers that they don't use any chemicals in the growing. They didn't go down the certified organic route because of cost. When she's been in the market, one of her cabbages costs 50p, the organic bloke on the next stall charges �2.50!

If your 'target market' is local, promoting your brand in the same way as my neighbour, I think you'd get a reputation for having 'good stuff' anyway, and save the �� to grow your business another way!

Kate

Does Mary-Jane have a second career as a discount cabbage salesperkin then? It would explain her need for that posh tunnel thing.

Katieowl

Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4317
Location: West Wales

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 11:50 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

Does Mary-Jane have a second career as a discount cabbage salesperkin then? It would explain her need for that posh tunnel thing.

I do have OTHER neighbours you know

this isn't hillbilly territory!

Kate

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 1:42 pm Post subject:

Katieowl wrote:

sean wrote:

Does Mary-Jane have a second career as a discount cabbage salesperkin then? It would explain her need for that posh tunnel thing.

I do have OTHER neighbours you know

this isn't hillbilly territory!

Kate

Oy - they're my neighbours too y'know! In fact I deliver boxes of their veg up to the uni each week in season.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 6:10 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

Not sure whether you need to be certified to host wwoofers - you certainly don't for HelpX, which is similar and some DSers have hosted folk under that scheme.

I have a colleague who has Wwoofers and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have paid for certification. Will check next time I see her.

Yorkshire Lass

Joined: 26 Jan 2011
Posts: 126
Location: York

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 6:58 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

A cheaper alternative to organic registration.

Can anyone tell me more? Are there any restrictions on feeding (for pork products), worming, general care of the pigs, etc?

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 8:12 pm Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

Katieowl wrote:

sean wrote:

Does Mary-Jane have a second career as a discount cabbage salesperkin then? It would explain her need for that posh tunnel thing.

I do have OTHER neighbours you know

this isn't hillbilly territory!

Kate

Oy - they're my neighbours too y'know! In fact I deliver boxes of their veg up to the uni each week in season.

Do you? How much do you grow Katie? Would there be enough for me to collect an occasional box? I cannot see me growing much this year except possibly tomatoes.

Katieowl

Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4317
Location: West Wales

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 8:40 am Post subject:
It's not me or MJ! It's a third neighbour!!! She sells from the gate, and also delivers quite locally (in the cardigan area). You're 'up the other end' aren't you? Kate

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 8:57 am Post subject:

Cathryn wrote:

Would there be enough for me to collect an occasional box? I cannot see me growing much this year except possibly tomatoes.

Can't see it being a problem. I can add you to the round-robin email that I send out each week.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 9:17 am Post subject:

Yorkshire Lass wrote:

Tavascarow wrote:

A cheaper alternative to organic registration.

Can anyone tell me more? Are there any restrictions on feeding (for pork products), worming, general care of the pigs, etc?

It's an open gate pledge, basically the only restriction is that you are honest. If you are worming every five minutes and feeding soya you'll get a bad reputation, but you won't be shot.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 9:22 am Post subject:
https://www.wholesome-food.org/join-here/rules-and-regulations/ Yeah, it seems very woolly, relying on transparency and trust. Not especially a bad thing.

Mrs R

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 7202

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 10:02 am Post subject:

I don't think it does rely on trust, it relies on the customer satisfying themselves, rather than contracting the job out to another body, who may not care about the same things as them, or have the same standards. It means that this producer is happy to show you their production methods, and discuss it with you - then you can look at what you care about in particular for yourself, and even ask them to change things if you wanted!

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 10:05 am Post subject:

Quote:

In these cases, we expect producers to declare their sources and types of feed on their pledge and to ensure that all feed is free from GMOs and antibiotics.

That's trust, unless someone's auditing it, checking records, ensuring that's all that fed etc etc.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 4:05 pm Post subject:
We've just had an audit, customers are welcome to do their own though.

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