Consumers are demanding healthier products without giving up taste so the producers and processors of our food are seeing this demand, and are coming up with healthier options to offer consumers. What do they mean when something is labeled organic, or all natural?

Organic

To be labeled organic, strict rules and regulations need to be followed. The growers must have a written account of everything that has been fed to meat animals and applied to land used to grow meat animals and commodities. Everything applied needs to be organic. They must have a detailed plan and records which are periodically checked by a government inspector who also tests the water and soil.

When a producer decides to go organic his land must be organic for three years before he can sell as organic, so in order to start raising crops organically there is a huge financial curve that needs to be overcome, before the larger dollar amounts for the organic commodity can be received. The government regulates this process, so when you go to grocery store and something is labeled organic, you can be sure it is grown without pesticides, chemicals and commercial fertilizers. Farmers that are organic use a lot of mechanical tillage, crop rotations, natural fertilizer and rotational grazing.

Natural

Words like all natural, grass-fed and corn-fed are words we’re seeing a lot of lately. As for grass-fed or corn-fed, they generally mean what they say. Grass-fed means the cattle were raised on grass their whole life. Corn-fed means the cattle were fed a corn based ration until finished. Check with the products label to see if it’s something you are looking for.

All-natural seems to be a word used a lot in the meat industry. It can mean just about anything, from how the animal was raised to what it is being fed, to how it was processed. When you see the ‘all-natural’ words on a product, you need to read the label or research the company’s Web site. For example, according to their Web site, ‘Hormel All Natural’ means that in the processing area they use no funny ingredients, no msgs, no preservatives, etc. They do not say anything about how the animal was raised. At Niman Ranch’s, according to their Web site, beef and pork are being fed no growth hormones and no antibiotics, but say nothing about the processing side. Here are two companies using the words all-natural in there promotions, but have two different meanings.

What does this all mean?

The words on the package might not be exactly what you’re thinking. Most companies are adjusting their products to become more healthy and humane, and making some changes, either in processing, growing or both. Consumers are becoming more cautious as to what they are eating and are looking for alternatives. With all the E. coli scares and recalls and the animal abuse recalls, the consumer is demanding more knowledge of what’s going on. So companies are using certain words to promote their products. In order for the consumer to be sure what they are buying they should read the label, research the Web site of the product, or talk to the grower to see if it meets their standards.

The farmers market is a place where the consumer can meet the grower and ask all the questions, as to the history of the product, and see if it’s what they want. Rather than rely on a word, ask the source. There is beef, pork, elk and chicken available and you can ask the growers all the questions that go along with the product, and a few more like the age of animal, what age do you process, what were they fed and how where they cared for. These are all important questions that you can only get answered from a local direct marketing producer.

At the farmers market most of the produce is picked the same day, and everything is locally raised. August is primetime at the farmers market. A lot of vegetables and produce are becoming available. Sweet corn is starting to ripen and becoming more available. You can also find fresh cut flowers, homemade lefsa, as well as many craft items. Entertainment is available most days. And the weather has been excellent. The Farmers market is located at the North parking lot, Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.