What does "USDA certified organic" mean?

With so many terms out there, it can be hard to keep up! So, if you're wondering what it means that our blueberries are "USDA certified organic"...You don't need to feel shy about asking - we're happy to tell you!

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1. USDA stands for the United States Department of Agriculture. 

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2. Many people don't realize that "organic" is about more than what we put (or don't put) on our berries! Here's a short description of what "organic" means:

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"Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. The organic standards describe the specific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can be labeled USDA organic. Overall, organic operations must demonstrate that they are protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and using only approved substances." (A)

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"The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.” (B)

 

Conclusion: "USDA certified organic" means that the United States Department of Agriculture has inspected (and continues to inspect) our farm to ensure that we're meeting organic standards and certifies that we are! You can even find us on the registry here to prove it! (just type in Hobbit Hill Farm)

https://organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity/

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We like to say that our berries are beyond organic because, in addition to meeting the organic standards, they are not sprayed with any chemicals at all. Our blueberries are only touched by rain and sunshine! A lot of time, thought, love, energy, and sweat goes into taking care of our blueberry plants AND the land we love. For us, it's worth it.

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(A) https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/organic-standards

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(B) https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/organic-productionorganic-food-information-access-tools