A set of federal guidelines for organic production, called The National Organic Program, was released by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), on October 21, 2002 under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

All agricultural products labeled 'organic' have to be in compliance with these guidelines.

A grower or processor that is certified organic must meet or exceed all regulations, including:

Organic farms must:
Use organic or untreated seeds and apply no prohibited materials for 3 years prior to certification.
Implement Organic Plans with proactive soil building, conservation, nutrient management, pest management and crop rotation systems.
Organic livestock operations must:
Provide outdoor access for all animals and pasture for ruminants.
Use 100% organic feed.
Not use antibiotics, growth hormones or GMOs
Organic processing operations must:
Not use ingredients that are genetically engineered, grown with the use of sewage sludge, GMOs, irradiated or produced with volatile synthetic solvents.

Products cannot be labeled "organic" that have not actually been certified, so look for the USDA seal on products labeled 'organic'—it's your way of knowing that the products you are buying are truly organic.

My niece, Adrianne, who lives in Danville, just brought home a hen from school. Now we have dreams of fresh eggs warm from the chicken every morning! A bit premature, but we'd know good quality eggs.

I was on retreat once at a Trappist monastery in Colorado. My chore for the first few days? Shoveling chicken poop. The eggs were the best I ever had though, and more than enough compensation for the messy work.