September 6, 2001

September Is Organic Harvest Month

September is the month to harvest gardens produce, but more specifically September has been designated Organic Harvest Month, says a North Dakota State University horticulturist.

"After a decade of indecision, the mandate of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 was fulfilled in late 2000 with a final ruling of a single national standard for certified organic foods," says Ron Smith of the NDSU Extension Service.

This new national standard eliminates the discrepancies between the various state and private certifiers. Starting in late 2002, the federal rule will call for organic certified produce to be labeled "USDA Organic."

"This will give consumers the benefit of knowing exactly what the standards are, and that they will be consistent from store to store and state to state" Smith says.

Organic farming and gardening means less negative environmental impact and more nutritious fruits and vegetables, he says. A doctoral candidate at Johns Hopkins University reviewed 41 studies comparing the levels of 35 vitamins and minerals in organically and conventionally grown produce. Organics came out higher in most nutrients measured, and with significantly less potentially harmful nitrate from high nitrogen fertilizers. The greatest differences were found in magnesium (29 percent more for organics), vitamin C (27 percent more) and iron (21 percent more).

She then used the USDA recommendation of five daily servings of fruits and vegetables and calculated that organic produce would provide an average of 89 milligrams of vitamin C daily while conventional produce would average 70 milligrams of vitamin C. Organic produce would provide 3.7 milligrams of iron daily compared to 3.0 for conventional produce and 80 milligrams of magnesium compared to 68.6 milligrams for conventional.

Smith says the organic produce harvest today is worth an estimated $6 to $7 billion in the U.S. and growing at double-digit rates.

"Local supermarkets are readily cashing in on the organic food interest, with many turning over significant store space to such products. Many farmer's markets also have produce that is organically produced, giving the consumer the advantage of making purchases from local growers, which helps the regional economy," he says.

Organic production of fruits and vegetables ties in with the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 which mandates that all pesticides registered with the EPA be re-evaluated in terms of their risk to children. With no pesticide being used in production, the concern for residue is eliminated.

For more information on organic production and harvesting, Internet resources include: Organic Consumers Association, www.purefood.org ; National Organic Program, www.ams.usda.gov/nop , Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org and Rodale Institute, www.rodaleinstitute.org .

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Source: Ron Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu