Organic foods are becoming increasingly popular. People are thrilled that they are eating food that is one hundred percent natural, that there is no risk of consuming any harmful pesticides. What people don’t understand is how they know the tomatoes and chicken that is sold in the produce section is actually organically grown. What is to prevent the nurseries and farmers from saying they are growing organic produce, and charging their customers a higher price for the product? What, many consumers wonder, makes an organic plant nursery organic?

Becoming Organic

Along time ago people said that a man’s word was his bond. That unless it was proven otherwise anything they said was taken as gospel. While that old adage sounds wonderful and for the most part true, there are times when a person will lie, this is especially true when there is money involved. Because there is money to be made in selling organic produce the government requires that farms and organic plant nurseries prove that they truly produce food products that are grown 100% organically.

Becoming Certified

An organic plant nursery to sell organically grown plants the government has to be certified by the government. One of the first things the organic plant nursery owner needs to do is contact the Department of Agriculture who will put in touch with a organic certification agency.

Once the organic plant nursery owner has been given the name of the certification agency they will have to fill out and turn in a application for certification. The organic plant nursery should be prepared to send in an application fee with their application. A large part of the application will be a questionnaire that will ask about the nursery’s seeds and seedlings, soil fertility planning, storage and handling routines, nursery history, weed and pest management practices, and the materials that are used in the organic plant nursery.

After the completed application has been turned in, members of the agency will consider the application. One of the big things they will be looking at is whether the nursery owner is worth the time it will take to inspect the nurseries organic growing process.

If the certification agency likes the organic plant nursery’s application they will arrange to inspect the nursery. When they are inspecting the nursery they will be asking questions and making sure that the nursery complies with all of the regulations and criteria of organically grown plants. The nursery owner should be prepared for the agency to inspect every building, shed, and bag that is on the property, as well as any equipment the nursery owner uses. They will also want to look at the nursery owners record books.

After the on site inspection the only thing left for the nursery owner to do is to continue growing plants until they get a final review from the organic agency. With any luck the review will be an approval for organic certification and the nursery will be able to legally sell organically grown plants.