Growing Practices Explained

Certified Growing Practices

Biodynamic: Emphasizes the total farm as a holistic organism using specific sustainable practices (most fertilizers and animal food are produced on the farm).

Regenerative: Focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting biosequestration, increasing resilience to climate change, and strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil.

Organic: Grows according to standards for organic certification, without the use of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, and without genetically engineered seeds or plants. Maintains records of the farm management plan.

Other Growing Practices

Transitional: Participating in the three-year process of becoming certified organic.

Natural: Uses growing practices that encourage a natural balance of soil fertility and animal/ plant health, prevention of diseases, and decrease of insect/pest infestation. Only non-synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides are used whenever the health of a crop or animal is endangered.

Combination: Utilizes some biodynamic, organic, or natural principles, but will use conventional methods when the health of a crop or animal is endangered.

Conventional: Utilizes conventional methods that include training and permits for use of synthetic materials to economically increase production and decrease labor costs. May use integrated pest management which avoids unnecessary use of pesticides unless insect traps indicate a significant pest problem.

Wild Harvested: May have no control over the wild environment (e.g., contaminants in our oceans or forests), but makes every effort to harvest a healthy product by choice of location, laboratory testing, or other practices. Harvesting practices ensure continuation of the species with minimal negative impact on its habitat.

Note: The terms “organic” and “biodynamic” are now registered trademarks of the USDA National Organic Program and the Demeter Association, respectively, and may not be used unless the grower or processor is certified by one of these organizations. Farms select their growing practice, and the food guide is not in a position to assure that the chosen categories are correct—that can be verified by a certifying agency or by the Mendocino County Department of Agriculture.