This post contains information that will help you make informed decisions when you buy. The health and well-being of you and your family may well depend on the knowledge you gain here.
A reader emailed me with several questions. In the process of asking questions, she mentioned that she had found a chart on the National Organic Program, the OMRI seal, and the ties to Big Food entitled “A Perfect Picture of Corruption”. (link is given at the end of this post)
She may have read a previous post on TMG about the OMRI seal and wondered if the information it contains is still valid. For the products the post discusses (cow manure and mushroom compost) I would say the information is still valid.
As I’ve warned in all posts discussing the (NOP) National Organic Program and the OMRI seal – we always need to question and stay current with the changes and the continuing decline of the NOP.
It has the OMRI seal? What’s that?
The OMRI seal (Organic Materials Review Institute) on a product determines whether or not a product qualifies as organic under the USDA’S National Organic Program (NOP).
If a product qualifies as organic under the USDA’s NOP (National Organic Program) standards, does that mean it’s totally organic?
Not any more.
Why not?
At one time you could (for the most part) depend on a product being 100% organic if it met NOP’s standards and carried the OMRI seal.
As organic became more and more popular and more “Big Food” companies saw that there’s profit to be made with “organic”, they used their money and power to maneuver their way into controlling positions in the National Organic Program.
Corporate Influence Takes Over; thus Hydroponics
One of the best examples of corporate take over was the Nov. 2017 vote by the National Organic Standards Board to allow hydroponic productions to be eligible for organic certification.
Real organic requires soil rather than liquid fertilizer. Real nutrients come from the soil, not a man made concoction pumped through containers filled with coco coir. rockwool, or peat. But because of the money involved in hydroponics, the hydroponic industry was voted into “organic”.
No matter what the label says on hydroponics, it’s NOT organic.
A great percentage of tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, blueberries, strawberries, spinach, spring onions, basil, coriander (and I’m not sure what else) that’s in the produce area of grocery stores are raised using the hydroponic method.
Unfortunately more than 35% of hydroponic fruits and vegetables are not labeled as hydroponics. Nothing says they have to be labeled hydroponic. They will however be labeled with the OMRI seal as organic.
They’re not.
Think Man-Made is Just as Good as Nature’s?
If you’re new to all this and think that man-made chemicals are just as good as those produced by nature you’re not alone. The chemical industry is very powerful and they’ve been putting out that kind of propaganda for decades.
Thus, it’s pretty much ingrained in most of us — unless we’ve had reason to look for and find the truth.
Want to Make a Step Towards Finding Out Some of the Truth?
If you’re interested in finding the truth, a fun and easy way to start your research is to watch a video by Dr. Richard Schultz, a pioneer in herbal medicine. He explains why ascorbic acid is NOT vitamin C and if you stick with him for a bit, he does it in way that will entertain you and hold your interest.
He also goes on to explain that synthetic “anything” is created in the first place because it’s cheaper than the real thing.
You can watch it here: https://www.herbdoc.com/blog/video/dr-schulzes-vip-super-c-plus
The Decline of NOP Has Been Publicly Documented
Dr. Francis Thicke, a scientist specializing in soil fertility AND an organic farmer for more than 30 years, documented publicly what’s going on in the NOP when he finished his 5 year term on the National Organic Standards Board and gave his farewell address.
He was very specific in pointing out how organic principles had not been adhered to and the lack of integrity that now exists in the National Organic Program.
I outlined the points he documented in this post written in December of 2017 under the paragraph entitled “Board Member Lays Out the Facts for Public Record in Farewell Address”.
Does This Mean We Should Forget Buying Organic?
NO!
Although the organic label does not always mean superior quality it does provide a way (at this point in time) to make sure you don’t get certain harmful ingredients that would most likely be in products that are not certified organic. For example – you can avoid most gmo products with products that are OMRI certified.
Chocolate is the exception I know about. Read labels carefully. If it has any kind of soy in it, it’s almost sure to be GMO soy unless it specifically says “organic soy —“ .
Also watch for the word “organic” at the beginning of a list of ingredients. For example: organic rice, wheat, soy, yeast, oil, etc. That means that the rice is organic but the other ingredients are not.
Are GMO’s Harmful?
There was a study published as far back as 2011 telling of the harmful effects of GMOs. It remained “buried” for a long while. In recent months it was picked up by Mike Adams of Natural News. He did a video telling how GMO foods alter organ function and pose a health threat to humans.
You’ll be amazed when you hear how dangerous they are to our health!
If you don’t already know about this, you may want to invest the few minutes needed to watch this informative video:
https://www.brighteon.com/5858508019001
Final Thoughts
I urge you to review my previous post for even more details.
As promised here’s the link to the chart found about the National Organic Program, OMRI seal, and the ties to Big Food.
https://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Corruption-Chart.jpg
I’ll answer the other questions asked on seed starting mix, fertilizing flower gardens and earthworms in the next post.
Stay tuned.
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Related Posts
Information to Think On Before Your Purchase Food —
The Word Organic Without the OMRI Seal Doesn’t Mean Much
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All content including photos is copyrighted by TendingMyGarden.com. All Rights Reserved.
On or about March 18, 2019 I wrote Stark Brothers Nurseries and asked them if their “Jobes Organic Blood Meal” was in fact organic and the reply I received was:
“LeAnn answered:
“The manufacturer, Jobes Organics, claims this is “100% organic bone meal”, which they could not state if the derivation source was contaminated with synthetic or chemical elements.”
I find it interesting that they ‘claim’ to be organic, but cannot say whether the feed fed to the originating cattle blood source was in fact organic or GMO. So, at what point does it turn “organic”?
I have done business with Stark Brothers for many years, and will continue to do so, but with caution when it comes to ordering fertilizers.
Graham, I wrote about blood meal and bone meal back in 2014. Here’s the link: https://tendingmygarden.com/blood-meal-bone-meal-reasons-i-dont-use-them/
If organic materials (like plant resiudes) are replenished in the soil each year, there is no need for purchased fertilizers.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Theresa
For Graham and Everyone:
Just wanted to add this:
Most manufacturers (or anyone who sells products) take advantage of the fact that the word organic refers to all living things or material that comes from living things. The public can easily be deceived with this word.
For example the most poluted manure or blood meal or bone meal or even gmo corn can be called “organic” because they do in fact stem from living things.
When Jobes Organics replied to Graham that it was “100% organic bone meal” — indeed bone meal is organic. But in this case, being certified organic and bearing the OMRI seal is what we would be looking for.
As Graham pointed out, caution is a key.
Knowledge gives us more power to make sure we’re getting what we want.
Theresa
I appreciate all of this wonderful information! Thanks for your work on this vital topic!
Rebecca, if you haven’t already, be sure to read the post I wrote on this in 2017 for even more information.
https://tendingmygarden.com/information-to-think-on-before-you-purchase-food-hydroponics-afo-cafo-meats-vitamins-and-grain-for-your-animals-you-might-think-is-organic/
Theresa