That said, being allowed to use organic ingredients and call your finished product "organic" is regulated by each state. Personally, I don't know of a state that allows it, but there may be some out there. To call your finished product organic usually requires certification of the seller. (Remember, I can't vouch for every state.) If you're a seller of "organic" products, then you need to be up on what your state allows. You also need to include, somewhere on the packaging, the info that tells the buyer which state certified the product. If you're a buyer of "organic" products, you definitely need to know state requirements, before spending all that extra money.

We have been raising our own herbs and turning them into "medicinal" products for our family for twenty years now. Actually, we've been in three states during that time, too: Florida, Tennessee, and Ohio. Here in Ohio (where we've been for 15+ years), we have farm land all around us and quite a few people who grow "organically". Personally, our property hasn't had anything "unnatural" applied to it for over 20 years. There ARE farmers around us, though, who practice no-till farming. Obviously, their airborne poison mixes with our "clean" air, so we could never be "certified" organic. I would buy from someone like us, though, rather than someone certified by the state of California. Many people have small stores and farms around here who can't become certified by the state of Ohio but have very organically-grown produce. We try to buy from them, what we don't grow ourselves.

(FYI: the Amish around here, in general, are the absolute worst. They spray/dump/dust/dunk with everything they can get their hands on. People will buy their stuff, though, because they're Amish. Very sad for many careful growers in this area who produce a quality, natural product.)

Does all this matter? We think it does. Choices have consequences, and we try our best to make the right choices, when it comes to what we put into our bodies. That said, I'm going to go and eat that breakfast with its pan gravy and buttermilk biscuits. Makes up for all that clean, healthy eating . . .

"(FYI: the Amish around here, in general, are the absolute worst. They spray/dump/dust/dunk with everything they can get their hands on. People will buy their stuff, though, because they're Amish. Very sad for many careful growers in this area who produce a quality, natural product.)"

Yes, I did know about this.   It is very scary how little the average buyer knows.    I ask questions of the growers at farm/flea markets to see what they know/do.   many times they aren't even the growers - they are re-sellers.   I want to know how they garden ie: do they use hand tools or pollution causing gas tillers (I use hand tools whenever possible but will use a tiller if I have to in really tough spots), do they make their own fertilizer aka compost and composted manure (rabbit poo doesn't need to compost first) OR do they use chemical fertilizers that can burn the plants and kills beneficial micro-organisims in the soil, how do they handle bugs and diseases ... ?

If I don't like their answers, I wont buy their stuff.

I too grow as much as I can myself, but only have 1 acre and limited help.   My health is not great and limits what I can do.

Between these things I do have to buy some of my produce and all meats except beef.   I get my beef from hubby's family.   They raise Angus cattle - YUMMY !

I am hoping my little business gets going so I can afford to hire some help in order to grow more and get more animals.

So far, I have to get goat milk from a friend to make my soap, but I would like to get a few goats of my own, along with chickens and maybe a few pigs too.

Diana

My virtual storefront: http://organicgiftsbydiana.mybisi.com/

My brick and mortar store in Hubbard,Ohio : http://www.dianascraft-antiqueshop.4t.com 

My Squidoo :

http://www.squidoo.com/OrganicandNatural

http://www.squidoo.com/NaturalProductsbyDiana 

http://www.squidoo.com/AllNaturalPerfume