Organic. Grass fed. Free range. Naturally Grown. The labels on our food purchases can be confusing and it seems that more are being added each week. How do you choose between Certified Organic and Certified Naturally Grown? Do you even know the difference? Here’s a quick breakdown of what some of those labels really mean. (Thanks to the Nature Conservancy for helping us put this together.)
Animal Welfare Approved
Found on: Meat, poultry, pork, dairy, eggs
Definition: AWA is a free and independent third-party auditing and certification program for family farms raising their animals humanely — outdoors on a pasture or a range. Both farms and slaughter plants are annually audited to the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S.
Bird Friendly®
Found on: Coffee
Definition: It’s certified organic and certified shade grown — good habitat for birds. Rather than cutting down rainforests to plant coffee, the coffee is grown naturally under the shade of existing trees. The coffee producers protect waterways and soil, avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers, minimize the use of fuel wood and maintain fair, safe and healthy conditions for workers and downstream communities. You can also look for coffee labeled Shade Grown. It may not be organic, but it’s still better for the birds.
Certified Naturally Grown
Found on: Produce, honey, meat, poultry
Definition: CNG is an alternative organic certification program. It’s similar to USDA certification, but relies on peer-review rather than third-party inspection. NV Ranch is considering this option for certifiing our produce, meat and eggs.
Fair Trade Certified
Found on: Almost everything, from coffee to clothing to body lotion
Definition: Fair-trade products are, well, fair. Workers are fairlycompensated, and local farmers and entrepreneurs are empowered to create sustainable businesses that benefit entire communities.
Free-Range/Cage-Free
Found on: Poultry
Definition: USDA free-range regulations apply only to poultry. American producers must prove that the birds have “access to the outside,” although the frequency or duration of this access is not defined. Pastured Poultry relies on poultry directly on green pasture. Producers who are members of the APPPA, like NV Ranch, are more focused on producing chickens and turkeys raised on green grass.
Grass-Fed
Found on: Meat
Definition: From day one, the animals were fed a diet of “100% forage,” were raised on a pasture and were never given hormones or antibiotics. “
USDA grass-fed” is not third-party verified – it’s just a recommended standard from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Hormone-free
Found on: Poultry, pork, beef, dairy
Definition: Federal regulations prohibit the usage of hormones when raising chickens or hogs, so your poultry and pork products are hormone-free by default. For beef or dairy, producers must show that no hormones were used in raising the animals.
Source: USDA
Local
Found on: Just about anything edible
Definition: If the product adheres to USDA guidelines, it was transported less than 400 miles from its origin, or hasn’t come from another state.
Source: USDA
Rainforest Alliance Certified
Found on: Coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, oranges, cut flowers
Definition: This certification ensures that “goods were grown on farms that meet rigorous standards for sustainability that involve reducing waste, water pollution and water usage, while curbing deforestation and protecting wildlife habitat. Further, farm workers and their families are guaranteed good working and living conditions, decent wages and access to health care and education.”
USDA Certified Organic
Found on: Anything that comes from nature, so pretty much everything
Definition: Things that are USDA certified organic are managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act “to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.” It usually, but not always, means that synthetic chemicals weren’t used in that item’s production.
Source: USDA
So, what if the food you are buying at farmer’s market isn’t labeled? Talk to the seller. Find out if they (or the producer) follows any of the methods above. Most very small growers don’t have any certifications, due to the expense involved, but may follow many of the guildelines to the letter or even more strictly. For example, NV Ranch is not certified naturally grown, organic, free-range, hormone free, or animal welfare approved. But, we adhere to all the standards and in many cases are stricter than the official definition. Take the opportunity to talk to the producer and visit the farm, if possible. In any case, it helps to know where your food is coming from!
