Farmer won't seek organic certification

PALMER -- The house smells like baking bread and fresh rosemary, and those who stop by to purchase vegetables or return tools know the farmers by name. River and Sarah Bean, owners of long-time Palmer business Arctic Organics, have a standing reputation for organic farming in the state. So why is it that certified organic is crossed off of their van with a big green strip?

"It's a real bruising, we're pretty disgusted with the whole takeover," said River Bean. Bean is talking about the sudden interest in organic farming by what he calls "agribusiness," large corporations that saw the public's demands for safe, organic foods and decided to profit from it. Bean said these businesses lobbied to get regulations in place that make it easier to call their own products organic.

In 2002, the federal government created the National Organic Program, setting federal guidelines on what can be called organic in the United States. One of the problems with the program, Bean said, is that NOP standards are below what many small-time farmers like himself believe are necessary to keep organic foods toxin free. Livestock are allowed to be fed non-organic feed, poultry is no longer required to have access to the outdoors, and soil testing is nonexistent. The NOP does not require residue testing on produce, and Bean says it is now possible for companies to grow and sell U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic produce that contain high levels of toxins. Another problem with the NOP standards is that the standards are set at a maximum, not a minimum, level, Bean says. This means states cannot raise the organic standards any more than the federal government has mandated.

Earlier this month, Governor Frank Murkowski signed House Bill 226, which aligns Alaska's definition of organic certification with the federal definition. Now the Alaska Organic Association, which used to certify Alaska's organic agricultural products, is not allowed to certify at the level that it could a month a go. In fact, the AOA can no longer certify organic products at all. And the certification Alaska organic farmers can get has standards much lower than many are willing to accept.

Bean and his wife have made a tough decision that many organic farmers across the nation are being faced with: Do you get certified under the new regulations and become part of what Bean calls the "demise of the organic" label? Or do you refuse to become certified, fighting the regulation's lack in standards but risking the public's trust because the guy selling next to you has a sticker that says organic certified?

"We can no longer call our produce organic," said Bean, who chose the latter. "The real sad thing is that the general public knows the word organic, trusts and believes in organic, but now all of a sudden many of the real organic growers are out of the picture."

In a pamphlet that Bean hands out to his customers, he lists his four main reasons for deciding to forgo the organic certification label:

Financial. Arctic Organics organic certification through the AOA was $350 a year. The NOP certification would cost them around $2,000.

Logistical. Because there is no longer a certification program in Alaska, Bean would have to certify his produce in the state of Washington. Bean believes this would lead his customers to believe his produce may not be locally grown.

Philosophical. Bean says he and his wife have worked hard to ensure clean, pesticide- and chemical-free produce while practicing sustainable farming techniques that are harmonious with nature. He says the standards set by the NOP do not meet Arctic Organics' own rigorous standards.

Ethical. Bean does not want to be part of the breakdown of the organic label. He says the NOP's questionable certification criteria and methods, which include allowing farmers to certify their own products, allows too much chance for an organic-certified product to have high toxin levels.

Bean said even with the lack of the organic label, he thinks he has enough of a following to continue his non-toxic farming practices without losing too much business to the bigger fish. So far he has been allowed to keep the business name, and he and his wife have been racking their brains to come up with a new label that lets customers know they are still growing with the same rigorously safe standards that they have in the past.

"We're thinking about calling it more-ganic," said Bean.