What is organic produce?
Organic produce is the end product of an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. Organic farming systems rely on methods and inputs such as crop rotations, animal and green manures, mechanical cultivation and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth. These measures are also used to supply plant nutrients and control insects, weeds and other pests.

What does "certified organic" mean?
Certified organic food has been verified as organically grown by an independent third party. These third party agencies must enforce, at a minimum, the organic standards set by the government.
These standards have been a hot topic lately. We encourage you to check out this USDA site to learn more about the standards.


Why is organic food more expensive?
Organic food does often cost more because organic production costs and risks are higher. Cover crops, for example, improve the soil but can mean land isn't producing an edible crop for awhile. Organic farmers often pay higher costs for environmentally friendly farming practices such as beneficial insects and hand weeding. All organic farmers must pay for state registration, certified organic farmers also pay for certification costs. Hopefully, with more research into organic methods and increased production (only 2% of the fruit and vegetable farms in the United States are certified organic) and sales of organic produce, prices will become more competitive with conventional produce.

What is Rennet?
Rennet is added to cheese during the cheese-making process after the separation and coagulation. It is the dried commercial extract of rennin, the enzyme that is responsible for most of the milk coagulation that takes
place. Traditionally, rennet is derived from animals, usually the stomach region of a suckling mammal, most often a calf or a lamb. However, some vegetable juices and extracts are used as rennin, and there are now methods in which microorganisms are used to produce enzymes that mimic animal rennet. The Organic Valley cheese that we carry as part of our dairy is made with vegetable rennet. Since there are some vegetarians that eat eggs and dairy (ovo/lacto), it is of concern to their dietary practice to eat products
free from animal rennet.

How do you know when a pear is ripe?
Apply gentle thumb pressure near the base of the stem. If it yields slightly, it's ripe. You can't depend on color to tell if a pear is ripe because although some varieties turn a darker color, many other varieties change very little from their unripened color, or not at all.

What is the worlds number one selling fruit?
America's favorite fruit is the banana, but the worlds number one seller is the mango. India is the biggest producer of mangos is the world.

How are seedless watermelons grown?
Bees! Yes, bees are used to cross pollinate. The seedless watermelon plant is sterile and can be pollinated only by crossing it with pollen from a regular seeded watermelon. To accomplish this, growers plant seeded and seedless watermelon plants next to one another and, with the help of
pollen-carrying bees, they pollinate seedless plants to produce seedless watermelon.

What causes potatoes to turn green and are they safe to eat whey they are green tinted?
The green coloring sometimes found on whole potatoes is from chlorophyll and a natural compound called solanine. If consumed in large quantities, solanine can be toxic (a couple green potato chips aren't going to send you to the ER!). It is concentrated in the skin and tissue just below the skin in
potatoes that have been exposed to light, artificial or natural. To reduce the risk of toxicity reactions to solanine, remove the green portion and enough of the underlying potato so that no green portion remains. Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place. Solanine is also found in the sprouts. It is not soluble in water or destroyed by heating.