THETFORD, Vt. (AP) — Some traditional organic farmers are rebelling against what they see as a dilution of the country’s organic standards by creating their own additional organic certification program and label.
It would exclude hydroponic farming and large livestock farms that don’t pasture their animals.
About 15 farmers and scientists from around the country met in Vermont late last month to create the standards for the new program, which they hope to roll out nationally to between 20 and 60 farms as a pilot this summer.
Colorado vegetable farmer Linley Dixon is the senior scientist for Cornucopia Institute. She says she thinks a lot of farmers feel the current organic label no longer describes the way they farm. She says “we’re trying to recapture that” with the new label and program.