The organic food market in the United States hit $49.4 billion in sales in 2017- a record. Organic food in 2017 accounted for 5.5 percent of the food sold in retail channels in the United States. Total organic sales in 2017 were $49.4 billion, also up 6.4%, as sales of organic non-food products rose 7.4 percent to $4.2 billion. I know you see the Facebook posts and hear the television teasers, “are you truly buying organic? Stay tuned for our in-depth report!” I wanted my own garden to be ORGANIC, but it is not. I had to use man-made fertilizer to stimulate my tomatoes. Inception of the Organic Label In…
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What is a Community Supported Agriculture System?
Autumn has almost passed us by, here in Upstate, South Carolina. That means many fruits and vegetables stopped producing and local farmers are moving to their winter crops. However, you – the consumer- can still support your local farmers and obtain good, healthy food through CSA’s or Community Supported Agriculture programs. What are CSA’s? These are partnerships between local consumers and their local farmers. Consumers pay a fee ahead of a growing season, as an investment into the farm. Each week during a growing season, the customer receives a box or a bag of what crops were harvested that week. Crop production can be unpredictable, therefore, customers are not always…