1. What is Organic Production?
! "#$%&'!()*&'+%#,!-$)%(.!./-0!).!
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What is
Organic Food
and Why
Should I Care?

2. For Crop Farms
In!simplified!terms,!!
the!National!Organic!Program!regulations!require:!
!!!!!H!>')*.!IHJ!(5#+0.K!6%+0!#5!)<<$%-)+%5#!58!!
<*50%4%+'7!()+'*%)$.!I#5!.>#+0'+%-!8'*+%$%L'*.2!!
<'.+%-%7'.!5*!MNC.K2!<*%5*!+5!+0'!8%*.+!0)*;'.+!58!!
5*,)#%-!-*5<.O!
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)7P5%#%#,!$)#7!/.'.O!
!!!!!!%(<$'('#+)+%5#!58!)#!C*,)#%-!9)*(!D$)#!!
%#-$/7%#,!<*5)-+%;'!()#),'('#+!.>.+'(.!+5!!
-5#.'*;'!)#7!'#0)#-'!4%57%;'*.%+>2!4/%$7!.5%$!0')$+02!
)#7!'#;%*5#('#+)$$>!.5/#7!8'*+%$%+>2!6''72!7%.').'2!
)#7!%#.'-+!()#),'('#+!<*)-+%-'.O!
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./4.+)#-'.!5#!+0'!B)+%5#)$!R%.+!!5#$>!60'#!<*5)-+%;'!
(')./*'.!)*'!%#./88%-%'#+O!
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IMNC.K2!.'6),'!.$/7,'2!5*!%**)7%)+%5#O!
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-5(('*-%)$$>!);)%$)4$'!I(/.+!#5+!/.'!.''7.!+*')+'7!
6%+0!<*50%4%+'7!.>#+0'+%-!()+'*%)$.2!./-0!).!!
8/#,%-%7'.K!)#7!/.'!58!5*,)#%-!.''7$%#,.!85*!)##/)$!
-*5<.O!
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'#;%*5#('#+)$!0')$+0O!
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For Livestock Operations
Q!!!!TUUV!5*,)#%-!8''7!85*!)$$!5*,)#%-!)#%()$.O!
Q!!!!5*,)#%-!()#),'('#+!8*5(!$).+!+0%*7!58!,'.+)+%5#!
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<5/$+*>O!
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<*%5*!+5!+0'!<*57/-+%5#!58!5*,)#%-!(%$&O!
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6')+0'*!%.!./%+)4$'O!
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$').+!TWU!7)>.!<'*!>')*O!
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#5+!4'!/.'7!5*!.5$7!).!5*,)#%-O!)#7!
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-5#+)(%#)+%5#!58!-*5<.2!6)+'*2!)#7!.5%$2!)#7!+5!!
5<+%(%L'!+0'!*'->-$%#,!58!#/+*%'#+.=!

3. For Processing Operations
!!!!!()>!/.'!('-0)#%-)$!5*!4%5$5,%-)$!<*5-'..%#,!!
('+057.O!
!!!!!!#5!-5((%#,$%#,!5*!-5#+)(%#)+%5#!58!5*,)#%-!
<*57/-+.!7/*%#,!<*5-'..%#,!5*!.+5*),'O!
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.5$;'#+.2!5*!<*'.'*;)+%;'.O!
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()#),'('#+!<*)-+%-'.!+5!<*';'#+!<'.+!%#8'.+)+%5#.O!
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<)-&),%#,!8*5(!-5#+)(%#)+%5#O!
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-5(<$%)#-'!6%+0!+0'!*',/$)+%5#!)#7!%(<$'('#+!)#!
)/7%+!+*)%$!+5!<*5;%7'!+*)-')4%$%+>=!C*,)#%-!<*57/-+.!
(/.+!-5(<$>!6%+0!8'7'*)$2!.+)+'2!$5-)$2!)#7!!
%#+'*#)+%5#)$!8557!.)8'+>!*'^/%*'('#+.=!D*57/-+.!
(/.+!#5+!4'!.5$7!).!15*,)#%-3!%8!+0'>!-5#+)%#!!
*'.%7/'.!58!<*50%4%+'7!./4.+)#-'.!':-''7%#,!ZV!58!
+0'!_DA!+5$'*)#-'!85*!+0)+!./4.+)#-'!5#!+0)+!-*5<!5*!
8557!<*57/-+=!

4. Personal Health
Why Should I Care?
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! !
!
!
!
!
!
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6%+05/+!+0'.'!('7%-)+%5#.=3j!

5. ! N5+0'*.!-5#./(%#,!(5.+$>!5*,)#%-!
(%$&!)#7!(')+!<*57/-+.!6'*'!85/#7!+5!0);'!
)45/+!ZU!<'*-'#+!0%,0'*!$';'$.!58!*/('#%-!)-%7!
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@);%.!*'.')*-0'*.!85/#7!+0)+!+0'!+'#F>')*!
(')#!$';'$.!58!+65!%(<5*+)#+!4%58$);5#5%7.2!
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8$);5#5%7.!%#-*').'7!5;'*!+%('!%#!.)(<$'.!
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$';'$.!58!+0'!0')$+0F<*5(5+%#,!)#+%5:%7)#+!!
$>-5<'#'=m!!
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8$);5#5%7.2!)#7!./,)*.2!)#7!6'*'!$56'*!%#!!
#%+*)+'.=Gn!
Nutrition
...“consuming food
grown using organic
production methods
can virtually
eliminate exposures to
a dangerous class of
insecticides known to
disrupt neurological
development in infants
and children.”

6. ! e0'!<$)#+%#,!58!,'#'+%F
-)$$>!'#,%#''*'7!-*5<.!%.!#5+!!
)$$56'7!%#!5*,)#%-!<*57/-+%5#=!
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(5*+)$%+>!)#7!.+/#+'7!,*56+0!
60'#!':<5.'7!+5!o+!-5*#!<5$$'#!
)#7!-*5<!*'.%7/'.=Gi!!!
! ?-%'#+%.+.!<'*85*(%#,!
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';%7'#-'!58!'.+)4$%.0'7!<5</$)F
+%5#.!58!,'#'+%-)$$>!(57%8%'7!
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a)$%85*#%)!?+)+'!"#%;'*.%+>2!
9*'.#5!)#7!+0'!"=?=!_#;%*5#F
('#+)$!D*5+'-+%5#!A,'#->!85/#7!
.+*5#,!';%7'#-'!+0)+!+*)#.,'#%-!
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+%5#.!5/+.%7'!58!),*%-/$+/*)$!
8%'$7.!%#!+0'!"#%+'7!?+)+'.=!
! C8!+0'!pUJ!<$)#+.!!
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+'.+'7!<5.%+%;'!85*!,'#'+%-)$$>!
'#,%#''*'7!0'*4%-%7'!+5$'*)#-'=!
e0'*'!6'*'!)$.5!+65!%#.+)#-'.!58!
(/$+%<$'!+*)#.,'#'.!%#!.%#,$'!%#F
7%;%7/)$.=!a)#5$)!;)*%'+%'.!6%+0!
(/$+%<$'!+*)#.,'#%-!+*)%+.!0);'!
#5+!4''#!*'$').'7!-5(('*-%)$$>2!
.5!+0%.!8%#7%#,!./,,'.+.!+0)+!8'*)$!
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0);'!4'-5('!'.+)4$%.0'7!5/+.%7'!
58!-/$+%;)+%5#=Gj!
No Genetic Engineering
Water Quality
! @*%#&%#,!6)+'*!%.!58+'#!
-5#+)(%#)+'7!6%+0!#%+*)+'.2!
60%-0!-)#!-)/.'!4$/'!4)4>!!
.>#7*5('!)#7!5+0'*!#',)+%;'!
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6)+'*!85/#7!%#!7*)%#),'!+%$'.2!
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6)+'*!$5.+!%#!7*)%#),'!+%$'!4>!pT!
<'*-'#+!)#7!*'7/-'7!#%+*)+'F
#%+*5,'#!$';'$.!4>!JU!<'*-'#+=GG!
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.%,#%8%-)#+$>!$56'*!%#!+0'!5*,)#%-!
<$5+.=!e0'!5*,)#%-)$$>!8)*('7!
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7'F#%+*%8%-)+%5#!*)+'.2!,*')+'*!!
7'F#%+*%8%-)+%5#!'88%-%'#->2!0%,0'*!
$';'$.!58!5*,)#%-!()++'*2!)#7!
,*')+'*!(%-*54%)$!)-+%;%+>=Gc!

7. Climate Change
Gwww.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop
²Food Additives and Contaminants, May 2002. B. P. Baker; C. M. Benbrook; E. Groth; K. Lutz Benbrook.
³Environmental Health Perspectives, doi:10.1289/ehp.10912 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 15 January 2008]
!American Journal of Epidemiology, Agricultural Health Study. May 2003.
"Environmental Health Perspectives, 112:631-635.
j“Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now.” 2010. Dr. LaSalle Leffall, Jr., Howard University, and Dr. Margaret L. Kripke, M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
#British Journal of Nutrition, June 2007.
$Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2007.
%Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. December 29, 2004.
¹&Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. (Vol. 55, 2007)
¹¹Journal of Environmental Quality. July-August 2007.
¹²Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. March 21, 2006.
Gfhttp://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm
Gghttp://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag/rr.html
¹"Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. (Vol. 104, No. 41)
¹'Sustainable Food News. August 6, 2010.
¹#Biological Conservation. (vol 122, p 113)
GlInternational Report on Organic Farming and Climate Change: “Organic Farming Can Help Mitigate Climate Change.” International Trade
Centre, the joint technical cooperation agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade
Organization. 2008.
¹%Renewable Ag and Food Systems, Badgley C. et al, 22:86-108.
! A--5*7%#,!+5!)!*'<5*+!!
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8. For more information, contact:
Jim Riddle
University of Minnesota
Organic Ecology Research and Outreach Program
Southwest Research and Outreach Center
23669 130th Street
Lamberton, MN 56152
507-752-7372
riddl003@umn.edu
Home office:
31762 Wiscoy Ridge Rd
Winona, MN 55987
507-454-8310
e0'!"#%;'*.%+>!58!N%##'.5+)!.0)$$!<*5;%7'!'^/)$!)--'..!+5!)#7!5<<5*+/#%+>!%#!%+.!<*5,*)(.2!
8)-%$%+%'.2!)#7!'(<$5>('#+!6%+05/+!*',)*7!+5!*)-'2!-5$5*2!-*''72!*'$%,%5#2!#)+%5#)$!5*%,%#2!
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5*%'#+)+%5#2!,'#7'*!%7'#+%+>2!5*!,'#7'*!':<*'..%5#=!!
a5<>*%,0+!WUTU=!`','#+.!58!"#%;'*.%+>!58!N%##'.5+)=!!A$$!*%,0+.!*'.'*;'7=!
www.attra.org/organic.html
www.extension.org/organic production
www.eorganic.info
www.howtogoorganic.com
www.mda.state.mn.us/food/organic
www.mosesorganic.org
www.organic-center.org
www.organicecology.umn.edu
Bud Markhart
University of Minnesota
Horticulture Science
228 Alderman Hall
1970 Folwell Ave
St. Paul, 55108
612-624-7705
mamarkhar@umn.edu
Additional organic websites of interest:
www.organicecology.umn.edu