What Does “Organic” Really Mean?

September is National Organic Month, which makes it the perfect time to ask: what does “organic” actually mean? For many shoppers, the word suggests food that’s healthier, grown without chemicals, or somehow “more natural.” But as farmer Jennifer Glenister of New Morning Farm explains, the truth is more complicated.

Jennifer has been farming organically in Pennsylvania since 2009, when she joined New Morning Farm as an apprentice. The farm was founded in 1972 by James and Emeline Kimball Crawford, and Jennifer progressed from apprentice to manager, eventually taking the reins as owner and operator in 2021. Today, New Morning Farm remains Certified Organic while growing more than 45 crops each year.

Jennifer says one of the most common misconceptions she hears is that organic means “no spray.” In reality, that is not what it means, as applying products with spray is an efficient way to protect the entire plant from various pests and disease pressures. “We do spray very judiciously,” she explains, “but use only organic pesticides.” Unlike conventional pesticides, which aim to permeate the entire plant, organic pesticides are designed to target as specific a pest as possible, not enter the plant itself, and break down and disappear after a short time, usually within hours.

This gets at one of the biggest differences between organic and conventional farming: the types of inputs allowed. “A simplified summary [of organic] is no synthetic fertilizers, no synthetic pesticides, and no GMO (or genetically modified organism) inputs,” Jennifer says. “Every single input on an organic farm is laid out in our records so it can be clearly evaluated by our organic certifier.” While time-consuming and exhaustive, this method ensures the inputs are doing the least harm to the ecosystem and soil remains nutrient-dense and healthy.

“In my mind, ‘traditional organic’ is rooted in a living soil that supports a living vegetable, and this is still our foundation,” Jennifer says. Cover crops—plants grown not for harvest but to protect and enrich the soil—are central to this. Their roots and biomass feed soil life and improve fertility naturally without synthetic fertilizers.

But organic doesn’t mean clinging only to old methods. Organic Farmers are constantly adapting to new challenges, especially in an era of climate instability. Jennifer points to “climate chaos making harvests less and less reliable” as one of the biggest threats farmers face. New pests and diseases also add to the difficulty. Her response is to stay flexible: “We keep trying out new tactics, many of which come from conversations with other farmers, observing how it goes, and trying again.”

So, if organic farming has these rigorous standards, is that all shoppers should think about? Perhaps not, Jennifer points out, because the organic label itself has changed over time. “In many ways, the USDA Organic program has been taken over by industrial organic agriculture,” she says. While the logo still has value, she believes it’s important to look past the seal. “If I think of the roots of the program—small farms, individual and communities of organic farms feeding people, the soil, and the natural landscapes within and around our farms—that is the organic farming to support and celebrate.”

If your favorite farmer is not Certified Organic, it doesn’t mean that they don’t care about the health of their soil—the organic certification is time-consuming, work-intensive, and can take years to acquire. Other methods of growing include Certified Naturally Grown ( another grassroots alternative to organic) and Integrated Pest Management, a class of strategies that manages pests using less-harmful tactics. Talking to your farmer about their practices and limitations is a great way to learn about your food and environment.

Jennifer’s advice to eaters is simple: don’t stop at the label. “Recognize that organic logo, but every chance you get, please talk to your farmers. Ask them about how their farming aligns or diverges from your own values, concerns, and goals,” she shares.