Farmer's Market Lingo!

We don't know what half these words mean, but we know we want them!

Here's a little list of  hot terms and definitions to help you navigate the food world and farmers market! Enjoy Your Shopping Trip!

Certified Organic: This is the most trustworthy label. Producers have to take extensive measures to prove that their food is organic. USDA defines it here. Basically, you can be sure that certified organic products are free of hormones and antibiotics, free of non-organic herbicides and pesticides,  are non-GMO and working to promote biodiversity. This is always a safe bet.

Uses Organic Practices: Becoming certified organic is really expensive and takes a long time. This is the, "take me by my word," label. A lot of times farmers don't go through the measures of becoming certified because their consumers have either been out to their farms and seen that they're doing what they say they are, or they just trust 'em.

Conventional: Farming practices that are commonly done and accepted among a broad group of people. The most common agricultural practices of our day focus on producing the most product at the cheapest price. Pesticides, herbicides and whatever-acides are a big help to cheap and fast. Let me tell ya, there were days working on an organic farm that I envied the "-acides" user's!

Grass fed/Pastured: Animals get to move around and feed by grazing grass, as opposed to living in confinement and fed grain. This is a good thing worth paying extra for. 

Heirloom: Much like family heirlooms, heirloom produce come from seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation. They are the choice seed harvested for their beauty and incredible flavor. Why are they so much more expensive? Typically, a great tasting heirloom is not so great at resisting disease and bug damage. It takes a lot of work for half the harvest of these gems.

Integrative Pest Management (IPM): An approach to pest control that involves more than one strategy. This could be a farm that squashes bugs by hand, uses pesticides, uses companion planting and Zaps bugs with razor guns. There are Organic ways to use IPM. It's basically another way to say, "we kill pests and we have a plan of action to do it."  The U.S. environmental Protection Agency defines it here.

Local: "Not from China." Sometimes a vendor will advertise as local when one or more of their products are from a state or two away. If proximity is important to you, ask where the ingredients/produce is grown. I'd rather have an apple from Washington than Europe, but if the choice is there, I'd buy apples from my own city!

Natural and All Natural: There are several different definitions of natural. All of which are fairly vague. However, there are some rules you have to follow to use this label. "Natural" products cannot have any added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.

Sustainable: Great Word, probably a bad label. I can't find anywhere that this is a certified or reliable food label. If you see this at the farmers market, ask the vendor why. They may have a good reason, sustainable agriculture is a great practice but its also becoming a hot term thats thrown around to catch your eye. What is sustainable agriculture? Agriculture that maintains environmental stewardship, is economically viable and socially just.

Do you have any questions about words/phrases you've seen at the farmers market or grocery stores? Was this list helpful?