Organic Standards for Seeds:

a) Certified organic establishments must use certified organic seed. Only if organic seeds are widely unavailable may non-organic, untreated seeds be used instead. Pesticide uptake by non-organic seed is negligible given that only a micro-percent of pesticides can actually be absorbed by the seed. The small percentage that is absorbed into the plant is primarily held in other tissues such as the leaves and roots and does not pose a significant risk to human health (2, 4).

1. Use of heirloom seeds and hybrid seeds is permitted and encouraged to increase plant biodiversity (1).

b) Use of genetically modified (GMO) seeds is prohibited (7).

c) Seeds should be saved whenever possible for replanting the next year in order to reduce input costs and prevent unnecessary seed waste (1, 6).

Organic Standards for Biodiversity:

a) Must incorporate a minimum of three different crops grown simultaneously in a rotation cycle. Crops must also be broken up by strips of native plant species (i.e. wildflowers) in order to foster greater soil, insect, and genetic biodiversity and to support existing ecosystems that facilitate the organic control of pests (3).

1. To further promote biodiversity, complex crop rotations, use of cover crops, and no/low-till practices are highly encouraged (3).

b) Must maintain buffer zones of at least 50 ft. around organic field if adjoining non-organic farm, residential properties, or public land to prevent contamination by prohibited non-organic substances (5).