This article first appeared in the November 2015 NODPA News and was written by Ed Malby, Executive Director of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance. Reprinted with permission. For most of us hydroponic production is not organic production, similar to the fact that confinement dairy operation where cows don’t graze grass is not organic either. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) agreed with that in 2010 when they made the following recommendation about hydrop

This article first appeared in the November 18 issue of Agri-Pulse. Pressure by organic farmers and a host of other organic advocates is building for USDA to disallow certification of hydroponic produce as organic. Hydroponic systems are already huge, accounting for more than half of U.S. fresh-market tomatoes, and continue to expand as part of the continued global trend to produce vegetables in greenhouses. A few are gaining USDA’s organic seal of approval, much to the chagr

The living roots enfold the soil, the soil The living roots – between them is forever The secret ritual of their nourishment. Without the roots the earth must blow away, And out of earth roots wither. Nobody knows what the soil is, except That it is something working towards a balance, Something that balances itself with death As well as life, and needs long years to do so. If the wide earth has anywhere done better Because of men, be sure they were good men, Each of whom ten

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"I have worked with organic agriculture since 1981 at the Rodale Research Center. Organic soil management is a complex issue and involves complexity in the soil. Hydroponics does not even come close to organic soil management. It is a chemical based approach that has no place in organic agriculture. All the soil interactions that make organic organic are missing. It is even more chemical intensive than conventional industrial agriculture. If that idea is accepted as org

Here's an interesting article from Eliot Coleman about radical organic agriculture... -- Scale and Quality in Organic Farming by Eliot Coleman A few years ago a friend told me of two proposed discussion topics for an organic agricultural conference – 1.) "What is so radical about organic agriculture?" and 2.) "Is small the only beautiful?" The second topic was included at the request of a number of large-scale organic farmers who felt underappreciated. My friend was surprised

As we all recover from the circus that is the semi-annual NOSB meeting, I am still amazed by the positive reception that we had for our efforts to keep the soil in the organic standards. I spoke last Sunday at the National Organic Coalition (NOC) meeting. They had previously passed a resolution of support for the 2010 NOSB recommendation, which clearly states there is no place in the organic standards for hydroponic. Realizing that the National Organic Program (NOP) has conti

The time has come for a conclusion on the issue of hydroponics in organic. Like the Emperor’s new clothes, the NOP position relies on our continuing silence in order to avoid ridicule. The 2010 NOSB recommendation is completely clear in saying that hydroponic production has no place in organic certification. Soilless growing is simply not in keeping with the basic principles of organic farming. I believe that the task force is an attempt to avoid rather than to act on the rec