Organic eggs? questions

[RedfogsFlock]

I have a question. We feed our chickens fruits, & veges & sunflower seeds from our garden. We use NO pesticides in it. We feed them corn from our garden instead of scratch. We buy them pure raw oats from the health store. So can we sell their eggs as organic farm eggs?

 

[loralei]

Wow! Sounds like your gals have a pretty good life!

But in order to label your eggs "organic" they must be certified. Here's a link to get you started: http://www.ccof.org/standards.php I understand its quite a process to get certified. I guess that's why organic products cost more.

I hope this helps!

God bless
Laura

 

[Pequena Bandada]

Nope... sadly you have to be certified to qualify as organic. I've always heard it's very hard to get certified because you have to prove the inputs are organic, which means you have to prove your fruits and the raw oats from the health store are organic. It's a huge process for a backyard farmer. Your eggs are probably healthier than organic ones, because all organic certification requires is that you feed organic food and don't use hormones/antibiotics. It doesn't require free ranging or supplementing with fresh fruits and veggies.

So perhaps you could sell your eggs as "beyond organic". That's a term that's starting to become popular in the 'natural' world. It means that you're committed to more than just organic inputs; you're treating your chickens humanely and providing them a better life and better nutrition than a commercial organic farm.

 

[stampntam]

I love that "beyond organic"!!!!

 

[Organics North]

Whoa.....
(First of I am no expert, this can be complex and confusing.)
1. It is my impression you can sell your product as organic WITHOUT certification IF your sales are less than $5000 per year. HOWEVER, you must follow the certification guidelines to a T and keep records, just as if you were paying for certification.

2. RedfogsFlock,
So has your garden been free of chemical/non organic pesticides and herbicides for 3 years? If not then it is not organic. Are you using certified organic seed? If not then it is not organic. Are the Oats certified organic? Have the birds been raised from day 2 free of medicated feed? If not then they are not organic......

80% of the grains I feed are certified organic. (The 20% BOSS I feed is not organic.) I like to think of my garden as organic, because I know no pesticides were use on the soil to build the raised beds, and I only use organic fertilizer.. However I do not always plant certified organic seed... SO.. Not organic according to certification.. (Bummer..) I do believe in organic it just takes time and diligence.

If 70% 80%? or more of your feed is certified organic or food you grow that follows the certification guidelines but may not be certified then you can in good conscience proudly use the word organic.

It is a worthy goal IMHO.

At least let your customers know with a flyer or something what you feed your birds!!!

It sounds good!

ON

 

[RedfogsFlock]

Thank you everyone!

First, we bought organic seeds, use our animal droppins as fertilizer, and our garden is on it's first year. But we are the first people to live on the property in 9 years.

But secondly, I do not think the oats I buy are organic, just raw.

Certification? WOW I'm already intimidated, lol.

Our girls free range all day, so I guess the insects & such that they eat may not be "organic"

So after lookin at links, and reading responses I guess i'm going to stick with just feeding our girls the good food, and not trying to sell organic eggs. I like the beyond organic anyways

Yup been told our guys, & girls are ALL pretty spoiled! They are part of our family too, and happy chickens make good eggs, & good food!

 

[Pequena Bandada]

If you do decide to sell eggs, you may find that your customers don't care if you have an organic label. At least around here (a very liberal, hippy city), most eggs sold at the farmers market are NOT organic - and usually because the farmer decided not to get certified because s/he feels the farm is already better than what the organic standards are. Organic eggs are seen as more commercial here because that farmer took the time and spent the money on certification.

 

[Chickenmaven]

People are beginning to question the entire label thing. "Is it really organic?" "You mean they can say free range chickens if there's one small door for 1,000 birds?"

I think that any sophisticated consumer will be very impressed with your product if you inform them about your amazing poultry keeping practices.

 

[stampntam]

Just label them as free range, farm fresh,cage free eggs, forget about the organic name. I think if you tell your customers you feed organically word would get around.

 

[midd2005]

i've also seen the term "organically grown" thrown about. gets the point across i think.