H Childress & Sons. Real food from real farms. Home delivery service of fresh, local produce in the Capital Region of New York. Offering seasonal fruits, vegetables, eggs, and cheese.
My DeliveryMy AccountDefining Great Food
Sourcing the best food for your family and yourself can be overwhelming and utterly confusing. What really is the best food and why? What is good value and how can I get it all the time? What the hell is organic, anyways?
We all know that freshness is what drives great produce. This is why local produce is the best. Great food starts with the grower, and H Childress and Sons can tell you where each product was grown and how it was grown! We believe that the best produce comes from small organic farms with workers on their knees cutting vegetables with small knives or picking with their hands.
Our Categories
Definitions of farming and farming practices are slippery slopes to say the least, but we've decided to define our farms by the following categories*:
Certified Organic
This is a definition created by the United States Department of Agriculture. These growers are not to use chemicals, pesticides, or any residue thereof. They are strictly regulated and inspected to make sure that their farm, products, and equipment are chemical free. This definition has become incredibly skewed in the past few years. Due to large agribusiness getting involved in the race to market "organic" products the grey line of what is organic and not is growing on a daily basis. Typically with the farms that supply H Childress and Sons the certified organic farms practice with great integrity and offer a far superior product.
Certified Naturally Grown
This is a definition created by a small group of farmers in the area. These farms could not always afford to go through the USDA certification process (can cost up to $5,000/year), and also felt that the integrity in the certification process could and should be questioned. In 2004 several farms with the best techniques, completely chemical free, came together and created their own "certification". The farms are inspected by the other farmers to make sure that they are practicing with the utmost integrity and "organic" techniques. These farms that supply H Childress and Sons are above and beyond with their product. We would say it is absolutely "the best" product!
Sustainably Grown
The next great american grey definition! Sustainably Grown, according to H Childress and Sons, means that the grower is very aware and conscious of the land they are growing on and their surroundings. They make sure to rotate crops and limit the use of chemicals and pesticides, therefore creating a stronger more nutrient strong soil and climate.
Integrated Pest Management
These growers use the strength and natural environment of diverse insects to counteract potential growing problems. This technique was created to avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides to divert certain pests that would inhibit good vegetable growth. It is ideally an organic technique, but is not "certified organic".
Organic in Practice, but not Certified
Many growers for H Childress and Sons are very small and do not bother with the government certifications. In our eye they practice with the same integrity of a certified grower. There is no certification or inspection other than our time on the farm and conversations with the grower. These growers consistently supply us with phenomenal fruits and vegetables.
Conventional
Growers who do use chemicals and pesticides to enhance the growth of their vegetables. These growers usually have the more standard, uniform looking product. They also usually have the first and last of every product within each season.
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For Further ResearchThe following sites will help navigate your definitions and understanding of different growing practices: www.sare.org www.organicconsumers.org www.ifoam.org www.attra.org www.afsic.nal.usda.gov www.ams.usda.gov/nop www.ams.usda.gov/nosb www.ota.com |
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