What is organic certification?

Organic certification confirms that a farm or processing facility obeys United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations, which require operations to use practices that cycle resources, conserve biodiversity, and preserve ecological balance.

These regulations set specific requirements for how specific agricultural products can be produced. The following list provides an overview of those requirements for different types of organic products.

Before farmers can harvest organic products, they must discontinue the application of prohibited fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers must then adhere to organic growing practices for the next three years before they can officially certify and label their products as USDA organic.

Trained inspectors visit organic farms and businesses annually to ensure that organic practices are maintained during the growing, harvesting, processing, and packaging stages of agricultural production.

Farms and businesses must also keep detailed production records to verify products as organic, and increase transparency while products travel from farm fields to store shelves.

Why is the organic label important?

Finding CT Grown certified organic products

Browse our interactive map to see the variety of USDA certified organic products grown and harvested in CT, and find a farmstand, farmers’ market, or other local retailer selling CT Grown USDA certified organic products near you.

CT is home to a thriving community of growers committed to sustainable practices, soil health, and producing fresh, nutrient-rich food for you and your family.

By choosing CT Grown USDA-certified organic, you are supporting local farms and ensuring your food is grown with accountability, national standards, and environmental impacts in mind.

Organic Farmer Spotlight

Introducing: Yoko Takemura and Alex Carpenter of Assawaga Farm in Putnam.
Originally from Japan, Yoko lived and worked in various countries until moving to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in environmental sustainability. While living in Brooklyn, NY, Yoko’s participation in a local community garden allowed her to discover the wonders of growing vegetables. Not long after, Yoko applied for apprenticeships on organic vegetable farms outside the city, and ended up training and gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience farming organically at Riverbank Farm in Roxbury, CT.

In June of 2016, Yoko and Alex purchased raw land and founded Assawaga Farm. The word “assawaga”, meaning “place between” or “halfway place”, is the original Nipmuc name for the river now commonly known as the Five Mile River. Being embraced by the Assawaga River to the west and the Mary Brown Brook to the east, Assawaga Farm is quite literally the “place between”, with the confluence of the waterways promoting a wealth of fertility and biodiversity.

Today, Assawaga Farm is a certified organic farm growing vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruits with an emphasis on Japanese varieties. For decades, the fields at Assawaga were used for hay, so there has been no application of chemicals for as far back as the history of their land can be traced.

Being certified organic means that Assawaga Farm utilizes natural processes and materials to grow their crops while promoting ecological balance and preserving biodiversity. Yoko and Alex state, “We’re committed above and beyond the guidelines for organic certification through practices such as minimizing the use of fossil fuels and plastic, avoidance of even organic pesticides and installing perennial wildlife and pollinator habitats. We’re also always looking for ways to reduce our ecological footprint and encourage as much resource recycling as possible on the farm– for example, by making our own compost and sourcing additional materials such as leaves from within our community.

We believe in creating and maintaining fertility from within our farm as much as possible, through cover crops, compost, vermicompost, extracts, and natural mulches. We are stewards of the land and as such we strive to keep the land productive for many future generations to come.”

Introducing: Joanne Charon of Autumn Harvest Orchard in Norfolk.
Like many farmers today, Joanne did not grow up on a farm. Instead, her love for farming originated from working in the family garden, and positive experiences visiting farms in her youth which left her with a feeling that one day she would own an orchard.

In addition to producing organic fruits and nuts, Autumn Harvest Orchard also harvests a wide variety of organic vegetables and honey from their apiary of 10-12 hives. The presence of beehives ensures their orchard and fields are well-pollinated, while also providing the honeybees with a wide variety of organic trees and plants to collect pollen and produce honey.

Enhancing the ecosystem of the land is one of Joanne’s priorities, and she says, “As farmers we are committed to sustainable farming practices and to leave the land in a better state than what we found it in. Not only are we stewards of the land, we must work in harmony with nature and wildlife around us. This land continues to be cultivated and improved every year, and I am committed to finding natural practices to control pests and diseases, with the end goal of producing a great tasting and looking organic product.”