Located in Sawyerville, Alabama, the heart of Alabama's Black Belt, aptly named for its rich fertile black soil, lies Hunter  Organic Farm, a U.S.D.A. certified organic farm.    Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; (GMO) or ionizing radiation. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. 

Before a product can be labeled "organic," a USDA accredited certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified and inspected also. 

     The labeling requirements under the national standards apply to raw, fresh products and processed foods that contain organic ingredients and are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product. Agricultural products labeled “100 percent organic” must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients. Products labeled “organic” must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. Products labeled “made with organic ingredients” must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot use the term organic anywhere on the principal display panel but may identify the specific ingredients that are organically produced on the ingredients statement on the information panel. In a processed product labeled as “organic,” all agricultural ingredients must be organically produced unless the ingredient(s) is not commercially available in organic form. The USDA organic seal—the words “USDA organic” inside a circle—may be used on agricultural products that are “100 percent organic” or “organic.” A civil penalty of up to $10,000 can be levied on any person who knowingly sells or labels as organic a product that is not produced and handled in accordance with these regulations. For more information see:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop

 

• Organic locally grown food is the most nutritious and delicious because our "certified organic" vegetables are 100% chemical free from seed to your table.  Frank and John select the perfect time to harvest ensuring your family receives the optimum flavor and nutrient values.
• Frank and John work in harmony with Mother Nature's own balance promoting and maintaining healthy soil, biodiversity and the ecosystem.
• There is minimum carbon footprint.
  
• Non-local food is usually picked unripened, severely diluting and limiting the nutritional value and flavor.
  
• Non-locally grown food is chemically treated and processed.
• Big corporate conglomerates could care less about food they produce, concentrating instead on profits and how to get the food to the consumer the quickest way possible.
• Shipping long distances requires the mass produced food to be sprayed with preservatives to prevent spoilage.
• Chemically treated food and transportation increase the cost of the produce.
• The extra cost can be eliminated by buying local and keeping the dollars in Alabama.
  
• Buying locally grown certified organic food ensures quality produce with optimum taste.
• Buying local promotes local jobs. 
  
• There IS a correlation between putting inorganic pesticides and preservatives in your body and health. (Study links ADHD to Pesticides, Time Magazine.) http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1989564,00.html
• Cancer and Common Pesticides: http://www.health-report.co.uk/cancer-pesticides-245T-24D.html
  

     

• Thousands of Research links:                                                                http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=correlation+between+pesticides+and+health&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart