What's the difference between organic and conventional farming? by Abby

 Organic vs. conventional farming methods:

Conventional farming can be described as using GMO (genetically modified organism) with the addition of chemicals, such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc., in order to manage the production of a crops. Farmers rely on these chemicals to keep pests from eating their crops, and weeds and from stripping nutrients from their crops. Conventional farming also tends to use tillage methods in their soil, which just means that after a harvest season, a lot of the crop residue that is left on the soil is reburied into the soil when planning for the next harvest year. 

Furthering, when applied to livestock this means that hormones and antibiotics can be used. This does not mean that the hormones or antibiotics are present in the food you eat, as there are protective laws against such situations. When administering antibiotics, there is a withdrawal time. This withdrawal time specifies the minimum number of days before the animal is able to be slaughtered, allowing the presence of no antibiotics at the time of slaughter. The meat is also tested several times when processing to make sure that there is no presence of any antibiotics or hormones in the food that you eat. The food you eat is extremely safe.

Organic is a term that appears a lot in the grocery store and food advertisements. But what does it actually mean that your food is being farmed organically? Organic food can be described as “natural food”, meaning they are non-GMO (genetically modified organism) and no chemicals are sprayed onto the crops, there's no manipulation applied to the crop. When applied to livestock, it means that the livestock does not have any antibiotics or hormones and they are fed natural feed with no artificial or synthetic ingredients or additives. These methods also apply to the soil. So unlike conventional tillage, organic farming uses minimal till or no till when they’re planting. Which means all the crop residue stays on top of the soil, preventing the soil from eroding. People who farm organically also use natural fertilizers such as composted manure that is put back into the soil. The goal of organic farming is to not only produce natural food, but also to have less of a footprint left on the environment. 

Organic foods don’t necessarily mean that they are healthier or better for you compared to foods grown conventionally. The reason why organic foods are so much more expensive isn’t because they are better for you, but because they are more expensive to produce. More time and money is put into organic foods, which means they need to sell their food for more in order to have a gain in profits. The main difference between the two types of farming is just the way they are farmed.