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What is Organic Food?

"Organic" term refers to the process of how certain foods are produced. Organic foods are grown or farmed without the  use of artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics or genetically modified organisms. In order to a food be labelled organic, it must be free of artificial food additives.

Crops which are grown organically tend to use natural fertilizers like manure to improve
plant growth. Animals which are raised organically are also not given antibiotics or hormones.

Growing our own Organic Food

Steps involved:

Soil Testing : Check the soil for contaminants and nutrients before growing.

Gardening Products : The products you are using should be safe and organic.

Composting : Making fertilizer using your kitchen scraps.

Community farms and gardens : how to get involved if you do not your own land.

Resources : From where to get more information on organic gardening.

Soil Testing

There are different kinds of Soil tests that you can conduct. Soil testing is done for several reasons, to improve the nutritional balance of the soil, for diagnosis of plant culture problems and to know about the possible contamination in the soil which can hamper the crops.

There are different types of soil tests which can be used easily at home like the Squeeze test, the percolation test, the worm test, Ph test.

The squeeze test can tell you which type of soil you have. You take a handful of moist soil from garden and give it a squeeze. Then open your hand then check for the following - 

• If it holds its shape and when you poke it, it crumbles then it means you have luxurious loam.
• If it holds its shape and when you poke it, it sits there in your hand then it means you have a clay soil.
• if it fall apart as soon as you open your hand then you have sandy soil.

Now you know what kind of soil you have.

The most important test is the Ph test. It tests the acidity level of your soil. The Ph of your soil has a lot to do with how well your plants grow. Ph is tested on a scale of 0 to 14, with 0 being very acidic and 14 being very alkaline. Most of the plants grow best in soil with a fairly neutral Ph, between 6 and 7. When the Ph level is lower than 5 or higher than 8, plants just won’t grow as well as they should.

Almost all homes and garden centers carries Ph test kits. they are fairly accurate and after knowing whether your soil Ph is a problem or not you can begin working to correct the problem.

Composting at home

Composting at your own home is a very good way to reduce your waste and turn your kitchen and yard scraps into valuable organic fertilizer for your garden and house plants. You can build your own compost bin, purchase a pre-made bin, or even start a worm composting bin in your house. 

Community gardens and farms

Almost all urban areas have community gardens where you can get your own plot if you do not have land by your residence. Community gardens in some urban environments have transformed the landscape and the community itself. If you want to get your hands dirty but do not have the space or the desire to start a garden, see if there are any community-supported farms near you that could use your helping hands on weeding or other projects. This way you may get some experience growing before you start doing it on your own.

Gardening Products

Some of the products you may need for your garden include seeds, potting soil, mulch, tools, fertilizer, compost, and any number of other things. Small scale gardeners, pest problems can be contained with simple removal.

Some products are not approved for organic use and may be toxic. This caution also applies to fertilizers and potting soil as well. The thing about gardening at home on a small scale is that you can often create all the fertilizer you need yourself through simple composting of kitchen and yard scraps. That way you know exactly what is in your compost, and you don't have to purchase many external inputs.

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