What does "Certified Organic" really mean? What sets Miller's apart?

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May 31, 2024

Imagine that you’re strolling down the aisle in a grocery store, scanning the shelves for something wholesome and nutritious and free of toxins to feed your family. A package proudly displaying the big bold label “Certified Organic” label catches your attention. You think to yourself, “Perfect. This is what I need to nourish my family.” But hold on a second, what if I told you not all organic food is created equal?

What Certified Organic Actually Means

When something is labeled as “organic,” it basically means that it’s made with a lot of natural ingredients (not necessarily all, but a lot). But, it’s not just about using natural stuff. There’s a whole process behind the certification.

Farmers (or businesses) that want their food to be certified organic have to create an Organic System Plan. This plan lays out how they’re going to meet the standards set by USDA. Once that plan has been made, they have to put it into action.

That’s not all. A certifying agent, who’s been accredited by USDA, will come out to check things out every year. They’ll make sure the farm is following the rules and meeting the required standards.

The inspectors aren’t from federal or state government agencies. Instead, they’re private third-party groups approved by the National Organic Program (NOP). Every program has different specifics for inspections. It’s also important to note that the inspector typically contacts the farm in advance to set up a date and time, giving about 2 weeks notice.

On a typical day, the inspector will start with a quick tour of the farm and discuss the Organic System Plan the farmer has in place. Their main concern isn’t so much about pesticides or how the animals are living or verifying labels. Rather, the most important thing with the visual inspection is that the farm isn’t repackaging non-organic produce as organic.

The inspector reviews all of the farm’s sales and receipts. They’re making sure the total sales match the expected yields. Plus, they want to see if the farm is buying “certified for organic” fertilizer, nursery starts, and approved pesticides. It’s a whole lot of recordkeeping.

On top of that, it’s a costly process. It doesn’t stop with the certification. There are inspection fees, renewal fees, and even travel costs for the certifying agents. It adds up and can be thousands of dollars per year! Farmers have to factor that cost along with the cost of running the farm.

Certified Organic Requirements

I did a ton of research, trying to wrap my head around what it really takes to be certified organic. There was so much info, filled with big, fancy words that I don’t use everyday. It felt like they were trying to make it hard to understand on purpose.

But don’t worry. I got you covered. I did all the hard work and made a simple chart (below) that breaks down what being certified organic actually means. Plus, I included a comparison to show how Miller’s Bio Farm goes above and beyond these standards.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC	MILLER’S BIO FARM
Does not need to disclose ingredients under 1%	Discloses all ingredients and processes. Full transparency.
GMOs allowed if they’re 0.9% or less of the final product	GMO free
Organic corn & soy allowed	Corn & soy free
No regulations on vaccines	No routine vaccinations
Antibiotic free	Antibiotic free
Hormone free	Hormone free
Steroid free	Steroid free
Synthetic nitrate/nitrite free (naturally occurring nitrates/nitrites like in celery juice powder are allowed)	Synthetic nitrate/nitrite free (naturally occurring nitrates/nitrites like in celery juice powder are allowed)
Irradiation allowed (with certain restrictions)	Irradiation free
Can be sprayed with any of the thousands of “certified for organic” pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides*	Miller’s pasture & hay not sprayed at all. Produce and feed ingredients may be sprayed with carefully selected “certified for organic” products*
Lots of record keeping required	We keep a reasonable amount of records, as we feel they are needed
Does not need to be farmed regeneratively	Practices regenerative farming and pays extreme attention to soil health
Humane treatment of animals is not required	Humanely raised
Doesn’t require animals be pasture raised	Animals are pasture raised as much as the weather allows
Not required to be 100% grass-fed (AKA grass-fed & finished)	100% grass-fed beef, cow dairy, and buffalo dairy
A2/A2 dairy not required	100% A2/A2 dairy
Homogenization allowed	All dairy is non-homogenized
Meat can be sanitized/washed in any of a multitude of approved substances, including chlorine and citric acid.	Beef and pork is washed with organic apple cider vinegar. Chicken is air chilled and washed in only water. Turkey and fish is washed in only water.

*OMNI (Organic Materials Review Institute) maintains a list of chemicals and sprays that are allowed under the organic certification. The list is thousands of products long and continues to grow. Some are innately natural like clay or vinegar and some are not so natural like chlorine or citric acid.

How Miller’s Bio Farm goes above and beyond being certified organic.

At Miller’s Bio Farm, we’re NOT certified organic. It’s costly and time consuming. We’d rather make our own choices. We’d rather tell you everything you need to know about your food. Our site is packed with info, and we’re happy to answer any questions (and do research if needed).

That being said, we naturally follow the organic standards and, in many ways, go beyond the regulations. I mean, we’re trying to produce the most natural foods we possibly can!

So remember, when browsing through the grocery store, eyeing those “certified organic” labels, not all organic is created equal. Sure, it’s a good sign. It’s a step in the right direction. But, if you dig a little deeper, it’s not all what it’s made out to be.

At Miller’s Bio Farm, we just don’t settle for the basics, for the standards. Nope. We go above & beyond. Giving you 100% transparency, and REAL food.

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References

From farm to fork: Understanding the value of sustainable pork

Raising Pork the Old-Fashioned Way: Miller's Bio Farm's Commitment to Quality At Miller's Bio Farm, we're not trying to reinvent the wheel, we're bringing back the farming practices that sustained communities for generations. As an Amish farm, we understand that good stewardship of the land and animals isn't just about business; it's about honoring creation and providing wholesome food for families. When you buy pork from us, you're getting more than just meat. You're getting the result of careful, intentional farming that puts the well-being of our animals, our land, and your family first. Let's be honest: most grocery store pork comes wrapped in pretty words like "natural" and "humanely raised," but these labels often don't mean much. It's easy to put nice words on a package, much harder to actually do the work of raising animals properly. We'd like to show you how we do things differently here at Miller's Bio Farm. What Makes Our Pork Different Good pork starts with good practices. For us, that means healthy soil, happy animals, responsible harvesting, and thoughtful management of everything that happens on our farm. Here's what that looks like in practice: Pasture-Raised the Way Nature Intended Pigs aren't meant to spend their lives standing on concrete in windowless buildings. They're curious, intelligent animals that need fresh air, sunshine, and room to express their natural behaviors, rooting in the dirt, foraging for food, and socializing with other pigs. On our farm, hogs live outdoors on pasture in the woods where they can do exactly that. We move them regularly to fresh ground, which keeps them healthy and gives the land time to rest and regenerate. This practice, sometimes called rotational grazing is farming wisdom that's been passed down for centuries. When pigs root and forage on fresh pasture, they're naturally fertilizing the soil and helping plants grow back stronger. The land becomes more fertile season after season, storing carbon and building topsoil instead of depleting it. No chemical fertilizers needed, just pigs doing what pigs do best. This kind of farming takes more work than confining animals in one place, but it produces better results for everyone involved: healthier pigs, healthier land, and better tasting pork. Raising Animals with Respect Our approach to animal care reflects our values as an Amish farming community. We believe animals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect throughout their lives. Processing with Care When harvest time comes, we work with a small processor who shares our commitment to humane treatment. Our animals are handled calmly and respectfully, with immediate stunning to ensure they feel no distress. This isn't just the right thing to do, it also affects meat quality. Animals that are stressed at slaughter produce tougher, less flavorful meat. Properly handled animals yield tender, delicious pork that you can taste the difference in. Studies also confirm what traditional farmers have long known: animals raised on pasture produce meat with better nutritional profiles, including higher omega-3 fatty acids and more vitamins. Wholesome Feed, No Shortcuts We raise heritage breed pigs, traditional breeds known for their hardiness and flavor. These animals thrive on pasture with supplemental non-GMO grain, and they don't need antibiotics or growth hormones to stay healthy. In industrial pork production, antibiotics are mixed into feed daily to prevent disease in overcrowded conditions. This practice is creating drug-resistant bacteria that threaten public health, a problem we don't contribute to. Our pigs build strong immune systems naturally through good nutrition, clean living conditions, and low-stress environments. It's the way farming worked for centuries before shortcuts became the norm. Caring for God's Creation As stewards of the land, we take seriously our responsibility to leave it better than we found it. That's not just good farming, it's part of our calling. Building Soil, Not Destroying It Industrial agriculture depletes soil through intensive tilling, chemical dependence, and continuous monoculture cropping. This approach might boost short-term production, but it's not sustainable. We farm differently. Our rotational grazing actually improves soil health year after year. As pigs move across pasture, they naturally incorporate organic matter into the ground. Rest periods allow plants to regrow with deeper roots, which prevents erosion and captures carbon from the atmosphere. The result is living, fertile soil teeming with beneficial microorganisms soil that produces nutritious forage without synthetic inputs. Handling Waste Responsibly Large scale pig operations often store waste in enormous lagoons that leak pollutants into water supplies and release harmful gases into the air. These systems create environmental and health problems for surrounding communities. Our approach couldn't be more different. Because our pigs are spread across pasture and woodlands in manageable groups, their manure distributes naturally as valuable fertilizer rather than concentrating into a waste problem. When winter weather requires us to bring pigs into shelter, we bed them deeply with straw or wood shavings. This creates a composting effect that safely breaks down manure without environmental contamination. We also plant diverse pasture species specifically chosen to absorb nutrients and maintain ecological balance. Not all pigs like to go in the open shelter in the winter time and that's perfectly fine with us! The Real Story Behind Your Pork Chop Many people wonder which type of meat is most environmentally friendly. The truth is, it's not so much about whether you're eating pork, beef, or chicken, it's about how that animal was raised. Take beef as an example. You've probably heard that cattle are terrible for the environment. That criticism applies to feedlot operations where thousands of cattle are confined in small spaces and fed grain-heavy diets. But cattle raised properly on well managed pasture actually improve the land and sequester carbon. The animal itself isn't the problem; the farming method is. The same principle applies to pork. Factory farmed pork has serious environmental and ethical problems. Pasture raised pork from a regenerative farm like ours is a completely different product. One challenge specific to pork is that pigs need grain as part of their diet, they can't survive on grass alone like cattle can. This means sustainable pork production requires access to sustainably grown grain, ideally non-GMO corn and soybeans from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture. On our farm, we're committed to sourcing feed from responsible growers who share our values of soil health, biodiversity, and chemical free farming. What You're Really Buying When you purchase pork from Miller's Bio Farm, you're not just buying bacon or pork chops. You're supporting a way of farming that's been proven over generations, one that respects animals, regenerates land, and produces genuinely nutritious food. We're proud to raise pork the right way, even though it's more work. Because at the end of the day, that's what good stewardship looks like. And that's something worth bringing home to your table. Check out our: ✔️Corn & Soy Free ✔️ Vaccine, Drug, GMO-Free ✔️Heritage Breeds ✔️Woodland Raised PORK COLLECTION HERE: https://millersbiofarm.com/sto...

What does "Certified Organic" really mean? What sets Miller's apart?

What Certified Organic Actually Means

Certified Organic Requirements

How Miller’s Bio Farm goes above and beyond being certified organic.

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566