[CH] Organic Seeds?
Dave Anderson (Chilehead@tough-love.com)
Sat, 18 Sep 1999 12:43:37 -0700
In the process of trying to figure out how to get a Phytosanitary
Certificate, I talked with the Nevada Agriculture Dept. guy who
handles seed inspection and also is responsible for the Organic
Certification Program.
I asked him if seeds treated with chorine or tri-sodium phosphate
would be okay for organic produce. Here's what he said:
1. "Check locally because there is no national Organic Cert.
program."
2 "Treated seeds can be used when there is no available
substitute." He mentioned alfalfa as an example.
3. "Chlorine is approved for cleaning food handling equipment in an
organic food processing operation."
4. "Since the seeds are being used to produce a plant and are not
being consumed, I wouldn't have a problem certifying plants grown
from them as organic."
This is not intended to re-start the organics vs. inorganics war
which flares up here occasionally:-)
Dave Anderson
Tough Love Chile Co.
http://www.Tough-Love.com
Chilehead@Tough-Love.com