Lynda Brown, The New Shoppers Guide to Organic Food.
Why Buy Organic When you choose to buy organic food you are not just buying food grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and other chemical substances detrimental to nature. You are supporting a form of agriculture that aims to coexist and protect the environment, produce food high in nutritional value and maintain and increase soil fertility. Over 40% of Australians have bought organic food in recent years and that figure is growing.
Seeing is Believing Dee Nolan became involved with organic agriculture while a magazine editor in the UK. Her magazine, YOU, worked with Prince Charles' Duchy Home Farm on farm tours, which enabled the public to see how an integrated organic system worked. In addition, her work with the Soil Association's (Britain's leading organic certification agency) Annual Food Awards was instrumental in the phenomenal growth of organic food sales in the UK in the 1990s.
Nolans Road Goes Organic Step One was to be certain that Gum Park was the right place to grow olives. Long, dry hot summers and cold winters mean the southeastern Australian climate is perfect for olives. Step Two was to match the varieties to the terroir and climate. The Italian varieties chosen have proved ideal. The Nolans Road olive grove was organic from day one. Only natural, certified organic fertilizers are used. Soil fertility is further enhanced by nitrogen-rich cover crops between the trees and maintaining a balance of minerals. Until the recent introduction of organic sheep to keep the grass down, the grove was hand weeded. Harvesting is also done by hand. Insect problems are kept at bay by use of natural predators and spraying when necessary with organic white oil.
HACCP Nolans Road also has a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) quality assurance program in place.
What Does Certified Mean? Certification with one of Australia's seven certifying agencies guarantees the customer that their food has been grown to AQIS (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service) organic standards. Nolans Road is certified with NASAA (The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia Limited). The olive grove was farmed organically for three years before certification was granted. The grove is inspected annually, farm records audited, tissue tests performed to test for chemical residue. In addition, unannounced on-site inspections occur. Certification protects the consumer against fraudulent claims and ensures all stages of growing, processing and marketing are monitored.