Our 30.4-acre property in Urbana that we purchased in 1996 had been certified organic periodically for 8 years prior. Being certified organic is a process that requires a lot of paper work and careful record keeping, as well as annual applications and inspections. Many growers, understandably, don’t want the headache or additional expenses of being certified organic; however, we feel that the additional work and inspections keep us on our toes, always aware of the subtler and easily overlooked aspects of what is truly necessary to grow organically. Certification also necessitates, thus allows us to stay up-to-speed on any changes in organic standards. Accordingly, we are better able to keep a pulse on our government’s support or interference into the organic world. This has been especially important since 2000, when the FDA began to federally regulate the “organic” label.