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Qualifying For Producing Organic Tomato Seeds

A farmer growing tomatoes for the harvesting of seed for organic tomato seeds production, needs to be certified as an organic grower before being able to sell this type of product to other growers and the public. The grower has to comply with the strict criteria that there be no use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or any other product being used.

To qualify for this certified status takes quite a number of years. During this time the soil on a property, during what is known as the pre conversion period, has to be allowed to adjust back to a natural level where there is no evidence of any artificial contamination. It is not a type of farming that can be done overnight and is not there for quick money making.

Any water that is available also has to be checked for artificial contaminants and if there are any, this will need rectifying where it has been used on the land. There is also a waiting time for any contaminants that will need removing from the soil where the growing is to be practised.

Anyone embarking on a project of this kind needs to develop a management plan which will help with any changes that are necessary. These plans once developed are put into practice and used over a period of time during the pre conversion process, this is the usual practice where a grower wants to grow produce under the certification rules.

If a farmer wants to grow other crops this practice may be allowed providing these crops are not grown on the same land as the organic produce. The crops also have to be unrelated, and it must be demonstrated that there will be no risk of any cross contamination occurring from the inorganic plants.

To qualify records have to be kept as well. These must be records of cropping history, any soil testing, use of fertilizer which should not be inorganic in any way, and this includes animal manure and hay etc. Monitoring of pests and diseases and a number of other item have to be kept as well, which the certifier may wish to see during a visit to the farm.

Once all levels have been passed and the conversion of the soil area is completed, the grower becomes listed under certified producer and is allowed to sell the tomato seed into the market as organic. For those who purchase this kind of seed it can be done with a confidence in knowing that what they are buying has been grown in the right way.

Article Source: GardenGap.com

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Want to find out more about organic tomato seeds, then visit Chad Perry's site on how to choose the best organic vegetable seeds for your home vegetable and fruit garden.