For some, September means a return to homework and—transversely—a time when grateful parents tuck students back into school rooms. For others, it’s simply a time when evenings become progressively cooler. Still others recognize September and its signs of autumn as their favorite time of year. Since 1992, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) has acknowledged September as Organic Harvest Month, a time to share information with consumers on what certified organic represents.

The focus on organic farming first began as a consumer-driven, grass-roots movement during the 1970’s. During this time many events spoke up about the disappearing legacy of the family farm under the domination of mono-cropping agribusinesses. The vast industrial network of food first became exposed.

The rapidly growing organic response to this form of agriculture has led to a return to a system of farming that reduces the network of food and the imprint upon the environment. Organic food production has now been standardized by the U.S. government and is defined by the National Organic Standards Board. In action, organic standards require:

1. Avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs: Hormones, food additives, artificial preservatives, sewage sludge, irradiation, genetically engineered organisms, antibiotics, and long-lasting pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
2. Farmland that is free of chemicals for at least three years before production.
3. Livestock management practices that promote humane treatment without the administration of antibiotics or growth hormones.
4. Documented traceability of food sources detailing production and sales records.
5. Strict physical separation of organic produce from non-certified.
6. Periodic on-site inspections.

For many consumers, the immediate difference between organic and conventional food is the price difference, which is not completely accurate. Besides the production of organic food requiring more labor and management, mounting evidence indicates that if the indirect costs of conventional food production were factored into the price of food—from cleanup of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, to costs of healthcare for farmers and their workers—organic foods would cost the same if not less.

Without awareness about the importance of organics, altering buying habits can seem insignificant or part of just a growing fad. However, a discussion about these claims offers another point of view. It reveals how consumers have the opportunity to decide what kind of food they want to eat and how that food is prepared. They let producers know what they want through their purchases. This is how the organic industry is growing. Its astounding growth is proof that the importance of organics is here to stay—not just as a celebrated autumn harvest event but as a year-long sustainable way of living.

During September’s Organic Harvest Month, various groups of growers and retailers, organizations, food co-ops, and communities around the U.S. plan special harvest activities designed to generate conversation about what Certified Organic means today.