Analysis Of The Shenandoah Valley Near The Border Of...

In the Shenandoah Valley near the border of Virginia, Joel Salatin and his son Daniel, accompanied by two farm hands, run â€Å"one of the most productive and influential alternative farms in America† (Pollan 126). Polyface farm is rather unique in its business tactics as well as agricultural practices. The only way to eat products from Polyface farm is to live next to it. . .or within a half-day’s drive. Joel Salatin is a firm believer of â€Å"relationship marketing† wherein the only way to ensure integrity is to meet the man who raised your meal (Pollan 240). Farms like Joel’s are often forgotten or considered to be at the bottom of the socioeconomic food chain, yet customers come back every single week to pick up the food that they know has†¦show more content†¦As a part of the American Marketing Service (AMS), the NOP was founded in 1939 and strives to develop â€Å"national standards for organically-produced agricultural products† (â €Å"National†). Their mission is to ensure goods with an organic seal are controlled and distributed as uniformly as possible, and they take every complaint with a heavy hand to keep irregularities to a minimum. In 1990, the USDA was instructed to â€Å"establish uniform national standards for organic food and farming, fixing the definition of a word that had always meant different things to different people† (Pollan 154). Since then the term organic has been manipulated and distorted by large companies in order to push their products to as big a market as possible, leaving consumers dazed and confused about the actual standards of the foods they were purchasing. Often times, the true meaning of the extravagant or misleading words on the packaging is hard to translate for the average consumer-organic being no different. The seal that dawns certified organic products provides no insight into the qualifications needed in order to receive that stamp nor is the USDA very f orthcoming about the actual meaning of the word organic. Any retailer can slap an â€Å"organic† label on their product so long as â€Å"at least 95% of the farm-grown ingredients are organic and you sell direct to customers inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Shenandoah Valley Near The Border Of Virginia, Joel Salatin And His Son Daniel1929 Words   |  8 Pages In the Shenandoah Valley near the border of Virginia, Joel Salatin and his son Daniel, accompanied by two farm hands, run â€Å"one of the most productive and influential alternative farms in America† (Pollan 126). Polyface Farm is rather unique in its business tactics as well as agricultural practices. The only way to eat products from Polyface farm is to live next to it. . .or within a half-day’s drive. Joel Salatin is a firm believer of â€Å"relationship marketing† wherein the only way to ensure integrity