That’s how it all started 35 years ago. Our founders, two young would-be farmers, who were also passionate environmentalists, decided they’d find a way to farm without the potent chemicals commonly used in farming. Lacking a background in farming but enchanted by the 2½-acre Eden they’d landed in, they instinctively wanted to protect their little ecosystem from pesticides and other chemicals intended to disrupt its natural harmony. Our commitment to organic has not wavered since those early and pioneering days in the eighties.

As far back as the 1940s, there were voices in agriculture (like Sir Albert Howard, Lady Eve Balfour, J.I. Rodale) growing more and more concerned about the negative impacts conventional agricultural chemicals were having on our ecosystems. These pioneers began advocating for what would become known as organic farming. Then in 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring which brought national attention to the issues associated with DDT, among other popular conventional chemicals at the time.

Earthbound Farm does so much more than just farm without conventional chemicals. Organic farmers are required by the USDA Organic Standards to employ cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that support the cycling of on-farm resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. This means that organic operations must maintain or enhance soil and water quality, while also conserving wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife.

#IChooseOrganic for Chemical Reduction

By remaining committed to organic practices on every acre and every one of our farms, we’re also keeping a significant amount of conventional agricultural chemicals out of our air, water, land and food supply. Today, by choosing organic for our 30,000 crop acres, Earthbound Farm avoids the use of more than 10 million pounds of conventional agricultural chemicals in a single year. And we’ve been around for 35 years. It all adds up to something important, not just for Earthbound Farm but for everyone who eats.

In 1984, our founders believed they could farm differently than the norm—without conventional agricultural chemicals as tools—to protect the environment and the people who chose to eat their food. Today, that unconventional dream is now realized on 30,000 crop acres, making organic so much more accessible than ever before.

Thank you for choosing organic!