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City Roots Farm working to become certified organic
Posted: 03.14.2013 at 7:06 PM
Ivory Hecker

Ivory is a multimedia journalist for the morning show Good Day Columbia, which airs 5-9 a.m., and the evening news, which airs at 10 p.m. weekdays.

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Inspectors from Clemson University and the USDA checked to make sure City Roots Farm was not using petroleum-based fertilizers.  / Ivory Hecker
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COLUMBIA (WACH) -- As organic foods become more popular, some wonder if they are really better for you or if it's all hype. And the question remains: Just what makes a food organic anyway?

City Roots Farm says it is already growing organic, but in order to be certified, inspectors from Clemson University and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture need to make sure. They inspected the farm Wednesday.

City Roots says the farm was judged based on whether it had been using certified organic seeds to grow its plants and whether the animals there are fed with organic feed.

Inspectors also checked to make sure the farm was not using petroleum-based fertilizers.

But just how bad those chemicals are for the body is still up for question.

"The long lasting effects of that are still kind of untold, and a lot of people will argue whether it's good or bad, but for me personally, if it's not something natural, I don't really want to have it in me," said Eric McClam, farm manager at City Roots.

City Roots expects to find out in the next week or so whether it is approved to be certified organic.

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