At a typical farmers’ market, there will be some farmers who are organic and some who aren’t. Those who aren’t may explain that, while not certified organic, they do practice sustainable farming. What is the difference? All organic farming is sustainable, but not all sustainable farming is organic.

Organic farms follow strict guidelines drawn up by certifying agencies like the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and, since the fall of 2002, the USDA. A sustainable farm may follow organic practices, but it isn’t certified. It may therefore incorporate some farming practices that are banned under organic rules. But it may also be stricter than an organic farm in the environmental practices it follows. There’s nothing pejorative about the term sustainable. It simply may be the route chosen by a small farmer who doesn’t want the expense and paperwork of organic certification.