Are hydroponic tomatoes organic?
hydroponic agriculture to be consistent with the accepted definition of organic growing. While organic farmers grow in soil and/or natural compost, hydroponic growers mostly grow their crops in blocks or mats made of rockwool and fertilize that crop with synthetic fertilizers by means of a drip irrigation system. This artificial “intravenous” method of growing is what brings the vast majority of hothouse produce to your grocery store shelf. It is also why it is so difficult to find a good tasting tomato these days. Since the US National Organic standards were put in place, large corporate hydroponic greenhouse operations have attempted to gain acceptance and even certification as organic farms. Those of us who understand the relationship between our well-being and that of the soil oppose this watering down of the definition of ‘organic’ that so many of us have worked so hard to uphold for so long.
