This is one important question that I posed to many of the people working at Cascadian Farm during my time in Washington State. And, in general, I feel like this is a great entry question to ask when starting to consider organic products.

What does organic mean? Is organic actually better than natural? If so, why? Craig Weakley was the man who answered all these questions (and many, many more) about the meaning of organic. Craig is the Director of Agriculture and Sustainability at Cascadian Farm, a fellow blogger and is extremely well versed in the ways of organic. Take a look below and see what he has to say about the organic vs. natural conversation.In the end, I hope you find that a topic that may have seemed clear as mud is actually pretty simple to understand.

(Heidi’s Cliffs Notes: Organic is regulated by the USDA. Famers and food processers have to comply with national organic standards, ensuring an authentic organic product. On the other hand, natural has no strict definition. Generally, it means food is minimally processed and doesn’t contain artificial colors, ingredients or preservatives. It is not regulated and could mean just about anything to anyone… Go organic!)