Organic vs Non-Organic Microgreens – How We Actually Grow our Microgreens and Edible Flowers
A question we get all the time is: "Are you organic?"
Recently, we got a call from a highly respected and well established local business whose values align beautifully with ours. One of the first questions the manager asked was exactly that: “Are you organic?”
If you’ve ever wondered the same thing, you’re not alone. Many health-conscious consumers look for the USDA Certified Organic logo because they want to be confident when it comes to what they’re feeding their families.
This page explains how we grow at Back Mountain Microgreens, why we are not USDA Certified Organic, and why we've gone the trust and transparency route.
What “Organic” Really Means
When many people see an organic label, they assume every step in the process—including the seeds used—is certified organic.
In reality, organic certification is a formal system built around specific standards, documentation, and approved practices. However, in some cases, even certified organic farms may use non-organic seeds when an organic variety is not reasonably available and proper documentation is maintained.
That’s one reason we believe getting to know the people who grow your food can be just as valuable as reading a label.
How We Grow at Back Mountain Microgreens
We believe food should be clean, vibrant, and grown in a way that honors both people and nature.
Here are some of the ways we operate:
- OMRI-listed soil — everything we grow is grown in soil
- OMRI-listed fertilizer — only for the longer-growing crops that require it
- Natural pest control — beneficial insects only, instead of chemical pesticides
- High-quality, Non-GMO, Heirloom seeds — read more here.
- Clean growing practices — including tray sanitation, careful watering, and attention to soil health
- Radical transparency — we’re always happy to answer questions
One area where our operation does not always match certified organic sourcing is seed selection.
Why Some of Our Seeds Are Not Certified Organic
Many of the microgreens and edible flowers we grow are based on customer requests for specific colors, flavors, or specialty crop varieties.
For those seeds:
- Organic versions are often unavailable
- When available, prices may be significantly higher
For a small farm like ours, certification can also involve meaningful administrative costs and time commitments that impact whether or not our work-life balance is sustainable long-term. We have to weigh whether these trade-offs truly benefit our customers.
Rather than pass extra expenses along, we’ve chosen to focus on:
- Growing with principles commonly associated with organic farming
- Honest relationships with our customers
- Clean, careful growing practices
- Personal accountability instead of relying only on labels
We’re small enough to know many of our customers personally—and we value that deeply!
Seed Treatment and Safety
Because seeds matter so much in our process, we pay close attention to sourcing and handling.
We:
- Avoid treated seeds for our microgreens and edible flowers
- Review labeling carefully
- Ask direct questions to remove any ambiguity when it comes up
To date, we have not encountered treated seed lots among the seeds we purchase for production. If we do, we avoid them.
So, are our microgreens and edible flowers organic?
We are not currently USDA Certified Organic.
We respect farms that choose certification and understand why many customers value it. We’ve simply chosen a different model built on transparency, relationships, and clean growing practices.
Our methods include:
- OMRI-listed inputs
- Non-GMO, heirloom seed varieties
- Organic seeds when they're available and not cost-prohibitive
- Careful growing practices
- Natural pest management
- A strong focus on cleanliness and stewardship
Some of our seeds are not certified organic due to availability and cost—not because we use harsh chemicals in our process.
For many customers, the real question is:
Can I trust how you grow and what I’m feeding my family?
We believe trust is built through honest conversation, consistent quality, and local relationships. If that seems to be lacking in our relationship with you, let's change that!
Have questions? Let’s talk.
- A certain seed variety,
- How a particular seed lot is produced, or
- Any part of our growing process.
- 570-652-8182
- info@backmountainmicrogreens.com.
