Dirty lie: A California company passed off synthetic fertilizer as organic.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—A liquid-fertilizer company was caught spiking fertilizer approved for organic crops with a synthetic chemical that damages soil quality but does not pose a risk to people, according to reporter Jim Downing’s story that first appeared in The Sacramento Bee late last month.

THE DETAILS: According to Downing’s report, some of the organic fruits, nuts, and vegetable crops sold in the last several years by large-scale organic marketers like Earthbound Farm were not actually grown organically, unbeknownst to the farmers, who apparently bought the spiked product in good faith. California Liquid Fertilizer has allegedly been selling the unlawful concoction as a natural fertilizer made from fish and chicken feathers for up to seven years; a state investigation began after a whistleblower from inside the company claimed ammonium sulfate had been used in the liquid fertilizer. Ensuing U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture inspections found the fertilizer company to be uncooperative; inspectors even intercepted trains with the chemical headed to the fertilizer company from Illinois, according to the newspaper report. The product was taken off the market, but supporters of organic agriculture believe the fertilizer company should face tough legal action and repay farmers whose soil was tainted. “In some ways, this story shows that there is some policing that is going on because the organic industry cares so much about its product and the trust it has with the consumer,” adds Tim LaSalle, CEO of the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit that encourages organic farming methods all over the globe.

WHAT IT MEANS: It seems both consumers and farmers were duped by a company that broke the rules on organics. That doesn’t mean the problem is widespread, and it’s no reason to stop buying organic food—which is healthier for you and the environment. “We live in an imperfect world where honest mistakes are made, and where greed can override good judgment,” says Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute farm manager and incoming chair of the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board. “As proven by this report, the organic community will not tolerate either and will use all the tools at their disposal to correct the problems when they are identified.”