Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand March/April 2020 | Page 34

Most people’s worldviews are shaped by their
experiences. Looking to modern gardening,
preferences between soil and hydroponic growing
have come to create distinct vantage points from
which these schools of thought view the world.
To this end, a sharp divergence in what individuals
consider “organic” has emerged.
Can
Hydroponics
be Organic ?
by Kent Gruetzmacher
United States is one of the few countries in
world allowing for the organic certification
T of he the
hydroponically grown produce. Yet, for many
organic soil growers, United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) approval is not enough to
convince them that a crop is truly organic. In fact,
the USDA’s choice to back hydroponic growers with
organic certifications seems to spread paranoia
through a community already steeped in mistrust
with the government and big agriculture.
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Maximum Yield