Organic Produce, page-43

Certified Organic is a bit more tricky because it comes down to soil quality that needs proof of how long it has been free from those contaminants - so really it is more than just growing the produce without fertilizers or pesticides & often when buying locally people wont have that kind of certification but that doesn't necessarily mean that the soil has had any contaminants, fertilizers, pesticides it's just that it takes a lot of time & money to get that certification. If people on a small scale are simply growing their produce without pesticides or un natural fertilizers then it's good enough for me.

Plenty of chefs are conscious of this these days sourcing natural ingredients for the superior taste - many high quality restaurants have kitchen gardens at the rear others the chefs or staff grow much of the produce at home. Another favourite of my restaurants the chef/owner will often take top quality produce off people from their backyards in exchange for meals or money - dinner there is somewhere between $50-$150 pp depending how many courses.