WHEN YOU PURCHASE a pound of butter or a quart of yogurt labeled as USDA Organic, you're getting a healthful, premium product that you can feel good about serving to your family. But you're also supporting a system of agriculture that is environmentally sound, and which assures the health and future productivity of both animals and land.

The philosophy of organic production is to provide conditions that meet the health needs and natural behavior of the animal. Thus, organic livestock are given access to the outdoors, fresh air, water, sunshine, grass and pasture, and are fed 100 percent organic feed. Any shelter provided must be designed to allow the animal comfort and the opportunity to exercise. Organic practices prohibit feeding animal parts of any kind to ruminants that, by nature, eat a vegetarian diet. Thus, no animal byproducts of any sort are incorporated in organic feed at any time.

US regulations do establish requirements for the use of the word organic on food and other agricultural products Those regulations result in labeling changes as organic food products still on the shelves are used up. Requirements include verification from a certification agency as meeting or exceeding USDA standards.