📣 Farm Update: Fresh Honey Available!
Come get it while it lasts — this has been one of our favorite harvests in years, and we’d love to share it with you.
📞 Call or text 804-240-5797
📧 jesse@bibbforestfarm.com
At Bibb Forest Farm, we’re passionate about growing nutrient-dense food that supports the health of our community and the planet. One of the most common questions we get is: “Are you certified organic?” The short answer? No. And we’d love to share why.
We’ve been through the process of applying for organic certification — and we paid to do it. What we didn’t realize at the time is that organic certification isn’t federally granted. Instead, it’s managed by private certifying agencies, and each agency can set its own fees and requirements.
For us, this meant being asked to cover not just the certification cost itself, but also:
A round-trip plane ticket for our inspector from California to Virginia
Food and lodging for the inspector during their visit
Hourly fees for every moment the inspector was on our farm
The total cost? Far more than we anticipated. And for a small, diversified farm like ours, that expense is hard to justify — especially when the label doesn’t guarantee the full story of how we grow.
We farm with ecological stewardship at the forefront of our decisions. But certification often restricts us from using methods that are actually better for the land. For example:
Certified organic standards allow the use of single-use plastic mulch — even though it ends up in the landfill or tangled in our fields.
Certified organic doesn’t allow tested biodegradable mulches — even if they break down safely and save labor and waste.
This contradiction highlights the reality: certification sometimes lags behind innovation and sustainability.
The organic certification process gives you a list of what not to do. And while that can help prevent harmful practices, it doesn’t tell you how to build healthy soil, steward animals responsibly, or grow community resilience.
We believe good farming is about:
Investing in soil health through cover cropping, compost, and minimal tillage
Supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services on the farm
Making thoughtful choices based on what’s best for our land and our customers — not just what’s allowed by a certification
We encourage our customers to ask questions and come visit us. We’re always happy to talk about how we grow, why we do what we do, and the values behind our farm. We believe trust is built through relationships — not just logos on a label.
Thank you for supporting local, regenerative agriculture. We’re proud to grow for you, and we’re excited to keep building a farm that reflects care, intention, and integrity — even without the paperwork to prove it.
Stay connected with us at Bibb Forest Farm — and if you’re ever curious about our practices, just ask. We’re an open book.
We farm with integrity, not bureaucracy. Discover why Bibb Forest Farm has stepped away from organic certification and embraced our own high standards of ecological stewardship — from avoiding single-use plastics to choosing transparency over red tape.
Discover why shopping at Bibb Forest Farm’s online farmers market is the best choice for fresh, seasonal produce, grass-fed meats, and raw honey. Enjoy free home delivery, support sustainable farming, and know exactly where your food comes from!
Spring is in the air, and we’re thrilled to share what’s growing at Bibb Forest Farm! This buying period, we’ve got a wonderful selection of
Hey Folks, Things are heating up and that means bring on all the fruits of summer! Our flower garden is sending forth the first blooms
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