Organic foods get a boost

(CNN) -- It's a rainy and cold Wednesday morning in Atlanta, but the bad weather hasn't deterred Ayan Perkins from her weekly shopping trip to the Whole Foods market just north of the city. The store carries a wide variety of organic foods.

"When I plan my budget, I always put a little extra aside for my trip here," she says. Organic foods can cost more than traditional foods, but Perkins says it's worth it.

"You feel healthy shopping," she says. "You are rewarding yourself both mentally and physically by eating healthy foods. It's worth the cost in the long run."

Apparently many people agree with her. In this Southern city there is a growing market for farmers' markets and other stores that carry organic choices. Over the last 20 years organic food has been gaining in popularity nationwide.

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Sales of organics have surged more than 20 percent each year in the past decade. According to the Food Marketing Institute, more than half of Americans buy organic food at least once a month.

Organic food is grown or raised according to a system of farming that mimics natural ecosystems. Many substances are prohibited for use in organic crop production such as arsenic and tobacco dust which can be used as pesticides. Livestock is raised on organic feed and without the use of synthetic hormones or antibiotics. Foods labeled organic cannot be irraditated or created with genetic engineering.

Scott Allshouse, Director of Operations for the Whole Foods southern region, says, "We've seen an ever-increasing popularity over the years. Whole Foods has been in business for over 20 years and every year we see an increase in sales."

Whole Foods Market is a fortune 500 company founded in 1980. It is the largest natural foods market with 125 locations and sales of $1.8 billion.

"People are increasingly aware of what they put in their bodies," Allshouse says while snacking on an organically grown red apple fresh off the produce shelf. "People are more aware now about food security, pesticides and herbicides than ever before."

Organic farming

Someone who will never use pesticides for any of his crops is Nicolas Donck. He owns a farm about an hour drive from Atlanta, Georgia, in the small community of Newborn. On his farm this day, the okra is being planted, the garlic is being watered and the lemon thyme is being cut for sale.

Travis Head, a farmhand on Nicolas Donck's farm prepares and plants okra seeds.

Donck caters to the ever-growing number of metropolitan restaurants in the area.

"Chefs know the difference in taste and now they want the benefits of organic food for their customers," he says.

When not selling to restaurants, Donck shows up at a local farmer's market to hawk his goods.

"I try to plant crops that I can sell at different times of the year," Donck says. "This is a year-round farm; I'm always planting and harvesting."

Donck says more of the country should go organic. He would like to see a regional farm system around the United States.

"Just a few farms could support a town year-round," he says. "The customer knows the farmer; they're local and the food tastes good."

He thinks consumers would worry less if they could trust the farmer and actually see where the food comes from. The downside? Don't expect a year-round bounty.

"People will have to get used to the idea that you can't eat tomatoes 365 days a year," Donck says. "We'd provide in the summer, but come winter, no tomatoes."

Government regulation

The government is catching onto the organic idea. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) put out a set of guidelines and rules for farmers when growing organic. This includes how to label foods, fertilizer substitutes and issues on handling.

"The organic label is a marketing tool," said former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman when the standards were issued in 2000. "It is something, I think, consumers want."

But USDA is not making a statement about food safety, the secretary continued, using the term 'organic' is not making "a value judgment about nutrition or quality."

Government "is not in the business of choosing sides," Glickman said.