As proud Organic Farmers we're supporting the Soil Associations Pancake Day campaign highlighting the great reasons to choose organic food not just for Pancake Day but all year round:

1. To know what’s in your food

Organic food is food you can trust - unlike much of the food we eat today, it comes from trusted sources. Like all organic farms and food companies Swillington Farm are independently inspected to ensure that all our organic food is produced to the standards laid down in European law.

Organic is naturally good - GM ingredients, hydrogenated fats and controversial artificial food colours and preservatives are banned under organic standards. In fact, only 36 of the 314 food additives approved for use across the EU are permitted in organic food!

2. To reduce your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides

Over 350 pesticides can be routinely used in non-organic farming and pesticides and these are often present in non-organic food. Some of them remain in the food we eat, despite washing and cooking. Some studies suggest pesticides could be in one in three non-organic foods! At Swillington Farm we farm naturally, respecting wildlife and without the use of pesticides.

3. It’s naturally different

Recent studies suggest organic production may result in higher levels of some nutrients in food and lower levels of undesirable pesticides. The latest research shows there is between 18% and 69% more antioxidants than food produced using non-organic methods.

Correspondingly, studies have shown similar results with milk - there is no system of farming which produces milk with higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids.

4. To help combat climate change

If organic farming was common practice in the UK, we could offset at least 23% of UK agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions through soil carbon sequestration alone. Buying direct from Swillington also means less food miles as we slaughter on the farm and at local abbatoirs and deliver our organic meatboxes to your door.

5. To help protect our wildlife and For higher standards of animal welfare

We believe that managing wildlife habitats is a vital part of a successful organic farm and overall, plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms and there are 30% more species! There is growing scientific evidence that certain harmful pesticides, especially neonicotinoid insecticides, play a key part in the declines in honeybees and other pollinators worldwide.

Animal welfare is central to the organic principles and no other system of farming has higher animal welfare standards. Organic animals are truly free range. This means, healthy, happy animals, which are reared without the routine use of drugs, antibiotics and wormers common in intensive livestock farming.

Want to find out more? Visit our next Meatup at explore the farm yourself. Book your ticket here.

[Source: http://www.soilassociation.org/pancakeday]