Is Organic Food Really a Better Buy?

Marin County organic beef rancher Dave Evans stands in a pasture calling his cows, and it's a sight that could make an old cowhand cry.

Watch "World News" Nov. 28, 29 for our continuing series on organic food

"Hey boys. Hey girls. Come on," he said. They look and moo, then they come ambling in. No lassos necessary.

In Marin County, often called the birthplace of organic food, cows are so happy they come when they're called.

The lush seaside community north of San Francisco embraced organic farming decades ago and continues to promote the foods as the fast-growing industry expands well beyond the region.

Propelled by food scares over mad cow disease and E.coli infection, organics have boomed nationwide, growing by as much as 20 percent annually. Americans spent $14 billion on organic food last year, according to the Organic Trade Association.

In some regions, the demand for organic products exceeded supply.

"Most people come into the organic marketplace and the key motivating factors are health and nutrition. That's the message that is really getting out to consumers," said Sam Fromartz, author of "Organic Inc." about the growth of the organic foods marketplace.

Setting a Good Example for the Industry

In Marin, farmers run successful small organic operations that sell to local markets and high-end restaurants, because the Bay Area, home to fresh California cuisine, takes healthful food seriously. The major selling point in organic is the lack of pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, radiation or bioengineered products.

Federal organic standards require that animals have access to outdoor pasture. Marin farmers are so committed to organic principles that they often go above and beyond basic requirements by giving their cows room to roam in fresh air and bucolic environs, and providing them with excellent nutrition and an overall good life.

Anita Sauber, who works for the county to certify that Marin's farmers uphold U.S. Department of Agriculture organic standards, said this group does not require a lot of policing. In fact her employer, the Marin County Department of Agriculture, has rarely had to issue sanctions for failing to meet organic standards.

Six years ago when they began issuing certifications, there were only a few hundred acres of organic farms. Today it's pushing 20,000 acres, still only 20 percent of the county but growing rapidly.