USDA toughens oversight of organic fertilizer

Federal organic regulators have announced a new enforcement strategy meant to stop manufacturers from passing off synthetic fertilizers as organic. After a California state investigation revealed in December that a major manufacturer of organic fertilizer was spiking their product with synthetic nitrogen – a cheap and difficult to detect, illegal impostor in the organic market – the USDA moved toward tougher federal regulations of such companies, enforced by third-party audits. Full story: The Sacramento Bee