Food glorious organic food! Now, that we got your attention with organic (and food) the question is: What does it mean? Thirty years into the organic movement, most people in this country have a pretty good understanding of organic and what it represents. Organic food is food that is produced without the use of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides. This applies to both the produce and meat that we eat. Only in the last half-century have we moved away from “organic agriculture”, driven by micro economic issues that are real, but did not take into account the long term negative effects of industrial agriculture. At Stone Hearth we are proud to be part of the growing number of restaurants focused on returning to our agricultural roots. While we use organic flour, tomatoes and growth hormone free cheese, our focus has evolved to buying, cooking and serving what we call “clean food”. This means foods whose origins we know, trust, and that is being produced in ways that preserve the earth and our increasingly scarce resources. Is this a more expensive way to grow and produce food? You bet it is, but it is important and we also believe you can taste the difference. And, taking it one step further, for us, we think of our business as a living organism and everyone with whom we do business comprises this organic compound. They help form the integral elements of the whole – from food production, to distribution, to team members, to customers… Even our food is composted so it goes back to it original organic state!