These vegetables and fruits are grown without chemicals. Farmers can only use the word organic if they follow strict rules. Their farms are reviewed every year. 

Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) products are grown following organic practices. CNG is for small farmers. There is less paperwork and cost for the farmers.

No spray or pesticide-free means that no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides have been put on the growing vegetables and fruits. 

A GMO is a plant whose genetic makeup has been changed in a lab. This may be done to keep it fresh longer or make it a different color.

Heirloom vegetables and fruits are also called farmers’ varieties or traditional varieties. They are usually full of flavor. Farmers have passed the seeds down through generations.

These words describe produce that is grown and sold within a certain area. This can be defined by distance, state border, or regional boundaries.

Vine-ripened and tree-ripened are used for vegetables and fruits that have been allowed to fully ripen on the vine or tree before it is picked. 

Find a print-friendly copy of these words and explanations here.