Crackdown on fertilizer fraud leads to indictment of another 'organic' manufacturer in California

Kenneth Noel Nelson Jr., the largest supplier of organic fertilizer in the Western U.S., was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on 28 counts of mail fraud. The indictment accused Nelson of "selling premium-priced liquid fertilizer touted as made from all-natural products such as fish meal and bird guano that instead was spiked with far cheaper synthetic chemicals," P. J. Huffstutter of the Los Angeles Times reports. This is the second indictment of a California organic fertilizer producer in five months and has "fueled fears among some farmers about possible contamination of their pristine fields," Huffstutter writes.

To be certified organic, the federal government requires farmers to not put synthetic chemicals on their land for three years before harvest. Justice Department officials told the Times that federal law prohibits organic farmers from using synthetic fertilizer with limited exceptions. The indictment says Nelson received organic certification from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Organic Materials Review Institute by lying about the ingredients he was using. "The motive in these types of cases is economic," U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said. "Consumers pay a premium for organic products, and they should not be misled." (Read more)