There’s a lot of talk in the American countryside today about sustainable agriculture. That’s a good thing. More farmers and ranchers are looking to adopt growing practices that build soil, conserve resources, and help reduce carbon emissions in the environment.

But it’s not just enough for those farmers and ranchers to be environmentally sustainable. Economic sustainability is just as important. After all, if a farmer can’t pay his or her bank loan at the end of the year, all of their great stewardship practices could soon disappear.

That’s where you come in.

When you purchase organic food, you are doing more than simply making a wise choice about the quality of products you feed your family. You are also creating an economic incentive for farmers to move more acres—and more animals—away from conventional agriculture and into organic production.

In a sense, you become a business partner to the farmer every time you put an organic item in your shopping cart.