At the NOFA Conference this summer, I learned that those stickers on produce mean more than I thought. I thought the PLU stickers were for checkout folks who really don’t know their fruits and veggies or a convenience for the self-checkout. It turns out they also give you a clue as to how the food was grown.

• Conventionally grown produce bears a four digit code.
• Organic produce bears a five digit code, leading with the number 9.
• Genetically modified food produce bears a five digit code, leading with the number 8.

I buy all of my produce from farms and farmers markets and none of it has a sticker. So, I just ask the farmer and they tell me.

By the way, the ONLY way to ensure your corn is not GMO is to buy organic corn.