Patent ID: 7836631

Claim:
A method of verifying a food source comprising: (A) determining from at least one audit that verified seed has been planted in accordance with a planting protocol to create a crop, the planting protocol requiring sufficient buffer rows of plants and a sufficient distance between the crop and plants beyond the buffer rows to restrict the crop from cross-pollinating with other plants; (B) determining from at least one audit that the crop has been grown in accordance with crop protocols; the crop protocols including at least one insecticide regulation, at least one pesticide regulation, at least one herbicide regulation, at least one fungicide regulation, maintaining the buffer rows, and maintaining the distance between the crop and the plants beyond the buffer rows; (C) determining from at least one audit that the crop has been harvested in accordance with harvest protocols to obtain grain, the harvest protocols requiring grain from the buffer rows to be permanently separated from the grain from the crop, the harvest protocols requiring all machinery directly used in harvesting the crop to meet an acceptable cleanliness standard; (D) determining from at least one audit that at least a portion of the grain harvested from the crop has been fed to the food source; and (E) only verifying the food source if steps (A) through (D) have occurred.