Annual herbs can be raised organically in the field much the same as annual vegetables.
However, today most commercial production of annual culinary herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley, and lemon balm occurs in hydroponic greenhouse systems. At this time organic hydroponics is neither well defined nor certified by most certifiers. Most field transplants come from plugs, although some herbs are direct-seeded. For an introduction to greenhouse culture, see the ATTRA publications Herbs: Organic Greenhouse Production and Vegetables:
Organic Greenhouse Production. Related publications are Potting Mixes for Certified Organic Production, Plug and Transplant Production in Organic Systems, and Integrated Pest Management for Greenhouse Crops.