Organic?
That is a question we often are asked. Are we organic?
Well yes, and, no…
We are not “certified organic” but we follow organic practices with the majority of our crops. We follow proper crop rotation, work green (plant) manure into the soil, use composted plant matter to augment the fertility, use proper wind protection, and proper soil management practices. For example, proper crop rotation is key to maintaining the soil fertility. Nutrient depleting crops such as corn and potatoes need to be rotated with nutrient restoring crops such as peas and beans. We prefer to call our produce “Naturally Grown”, as we grow in a manner that does not harm the environment and is sustainable both environmentally and economically.
The 30 or so acres of land where we grow berries, herbs, tomatoes and some other crops is organic. The remaining 100 acres is farmed using a combination of organic and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. The majority of our crops have no pesticide inputs. Unfortunately, at this time there is not a suitable solution for the potato beetle and we are forced to use limited amounts of pesticide or risk losing our entire crop. That being said, we know that the inputs that are used on our crops are miniscule in comparison to the amounts used by commercial growers. We are waiting for a new organic control for these beetles to be approved in Canada. It is available in the USA, and has good reviews. As soon as we can use it here, we will switch to it. Our goal is to be organic certifiable in the next 5 years.
Our farm is of a size that is too big to make organic easy and too small to use some of the machines that commercial organic operations have at their disposal. A 5 -10 acre organic farm can be maintained by one person, where as our 130 acres requires 30+ people to maintain it with our current “almost” organic practices. We take the health of our land seriously and unlike huge commercial organic operations, we cannot simply move to another location if we exhaust the land we grow on. This is an important distinction that consumers need to think about when choosing “corporate organic” over local sustainable products.
Many areas of the farm have been left in a natural state. Native trees, grasses and wild flowers grow between the fields as well as along the river bank. Some parts of the farm have never been plowed so it is quite forest like. This is important to us for many reasons. We have maintained good soil fertility making it unnecessary to cultivate every inch of land. Our farm provides habitat for many wild birds, mammals and insects. We know that we are doing a good job when the tree canopy is alive with the song of birds, when bees (both wild and honey bees) are plentiful, when deer take up permanent residence and when we have to watch for little frogs when we are moving though the freshly irrigated crops.
So, the answer to the question is a little longer than most people wanted to hear! What it comes down to is that our small scale farm practices are better for the environment and we produce healthy food that our family feels confident serving to your family.
