HOME

WHY BUY ORGANIC?

CSA
INTRODUCTION

CSA DETAILS

ORGANIC
DEFINED

CSA
NEWSLETTERS

CSA RECIPES

FARM & PICKUP
MAPS

CSA APPLICATION

FLAX MEAL

CONTACT US

Organic Defined

Our farm is certified annually by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA).  This is the group in the state of Ohio that is responsible for certifying "organic" growers.  There are very strict and specific guidelines mandated by the federal government including specific criteria for passing certification.  These guidelines allow only certain products to be used.  It is stipulated that no genetically engineered seed may be planted, and very few products are approved for use on certified farms. No "inorganic" (petroleum based) fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides may be applied.  Even some of the organic or natural pesticides such as Rotenone are not permitted.

Even if genetically engineered seed were permitted under the organic standards, we would steadfastly refuse to use it.  No genetically modified seed or products can be found on our farm.

For us, the certification by OEFFA is a lengthy formality we undergo in order to make our customers feel more comfortable.  In reality, all organic growers are operating on an honor system that could easily be violated without anyone knowing.  We grow organically because of our concern for the health of our farm and the health of those who work in our fields and eat our produce.  We do not grow this way because it is the trendy thing to do, or because we can then charge more for the "organic" label.  We practice organic agriculture because we believe it is the only way to farm in a sustained and safe manner.

So what do we do to control pests, weeds, and diseases and amend the soil to increase production?  To control the weeds, we cultivate.  Cultivating is a broad term for the use of various tools to stir up the soil enough to kill the weeds.  This can beanything from hand pulling weeds, to using implements pulled by a tractor.  We also use cover crops planted a season or two before we plan to use a field.  The cover crop literally competes with the weed seedlings inhibiting their growth.  The "covers" also serve to stabilize the soil, preventing erosion, and when they are worked into the soil, they provide important organic matter for the following crop to thrive on.  By repeatedly planting a cover crop, and then turning it into the soil, we can interfere with the weed life cycle, eventually reducing weed pressure enough that it no longer is a problem.

There are a few pests that plague the vegetables in varying degrees from year to year.  We combat these using different techniques.  Using crop rotation, we interrupt the cycle of some of these pests and minimize their impact.  We also use rowcover which serves as a physical barrier between the pest and the plants.  It is also our experience that restoring the natural balance of the soil, allowing the fungi, micro-organisms, and beneficial insects to flourish naturally keeping each other in check, helps inhibit the growth of many of the pests or at least reduces their numbers.  We have also found that healthy plants are able to withstand assaults by insects or plant diseases, and organic practices seem to make for healthier and stronger plants.

The cucumber beetle and flea beetle are major insect pests.  There are no organic controls to eliminate or reduce their numbers.  We must rely on row covers,  crop rotation, and luck to help keep their damage to a minimum.  With these pests, we just plant more to compensate for losses secondary to their damage.  Other insect pests generally cause only mild damage, and by timing plantings and rotating crops, we can keep them at bay as well.

As each year passes, we have observed that pressure from insect pests has been steadily decreasing.  We attribute this occurrence to the slow, but steady return of our fields to a more natural balance between pest insects, and the other insects or wildlife that prey on them.

We  also feel that this natural balance is returning to the soil.  One disadvantage of the inorganic fertilizers is that they fail to provide the micronutrients that plants need, adding only  nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.  These micronutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, and a host of other chemicals, are essential to all plants' growth and health (as well as humans).  The combination of tilling under cover crops, accompanied by the use of compost, has helped return these micronutrients to the soil.  Additionally, the organic matter they supply helps the soil texture and boosts the organisms that live in the ground.  Yes, soil is very much alive with all sorts of microorganisms that help break down the organic matter and also compete with insects and diseases.

Many researchers now feel that the restoration of soil organisms has a very positive influence on the crops grown.  If this hypothesis is true, and several studies are implying that it is, this would explain why our yields keep increasing, our disease problems are decreasing, and our insect woes are lessening, as each year passes.

It is our perception that our vegetables taste better each year.  We can eat everything we grow without concern for any pesticide or herbicide residues.  We feel very good that the type of farming we do is improving the soil and not harming the plants and wildlife within and around our vegetable plots.