 What is Organic farming? What is different about it?
Organic
farming is certainly not a new concept. Before the 1930's all farming
was done organically. It was hard work, difficult to do on a large
scale and most farms were small family owned operations producing just
enough to sell locally. During the industrial revolution, tractors,
trains, trucks and chemicals changed these small family farms to huge
1000+ acre farms that could produce enough to feed our country and much
more. Storage and transportation became the big issue along with
chemical fertilizers and pesticides which could be spread easily with
tractors on a very large scale.
The
only way for small family farms to survive was to join these large
farms in their growing methods which created a huge debt for tractors
and equipment. As the debt rose the prices came down which put many of
these farms out of business completely while benefiting the huge mega
farms. In the 70's-90's, most vegetable production was moved to South
America, Japan and other countries who were able to produce them less
expensively. Again storage and transportation became the main issue.
Varieties
were developed by the large seed companies which would be able to be
held for long periods of time at the semi ripened stage and be able to
hold under refrigeration for weeks and even months. As long as
tomatoes eventually became red, peaches turned yellow, apples, grapes,
lettuces and melons looked good in the grocery store, the varieties
were grown almost exclusively.
Organic
farming which became popular in the 70's was a direct result of
environmental concerns that the mega farms would destroy all the
farmland in this country. Chemicals and over farming were stripping
the nutrition out while doing nothing to improve the soil. People were
concerned and began a different type of farming which went back to all
the old ways. Adding composting materials back into the soil, laying
fields fallow, less tilling and always trying to improve the condition
of the soil as well as not using established strong pesticides. This
type of farming was trendy but over the decades became sort of on the
fringes since we all shopped at the local supermarket, there was very
little demand for this kind of produce with bug damage and sometimes
smaller size.
Since
that time, people have realized the important health benefits of
vegetables and organic and locally grown produce sold at Farmer's
Markets all over the country have stimulated the Organic movement. The
federal government was able to subsidize the establishment of the local
farmer's market and they are growing rapidly. With the establishment
of large successful organic farms in California, grocery stores jumped
on the bandwagon and started offering organic produce. Now there seems
to be a craze for all products organic and a belief that health is very
much tied to the words "organic".
Federal
regulations have recently been written (primarily with the help of the
large farms in California) to standardize the organic requirements. At
one point, anything could be called organic and sold at a premium price
without proof at all. Now, every product that claims to be "organic"
must have only natural ingredients included and produce must be grown
using only natural pesticides & fertilizers. This doesn't
guarantee that it will taste good or be more healthy for you to eat but
it does improve the odds over regular grocery store produce shipped
from other countries.
Our
recommendations on this issue are to visit your local farmer's market
as often as possible. We have seen first hand the incredible quality
of this produce grown by the farmer's own hands and picked at the peak
of ripeness and quality. Most of this produce is grown using
traditional, sustainable farming methods and is not grown for its
transportability and storage qualities. These small family farmers
want to grow the best flavored and most nutritious products. Speak to
them in person about the farming methods they use and why.
How do I garden Organically?
This
is the easiest part. Your backyard has the ability to provide all the
organic produce you will need for the whole year! Who needs grass!
Use compost yourself along with manures and other natural nutrients
(these do come dry and in bags) to constantly improve your soil. Don't
spray chemicals to kill every bug in your garden, there are many
natural ways of preventing their damage. Grow plants such as heirlooms
that have proven themselves over time and talk to old gardeners about
the more natural way to garden. Their grandparents taught them and
they will remember those flavors from the garden when they were
children. That flavor comes from soil rich in natural minerals and
nutrients. We have many products in our online store to help you along the way.
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