[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Program Details ] [ What We Grow ] [ Farm History ] [ Subscribers ] [ Chefs ] [ Farming 101 ] [ Research ] [ Q & A ] [ Links ]

 

ARE YOUR VEGETABLES ORGANIC?
An explanation of our farming philosophy

 The only legal way that products can be called organic is to be certified by the USDA label. We believe in the concept and are pleased that it has been defined so that consumers can have confidence in organic labels.  We are aware of organic requirements and have contact with organic growers: Our farm is a member of FOG (Florida Organic Growers and Consumers) and Nancy was recently a speaker at one of their meetings. Nancy is also on the Advisory Board of Texas Organic Growers and on the committee to implement a new organic research facility at the University of Florida. While in Texas, she gave talks on organic farming and even trained county Extension agents about organic produce farming.

 Most people think that organic produce simply means that it is not sprayed. Organic farming means much more than that; it means building the organic matter of the soil, creating an agricultural system which encourages natural pest control systems, and using pesticides which are less disruptive to the environment and less toxic to people.  Organic farmers were originally small farmers who sold locally, but now much of the organic produce is grown by many of the same large farming companies which grow large amounts of conventional produce.

 So, why have we chosen not to pursue organic certification? Frankly, we don’t think that, at this time, the technology exists to enable us to do it profitably in the subtropical climate of south Florida.  Most other agricultural regions have a cold or dry period during which many plants are dead or dormant. This greatly slows insect and disease reproduction.  Here we rarely have that period of time, so our insect and disease organism populations are almost constant. The dynamics of tropical soils are also very different from those in temperate climates. Microbiological processes proceed very rapidly, making it difficult to build up organic matter in the soil using the methods used in temperate climates.

Rather than being certified organic, we are working towards sustainability of our operation. In order to truly be sustainable, there are three important aspects that must be fulfilled:

bullet

            Profitability. In our political and economic system, a farm must be profitable to survive.  We feel we can do that by producing vegetables which people enjoy and marketing them locally. In order to produce acceptable produce at yield levels that allow us to cover our expenses, we sometimes use fertilizers and pesticides that would not be allowed under organic certification.

bullet

               Environmental compatibility. We base our management decisions on the environment effects. We try to look at the whole picture. For instance, organic farmers usually control weeds by cultivation, but perhaps it is better for the environment to spray once with a low-toxicity herbicide than to use the fuel and emit the chemicals that result from several trips through the field with a plow or cultivator? Perhaps it is better for the environment to eat produce that is produced locally, even with some pesticides, rather than have organic produce shipped thousands of miles? Environmental compatibility also means using compost made from materials which otherwise would be wasted, such as yard trimmings and manures. These types of organic materials can add nutrients and improve the microorganism population of the soil. Our pest control program involves prevention of problems by crop rotations and other cultural management and constant monitoring of pest populations. When necessary, we use pesticides. Most of the insecticides we use are biological or botanical compounds. The most common fungicide we use is copper, which is sometimes used in organic programs.

bullet

            Social acceptability. We strive to make our business a good citizen of the community by treating our employees and our customers fairly.

We also have an ongoing research program with projects that work towards sustainability by studying details such as soil microbiology, insect and weed populations, and new vegetable varieties that have resistance to diseases.