What do Organic Farmers do, anyway?

Organic agriculture is a way of working with natural processes to solve some of the problems that all farmers face: weed control, insect pests, soil fertility management, plant diseases, extreme weather, etc.

Instead of toxic chemical herbicides (and genetically engineered herbicide tolerant plants), organic producers often rely on old-fashioned hand weeding or hoeing. The use of cover crops and mulch to suppress competing weeds is common, especially in orchards. On many organic farms mechanical cultivation (plowing) or flame-weeding techniques are used extensively. Sometimes animals such as sheep or chickens are "employed" to eat weeds and weed seeds from fields, especially before tilling and planting.

Regarding insects - well, they aren't all bad! A balance must be struck between beneficial insects such as bees, ladybugs, and wasps and those that are destructive to crops. Organic farming allows for these beneficial insect populations to co-exist and aid in control, keeping the negative impacts of the pests to tolerable levels. Providing habitat for the beneficial creatures helps limit the population of the "bad guys" while maintaining healthy bio-diversity.

Sometimes farmers intervene by physically removing pests or their hiding places (such as dead, fallen leaves). If necessary, they may apply approved organic pesticides such as BT (bacillus thurigenensis), a bacterium that effects particular leaf-eating caterpillars. In the case of apples and pears, pheromone traps and baits are used to disrupt the mating activities of problem pests, such as coddling moths. Each crop and pest problem necessitates it own set of solutions and a long learning curve for the observant organic farmer.

Wild animals and birds are typically found in much greater numbers on organic farms than on conventional farms. This can be a mixed blessing. Some birds and rodents help by eating insect pests, while others may cause damage to crops. If birds are pecking on the ripening fruit, recordings of the calls from large birds of prey can be broadcast in the orchard help scare them off. Rodents which feed on the roots and young shoots must either be trapped or encouraged to leave with high pitched sounds. Deer, rabbits, and other nibbling critters can be fenced out or discouraged with the application of spicy hot pepper extract to the tasty plants.

Fertility of the soil is a key component of organic farming theory and practice: feed the soil and healthy crops will follow. Compost production is foremost in this strategy to build biologically active soil communities. These in turn support healthy root structures that allow plants to develop to their fullest potential. Other natural enhancements, including ground rock powders (such as dolomite limestone), seaweed, bonemeal and cover crops are also used to add nutirents and trace minerals.

Organically grown plants are generally healthier than their conventionally grown counterparts. Like all living creatures, a healthy, vigorous plant is less susceptible to disease than a stressed or sickly one. If a disease causing organism (be it fungus, virus or bacteria) does strike an organic crop, the farmer will remove the infected material and dispose of it, usually by burning. Successful organic farmers know that careful observation is the first step in avoiding a serious disease outbreak. The second is to evaluate and address the specific vulnerability of the crop. Apples, for instance, are susceptible to a skin blemish called "scab" if the weather is cool and wet in the late spring. If rainy weather is forecast, organic apple growers apply a natural sulfur solution to the apples to prevent the growth of the scab organism.

Factors such as environmental suitability and the natural disease resistance of a particular crop or variety are evaluated by the farmer before a crop is planted. Organic growers take pride in growing only those varieties most suitable for their regional micro-climate, soil type, and growing season length (not to mention flavor and personal preference). This eliminates most potential problems before they get a chance to start.

Farmers are intimately connected to their land, and over years develop a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on to develop new (and sometimes to rediscover old) solutions to the many challenges which confront farmers everywhere. Combined with a good deal of ingenuity and hard work, some of the most productive farms in the world today are flourishing using 100% organic techniques.