i first became truly aware of organic versus conventional farming in college in an environmental class. we learned about soil erosion, runoff, pollution of the waterways, monocultures, desertification, soil quality, air quality...all in regards to farming. the very practices that were used to feed us, were in fact destroying our natural environment. that wasn't right to me. so i read more. i went to various lectures. i volunteered on an organic farm. i took more environmental classes. i talked with people.
conventional farming is bad. the same crop is planted year after year on the same ground. fertilizers are pumped into the soil since it is completely depleted on nutrients because the same crop is grown year after year. farmers grow the newest variety...the one that will produce more, more quickly, making native and traditional varieties more and more scarce. chemicals are sprayed to eliminate any kind of bug (good or bad), any fungus, any weed and any critter. no bugs equals no birds or other critters that eat bugs. no weeds equals no flowers for butterflies or bees. since one crop is planted year after year at the same time, there are times of the year when the ground is bare. bare ground is an invitation for soil erosion. and all those chemicals in the soil from the fertilizers and pesticides run into the waterways. conventional farmers have no problems. they see one, may it be weed or bug, they spray it, they go about their day. farmers grow massive quantities of the same looking stuff - huge green peppers...no spots, all the same size, all the same shade of green...so mass produced and perfect, you would think they were pictures from a seed catalog.
organic farming is good. there are no chemicals used. there is a large variety of produce grown. there are people working with the earth and their food. your neighborhood farmer is organic. everyone seems happy. the peppers are purple and the tomatoes are white on organic farms. hippies work on and run organic farms. there are lots of weeds, but they cause no problems. organic produce is more expensive because it is in demand. there are lots of bugs...good and bad. organic farms have flowers which invite beneficial insects. it is hard work for organic farmers. if you eat organic food, you will be healthier. organic farming is better for the environment and wildlife.
the above statements are true. well...to an extent. not all conventional farms are weedless. not all organic farms are full of weeds. not all conventional farms are monocultures. not all organic farms are run by hippies. certified organic farmers can spray chemicals just as much as conventional farmers, but, in theory, organic spray is safer. organic farmers are going to grow what sells, just like conventional farmers, whether it be red or white tomatoes, green or purple peppers. some farmers care more about the long term effects they have on their land and the surrounding areas than others, whether they are conventional farmers or not.
what i have learned from working on an organic farm... you better think twice before you make generalizations. you are not going to convince conventional farmers to change...and you can't 'preach' organic is the way to go - people need to figure it out for themselves. many conventional farmers only spray if and when necessary. why? because chemicals are expensive. organic doesn't mean chemical free. lime valley mill (where i work) is chemical free, but not certified organic. we spray N-O-T-H-I-N-G. so what does that mean for us, and others like us? our prices are generally higher because we work harder, longer hours with less results, less product and sometimes less quality of product. our prices are higher, not because we want to take advantage of people, but because our labor costs are truly more. we do what we can to avoid soil erosion and protect the nearby stream. we rotate crops and plant cover crops to keep the nutrients in the soil. we fertilize with manure, compost and fish guts. many good agricultural practices are also good environmental practices. we pull weeds by hand and unfortunately, pick bugs by hand when it is necessary. weeds can be helpful...their roots keep soil in place and can protect crops from bugs. not all bugs are bad...some bugs eat other bugs. a few grasshoppers won't kill a crop, but an army of harlequin bugs will. it can be amazing and impressive what produce you can grow organically. most of our vegetables and fruits are beautiful and of great quality. and what does a few chew marks actually do to a leaf swiss chard? nothing, except change the way it looks.
if we sprayed for weeds once a year, what would that do? would it have a serious effect on the weeds? would the crops do better? would the soil, water and air quality be effected? what would it do for our workload and sanity? in general, i think conventional farming has gotten out of hand. farmers aren't thinking about the consequences of their actions, they are thinking about making more money faster. they spray, spray, spray...whether they need to or not. if everyone only used chemicals as needed, at the lowest dosage, would chemicals be so bad in agriculture? and why is all the agricultural research time and money spent on coming up with the next chemical or the next hybrid to produce more and better? why can't research be spent on what works naturally? like, this type of corn does well in droughts and this type does well under wet conditions. so many farmers grow the same type and make the environment adapt to the crop, instead of using the crop best adapted to the environment.
the point is...know who grows your food and know the practices they use. some organic farms are just as 'bad' as conventional farms, and some conventional farms are not much worse than organic farms. know the consequences of your actions and know what, and who, you are supporting. and don't complain to a farmer about their 'high' prices. farming is labor intensive, no matter a farmer's approach. you want to complain about prices? then ask a grocery store how they can sell food for so cheap.
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