organic v conventional growing

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/science/earth/study-questions-advantages-of-organic-meat-and-produce.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120904

let's talk about this article/study. 

first of all, ladies and gentlemen, certified organic produce does NOT mean chemical free. nowhere, in anyone's definition, does it say organic equals chemical free. this is a definition the public has given organic. certified organic farms are allowed to spray certain chemicals, ones that are less harmful, but nonetheless, chemicals. 

second of all, chemical sprays, or lack of, have NOTHING to do with the nutritional value of the produce. what gives produce a high nutritional value is two things - its freshness and its soil quality. as soon as produce is picked, it starts to lose its nutrients. so the sooner you consume that item, the more nutrition you will get. this is where buying locally and directly from the farmer comes in. soil quality also plays a major role in produce nutrition. if the soil on a farm is dead, void of organic matter and nutrients itself, it has nothing to give the produce plants, and therefore the produce. 

third of all, for everyone buying organic food for the health of themselves...shame on you. while i agree, i would prefer to go out into a field, pick a sugar pea off the plant and eat it without fear of what has been sprayed on it, this is not why i buy, and grow, organic. chemical farming does such harm to the environment it is a wonder we even still have an environment. industrialized farmers completely kill the soil, so nothing will grow (can't have a random thistle growing in the field, let alone an earthworm). then, in order to get their crop to grow (since the soil is dead), they have to add fertilizers. and what happens when it rains? you get runoff. since there is little in the field, but the crop, to keep the soil in place, it just runs away and with it much of that fertilizer. and where does it go? the streams, the lakes, the rivers. all those fish and other aquatic life don't appreciate the chemicals. and let's not forget all the herbicides and insecticides that are sprayed. some of that ends up on the plants, some in the air, some in the soil, some in the water. rachel carson would be so disappointed that we haven't improved our farming ways for the better of the environment and its wildlife. 

organic meat - i don't even know what that is, do you? what does grass fed beef mean? most people think grass fed means the animals eat grass and it is healthier for them. while it is true that grass fed meat has less saturated fat, many grass fed beef farms give their animals grain at some point. and does anyone think to ask if the grass the animals are eating is unsprayed? no, not usually. and does anyone think to ask how long mothers and calves are kept together? no... sheep and lambs? no... grass fed also doesn't mean pastured raised. the animals might be stuck in a barn somewhere eating hay, not roaming free on green pastures. my point is, you have to be able to talk with the farmer and ask them questions about their practices. the factory farms have given grain feed a bad name. and it is a bad thing, if that is all the animal is getting. they need a balanced diet, just like people. buy local and know your farmer. ask questions. most farmers like to talk about their practices.

while on the subject of meat, i am going to talk about our animal production. i don't very much since i deal mostly with the produce, but i sell our meat at market and i see the animals all around. we raise all the sheep, the ram, all the cows and the bull on the farm. lambs are with their moms for a couple of months, calves are with their moms for almost six months. lambs and calves are out on pasture almost from birth (depending on the weather and when they are born). they have grass in the pasture or hay in barn. they also have access to grain - corn, soy, wheat, etc - that is all grown organically on our farm. oh and the hay is grown organically on the farm, also the straw used for bedding. our pastures are never sprayed with chemicals. and we never grow GMOs. pigs and chicks are bought at a very young age and raised naturally and humanely from then on. most of our chickens are raised on pasture, but again it depends on the weather. pigs are not on pasture because, anyone who knows pigs, knows how destructive they can be. they are raised in a protected area...plenty of access to fresh air, sunlight and lots of our leftover produce. i always say, they eat better than many people in lancaster county. they LOVE tomatoes, melons, winter squash and pumpkins and sweet corn, but they will eat just about anything. you want to talk about organic meat...i think what we do is pretty organic. 

what this article did was point out many facts that most people had forgotten. many consumers make assumptions and don't get to know the truth. they forget that what is important is the health of the environment, the health of the meat animals while they are alive and where their money is going. support local farms. ask questions. know what your money is going to support. you have at least three food votes a day. make them count.

autumn

the season has officially changed, and i'm not just saying that because the calendar told me so. 

there is less sun, less light outside which slows down plant growth - not just for our crops' growth, but also weed growth. we are all thankful for the latter. 

bug pressure on plants also changes. there are less flea beetles, even less harlequin bugs, but caterpillars and grasshoppers are in abundance. they can do a good job chewing our leafy greens.

the days are cooler and the nights even more so. this effects different plants differently. crops like tomatoes, summer squashes and okra do not enjoy anything below 50-55 degrees F. the plants start to produce less and more slowly. it doesn't take long for the plants to start dying off. but cooler temperatures also mean greens, greens and more greens. cooking greens like kale, mustard, collards, broccoli raab and swiss chard grow wonderfully in the fall weather. the plants are healthier, they produce large quantities and their flavor is great. i need laundry baskets to pick greens into now, our dish pan size tubs don't cut it anymore. salad greens also do well in cooler temperatures. our head lettuces in the field are beautiful. arugula is flavorful. there is an abundance of mesclun mix and leaf lettuce - so tender, so tasty. 

the cooler temperatures also seem to have an effect on the color things. the colors are more vibrant. the red mustard is such a beautiful burgundy. you can truly see the difference in colors of the swiss chard stems - the bright yellow, magenta, deep red, orange, peach. the variety name of 'bright lights' has new meaning. the color of the peppers seems stronger, too - the lime green, cream, dark purple, dark green. they stand out so beautifully in a basket on the market table. even the different shades of green of all the leaves and stems of other greens and herbs is just more brilliant in the fall.

other signs of the season changing is what we wear to work everyday. we start wearing thicker socks and more layers. many days, the layers don't come off. we start really feeling the chill when we stick our hands in the cold sink water. sorting through produce that has been in the refrigerator really gets to our fingers. and forget getting meat out the freezers - we handle one steak and our fingers are frozen. there are no more t-shirts and sandals at market, but now shoes and sweatshirts.

the fall always seems to bring a lot of rain. it turns the fields muddy and makes for some fun driving experiences. forget sliding on ice, have you ever tried sliding on mud? we just kind of glide around turns. we can only avoid working in the rain so much. if we have to pick produce for market, we have to pick produce for market. today would have been a good day to be inside doing chores, but alas, we have market tomorrow. it was pouring rain pretty much all day and we were out in it for several hours picking produce for market. our tubs and baskets were filled, not only with produce, but water. our clothes were soaked down to our underwear and bras. sometimes we want to give up and just say, maybe we should just go back and finish later. but it gets to a point when we are already soaked, so we might as well finish. 

so many people think fall is the end of the season. well, it isn't. it is true that many crops come to an end in september and october. for example, our leeks are done, as is our sweet corn and string beans. our tomatoes are coming to an end. but many things, as i have just mentioned are growing better than ever right now. and there are many crops we are still waiting for - broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts are all growing beautifully in the field, but it will be several weeks before they are pickable. many things will do well until frost hits, which isn't until late october or even november. we will cover what we can, but the frost will put an end to many crops. so don't forget your local farmer and farmers markets in the fall. the selection is still bountiful, not to mention beautiful. 

it's august?!

not only is it august, but it is the end of august. i have no idea where the summer has gone. i think the heat of july really threw us off. of course you expect summer to be hot, sometimes humid and sometimes dry. but you also expect a break every once in awhile. well, this july provided no breaks, no relief. it was hot, humid and dry for just about every day in july. we tried to plant, but things would just shrivel up under the sun and heat. nothing wanted to grow. forget greens like lettuce and kale. even the cucumber plants wilted to nothing. and speaking of wilting...how do you think we felt working in that heat and humidity. even going to market was hard. standing in the shade of the tents and the sweat was still just pouring off of us. as if produce farming isn't tiring enough, but when you are out there in such extreme heat and humidity for days on end, it completely drains you. it is hard to breathe at times. your body is working so hard just to keep cool and hydrated, it takes any extra energy away from you. you get home from work, take a shower and want to crawl into bed. you can't even think straight. you take cold showers, but still come out sweating. it is physically and mentally exhausting.
i know, there i go talking about the weather again. but you can't be a farmer and not talk about the weather. it effects everything you do and grow on a daily basis. the sweet corn didn't grow well, and what did grow didn't pollinate right because it was too dry. like i said, we had no greens in july and no hope of even planting them. no point in planting anything - too hot and too dry. some things that were planted before the heat did okay...summer squashes produced well, tomatoes did (and are doing) well, potatoes did very well this year, garlic did great, onions are looking very good. 
besides the weather, we have had other battles, too. the critters, mainly rabbits, love to chew on any newly planted crops. so we finally get a cloudy, cooler day to plant, but by the next day half the plants are gone because someone needed a snack last night. and the bugs...we knew the bugs were going to be bad this year because of the warmer winter we had. even with hand picking the harlequin bugs, they are on more crops than last year. the caterpillars, flea beetles and grasshoppers also love our greens, just like our customers. someone at market complained to me last week about our arugula being hole-ly and that she didn't want to eat it. i wanted to say, you try farming, or evening gardening, organically - and by organically i mean you don't spray anything on your crops - and then come back to me to complain. but i bit my tongue and said 'sorry.' 
needless to say, it has been a tough growing year, but fortunately, august has been considerably cooler...and wetter. plants are actually growing again. we are already harvesting some winter squash. we are up to our necks in tomatoes. greens are growing again - arugula, lettuce, chard, broccoli raab. inside seed starts are done for the year. everything we are trying to plant outside now is for fall and winter harvest - cabbages, cauliflowers, broccolis, kales, collards, chards, brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips, radishes, beets.
another year under my belt. another year of experience as a farmer. another year of saying 'i am going to so this differently next year.'

april showers bring...

...wait, what april showers? it didn't rain in april until the last week. at a high point in the planting and growing season and there is no water. plants need warmth, sun and water to grow. if you are missing one part, growth slows down.

yes, i am talking about the weather again. why? because farming, the business i work for and my job are completely dependent on the weather. no rain, no plant growth. too much rain, mold and fungus issues. rain, no customers at market. too hot, some plants don't grow or go to seed very quickly. too cold, some plants die. the list goes on and on. you need such a balance in weather, just the right amount of heat, sun, rain, wind, cloud cover, etc, to grow produce to it's fullest potential, that it is practically impossible. 

last year, we had a dry spring and our root crops showed it. we had a hot and dry summer and our okra did so well, we were cutting it almost every day. then, the fall was cool and wet. cucumbers, summer and winter squash plants molded and died. but we had enough sweet potatoes to sell all winter. this shows you how important it is for a produce farm to be diverse. if we relied solely on pumpkins and winter squash for our income, we might not still be in business this year. but we don't and we are...we had many other crops to fall back on. 

the weather in 2012 continues to be odd. we had some warm spells in march that encouraged plants to grow. then we had quite a few cool nights in april. those cool nights told plants to stop growing. it also damaged some plants - like asparagus and strawberry blossoms. the asparagus has been slow to continue growing. peas have been growing well, but slow to blossom. potatoes were taking so long to sprout in the fields that we thought they might have all rotted. (fortunately, the potato plants look really good right now and so far no potato beetles.) when i planted the second planting of spring root crops (turnips, carrots, beets and radishes), the first planting had still not germinated. spring onions were growing better in the house, in a dark room, with no water, than they did when i first planted them out in the field. the dryness and coolness of april was hard on plants. 

but now, give plants and seeds a little warmth and sun and some water and BOOM! we have swiss chard, kale, mustard, head lettuce and broccoli raab that we harvested today (for market tomorrow). we pulled spring onions and radishes. we cut mesclun mix and arugula. we cut asparagus. our quantity numbers vary greatly from what they were at this time last year. but we still have nice looking, high quality product to sell. 

spring is here!

the past couple of weeks, there has been many signs that spring is here. here are some examples -

i've been wearing less layers to work, no more wool sweaters and long underwear

snow and snap peas were planted in the field

450lbs of potatoes (yukon gold, red norland and kennebec) were planted in the fields

transplanted in field from seeds i started inside - several varieties of head lettuce, 3 varieties of kale and collards

the greenhouse door is left open during the day, otherwise it gets to be 90 degrees in there!

there have been many sunny, warm days that make you almost break a sweat working outside

i cleaned out the farm stand, put out a few products for sale and made it officially open for the year!

there are still cool nights to remind us that it is not summer yet, but warm days to remind that it is almost here

the greenhouse is getting very full with seedlings to be planted in the fields

there are over 30 lambs running and jumping all around!

my days go by faster and faster and my to do list keeps growing. now is the time of year when i take advantage of any 'free' time and complete tasks that i know, if they don't get done, they won't until next winter. now is the time to stay on top of to do lists, especially planting schedules, because if i fall behind now, i will be behind all year. now is also a time to enjoy the warmth of the sun and getting my hands dirty planting in the fields.

professionalism

why is being a farmer not considered being a professional? i recently took a survey that asked for my profession. it had several things listed, one choice being a working professional and one choice being farmer/agricultural industry (among other choices). well...what the hell?

just because i don't wear a suit and heels everyday and work in a stuffy office and sit behind a desk and computer from 9-5 monday-friday...this makes me a non-professional??

i work my 40 hours a week, if not more. i work on the weekends and evenings, too, when the so called professionals are on vacation or at happy hour. i attend conferences and exchange experience and knowledge with others in my field. i have to make sure my actions don't directly cause harm to others (ie - food safety issues). i deal with customers on an almost daily basis and if i am not providing customer service in a professional manner, that will directly affect the company i work for. i have to keep up to date with social networking and make sure our name is always out there. i have to keep up with local and regional news to know what might affect this business. i have to know what our competitors are doing and what we need to do to stay on top of our game. i have to do research to know what is going to work best for us and save us time and money, while providing a good product. i have to know our customer base to know what varieties of produce will sell and what won't. i have to know our soil to know what varieties will do best for us and what potential problems we may run into. i have to figure out ways to deal with weeds and harmful insects - what is going to be most effective on the weeds and insects, but least harmful to the environment and humans. there is little passing off of jobs to others and a lot of okay, let's all go out and tackle this task.

how is my job, being a farmer, not professional? how is saying, 'my job is to grow your food,' not professional? the service i provide to society is huge...how is that not professional?

winter markets

this past saturday we had market. we go to two different markets once a month in the winter - one is the first saturday of the month, the other the second saturday. that is enough to keep us busy, but not too busy that we can't get done everything else we are doing in the winter. so what do we take to market in february?!?!

meat - beef, pork, lamb and chicken. we always have meat to take to market. sometimes we are low on beef, but have lots of pork and lamb (like now). sometimes we have minimal pork, but lots of beef. but regardless, since our meat is all vacuum sealed and frozen, we always have meat to take to market.

eggs - one market we go to we take eggs. we can easily sell 12-15 dozen eggs at one market. the chickens are producing less right now. their energy is spent keeping warm, not making eggs. since we only have one market a month to sell eggs at, that is fine right now.

wheat berries - high protein grain. wheat is harvested in the summer and stored in the freezer. it will pretty much keep as long as you need it to in there. we sort through the berries, weigh and bag them for market.

stored produce - sweet potatoes, garlic, shallots, dried hot peppers and dried herbs. sweet potatoes were harvested in september, cured in the greenhouse and have been stored in a cool, airy place since then. some sweet potatoes don't survive storage, but for the most part, they store very well. we still have many baskets of potatoes to sell. garlic was harvested in july, cured, cleaned and stored. we weigh and bag it for sale. we still have about 2lbs to sell. shallots were also harvested in the summer and are weighed and bagged for sale. there is about 1lb of shallots left. during the 'regular' growing season, we try not to sell produce that is more than a week old. so any hot peppers we have left after a week, we put in the dehydrator or convection oven to dry. we weigh, bag and label the hot peppers for sale for our winter markets. as long as the peppers are completely dry when bagged, they should last as long as we need them to. we started off with 5 varieties that we sold dried, but only have 2 varieties left. some fresh cut herbs last longer than others, especially depending on how you store them. we tried to dry herbs once a week during the 'regular' growing season, but time didn't always allow. to dry herbs, we pinch the leaves off, lay out on a piece of paper towel and put in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, 1-2 minutes total. doing this quick drying method, the herbs stay green and retain their great flavor. i was skeptical about drying some herbs, knowing that when you buy them in the grocery store, they are brown and almost tasteless. but it worked with everything we dried. everything was still green, fragrant and flavorful. we started off winter markets with about 10 different varieties of dried herbs. we are down to one. they sold much quicker than i thought, though i am happy about it.

fresh produce - what?! fresh, local, organically grown produce in pennsylvania in february?? nah! well, yes, actually. we have several different varieties of cooking greens growing outside under hoops and plastic - collards, mustard, spinach and kale. for this past winter market, we harvested 12 - 1/4lb bags of spinach, 10 - 1/3lb bags of collards, 24 - 1/3lb bags of kale and 8 - 1/3lb bags of mustard greens. that's a lot of greens...17lbs of cooking greens growing outside in february in lancaster. not too bad, if you ask me. but there is more. we have a small greenhouse where we grow salad greens for winter markets. we grow arugula, cress, lettuce, mesclun mix and swiss chard. the cress and arugula we sell on their own, but the lettuce, mesclun mix and swiss chard we mix all together to make a salad mix that we sell. for this past market, we had 9 - 1/8lb bags of arugula, 5 - 1/4lb bags of salad mix and 21 - 1/8 bags of salad mix. that makes 5lbs of salad greens. now if you compare these numbers to other numbers from the spring or fall, they don't seem like a lot. but think about what it takes to grow and harvest in the winter - through the ice, snow, cold, wind and shorter daylight days. plus, the greenhouse requires some heat. we have been able keep the heat very low, but still. so, yes, we charge a bit more in the winter for these precious greens, mainly because where else are you going to find them. most farmers don't want to be bothered with winter produce growing. and i can sometimes understand why. when you are outside cutting leaves of kale with scissors and your hands get cold and wet. it seems to take hours for them to warm up. or is it worth it to fight the wind and get more weights to keep the plastic down over the produce outside? or is it worth it to heat and water a small greenhouse to grow a few bags of greens? but then you take your greens to market and you watch them, literally, disappear. with all those bags of greens we took to market on saturday, we came back with ONE bag of salad mix. that's it. if we had more, we could have sold it. people get so used to going to local markets during the spring, summer and fall. they begin to crave those fresh greens in the winter, too.

fresh herbs - cilantro, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme and lemon thyme. parsley is still growing out in the field. it is covered with hoops and plastic, but i had no idea it was so winter hardy. i plant cilantro in the greenhouse b/c it is suppose to help repel bad bugs, but it also sells well. we decided to move the herb garden this year and start fresh. so before the ground was worked up, i dug up some of the perennial herbs and put them in large pots in the greenhouse. they've been doing well so i cut some for market. we took a total of 28 bunches of fresh herbs to market and came back with 10. 18 bunches of fresh herbs sold in february in lancaster. cool.

the length of this post alone shows just how much we have to sell and do for winter markets. yes, it costs time and money to be producing year round, but it is also worth it when you come back with empty coolers.

warm winter

while some may say we have had beautiful weather, i disagree. we have had a warm winter. not just a mild winter with little snow and cool temperatures, but warm. we have seen days in the 50s, even 60s, on a regular basis. if it gets down to 20 degrees, it doesn't stay there long. we have had two snow storms, both with minimal consequences. people may love this weather, but farmers do not.

yes, it is nicer weather for doing outside chores, and for picking produce for market that is growing outside and going to market, but what about the long term effects of this warm winter? what is going to happen come spring?

there is no snow, which means no snow melt come spring. spring will be drier and groundwater isn't going to have a chance to replenish itself. that could really hurt us when the dry summer hits us. if there is no rain, and minimal groundwater over the summer, how are our crops going to get watered?

we always have insect issues on the farm, but spring is a time to start over because so many bugs die in the winter. some can survive the cold and snow, but not most. with this being such a warm winter, those bugs are surviving and are going to be out looking for food early in the year. there will be more bugs and more species to deal with this year. that is going to hurt our crops and take more time for us to deal with when we have other things to do.

weeds are also always an issue. but again, spring is a time to start over. weeds have died over the winter and their seeds in the ground are dormant. not this year. most weeds may have died, but their seeds are just waiting for the chance to grow. and many weed plants have just gone dormant, their roots are still intact. we have had frost, but the ground is not frozen. insects, weed plant roots and their seeds can easily survive.

all of these warm sunny days signals spring which signals a time to grow. perennials think it is time to push their way through the ground. i saw crocus with buds this morning walking through the city. i am very concerned about the perennials we have on the farm - mainly asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb. if they start pushing up now, then we get hit hard by cold or snow, they are likely to die. and who knows if they would come up again. and even if we don't get any really cold weather, if they start growing now, they will be ready to harvest by 1 april. our markets haven't started their regular schedule by april and we would have nowhere to sell the product.

all around, this unusually warm winter is not a good thing, despite people saying on facebook 'how beautiful it is outside today.' there are long term, negative consequences that could come from this. now, it is still the very beginning of february. we could still get some very cold weather and snow. and let's hope we do.

scotland's food

this post is a bit delayed, but if i don't have time to blog about farming, i don't have time to blog about food. my most recent trip to edinburgh, scotland was in november. i've been many times before and truly love the city. quite a while ago, i believe i posted about the farmers market there that is really wonderful. now, i am going to talk about the food and restaurants.

words cannot do justice to the flavors, textures and experiences i had on this last trip. when i lived in edinburgh in the winter of 2004-5, there were two michelin starred restaurants in the city. now there are at least five. to have a michelin star, not only does a restaurant have to have extremely tentative service (almost too much so, in my opinion), but the food and the presentation of the food have to be mind blowing. the food is fresh, made from scratch, unique and every attention to detail has been made. we went to several non-michelin starred restaurants, as well. all were truly amazing. so throw out your assumption that scottish food is greasy, bland pub grub, and allow me to change your mind. here are a few of the culinary experiences i had.

the image above is of my starter at the plumed horse. it was, as described on their website, a leek custard tart with fresh autumn truffles, mixed leaves and shaved parmesan. absolutely wonderful. the custard was soft and creamy and paired with the crispy, salty crust it was....yum! the micro greens were, well, micro and the truffles and parmesan were thinly sliced. i would have been quite content if my meal ended there.

the best dessert i had was at the kitchin. i was so full after eating the rest of the meal, but one bite of this and i couldn't say no to the rest. it sounded simple enough - chocolate chip souffle with chocolate ice cream. the server brought the very hot souffle to the table with a small bowl of ice cream next to it. he then took my spoon and cut out a small hole in the souffle, put the ice cream in the hole and put the cut out piece of souffle on top. what do you get when you have a very hot souffle with ice cream inside? melted chocolate goodness! it was so smooth and so tasty. i talked about it for days (and months, apparently!).

one of the delicious main courses i had was at the grain store. i found this restaurant sort of by accident. it is not michelin starred because the owner doesn't like to conform to the standard of that, but wow, was his food great. he came over to the table and talked about his food and how he loves and appreciates working with local, high quality ingredients. i told him i was a farmer and appreciated hearing that from my customers. my main course was wood pigeon with cepe risotto and adrahan sauce. the meat was like butter and flavors were amazing.

with all the dishes, the combination of flavors was wonderful. they were not meant to be eaten separately, but each ingredient was meant to add something to the others and those flavors filled my mouth. most, if not all, of the restaurants sourced their food locally. since scotland is such a small country, local very often means grown, raised or made in scotland. but nonetheless, the chefs knew their suppliers. providing good food is not only their job, but their passion. and they turn it into an art form, whether it be with the combination of flavors or with the presentation on the plate.

if you ever have the pleasure of visiting scotland, and edinburgh specifically, you can try bangers and mash or deep fried mars bars, but save some money for the well worth it restaurants. your taste buds will thank you.

here is a list of some of the places i visited on the trip -

the kitchin

the plumed horse

rhubarb

the mussel and steak bar

the grain store

56 north

as a side note - i, by no means, typically eat at such high end restaurants. but i appreciate good food and i like to recognize those who deserve it. when i pick a restaurant, it is usually based on where they are sourcing their food (ie - local). but this was a very special trip for my boyfriend's PhD defense. and a treat for all! thank you, lee and congratulations, matt!!