Frequently, when I first meet someone who likes to garden, he or she will ask me how I control insects without spraying. I appreciate their interest, but it's not a very easy question to answer, at least not in a casual conversation.
Here's why. Organic farming involves a whole system of farming-not just specific controls of individual insects. In an organic farming system the grower, first, focuses attention on building a healthy, biologically active soil. Soils that have been carefully nurtured by the incorporation of cover crops, compost or other organic material will team with a multitude of earthworms, microorganisms and other soil-living fauna that feed on this organic material and, in turn, create nutrient-rich humus for plant growth.
Organic farmers view a biologically active soil as the primary nutrient source for all plant life. (Perhaps, a better term for what we do is “biological” farming rather than “organic” farming.) But if soils are unbalanced, for example, very acidic, we may need to apply ground limestone to raise the pH. Commercial fertilizers are never used. The end result of this careful attention to the soil as a growing medium is that the plants we grow will be healthier and-university research has shown-a healthy plant will more easily resist insects and diseases.
Soil building is, therefore, the first component of an organic farming system. But it’s just the beginning. Crop rotation is another very important strategy. Some insects overwinter in the soil so it makes sense not to grow the crops they feed on in the same place every year. In addition, many crop-specific pathogens are soil-borne, thus, there is another reason to move the crops around. (This year we hope to avoid early blight on the tomatoes by planting them in a section of the garden never used for tomatoes.) Cleaning up garden debris in the fall is also important for preventing the spread of plant diseases.
Most insects on the farm or in the garden have their own natural enemies, and it's usually another insect. Ladybugs feed on aphids and a tiny parasitic wasp frequently kills the cabbage worm, for examples. Populations of these and other beneficial insects can be encouraged by planting flowers and flowering crops, such as buckwheat, as a food source. This strategy, now called “farm-scaping,” has the additional advantage of making the farm or garden a beautiful place to live and work. Bluebirds, tree swallows and many other birds feed on insects, so nest boxes around the farm are important. Even garden spiders may be beneficial by feeding on harmful insects.
Organic farmers, as much as we would like to, do not rely entirely on natural controls. There are some non-synthetic sprays that are used from time to time, such as bascillus thuringiensis or “Bt”, a non-toxic material that's very effective against harmful caterpillars of all sorts. In recent years a new material has been developed that works to prevent insect damage. It’s a very light weight spun-bonded polyester called a “floating row cover.” Placed over the rows as seeds are planted or transplants put in place, the material allows for sunlight and rain to penetrate but excludes insects. (For example, we could never grow eggplant because of flea beetle damage, that is, until we started using row covers.)
Organic farming is clearly a management-intensive way to grow things. But the rewards of doing so are many; safe and nutritious food for the table, a benign impact on the environment and, for the farmer, a feeling of working with nature rather than fighting it. For those of us doing it, organic farming is the only way to grow!
There are two ways to determine if vegetables, fruits, herbs or flowers are organically grown. Under Federal law, if the item is labeled “organic” it has been certified through a detailed process that involves on-farm inspection, extensive on-farm record keeping and use by the farmer of only approved materials. The organic certification procedure is designed to protect consumers who do not buy direct from the farmer and have no way of knowing how their food is being grown.
The second way to determine if crops are grown organically is, then, to get to know the farmer. Visit the farm, if you can, and talk to the farmer. See for yourself.
After years of being certified organic, we made a decision recently not to continue it. There are fees associated with the certification procedure and the required record keeping is onerous. Blue Heron farm is no longer a certified organic farm but, rest assured, we farm the same way we did when it was!
A beautiful flower garden.
Some of the many vegetables we grow.