Our fields full of organic veggies
I have been thinking about how often I see the organic label on products from huge corporations. Until recently, I thought “good for them, increasing corporate social responsibility is making our food healthier”, and I felt good that so many organic products are becoming available. But my view has been changing in recent months since leaving my work in NYC and moving up to the farm full-time where I can more closely observe the farm. Any organic farmer’s most fundamental concern is soil health. Peter cares for and feeds the soil which allows the biologically-active soil in turn to feed the plants that produce the nutritious food. Organic is so much more than not using chemicals to fertilize or suppress weeds and pests, it is about preserving biodiversity— healthy soil will not only produce delicious vegetables, but it also allows the soil to absorb the heavy rains as well as the carbon and much more. So are these big companies filling grocery shelves with certified organic produce really continually rebuilding their soil the way Peter does his?
The organic food market in the U.S. was $56.4 billion in 2020, up 12.8% over 2019, and yet there are not more organic farms. Obviously some big players have moved in, and so I started exploring what is happening. Over the past 25 years industry representatives, intent on expanding the definition of organic, have gained seats on all the USDA certifying boards which has unquestionably eroded the integrity of the USDA organic certification to the point where it is almost meaningless. The result: it is all but impossible for the consumer to know what they are getting when they buy organic. There are so many examples of this dilution of organic principles, like huge dairies certified organic where the cows have never been in a pasture, but the clearest example I have found is the organic certification of hydroponically grown fruits and vegetables.
Hydroponic farming is soil-less! These farms compact the ground until it is laser-level, and put down plastic tarps over the earth on which the trays or the containers sit. The nutrition that allows the plants to grow comes from liquid feed pumped into containers. This process is taking over the tomato, pepper, blueberry and other markets, but it is the opposite of the organic process to which Peter is devoted, the building up of biodiversity in the soil. Maybe these hydroponic farmers really do know what their plants need, but their produce shouldn’t be labeled organic, what does that even mean?! Call it hydroponic and let the consumers know what they are buying, rather than everything being called organic. Then the consumer can decide which process they think delivers the best flavor and nutrition, which is best for the planet, and which they can afford. How we grow our food is as important as what we eat.
Tin-lined seed storage room on the right
Before I get off this little soapbox, a word about the economic implications of the erosion of organic certification standards. Sticking with the hydroponic example, when I think of all the things Peter does for our fields with the composting/natural fertilizing, crop rotation, cover crops, letting fields rest, weeding and more weeding, battling bugs, groundhogs and deer, all so his vegetables can be nutritious, delicious and sustainable. The hydroponic workers deal with none of this and don’t fret about too much or too little rain, all the variables are controlled by the companies running these huge operations. And yet, those tomatoes sit in the same bin with real organic tomatoes driving the price for “organic” tomatoes down with their market power. It is exactly what happened 30-40 years ago in conventional farming when the huge agribusinesses moved in and drove so many smaller, family farms out of business. The additional insult this time around is that it was the small-scale organic farms that built up our understanding of the importance of organic processes and are now having their once meaningful label co-opted as some are being driven out of business. (Again, I am not saying hydroponics are bad, I’m just saying they are not organic.)
To the extent possible, know your food, I am lucky to know mine.
News: The first tomatoes have arrived. We are still picking raspberries and yesterday we turned Peter’s cukes into Ten Barn Farm pickles. We are worried about Billy, one of our three-month old goats, who is limping badly. Hard to watch him try to keep up with the other three young goats who are always tearing around.
Pickle time!
Come up to the farm-to-table dinner on September 11 for a great meal you can trust because the food was grown on the property and the farmers will be there. You will also get French wine and music, all in a beautiful setting with goats and chickens ready to greet you.
Click here to learn more or to purchase tickets