Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Yellow “romano” beans — “Romano” pole beans have a flat slender shape (as opposed to a round fat shape). This specific yellow romano variety is called “Gold of Bacau,” and it’s one of our favorites. In fact, we love it so much that we’re growing massive quantities of it for a seed growing contract this year! You can eat them fresh as an easy crunchy snack; or try roasting in a pan with olive oil. Or, chop, blanche and then add to a cold pasta salad.
- Tomato — They’re still coming on. But the ripe tomatoes we have are delicious so far!
- Lettuce — Your choice between romaine or red leaf lettuce.
- Fennel bulb — If you tried and liked the beet salad from two weeks ago, you might try it again with roasted fennel added to the mix! Or, make a very simple lunch: sauté chopped fennel with chopped tomato, beans and onions and toss with pasta.
- Caribe potatoes — More of our beautiful purple “Caribe” potatoes!
- Beets — Red or golden! Both colors can be prepared in similar ways, but some people think the golden beets have a nuttier flavor. We like them both just about equally, but the red beets are definitely easier to grow (which is why you receive more of them over the season).
- Carrots — Do you really need suggestions? I doubt it!
- Sweet onions — These are the last of the over-wintered sweet onions. From here on out, all of our onions will be from our spring sown crop.
It seems that every year, I have to write a requisite newsletter about the meaning of the “organic” label. It’s not surprising that I have much to say, since there are complex issues surrounding this word, its meaning and its use.
Lately it’s been on my mind again for two reasons: first, we just finally scheduled this year’s inspection of our farm.
But even more on my mind is a recent conversation we had with a fellow who had a disconcerting experience this summer. He interviewed several times for a job on a farm here in the region (not in Yamhill County). At the time of the interviews, the farmer described his practices using language such as, “We’re not certified organic, but we’re sustainable.” The interviewee took this to mean that he uses organic practices but hasn’t sought certification for philosophic or other reasons.
When he arrived to work this summer, however, the new intern found MiracleGro and RoundUp among the other products used regularly on the farm. The farm isn’t organic at all, by any definition. When he confronted the farmer about misleading him, the farmer said that he never said he was organic. Technically true, but nevertheless the intern felt mislead by the language he used.
So, I wanted to explore this phrase that is commonly used when a customer or other interested party asks a farmer about their growing practices. Having been at many markets myself, I’ve often heard it phrased without any clear explanation. The farmer says, “Well, we’re not certified organic, but …” and leaves the listener to fill in the blank with his imagination. Other times this opening phrase is followed by a phrase such as “but we’re organic,” or “but we’re sustainable” or “but we don’t spray.”
Since these are fairly vague answers, what is a consumer or prospective farm worker to make of them? How do we know about a farmer’s practices if he or she isn’t certified organic?
That’s a tricky thing to ascertain, especially in a busy market setting where a completely honest and upstanding farmer might just not have enough time to detail his or her practices (hence giving a short answer that he or she hopes will suffice). I do know several farmers who say something along these lines and are being completely honest: they have read the USDA organic standards, understand them and are growing 100% in compliance.
However, I also know that there are other farmers who out of ignorance, laziness, or deceit use this shorthand in a way that ends up misrepresenting their practices. Most often, I’ve encountered farmers who say some variation on “we don’t spray,” but who do use chemical fertilizers and herbicides (and sometimes even pesticides — when they “have a problem”). And, most of them are not employing other mandated organic practices such as crop rotations, cover crops, and organic seeds.
Because they’ve never done the research or asked an organic farmer, some of these farmers literally don’t know what ‘organic’ means and thus unintentionally misinterpret their own practices within that context.
Some of these farmers are too lazy or don’t have enough time at market to explain that they do employ chemicals but that they feel their use is justified and judicious (thus they might still consider themselves “sustainable” even if their practices are certainly not organic).
And, some farmers just simply misrepresent their product because ‘organic’ has the most caché with the public these days. People want organic, so I imagine that some farmers think, “Why should I miss this immediate sale, just because I use chemical fertilizers?” In their defense, I assume that farmers who use chemicals don’t believe there is anything wrong with chemical solutions on the farm, so they may not feel that their misrepresentation will hurt anyone.
So, what is the bewildered consumer to do? It depends on what you want and specifically why you’re seeking organically produced food.
Are you seeking organic foods solely for health benefits? In that case, perhaps the fact that a farmer uses chemical fertilizer and sprays paths with RoundUp might not bother you, but use of pesticide on the surface of blueberries might be unacceptable to you. If so, ask about pesticides directly: “Do you ever spray with chemical pesticides or fungicides?”
However, if you choose to eat organic for reasons bigger than your own health — for long-term sustainability or to decrease our dependence on oil — then perhaps you might choose to care about any chemical use on the farm or whether a farmer is rotating crops for health. If so, a useful simple question to ask is: how do you fertilize your crops? (Organic approved fertilizers include anything that is not petroleum-based: compost, aged animal manures, feather meal, blood meal, kelp meal …) Or, you might ask: do you ever use RoundUp or other herbicides on your farm? Or even: do you rotate your crops or sow cover crops for soil health?
Remember, when seeking information in a market setting, be quick and respectful. On a good market day, farmers don’t usually have a lot of time to describe their practices in detail to every customer. But a few pointed questions should help you get the answers you need.
And, of course, as with any essay I write on organic farming practices, I should add the caveat that the way Casey and I farm isn’t perfect either. Even though we use no chemical inputs, the way we farm still requires petroleum products: as part of the manufacturing process or to transport supplies. We are definitely not farming at the peak of sustainability, and I don’t even know what that would look like at this point. But sustainability is our goal, and we make conscious choices toward that goal every day.
And, we think the choice to grow without the use of synthetic fertilizers or other inputs is a significant one. These chemicals have both known and unknown long-terms affects on soil quality and the wider ecosystem (not to mention any potential harm they might do to our own bodies when we consume food grown with them). Our crops feed on organic-based fertilizers that are broken down by soil microbes and fungi — they add to the natural systems at work rather than supplanting them with artificial sources of fertility. Besides feeling like a safer, more conservative choice, ultimately, we think crops grow better and healthier on farms that celebrate life and natural systems.
Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
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CSA Potluck ~ 5 pm, Sat Aug 21
We hope you can join us for our annual CSA potluck next Saturday, August 21! Gather on the farm around 5 pm. Please bring a dish to share and plates and utensils for everyone in your party to use (we’ll have some here in case you forget). This is one of our favorite events every year: good food and conversation!
Directions to the farm: Take the Dayton exit from Hwy-18 and head straight through town on Wallace Rd/Hwy-221. Stay on Wallace Rd for about six or seven miles, until you see blue signs for “Heiser Pumpkin Patch.” Turn LEFT onto Grand Island Rd. After Grand Island Rd cross the bridge, turn RIGHT at the first 4-way intersection onto SE Upper Island Rd. Our driveway is immediately on your LEFT! Questions? Email (farm@oakhillorganics.org) or call us (503-474-7661).
