An introduction to organic agriculture

Agriculture in the United States and other parts of the world became heavily industrialized during the 20^th century.   Some farmers and other conscious individuals formed movements in resistance to what they saw happening because of industrial agriculture.  Perhaps the most famous one is the organic movement.

Dancing Bear Farm is an organic farm.  There is a lot of confusion over the term “organic”, and rightly so because it can mean a lot of different things.  I studied organic agriculture in a number of college classes and thought I had a good understanding of what the term meant and how complicated it was, but it was not until I started interning on certified organic farms that the certification benefits and challenges were really driven home for me.  I am still learning.

Since 2002, the word “organic” has been a certification regulated by the USDA.  In order for a farm to be certified organic, it must follow some basic rules: no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, no genetically modified seeds, and no antibiotics.  After keeping detailed records, passing a yearly inspection by a third party organization (DBF, for example, is certified by Oregon Tilth), and paying a certification fee, a farm can use the organic label.

While the basics of the organic certification are vital to keeping people and the planet as healthy as possible, many proponents of sustainable agriculture think the current organic regulations leave many important factors out.  Organic regulations dictate little about fossil fuel use, animal welfare, or farmworker treatment, which some say were part of the original ideals of the organic movement before it became federally regulated.  Under organic regulations, a farm can still grow in monocultures and substitute synthetic fertilizers and pesticides with organic ones that are approved for use on the National List.  After harvest, they can still ship it across the country and sell it in stores like Wal-Mart, which care little about anything other than profit.

While some organic farms look similar to conventional farms, thousands and thousands of certified organic farms do not.  These farmers are not simply concerned with following the certification rules; they want to farm in a sustainable way that builds the fertility of the land, produces healthy food, and is an enjoyable living.  Most of these farms are very small because it takes a lot more human effort to farm sustainably.  Other methods of fertility and pest control must be utilized such as planting in polycultures, using flowering plants to attract beneficial insects, growing cover crops, mulching, integrating animals into the farm, and of course weeding by hand.

DBF has a variety of flowering plants that attract beneficial insects.

DBF's chickens and ducks eat insect pests,
provide fertility, and make tasty eggs.

Certified organic produce is a good start to making sustainable agriculture more mainstream, but you shouldn’t assume anything with the organic label is 100% wholesome.  There are a number of venues to find delicious, sustainably grown produce: at the farmers market, through a CSA, or at a food cooperative, you will likely find some organic farms represented.  There will also be some farms that use organic and sustainable practices but are not certified organic.  The two main reasons I have heard for forgoing the certification process is that it is very costly (both in terms of time and money) and that the farm’s customers do not care that they have the certification.  Thus, it is really best to simply ask the farmer about their practices.  Unfortunately, often only people with the resources (time, money, and knowledge) can participate in this alternative agriculture movement, but with time I think it is becoming more accessible to a wider group of people.  It must become so in order to be a viable resistance to industrial agriculture.

Such an abundant variety of produce can be grown organically on six acres.
(I'm told to wait until August when we're swimming in summer veggies.)