Chuck Finch shares the same farming philosophy as his grandfather.
"He (Finch's grandfather) had a strong pride in feeding his family
healthy food and I feel the same way," said Finch, who grows and sells
organic produce from his one-acre Finch Family Farm in Helen. "Organic
farming means there are no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or
fungicides used on a crop."
When commercial growers bloomed in the 1940s, the natural, organic
practices in farming were laid aside in order to produce more crops.
That created a need for synthetic chemicals to boost production and
protect what they planted from pest invasion and disease control.
The higher quality of food people eat, the more nutrients and energy
they obtain from the food. Food produced by organic practices encourages
the body to work efficiently to digest the healthy nutrients, rather
than working twice as hard to obtain nutrients from non-organic foods.
High demand for organic foods has caused some to plant their own
gardens. If they're not growing their own, health-conscience consumers
are searching out local farmers that sell food specifically grown by
organic practices.
When shopping for organic produce or farms that sell organic produce,
take notice of the wording "organically grown" and "certified organic."
The difference is slight, but the price is not. Attaining state
certification is an expensive and time-consuming process. The
certification is useful if a farm is selling to a large chain store or
restaurant.
Smaller farms selling less than $5,000 of produce per year, however, are
not required to go through the process, according to the Maryland
Department of Agriculture. But in order to place "organically grown" on
their product they must meet national standards, according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
"In order to support and maintain our organic farmstead, we started a
CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture," said Lori Brown
of the Farmstead of Charlotte Hall. "Our subscribers pay $550 for 20
weeks of local, pesticide-free produce starting in June. They receive a
box of fresh produce each week with a list of contents, recipes and
notes about the farm and harvest. Small farms are a way to connect
consumers with their food and the people who grow it."
Aside from the health benefits, farmers who practice organic gardening
tend to offer unusual as well as heirloom varieties of produce, which
are often older varieties of produce being cultivated.
"It makes sense to me to use the heirloom varieties since they are
naturally resistant to disease and harsh conditions," said Finch. "Plus,
the seeds gathered for next year's crop stay true to what they are
supposed to be."
Brett Grohsgal of Even' Star Organic Farm, a CSA in Lexington Park, has
gone one step further by developing new strains of sustainable produce.
"I've worked to develop several new varieties of vegetables like 'Tess'
Land Race Currant Tomato' and my 'Even Star Land Race Arugula,'"
Grohsgal said. "My (Even Star) Land Race Arugula is a cross between two
strains. My mom, Roberta Romano, gave me an Italian heirloom arugula
that I crossed in 1992 with a Turkish variety, which produced a nice
full-flavored, heavy leaf arugula that will grow through the winter."
His seeds are available at FEDCO Seeds, a Seed Co-op for certified
organic cultivars and regional heirloom varieties for the Northeast.
Organic farmers share a philosophy to provide healthy food for people,
and to do no harm to the environment, leaving the land the way they
found it or better.
To find organic farms in the area ask for a free copy of Southern
Maryland So Good by e-mailing
info@somarylandsogood.com. To find a local CSA go to
www.localharvest.org.
FedCo Seed Company can be found at
www.fedcoseeds.com. |
