Stewardship and Research

As a small organic family farm, we do a lot of things differently from the big farms around us. Here are some of the practices that we take pride in:

• Extensive use of cover cropping both in winter and summer to improve soil fertility, outcompete weeds, and preserve the topsoil during rains
• Crop rotation to prevent soilborne disease and pest build-up in any given portion of the farm
• Planting and maintaining insectary hedgerows of native plants to provide habitat for beneficial insects
• Conservation tillage practices to reduce fuel consumption and reduce soil compaction
• Planting on contour to prevent erosion
• Planting perennials, like blueberries, apples, and pears, on our steepest hillsides to reduce the disturbance of the ground in areas most vulnerable to erosion
• Taking steeper areas out of production early in the fall to establish a strong cover crop before the winter rains
• Use of beneficial insects to keep the two-spotted spider mite under control in our strawberry fields
• Strategic use of terracing for better management of steep hillsides
• Use of organic seed and seed stock wherever possible
• No use of pesticides, even organic approved ones.
• Use of organic compost and organic fertilizers only
• Participation in studies and research to add to the knowledge base for all organic growers