High Desert Produce Co.

August!!

Wowzers! The summer is cruising by. The garden space and corn field have been blowing up! We have been selling our produce at the Historic Wheeler Farm farmers market on Sundays 9-2. During this time we have encountered a lot of questions directed to the foundation of High Desert Produce and the quality and practice of our farm. This post is to clear up some of the questions that we have been asked almost every market thus far.

Are we certified organic?
Do we follow organic practices, if so what does that look like?
If not, do we use any chemicals/pesticides/herbicides and what are they?

So I'm going to break it down for everyone. One of the most important aspects of our company is the ability to be transparent and provide clear information on our farming practices.

"Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation."

The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certified inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too." *

There are a few issues we have with the term "certified organic". There are a lot of hoops, fees and government paperwork that has to be completed to say we are certified organic. None of which actually ensure that a farm/supplier is actually following an all organic practice. There are now some synthetic non organic fertilizers being approved by the USDA for use as "organic" too. So does the term organic actually mean anything any more? Organic has become a trademark name, one that does not hold merit and is used to sucker you in to buy potentially pesticide impregnated foods posing as organic and healthy.

Ask your local farmer or vendor at the markets what their practices are. If they advertise as organic, what does that look like on their farm?

By definition, according to the USDA, High Desert Produce is not certified organic. However we consider our company/farm as best practice. By this I mean we try our hardest, given the land, surroundings, city ordinances, morals, hopes and dreams to farm the best darn food we can!! We always strive to follow organic practices such as no use of herbicides or pesticides, no use of genetically modified seeds that we know of (this might need another chapter), lots of elbow grease and sweat. We use beneficial plants and insects to control other pests along with the use of diatomaceous earth (DE) for slug and earwig issues, fish emulsion, Turboganic (http://www.turbomygarden.com) and heaps of fruit and veggie pulp from Blue Star Juice and Coffee (SLC, UT).

We have also been experimenting with spinosad as an insecticide. Spinosad, was discovered from soil in an abandoned rum distillery in 1982. Produced by fermentation, spinosad can be used on outdoor ornamentals, lawns, vegetables and fruit trees to control caterpillars, thrips, leaf miners, borers, and fruit flies. Though said to be used in organic food production, we are still looking for other ways to help control these pests.

We encourage anyone with questions to please ask us. We can be reached on our facebook page @ facebook.com/highdesertproduce, in person at the Wheeler Farm farmers market sundays 9 am - 2 or highdesertproduceco@gmail.com.

Bottom line, ask questions, advocate for yourself and your health and the future of your food. Farming is tangible and challenging. It comes with a lot of blood, sweat and tears, especially when trying to brand the local, fresh, chemical free label on its sleeve. So ask your local farmer what practices they use. You deserve to know!
We hope to see you next week at the market.

Cheers!
Charlie and Kim

* http://www.organic.org/home/faq