Here is your opportunity to learn the secrets of healthy organic gardening with “Organic Food Gardening Beginner’s Manual” - all crammed into a simple, easy to use e-book.
Read the rest of this entry »

With more people interested in buying organic food, a tucked away on the Canandaigua shoreline sits 50 acres of what Wegmans family calls their great experiment.  Wegmans developed a farm that is used as a testing ground to learn more about organic growing and pass on that knowledge to local growers.  Wegmans says his stores have seen an increased demand for organic produce in recent years, despite the fact that it’s usually more expensive.

Anne Grover, the organic farm’s garden manager said “I believe in bringing the heirloom vegetables back,” ”It is good DNA, they’ve survived the test of time, they are open pollinated which I think is very important.  I guess I’m old fashioned girl and an old fashioned gardener.”   Area farmers have noticed the trend as well.  A local farmer Jeff Partyka said, “I think there is an increased demand for growing organic and it is something we are hoping we can do.”  Partyka also owns a small fruit and vegetable farm in Hamlin.

Chickens raised on organic feed are also part of this farm.  Wegmans farm manager Steve Straub said “Once the farm gets going, I think this is a viable way of producing vegetables also.  We are just getting the fields and the soil established and that is the key.”  Those working the fields believe someday organic farming will surpass the traditional way of growing produce.  One area farmer is already considering making the switch from traditional to organic.

In fertilizing your garden, first you know or determine the nutrients need to be added to the garden, soil testing is suggested to that.  Non-organic fertilizer is forbidden in any organic production system but it doesn’t mean that the nutrients the plant need cannot be supplied.  In fertilizing the garden, too much nitrogen can harm the garden; you must know what levels of nitrogen exist before applying and this is a gardener’s note.

Here is a nutrient content you want to know and be sure the manure sources are well composted to maximize the weed seed kill and residual disease carryover.

Manure Source         Actual Nitrogen            Actual Phosphorus          Actual Potassium

Poultry                      20 lbs.                                   7 lbs.                                      8 lbs.

 Hog                          10 lbs.                                   7 lbs.                                      8 lbs.

Beef                          14 lbs.                                   9 lbs.                                      11 lbs.

Sheep                        18 lbs.                                   11 lbs.                                   20 lbs.

In organic insect control, rotation is the first and best way to prevent insect problems and the next option is hand removal of old plant residue.  Use organic insecticides as a last option or last resort, but first check with you certifier to see if they are acceptable.  Sabadilla is certified acceptable to OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) as a restricted use organic product.  This means it can be use only if no other alternatives are feasible.  Using an insecticidal soup can control a wide range of plant destructive insects.  This is not a household soup, this insecticidal soup is intended for insect especially aphids.  Another insect control is bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) it is acceptable product but cannot contain petroleum distillates in the formulation.  Bacillus thuringensis can control cabbage worms and hand picking is also an alternative.

New report that has found that organic producer has experienced an 80 percent growth in farm gate sales and over the last four years, locally the organic market seems to be thriving. Despite the widespread drought, an organic food craze has sent business in Dubbo.  An organic farm at Elong Elong named ‘Glenbye’ Organic Farm and run by the O’Leary family.  It appears to be an average farm with cattle and sheep but it is completely chemical free and produces top quality organic meat.
Julie O’Leary said “We sell meats domestically and we also export overseas to Japan and Korea, and we are now in talks with Canada and the United Arab Emirates to export our meat there”.  The Biological Farmers of Australia found that as most farmers’ battle with drought and low sales, the organic market is showing significant growth, the report that they release.
According to Healthy Life, the drought has not affected the organic food sales.  A Healthy Life spokesperson said that “A lot more people are concerned about what they eat these days”.  The O’Leary’s who started their farm in 1987 and are pioneers in the organic product game said that there was about a 20 percent premium on organic produce than conventional produce.  Organic food is becoming popular with people who suffer from cancer.  Now Australia accounted as one of the largest amount of organic farmland in the world.

The New Zealand’s founding organic certifier celebrates its 25 years.  This year BioGro, the New Zealand’s leading organic certifier is greatly proud to be celebrating its 25 years anniversary. 
Dr. Michelle Gloga, BioGro’s CEO says “Turning 25 is a significant milestone not only for BioGro but the whole organics sector.  The industry has evolved from a grassroots cottage industry into a sophisticated, consumer focused production and distribution industry and that’s worth celebrating”.  In New Zealand, BioGro has been instrumental in steering organics.  The Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association of New Zealand, the Henry Doubleday Research Association, and the Soil and Health Association formed the New Zealand Biological Producers and Consumers Council (trading as BioGro).  The primary objective was to develop and maintain a credible and internationally respected organic standard and certification process, to safeguard the interests of producers and consumers.  Objective and founding philosophy are as fundamental to its success of BioGro’s.
Bob Crowder one of the founder and life members of BioGro’s recalls, that “ I would say that BioGro was born out of the first energy crisis in 1974 that’s what stimulated the revival of the organic movement around the world.  We had a big scare back then, which was basically the catalyst I think for it all”
BioGro’s ambition saw it develop the highest organic standards of international repute to audit and certify the processes carried out by producers.  Organic certification is currently voluntary in New Zealand but this may change if labeling regulations such as those in countries like the U.K.
Today New Zealand’s largest organic certifier BioGro with 600 licensees and over 900 certified operations.  It issues certificates to primary producers, food processors, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.