 We aim to grow some of the cleanest, most nutritionally dense vegetable crops to be found in the Willamette Valley.
We grow vegetables without the use of pesticides or herbicides, not even those approved under organic standards (such as pyrethrum and rotenone sprays). We use no chemical fertilizers. We fertilize the soil with composts, manures, cover crops and Biodynamic preparations.
We carefully selected our farm for its clean soils that tested zero trace for organochlorines. The presence of organochlorines in the soil is not monitored by organic standards. Yet certain plant families concentrate organochlorines found in the soil. Organochlorines (such as DDT, Dieldrin and Chlordane) were in widespread use in the Willamette Valley in the 50s and 60s for crop production. Organochlorines have a very long half life and are still present today in soils throughout the valley, often at high concentrations. Organochlorines have been linked with cancer and are an environmental disaster as they are bioaccumulating.
We irrigate our crops with unpolluted water sources. The spring garden is irrigated from a deep well. The water is free of nitrites. The lower field is irrigated from Thomas Creek. Thomas Creek is a small tributary of the Santiam. It is considered to be one of the cleanest creeks in the Willamette Valley. There are no polluting industries upstream from us, in fact there is only one other farm, an organic dairy.
We cultivate two areas for vegetable production. Our spring garden is located on higher ground. We can begin planting it sooner than our main growing field. The spring garden is hand cultivated, from bed preparation to seeding to hoeing. The lower field, bordered by Thomas Creek, is where we grow our main season crops.
We avoid the use of plastic mulches. As often as possible, we sow according to the lunar and zodiac calendar used by Biodynamic practitioners. When working in the garden or field, we hold in our thoughs the people our food will nourish. |
Vegetables |