As a micro farm/urban farm we cannot compete with large scale farms on the aspect of quantity because that would be impossible. Where we can compete and surpass large scale farms is in the area of QUALITY. At Walkover Micro Farm we are able to grow high quality, fresh, organically grown produce without the use of pesticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers because of the small size of our farming area.
Each day we can physically walk the entire Walkover Micro Farm area and personally look for things like an infestation of pests or weeds germinating. We can also check and see if individual plants are in good health and if they are getting enough water. If weeds are invading a certain area they can be pulled out by hand or removed with a tool without using chemical herbicides. If a plant is infested with pests, it can be promptly removed without having to spray synthetic pesticides. Synthetic pesticides and herbicides as well as fungicides are absorbed by the plants and can also poison the soil for future generations of plants. We never have and never will use any of these kinds of substances. They are harmful to the environment and to the people who consume the produce that has been sprayed with them. Besides that they are just plain UN-necessary.
At Walkover Micro Farm a tremendous amount of time and effort has been spent building the quality of our soil. This eliminates the need to make up for a lack of nutrients in the soil by using synthetic chemical fertilizers. In turn the high quality of our soil provides the nutrients to grow high quality produce in a natural way. To maximize the benefit of growing in high quality soil, filtered water is also used to water all crops. We do our very best to grow the highest quality produce that we can grow. This is what is meant by “Conscious Farming From The Ground Up”.
Collard Greens growing at Walkover Micro Farm without the use of pesticides.
These days many people are wanting to improve their eating habits by adding more fruits and vegetables to their diet. More and more people are making the choice to eat USDA Certified Organic foods. While Certified Organic produce is a better choice than conventionally grown produce, many people are unaware that most Certified Organic produce has actually been sprayed with pesticides at some point. The USDA has a list of approved synthetic substances that Certified Organic farmers are allowed to use on the produce that they grow.
The government regulation of USDA Certified Organic crops is more favorable to large farms. These large farms have the financial backing to pay for the inspectors as well as paying for the other costs and fees that are associated with the certification process. These same large farms are also more likely to use pesticides in the growing of props than smaller farms.
As the popularity of Certified Organics has increased, the profitability of these crops has also increased and with that many producers are in the market solely because of the money making potential of Certified Organics and are less concerned with growing crops without the use of synthetic pesticides.
Another concern with Certified Organics is that many of them are imported. As consumers how are we to be ensured that the qualifications of the USDA Organic Certification have actually been met? This writer is not against consuming Certified Organics foods (as this writer does purchase them), however it is the opinion of this writer that it is best if consumers are informed as to what “USDA Certified Organic” actually entails. This is especially important for those of us that frequent local farmer’s markets because we can actually ask the grower/growers in person about the kinds of fertilizers and herbicides that they used in the growing of their crops.
