A few years ago a customer stood in our yard, looked across our vegetable fields and asked us about the kind of work we do on the farm. Marcelle told her that our farm is organic. The customer paused, then asked if “Organic means small and low-key?”. Her question was legitimate, but is also indicative of some major misconceptions about what organic farming is all about.
In 2013 we decided to take our farm to the next level by becoming Certified Organic. Being strong proponents of organic agriculture we wanted to lead by example and take the steps necessary to meet the Canadian Organic Standard through third party certification. As of spring 2015 Sleepy G Farm is Thunder Bay’s ONLY certified organic farm.
As most of you know we consider ourselves to be professionals in our occupation as farmers. Practitioners of professional occupations typically register with an organization that oversees standards of practice and ethics within that industry. Professional engineers (PEng), Register Professional Foresters (RPF), Registered Nurses (RN), are just a few examples of occupations that identify with a unified standard or code. Farming of course has never been considered a professional occupation and therefore has no designation for those within the industry that uphold a given standard. This is a main reason why we decided to become Certified Organic, despite the fact that our on-farm practices changed very little after having done so.
When selling produce at the farmer’s market we go out of our way to let customers know that our vegetables are Certified Organic. Sometimes this serves as the assurance they seek regarding the quality of our produce, or as a segue to a deeper conversation about farming, while other times it serves no purpose whatsoever. This past Saturday I told one particular customer that our farm is Certified Organic. She gestured to the other vendors while asking, “Isn’t everyone here organic?”. To that comment I quickly replied “Absolutely not!”.
Local and small-scale farming is often viewed as synonymous with organic production. And while it is true that many small-scale farms are organic, it is certainly not the rule. Moreover, medium and large-scale farms can also be organic. The point is that organic agriculture has nothing to do with scale. Instead, it has everything to do with management.
On Friday September 2 we had our annual organic inspection. Each year an organic inspector visits the farm and checks our compliance with the Canadian Organic Regime. The inspection consists of a thorough tour of our crops and production areas (including hay fields), a tour of facilities for processing and storage, and finally an audit of our record keeping. The latter is the most difficult part of the inspection – it is where many farms fall short and consequently lose their certification. The certified organic process requires producers to keep very detailed records of all facets of production including fieldwork, planting, fertilization, pest control, harvest, storage, and sales. Additionally, producers are required to keep records of all inputs on the farm such as seed, soil amendments, fertilizers, and pest control. Farms that raise livestock must also keep health and production records, as well as a log to record temperatures of composted animal manures. Annual soil and water tests must be conducted and kept on file for reference. On our farm we have a big fat binder that we keep the majority of this information for each year of production.
During the visit the organic inspector does several traceability and balance exercises to test the record keeping system. For example, for the traceability exercise a crop will be picked at random and the farmer must then provide evidence of the seed coming onto the farm (an invoice showing the purchase of certified organic seed), a planting record to show when the seed was propagated in the greenhouse or sown in the field (along with a field identification number), a field record to indicate any applications that where made during the growth period (fertilizers or pest control), and a harvest record to indicate the date the crop was harvested (as well as yield), finally a sales record to show where that product ended up. The purpose of this exercise to prove that the product being sold was indeed produced on the farm, as well as to demonstrate an effective mechanism for traceability should a problem arise with the product.
A second record-testing exercise is the balance exercise. In this exercise the organic inspector asks to see the seed purchase for a particular crop as well as a planting record which indicates how much seed was put in the ground. Next, the harvest and sales records are used to contrast what was ACTUALLY produced with the seed that was planted and the soil amendments that were applied. The results of this exercise can be used in conjunction with a field history record and soil analysis to determine if the producer is depleting or building soil fertility from year to year.
At the conclusion of the visit the inspector lists any non-compliances or possible non-compliant issues and makes a short written comment about their findings. This form, along with a more formal written report is submitted to the Certifying Body (an impartial 3rd party that awards certification to compliant producers). Once approved, the Certifying Body issues the farm an organic certificate attesting that the products listed on said certificate are produced according to the Canadian Organic Regime. The Canadian Organic Regime is the national standard in this country. The logo at the top of this article represents the Canadian Organic Standard. There are a number of Certifying Bodies in each Province, but we are currently with Ecocert Canada. Under this system the organic inspector acts as the impartial eyes and ears that reports to the Certifying Body, which attests that the farm produces food according to the standards of the Canadian Organic Regime.
The biggest misconception about organic agriculture is that it simply means no toxic chemicals were used to produce the crop. What organic farming really means however is that the crop is produced without the use of Genetically Modified Organisms or prohibited substances according to the Canadian Organic Regime, and that all reasonable efforts are being made at the farm level to build soil, protect ecosystems, and encourage biodiversity on the farm. Certified Organic is therefore about land stewardship through intentional, informed, and ecologically focused management systems. Food produced in this manner builds, rather than diminishes natural resources and is therefore sustainable from one generation to the next.
With all the effort we make towards farming sustainably and responsibly caring for the land that we live on you can imagine why we cringe when we hear other producers claim that they are organic because they “Don’t do anything to the crops”. A lack of thoughtful, ecological, and traceable management is the antithesis of what it means to be Certified Organic
As an aside, I can honestly say that navigating the certified organic process has made us better farmers. It has forced us to keep better records, be more intentional about our management decisions, and give us something to strive toward. We still may not have the letters PFarm beside our names, but producing Certified Organic vegetables has helped make us more professional in our occupation.
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On Sunday evening we cooked 131 cobs of corn - the remainder of our 2016 corn crop. We had an all-you-can-eat corn party and then froze the rest for our winter reserves.
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Partners in good food!
Guatemala: El Vegerl Farm
This is a superb micro-lot from the Antigua Coffee Producers Association, from the farm of Victor Hugo Garcia Benavente, purchased and processed through the Bella Vista micromill in Guatemala.
Tasting notes: Sweet, clean, and creamy, soft citric and tartaric acids. Caramel and green grape.
This week's bread from
Both Hands BreadThe Whole Hog
Whole wheat flour, water, organic sesame seeds, unrefined sea salt.
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Matt showing off some broccoli that was harvested for the Thunder Bay Country Market last week. Expect to get more beautiful broccoli in our CSA box in the next week or two.
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One-Minute Smokey Tomato and Green Pepper Salsa
* MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
Almost easier than opening a jar of store-bought salsa & way better! For five-minute fresh tomato salsa, substitute 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped, for the canned tomatoes in step 2. Don't forget to briefly drain the salsa after you've processed it.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
INSTRUCTIONS
- PULSE VEGETABLES Pulse onion, pepper, cilantro, chipotle chiles, lime juice, garlic, and salt in food processor until coarsely chopped.
- ADD TOMATOES Add tomatoes and pulse until combined, about three 1-second pulses. Place salsa in fine-mesh strainer and drain briefly. Transfer to bowl. Serve. (Salsa can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days)
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Garden Feature
Sweet Peppers
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We’ve had mixed results with sweet peppers over the years. This summer’s wonderful heat has given us a tremendous ongoing harvest of green peppers from our greenhouse. We’ve been remarking to friends and customers that we haven’t had a good pepper crop since 2012. And actually, this is the first decent summer we’ve had since 2012!
Peppers require LOTS of heat to grow and produce fruit. We always grow peppers (plus tomatoes, and basil) under cover, mostly in our greenhouses. It really helps to have those tender plants protected from the wind and cool nighttime temperatures all season long. We do our best every year to grow great organic peppers; we select a pepper variety that is best suited for the North, start the seeds in early April, pot them up to bigger blocks, keep them warm enough, watered and fertilized, then transplant them to the soil in the greenhouse with generous amounts of compost. Once planted, we focus on keeping the crop weeded, watered and pest-free but Mother Nature always has the final say.
We hope you have enjoyed peppers from our farm this year. We are quite proud of the crop especially because organic peppers are rare in Ontario as most of Ontario’s peppers are grown hydroponically.
Many of this week’s peppers have a red coloured hue. Peppers are actually a fruit that starts off green and turns colour as it ripens. Depending in the variety the pepper may turn red, yellow, orange, or even purple. In the grocery store coloured peppers always cost more than green peppers. That is because they take longer to grow, and therefore have increased cost and risk to the farmer.
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O'Brien Potatoes
The two constants in O’Brien potatoes are bell peppers and—you guessed it—potatoes! Water can be substituted for chicken broth as a cooking medium for a vegetarian version. Waxy yellow potatoes are well suited to this recipe because they hold their shape better than starchier potato varieties.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper
- 4 scallions, sliced thin
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add potatoes, bell peppers, and onion and stir to coat with oil. Stir in broth, Worcestershire, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
- Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and potatoes and bell peppers are spotty brown, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in scallions. Serve.
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Fall Farm Tour
We invite you to join us for our final farm tour of the season THIS SUNDAY September 18th from 2-4 pm.
This will be a great opportunity to see our fall crops including carrots, parsnips, beets, etc. Sunny fall days are perfect for being outside. Bring your camera!
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APPLE CIDER, HONEY, GRANOLA
This evening the folks from Roots to Harvest will be at Wilson Street Park selling cider, honey, and granola. Bring cash and add some extra goodies to your CSA box this week!
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Honey produced by Roots to Harvest urban honeybees!
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Roots to Harvest has been making this granola blend for several years and it is consistently great
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The organic inspection form indicating our commitment to organic principles and excellent record keeping.
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