Organics the Modern Way

At present, our farms work with a complex blend of the past, the present and even the future. While we use age-old knowledge in our crop choices and cultivation methods, these practices are intimately linked to modern technological developments along with concern and respect for the future.

The seeds we plant are organically sourced and/or untreated. Seedbed preparation and cultivation methods vary greatly depending on the weather, time of the year and expected conditions. Organic farming is a combination of art and science.

To illustrate the methods used, consider the cycle to grow a carrot. Every year we grow many carrots; sweet, crisp and nutritious. Each carrot begins with a tiny, slender seed. The ground is cultivated to prepare the seedbed as needed, depending on the aforementioned factors. Sown by an automated seeder, the tiny sprouts grow to fine, fernlike seedlings. At the same time, the weeds are starting their growth. Our crew, headed by Mutti, (Mrs. Barnhild Pfenning, grandmother and friend to each person on our farms) begins to hoe. Many people spend many hours bent over the rows, carefully hoeing the weeds, while avoiding the carrots. (While this is hard and tiring work, mid afternoon usually finds our Jamaican workers sharing stories or jokes, reminding all of us to enjoy the times we have together. The members of our staff represent many countries of origin and we are richer for our shared experiences.) Destroying the tiny weeds removes competition for the space, water and nutrition our crops need. As they grow, the carrots are ‘hilled’ a process that piles more soil at the crown of the carrot. This prevents sunlight from reaching the carrot and turning the shoulder green. Carrots require about 75 days to mature, depending on the variety.

Harvesting bunched carrots is another labour-intensive job. The tractor pulls the blade that mechanically loosens the carrots. They are then pulled from the soil by hand and transported from the field in bushels to the packing line. There they are washed, bunched and packed by hand for shipping to our customers.

Most of our carrots are removed from the field using our new harvester. This machine loosens , then removes the carrots from the soil and cuts off the tops which stay in the field to compost. The carrots are fed by a conveyor to bins which are transported to the packing department. Once there, the carrots are washed, sorted and bagged. The carrots which will become our well-known ‘juice carrots’ are taken to their storage area until they are needed for shipping . The harvester is also used for beets, parsnips, celeriac and rutabaga crops.