There have been a lot of questions on whether or not our produce grown at Pahl Farms is grown organically. We are always more than happy to answer any questions you have about our practices. Our goal is to provide the safest and highest quality of produce possible for our customers. Pahl Farms practices a method called sustainable agriculture. This approach produces a safe method for our food supply chain and an environmentally friendly solution to our ecosystem. On Pahl Farms, we scout our fields one to two times a week depending on the time of year and crop. Then we determine if a certain pest reaches an optimal threshold before we apply any pesticides. Depending on the crop, and amount of insect pressure we determine the rate at which the pesticide is used.
A common misconception is that organic farmers do not spray their crops with pesticides. They do however have regulated organic chemicals that they apply to their crops when they have a pest problem. An example of such chemicals is Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt, which is a spore forming bacterium which when applied, kills the insect. These organic chemicals can have higher toxicity levels than synthetically made chemicals. We make sure that our levels of toxicity are lower than those of organic practices. Pahl Farms is a sixth generation farm and we have always strived to practice safe and sustainable agriculture in a way that we feel goes above and beyond standard practices.
There will always be a debate as to whether sustainable farming or organic farming is better. The answer we have for you is that the practice of the farmer and how he/she manages the land is the single most important aspect. Whether organic or sustainable, a farmer can have bad practices that should not be acceptable. Pahl Farms is USDA Harmonized GAP Food Safety certified. This prohibits us from using some manures commonly used in organic farming and limits us to using synthetic fertilizers. We plant many cover crops which helps enhance soil fertility and limits soil erosion. We only apply pesticides during the evening hours to avoid harmful contact with any species of bees. Our produce at Pahl Farms is all non-GMO and we provide a diverse and abundant food supply for a variety of bee species. We know how important bees are, and we work with bee farmers by placing honey bee colonies in our fields. This helps increase the bee population while advantageously helping the development of the fruit on the plant.
Our practices are of the utmost importance, and we do not take these lightly. We feel that it is our job as your provider to not only uphold our promise, but educate the consumer in all aspects of the farming industry. If you have any questions please feel free to email Jack Pahl at jack@pahls.com. As always, we look forward to providing you with safe and sustainable produce.
No Stress! No Mess! Just Fresh! Pahl Farms CSA
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