Organic
and Sustainable Vegetable Production Information Site
Welcome to this Richmond County Extension Office information site. The information provided here is the result of gleaning information and links to sources from many other sources. This is not intended to be an all inclusive list and will be evolving as time and science progress. The sites have been reviewed initially, but the Richmond County Extension Office has no control over their content nor validates any of their information. As with any information on the world wide web, use a measure of common sense when evaluating resources and apply them to your own situation and operation with caution. What might be sited by one of these resources as a remedy, may in fact not work under your conditions. If you would like to make any suggestions, please direct your comments to Kelly Liddington at klidding@vt.edu.
Other Links, Sites and Organizations
The topic area of organic production has been evident for nearly a century. Many of the practices have their foundations in agriculture and the tending of crops and livestock before the advent of chemical inputs such a synthetic fertilizer and pesticides. The "pre-organic"practices, in their time, were embraced and advanced in order to increase agricultural production and fill the voids in food and fiber for a growing world population. These practices of the day were not deemed organic as much as they were improvements. But once the synthetic input industry took hold, these "old fashioned" thoughts began to hold a different place in the minds and hearts of agriculturalists. By the middle of the 20th century those same practices, such as summer fallows and cover crops, had been largely abandoned and the race to top yields and purchased synthetic inputs was afoot. By the late ‘60's the organic movement was considered largely a fringe element in an otherwise burgeoning agricultural industry.
As we turn the calendar to yet another century, we find the organic production preferences of consumers and producers still in existence. The fad that would be gone in a few years has persevered and expanded. It now may be a niche market opportunity of some import to small scale farmers and a means of securing a sustainable lifestyle on the land and for the environment. But the organic practices are more than a recipe, although many follow one at first to help them climb the steep learning curve. It is, to many, a way of life, almost a religion. The commitment to the land and resources that we are given charge is one that bears witness to our being here for the relatively short time frame we call a lifetime.
In his early works, Louis Bromfield laid a path that would eventually outline basic concepts of organic production systems. They still hold true today, but were held largely by just a few naturalists for a large part of the century. The work done at Malibar Farm revealed much about what would work, but until even today, why these practices work still eludes us in some instances.
Later, Rachael Carson in her book A Silent Spring, cast a light on a whole industry that would serve as a springboard for a concerned citizenry and eventually government intervention and oversight, of a growing industry; agribusiness/agrochemicals.
Now, as we enter a new century, we find that the phrase organic is suffering from an apparent identity crisis. It seems that every time a definition is crafted by one party or another, someone takes issue with it. The result has been an attempt by the federal government to define the term and it’s many applications. Pandora’s Box may be opened. The public review process in and of itself has proven onerous. The consensus building process that got us to this point has taken years and still lacks the continuity of a true consensus. Yet we trudge on.
A new phrase has been coined that may be more useful and has, for the time being, evolved to include organic principles, but not exclusively. It is the phrase sustainable. The phrase came from an effort in the mid-to-late 80's to imply that there was a different production paradigm. The phrase was Low Input Sustainable Agriculture or LISA. The phrase was to entail production methods that used many of those from organic methods, but have the emergency methods of what have become conventional, chemical intensive agriculture. Such methods as Integrated Pest Management were developed to reduce the random use of pesticides as a precaution and identify economic thresholds at which time treatments, be they organic or synthetic, would be applied. This was seen as an input reducing method. But the phrase LISA was offensive to many would be agricultural producers. While the purchased inputs may be diminished with this system, management and labor were frequently substituted and that, in their minds eye, was not a low input system. Hence, the phrase sustainable emerged, alone, as the phrase that would describe environmentally sensitive, replenishable inputs, methods and production systems(Smith et al). While this phrase not only includes organic production, it does include all of organic production. This phrase does appear more frequently in the literature than does organic.
Read More About It:
Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-up to Market. Grubinger, Vernon P. NRAES pub. 104
The basic element of an organic system is largely the use and management of organic matter. This rich, carbonaceous fraction of soil, represents what could be millions of years of living organisms within and on top of the soil. These elements contained within this fraction are then used by micro and macro flora and fauna of the soil to then build more living organisms, that in their time, revert back to organic matter. Dr. Elaine Ingham has developed a soil food web by which she explains in detail the ways by which all these soil creatures contribute to healthy, productive soils. Her work, and that of others, helps us to understand the "why" behind the practices that Bromfield detailed decades ago. It is the interaction of these organisms that becomes the important balance that must be maintained by the conscientious organic producer and that same balance that falls prey fastest to synthetic production systems. The interaction between co-habitants of the soil is represented by the soil food web and once the cycle is disturbed, balance can be elusive and difficult to regain. The end results can be soils that lack the productive capacity they once had as evidenced by greatly reduced levels of organic matter, increased incidence of disease and pest infestations and overall poor crop production. Then, just as with other organisms addicted to additional stimuli, the plant organisms respond temporarily to additional inputs, the cycle continues with the symptoms of the true illness masked and the bill is in the mail. Unfortunately, the truth is that the bill won’t be paid only when the purchased inputs are paid for. The bill will continue to be paid every time the sprayer leaves the shed for yet another dose of chemicals.
Read More About It:
The Soil Food Web. Dr. Elaine Ingham, Oregon State University. Nartual Resource Conservation Service
Healthy soils are the building blocks of civilizations, a means of deriving wealth, but also are a living organism unto themselves. In order for a soil to be healthy and alive, it must be rich in organisms, both alive and dead, to keep the delicate balance of soil particles, air and water in place in order to provide a living medium for the organisms contained within its structure. A frequently forgotten fact is that soil, in order to be healthy, needs to be 50% air. It seems hard for us to believe that something that appears to be so solid would be so void. This air, which is contained in pore spaces, is then used by the roots of plants and the other living organisms within the soil profile. All living things need oxygen and soil organisms are no exception.
This same pore space is also used to temporarily hold water during times when the soil is saturated. Once the water is all devoid from the pore space, the soil is said to be at field capacity. This moment is when the soil is holding all the hydroscopic water it can, within the organic matter fraction and attached to the soil particles. It is this water that the plant roots and soil organisms use as their water source. That is why during times of super soil saturation, plant materials will turn pale because their roots are under stress from a lack of air. Once the extra water has all drained or percolated from the root zone, normal cellular function resumes.
Organic matter contributes to this process by adding to the porosity of the soil by giving sub-straight for soil particles to become bound as well as by adding pore space all its own, as well as food for soil organisms. It is the use of this material by the soil organisms that provides the nutrient release that allows the recycling of organic matter from dinosaurs to plants today.
Read More About It:
The Soil Food Web. Dr. Elaine Ingham, Oregon State University. Nartual Resource Conservation Service
Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-up to Market. Grubinger, Vernon P. NRAES pub. 104
The Real Dirt Farmers farmers Tell About Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast. Smith, Miranda and Henderson, Eliz. et al. Northeast Organic Farming Association.
Fertility refers to the relative state of a soil in relation to the contents of necessary plant nutrients that it contains. A soil that is lacking fertility or plant nutrients is said to be "poor" and soils that have relatively high levels of nutrients contained, are "rich" in plant nutrients and fertility. By no coincidence, this rating and inherent level of plant nutrients coincides with the level of organic matter contained or maintained within the profile of the soil. What better source of plant nutrients than the decomposing plant material of other plants. There are other sources within the soil. Clay particles are rich in potassium, while sand is such a large particle, it is usually devoid of plant nutrient value. It is the balance of all the soil particles, the organic matter level, pore space, water and air holding capacity that determine the relative fertility status of a soil.
Fertility, in the form of plant nutrients, can be added to soils, even within the strict confines of an organic regimen. Most organic certification programs, discussed later, will allow for certain, usually mined, soil amendments. Examples of this would be calcium nitrate also called nitrate of soda and Chilean nitrate. This substance, is a source of not only nitrogen, but also calcium and is very useful especially in tomato production. A good source of potassium is green sand. This mined substance is high in potassium and is dug from under the ocean. Rock phosphate, an ingredient used to make our synthetic super phosphates, is mined and approved by most certification programs. If it seems a bit ironic or less than sustainable to consider allowing these additional fertility sources, one must consider that they are used to establish the balance or used in such ways and frequencies as to treat deficiencies, not as a standard addition or annual application as is the case with current conventional agricultural practices.
Rather than using large volumes of purchased fertilizers, organic production emphasizes using cover crops, discussed later, and compost to provide annual applications of fertility. The compost is plant material that is decayed using biological organisms to provide the necessary breakdown of the plant fibers in order to release them for further decay and eventual plant use. This process, although naturally occurring, is a controlled process within the organic production scheme. By controlling the bacteria present, as well as the air and water, producers can control the process enough to insure the degradation of undesirable pathogens, insects and weeds that may be contained in the material being composted. Good compost is more than a stinking, rotting heap of garbage. It is a rich source of organic matter and living organisms that make good compost a healthy addition to the soil. The process does not require high tech equipment, but rather a feel for the process, appropriate inputs and the will to make it happen. If patience is a virtue, then good compost is a virtuous task. The right balance of air and moisture combined with bacterial activity breaking down plant fibers into a rich source of plant nutrients. It takes time, but also timely turning of the material, adding water if necessary, taking the
temperature of the piles and adding innoculants if necessary to insure a valuable end product.
Read More About It:
Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-up to Market. Grubinger, Vernon P. NRAES pub. 104
The Real Dirt Farmers farmers Tell About Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast. Smith, Miranda and Henderson, Eliz. et al. Northeast Organic Farming Association.
Cover crops are a practice of both the organic and sustainable production schedules. Cover crops provide a nutrient sink holding valuable fertility in place for a subsequent crops and even, in the case of leguminous crops, creating fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air. These crops then, upon their destruction and eventual breakdown, release the nutrients they contain into the soil food web and become a source of fertility in and of themselves.
Cover crops also serve as a means of controlling soil erosion during the times between other cultivated crops. This practice is seen as critical to the various state and federal efforts to improve water quality. Soils left open to the effects of weather will be prone to erosion from water and wind. Nature, if left to her devises, will replace plants with plants. Mankind, by using cover crops, helps that process and uses more desirable species that will make the practice more fruitful and beneficial to the soil and the next crop.
Cover crops, by being rich in carbon and other plant nutrients, serves as a source of food for microorganisms in the soil. As the residual plant material decays, it too feeds the soil inhabitants allowing them to maintain their populations for future use and service to the next crop, maintaining the soil food web. Actually, according to Dr. Ingham, it is more important to the micro flora and fauna to have living roots present as much as possible since the living roots produce an exudate that serves as a food source for the "critters" in the soil. Different creatures doing different jobs, some help living roots stay healthy while others breakdown dead roots and process them into fertility. All processes taking place in the soil every day.
Web Sites:
Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the Southeast
http:// www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/
Read More About It:
Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-up to Market. Grubinger, Vernon P. NRAES pub. 104
The Real Dirt Farmers farmers Tell About Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast. Smith, Miranda and Henderson, Eliz. et al. Northeast Organic Farming Association.
The efforts of producers are thwarted daily by the battle between good and evil , the battle with pests. The question is who is the good guy and who is evil? Is the good guy the farmer who is trying to produce food for the world or is the good guy the pest who is able to survive because all the natural predators have been killed off by previous pesticide treatments made by the farmer "just in case". The pest may be serving as the harbinger in which case, he in fact would be the good guy. But technically, a pest is anything that is out of place. A child who insists on asking questions about when he can go home while in church is said to be a pest. An insect that is eating our favorite flower is said to be a pest. A native plant, growing in the crop field is said to be a pest. But is the invader there doing harm or is it really providing a service or a habitat for another species. A case might be a smartweed in the flower garden. An ordinary weed pest, serving no purpose, using fertility, adding distraction, taking up space. But is it a pest? Not when it is serving as a host to the onslaught of Japanese Beetles that want to eat the rose bush if we don’t have the smartweed there for them.
Weeds can be good guys when they indicate soil deficiencies as well. Different plants require different soils. By examining the plants present in a given area, a trained eye can tell what the soil status is and then proceed to amend the soil (Smith et al.).Of course, soil tests are now available that Bromfield didn’t have, but as a part of the visual appraisal process, weeds can tell us much.
Weeds also serve as habitat for beneficial insects. Planting field edges to orchardgrass may not seem to serve much of a purpose. But producers have found that this buffer not only acts as a nutrient sink for water quality, it serves as habitat for song birds, quail, turkeys and rabbits as well as lady bugs and big eyed bugs that are veracious eaters of aphids. So what does the farmer give up? The field edge is usually the poorest place for commodity crops to grow, it is shady and that is where equipment gets turned and the tree roots take most of the moisture, but it’s a great place for orchardgrass giving the farmer his own insectary.
Biocontrols are a large and growing field of study. Once thought to only pertain to one insect devouring another, now the field has been expanded to include fungi, bacteria and even microscopic worms called nematodes. In order to understand how to best attack a pest, one must first accurately identify it. Then, study the life cycle to see where it is best to attack and then, using nature as a guide, determine how it is checked in nature and see if we can emulate it. An example of a natural predatory instance would be the corn earworm in soybeans. This pest, named for the infestation of the first generation, attacks ears of corn. The mature moth overwinters in locations south of here, follows the corn crop up the coast in the spring and deposits it’s eggs in the silk of young corn ears in late June, early July. Then, after the worm has hatched and developed, it pupates in the soil by dropping from the ear, then will emerge, depending on environmental conditions, as a moth. Then, in early August, this moth starts to look for places to lay it’s eggs so that the next generation can prosper. In a normal year, the corn is too mature and dry to call the attention of the female moth. So, the moth looks for other food sources to lay her eggs and the soybean pod and the cotton boll become targets. Within a few days, again depending on temperature, humidity and so forth, the eggs hatch and the larvae will start to eat the food source the mother has selected. If it is a soybean, the larvae will start to "cut" into the pod in order to feed on the bean. If it is in cotton, it will "cut" through the boll and feed inside the boll on the immature cotton fibers. Sometimes, the moth finds late corn, or in instances like this year where the corn is staying green, many of the moths are still laying their eggs in the corn. This is the best case for the farmers since the corn grain is mature and little damage can be done. But in the case of the soybean and cotton crops, bT or bacillus Thurengiensis can be used to kill the larvae before it exceeds 1/4" in length. This biocontrol product is not effective on larvae larger than the third instar of development which roughly coincides with the 1/4" limit. This bacterial infection is naturally occurring in the environment, but is mass produced now and even genetically implanted into plants to fight the attack of worms in valuable crops. This is the same "culprit" that Cornell scientists have used in corn to kill Monarch Butterfly larvae in their questionable research. Another, naturally occurring biocontrol for corn earwoms is persistent in wet, humid conditions much like this year, is a browning fungus. This fungus attaches itself to the worm larvae and will actually draw the life from it, making the worm a brown corps within a few days,. Scientists have known about this fungi but the field conditions are the critical element to determine success. Therefor, in years like this where we have ample rainfall, corn earworms are not as large a problem. Also, the shear fact that the plentiful rains have also made the canopy of the soybeans so dense that the moths will have a difficult time navigating to get to the valuable seed pod.
Dr. Ingham is working to identify, through her research, organisms that we can apply as compost teas to fight plant diseases. Her theory is that compost made from diseased plant tissue will contain fungi and bacteria that is adapted to digesting specific plant diseases and once applied to the surface of the plant which has the disease, the organism will again devour the prey. The example might be to make compost with plant tissue infected with mildew. While some more conventional wisdom might dictate to avoid using this diseased plant material as a compost material, the wizened composter will save that for use on plants that get mildew next season. The compost will have dealt with the disease bodies some way, using them to fight disease on living tissue is a new approach to biocontrol.
Web Links:
Virginia Pest identification Lab Library: http:// www.ento.vt.edu/bughunt
Home Brewed Pest Control: http:// www.co.broward.fl.us/ppi2100.htm
Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program: http://www.aces.uic.edu/~asap
Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the Southeast
http:// www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable
Read More About It:
Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-up to Market. Grubinger, Vernon P. NRAES pub. 104
The Real Dirt Farmers farmers Tell About Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast. Smith, Miranda and Henderson, Eliz. et al. Northeast Organic Farming Association.
At this point in time, various organizations have various requirements for being able to sell produce and other items as being organic. The state of Virginia has a law on the books that dictates that in order to use the word organic, it must be according to the certification rules of an acceptable organization or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Lists of organizations are available on the website.
Web Links:
Organic Growers and Buyers Associaiton: http://www.ogba.org
Read More About It:
Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-up to Market. Grubinger, Vernon P. NRAES pub. 104
The Real Dirt Farmers farmers Tell About Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast. Smith, Miranda and Henderson, Eliz. et al. Northeast Organic Farming Association.
While it seems almost inherent when talking to the individuals involved with these practices to feel as if they march to a different drummer and seem to be almost persecuted. It isn’t hard understand how they might feel ostracized. Much of the research base that serves agriculture does not serve this group. Their status in the community and the reality or truth of their information is constantly called into question. But as time progresses, more of the mainstream farmers are looking into this as a means to save the small family farm. Getting organic production the rightful place it deserves in the land grant university system is challenging and probably going to be done under the masthead of sustainable agriculture rather than organic. Be that as it may, the certification requirements and the consumer demand will make the attraction of organic production appealing to explore and experimentation will have to be farmer based and much of the information anecdotal because research monies are seldom available to fund lady bugs and other organic solutions.
There will continue to be room for more production as our population grows and the economy continues to support choice. More and more families have the financial resources to support the choices they make with their food dollars. Community Supported Agriculture or CSA’s will continue to grow where the producer will contract with consumers to deliver for a specified time, produce that he/she has produced. This is a logical niche for organic production and eastern Virginia sits as a prime target with the proximity to large population centers. Several CSA’s are operating in the area now with one delivering twice a week to Williamsburg and another to Fredericksburg. Both farms are in the transitional years for certification, but the consumers prefer to invest the time and money now in order to help these families make the transition to a more sustainable lifestyle and farming operation.
Traditional marketing venues will continue to have potential for organic production, but the linkages need to be developed and maintained. Large grocery chains will probably be the least likely to participate. The clientele that will pay the extra for organic produce will shop at the farmers’ markets, farm stands and specialty stores. These contacts are not easily developed, but linkages do exist to help suppliers and buyers connect such as food shows and listings. This does appear to have the potential to be a viable enterprise for a small scale family farm in Eastern Virginia.
Web Sites:
NewCROP, New Crop Resource Online Program
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop
Other Links, Sites and Organizations
Ag. Network Information Center
Links and data bases, ties to the land grant system.
USDA, National Ag. Library
Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program
Information about sustainable ag. Topics including research, links and news.
Univeristy of Illinios
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
Links, searchable data base, sustainable information
USDA
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
Lots of links to government soures of information
National Center for Appropriate Technology
Biological Control Information Center
http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/biocontrol/biocontrol.html
Biocontrol information, virtual biocontrl center
North Carolina State University
Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations
International research, links.
Grass Farmer
Information about grass based dairy operation in Franklin Co., Pa.
American farmland Trust
Home Brewed Pest Control
http://www.co.broward.fl.us/ppi02100.htm
Biocontrol and other measurs for pest control
Broward County Florida/Extension Office
Dr. Elaine Ingham’s e-zine for the soil food web
Produced by theabove, great info. and Q & A format.
International Federation of organic Agriculture Moevments
World wide perspectives on organic news and information, organizations
National Agriculture Library
Links and data bases
USDA
NewCROP, New Crop Resource Online Program
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop
Information on new crps and new uses of old crops, links, proceedings.
Purdue University
Organic Growers and Buyers Association
Certification requirements,organization information
Organic Information
http://www.organicinfo.ndirect.co.uk
Organic information from the UK, e-zine, research, links.
Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Links
http://www.agrenv.mcgill.ca/agrecon/new/staff/henning/links.htm
Lots of links to sites, some listed and common elsewhere, some unique.
McGill University
Rodale Institute
Inforamtion, research, international information on sustainable ag, long standing expert in the field.
Sustainable Agriculture Network
Information, fact sheets, research proposal information.
USDA/SARE
Sustainable Farming Connection
http://metalab.unc.edu/farming-connection
Former staff of New Farm magazine, easy to read links and information sources.
Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the Southeast
http:// www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet
Comprehensive site for vegetable produciton in the southeast US
North Carolina State University
University of California-Davis SARE Program
Searchable data base, cover crops information and more.
UC-Davis
Grubinger, V.P. 1999. Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-up to Market. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service. Ithaca N.Y.
Ingham, E.R. 1999. The Soil Biology Primer. Natural Resource and Conservation Service, USDA. Ames Iowa.
Smith, M. et.al. 1998. The Real Dirt Farmers Tell About Organic and Low-Input Practices in the Northeast. Northeast Organic Farming Association and Cooperative Extension. Burlington, Vt.
Surface, G.T. 1919. The Farmers’ Dictionary and Household Cyclopedia. Brown-Morrison Co. Lynchburg, Va.