Thank you for addressing this important topic, Robert. The more people eat whole, organic, *real* food, the better their health and the less likely they are to wind up a victim of the medical-pharmaceutical complex.
If people are fortunate enough to live near a growers market or have access to a CSA, the best option is to buy your food fr…
Thank you for addressing this important topic, Robert. The more people eat whole, organic, *real* food, the better their health and the less likely they are to wind up a victim of the medical-pharmaceutical complex.
If people are fortunate enough to live near a growers market or have access to a CSA, the best option is to buy your food from local farmers and producers. Many of these farmers cannot afford the organic certification process but still grow according to organic guidelines, so if you have the opportunity to meet them in person or call them, you can find out if they are unofficially organic.
Supporting local farmers and producers not only makes you healthier but also makes your local economy more robust, resilient, and self-reliant in times of scarcity.
Farmers markets are the best. Supporting the farmers directly. I like to belong to a CSA, (Community supported agriculture). Many of the farmers who are new and or cannot afford the organic certification will use integrative pest management practices that are far superior to conventional farming and definitely steps in the right direction.
I’ve joined CSA with our local farmer for over 10 years and have enjoyed eating seasonable organic food. Dr. Maloney’s article on Victory/Patriot Garden strike a cord with me to go further in supporting my community of farmers. There is a non-profit group that supports local farmers in our area and I am now looking into supporting their mission. Thank you Dr. Malone for your bravery and strength fighting this fight against the evilness of this world, while also providing tools and encouragement for us. My heartfelt gratitude to you and other brave doctors/people who have been fighting for humanity.
I can't find a CSA to save my life and the one I did find was booked solid! Lol I did find an organic farm though but lord are they expensive! I will say I bought their organic eggs and they were so different than organic store bought. Bright beautiful yellow yolks. Crazy. Going this weekend to get more. 😜
My orchard was USDA certified organic for about 10 years. In the beginning, it was small growers working hard and petitioning the USDA for recognition. When we finally got it, big ag moved in and threw us under the bus. The organic/conventional differential premiums became just much for them, I guess, esp when when they could write the rules, and have retailers force us out. Certification soon got too expensive, and the rules were a joke. Cases in point--transitioning guides for conventional to organic. And what stuck in my throat are crop boundaries. In some of the windiest orchards in the nation (think pesticide drift), grower organic and conventional plots are side by side. New regs allow this, but growers are told that the crop of the first 6 organic rows will be marketed conventionally. Yep, the honor system, rows are quite narrow, depending on rootstock, and the main tool of the orchardist is the sprayer/mister.
I 100% agree with buying from someone you know, whether certified or not.
I did some for a bit, loved them, but the diseases were too much for me to control organically, and quite a few trees died each year. Generally, I could get a whip grown out and have 2-3 years of production, then Katie bar the door. The last of the trees were cut down this spring, not worth it.
There are organic peach growers, I think variety selection is crucial. I had selected for heirloom and new cultivars climatically adapted for my site. Talk with local, reputable nurseries for disease resistant cultivars suited for organic production in your area.
Selecting for disease resistance is tantamount for the home grower, especially for tree fruits. If their care becomes too much, or you grow tired of the work, or whatever, cut the tree down. Otherwise, your trees become the reservoir for the fruit's pathogens.
Thanks for the tips. I learned over the years that peach trees are replaced every few years. I have 2 now, one has already had curly leaf fungus despite my best efforts to buy a tree that would be resistant! I'll keep trying. I haven't noticed other diseases however, not even the borer worms.
I have 2 plum trees, Italian or German variety that bear fruit late in the season and find them easy to grow and care for. My neighbour has pears, bosc and bartlett grafted onto 1 tree that are also easy care.
In my area, I don't know of any growers growing organic peaches. I'm in southern Ontario.
I regularly buy from local farmers and have learned the delicious benefits of eating what's in season, not possible in winter months in Canada mostly. However, I think most of the local farmers are not organic officially or unofficially. I made the trade off between 'buy organic' or 'buy local' to the local side.
Thank you for addressing this important topic, Robert. The more people eat whole, organic, *real* food, the better their health and the less likely they are to wind up a victim of the medical-pharmaceutical complex.
If people are fortunate enough to live near a growers market or have access to a CSA, the best option is to buy your food from local farmers and producers. Many of these farmers cannot afford the organic certification process but still grow according to organic guidelines, so if you have the opportunity to meet them in person or call them, you can find out if they are unofficially organic.
Supporting local farmers and producers not only makes you healthier but also makes your local economy more robust, resilient, and self-reliant in times of scarcity.
Farmers markets are the best. Supporting the farmers directly. I like to belong to a CSA, (Community supported agriculture). Many of the farmers who are new and or cannot afford the organic certification will use integrative pest management practices that are far superior to conventional farming and definitely steps in the right direction.
I’ve joined CSA with our local farmer for over 10 years and have enjoyed eating seasonable organic food. Dr. Maloney’s article on Victory/Patriot Garden strike a cord with me to go further in supporting my community of farmers. There is a non-profit group that supports local farmers in our area and I am now looking into supporting their mission. Thank you Dr. Malone for your bravery and strength fighting this fight against the evilness of this world, while also providing tools and encouragement for us. My heartfelt gratitude to you and other brave doctors/people who have been fighting for humanity.
I can't find a CSA to save my life and the one I did find was booked solid! Lol I did find an organic farm though but lord are they expensive! I will say I bought their organic eggs and they were so different than organic store bought. Bright beautiful yellow yolks. Crazy. Going this weekend to get more. 😜
Eat Wild has nationwide directory that might be helpful: http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html
My orchard was USDA certified organic for about 10 years. In the beginning, it was small growers working hard and petitioning the USDA for recognition. When we finally got it, big ag moved in and threw us under the bus. The organic/conventional differential premiums became just much for them, I guess, esp when when they could write the rules, and have retailers force us out. Certification soon got too expensive, and the rules were a joke. Cases in point--transitioning guides for conventional to organic. And what stuck in my throat are crop boundaries. In some of the windiest orchards in the nation (think pesticide drift), grower organic and conventional plots are side by side. New regs allow this, but growers are told that the crop of the first 6 organic rows will be marketed conventionally. Yep, the honor system, rows are quite narrow, depending on rootstock, and the main tool of the orchardist is the sprayer/mister.
I 100% agree with buying from someone you know, whether certified or not.
Great comment & thanks for the info. Did you grow peaches? I'd still love to know if it's possible to grow organic peaches. I've never seen them.
I did some for a bit, loved them, but the diseases were too much for me to control organically, and quite a few trees died each year. Generally, I could get a whip grown out and have 2-3 years of production, then Katie bar the door. The last of the trees were cut down this spring, not worth it.
There are organic peach growers, I think variety selection is crucial. I had selected for heirloom and new cultivars climatically adapted for my site. Talk with local, reputable nurseries for disease resistant cultivars suited for organic production in your area.
Selecting for disease resistance is tantamount for the home grower, especially for tree fruits. If their care becomes too much, or you grow tired of the work, or whatever, cut the tree down. Otherwise, your trees become the reservoir for the fruit's pathogens.
Thanks for the tips. I learned over the years that peach trees are replaced every few years. I have 2 now, one has already had curly leaf fungus despite my best efforts to buy a tree that would be resistant! I'll keep trying. I haven't noticed other diseases however, not even the borer worms.
I have 2 plum trees, Italian or German variety that bear fruit late in the season and find them easy to grow and care for. My neighbour has pears, bosc and bartlett grafted onto 1 tree that are also easy care.
In my area, I don't know of any growers growing organic peaches. I'm in southern Ontario.
I regularly buy from local farmers and have learned the delicious benefits of eating what's in season, not possible in winter months in Canada mostly. However, I think most of the local farmers are not organic officially or unofficially. I made the trade off between 'buy organic' or 'buy local' to the local side.
Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” is a great book about eating local and in-season.