Introduction

Sometimes the actions of a child can inspire you to move mountains—or at least to till a patch of soil.

I was picking sugar snap peas one Saturday morning in June when my wife, Valerie, returned from errands with our two young daughters in tow. After unharnessing the girls from their car seats, she pointed down to the garden.

“Look,” she announced, “Daddy’s picking peas.’’

In an instant, Alyssa—still at the tender age of 4—tossed her box of cookies to the ground like last year’s toy on Christmas morning.

“Peas!” she squealed, as she ran full tilt to the garden.

Tiny fingers wrapped around a pod at the bottom of the trellis, and with a quick tug it was hers. In seconds, she was stuffing fresh green vegetables into her mouth and reaching for more.

I grabbed a pea pod for my own taste buds. It was crisp and sweet, with a delicate earthy finish—too perfect to resist another. So Alyssa and I both snacked as we plucked the remaining peas—one for the bowl, one for the mouth…two for the bowl, another for the mouth.

Fat bumblebees bury their faces in squash blossoms.

The choice my daughter made that morning—to toss aside her box of packaged, store-bought cookies for a fistful of organically grown snap peas—stirred my heart. Months earlier she and I had planted the seeds—presoaked overnight and dusted with natural soil organisms. The seeds sprouted like little green corkscrews, then developed leaves and clung with threadlike tendrils to the trellis I had built. We watched as the vines climbed higher and blossomed, finally bearing crisp, green pods. The moment came full circle, as we picked and ate our perfect harvest, fresh from the vine.

There was no price tag. No bar code. No plastic bag or carbon footprint. No fossil-fuel–consuming drive to the grocery store. And most important, there were no worries about environmental damage or toxic chemicals. The peas were flawless and 100 percent guilt-free.

As our daughters grew older, Valerie and I strengthened our commitment to organic growing, knowing we were producing healthy food for our children and teaching them life-long lessons. We witnessed paper wasps descend and fly away with garden pests. We watched ladybugs arrive en masse to devour aphids on a Stanley prune plum tree. We handled snakes and toads and worms and giant praying mantises. The backyard became not just a place to grow vegetables but also a thriving ecosystem buzzing with life. Carolina wrens scolded noisily from an overgrown apple tree. Fat bumblebees buried their faces in yellow squash blossoms. And emerald dragonflies buzzed along the pepper plants like tiny Black Hawk helicopters.

Every plant and animal—from microscopic soil bacteria to bug-eating birds—played a role not only in creating guilt-free peas but also broccoli, pole beans, tomatoes, Swiss chard, jalapeños, Asian greens, fingerling potatoes, and dozens of other vegetables.

When the harvest came, our bounty was often greater than the refrigerator could hold. So we shared our crops with neighbors, coworkers, family, and friends—all of whom were eager to receive fresh organic tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and greens.

But that wasn’t enough. I knew I wanted to be a farmer.

My earliest childhood memories were of visiting my Uncle Joe’s dairy farm in southern New Hampshire, watching the cows cross the street on a warm summer evening. As a teenager staying on my brother-in-law’s family farm in Le Sueur, Minnesota, I marveled at the rows of corn that seemed to reach the horizon in every direction. Later, while working as a produce manager unpacking crates of lettuce, I wondered about the farmers who grew such round and perfect heads.

So when our daughters left home for college, Valerie and I turned our food-growing hobby into a small-scale agricultural business, never leaving our suburban backyard in southern New England. I shaped gardens into efficient raised beds, equipped with hoops for floating row covers that stretched the season and guarded crops from insects. My wife added beehives to the operation. We built a chicken coop and ordered layer hens. I converted lawn to make room for more raised beds, then cleared space to plant berry bushes and fruit trees.

Why Go Organic?

The best reason for growing organic is that it’s simply healthier for everyone involved—you, your family, farm workers, and customers—thanks to a lack of chemicals and an abundance of nutrients.

It’s also economical. While organic production takes more time, effort, and understanding at the onset, sustainable practices can save money in the long run by recycling farm waste and avoiding expensive inputs. And if you’re a USDA certified organic farmer, your crops will command a higher price.

The Organic Center, a Washington-based research and education group, lists twelve reasons to go organic. Among them are the following:

• • Reduces your risk to harmful synthetic pesticides.
• • Avoids unknown genetically engineered food risks.
• • Decreases your intake of unnecessary hormones and antibiotics.
• • Preserves local crop varieties for future generations.
• • Improves water quality and the safety of drinking water. (Chemical pesticides and fertilizers can flow with rainwater into aquifers and rivers.)

Maintains healthy soil. (Organic practices restore nitrogen and nutrients and help sequester carbon to help fight global warming.)

Certified Organic

This book describes numerous methods and techniques for building soil, starting plants, and controlling insects, weeds, and diseases organically. They are all, to the best of my knowledge and research, sound practices. However, this is not a USDA manual for certified organic farming. Once growers decide to sell farm goods under the “Organic” label, the primary source for information becomes the National Organic Program (NOP) as administered through a third-party certifying agent.

The NOP, via the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, defines organic as “a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.”

Organic gardeners and organic hobby farmers who grow food for their own families may use organic practices as they see fit. However, once farmers sell organic foods, they must adhere to the NOP’s program. Small-scale growers who earn less than $5,000 per year from their organic farming operations are exempt from fees and certification but must adhere to NOP standards and keep records of practices and materials purchased for their farms. For more information, see chapter 10 or visit the website: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOP

Grow healthy, delicious scallions and other fresh vegetables without the use of harmful chemicals; learn how in chapter 5.

Today, we operate a small-scale farming business on our 1-acre (0.4 ha) suburban plot, selling vegetables to neighbors, coworkers, and friends. We use intensive gardening techniques borrowed from such vegetable-growing gurus as John Jeavons, Eliot Coleman, Dick Raymond, Ed Smith, and the late Bob Thomson. We became members of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, and we attend workshops to hone our growing skills. To supplement our income, we keep a small group of subscribers supplied with fresh groceries all season long, using a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) business model.

It’s not always easy, but it’s enjoyable, profitable, and 100 percent possible. You can do it, too. This book will get you started!

• • Chapter 1 will help you assess the land you live on to determine whether it meets your plans for organic growing. If you need to lease more land or buy an organic farm, you’ll learn what to look for—factoring in the climate, soil, water, and location.
• • Chapter 2 can assist you in selecting the right implements for digging, weeding, seeding, and raking—starting slowly with quality hand tools and determining whether you need to invest in power equipment.
• • Chapter 3 will help you understand the importance of organic soil. Cultivating the relationship between plants and underground microbes is the key to successful organic agriculture. You’ll also find information on nutrients, testing your soil, making compost, and planting cover crops.
• • Chapter 4 shows you how to develop a farm plan with an organized schedule for growing successive crops all season long. Whether you plan to farm for a growing family or start a small-scale agribusiness, you’ll learn to start your own seeds, schedule crops for production, maximize growing space, and prevent incursion from weeds and pests.
• • Chapter 5 covers the best vegetable and herb crops for organic production, with advice on varieties, heirlooms, seed starting, soil requirements, and harvesting.
• • Chapter 6 suggests ways to branch out with fruit trees and berries, with advice on choosing varieties, preparing the soil, and dealing with pests and diseases naturally.
• • Chapter 7 describes the basics of adding chickens to the farm—for wholesome organic eggs or pastured meat. There are suggestions on the right breeds, tips for raising a flock from day-old chicks, and protecting the birds from predators.
• • Chapter 8 will help you add to your organic system with bees or small livestock. Learn the basics involved with keeping honeybees, rabbits, and dairy goats.
• • Chapter 9 includes details on marketing your farm-fresh products. Learn what you need to know to sell your goods at restaurants, farmers’ markets, or through a CSA program.
• • Chapter 10 covers the things to think about if you want to make a lasting business out of your hobby. Here’s where you’ll learn the basics of crafting a mission statement, setting goals, and creating a budget. You’ll also find information to help you weigh the pros and cons of becoming USDA certified organic.
• • Finally, in the “Resources” section at the back of the book, you’ll find information on soil testing, organic certification, local organic farming organizations, publications, and more.

Whether you’re a large-scale gardener or a fledgling organic farmer looking to share the earth’s bounty and earn a second income in the process, it’s time to get started. You’ll eat safer, more nutritious food; learn about the bond between soil organisms and your plants; discover new ways to join the local food movement; and help save the planet—1 acre at a time.

Dig in.

Organic Farming: Its Origins and Evolution

Before the advent of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, farming was essentially an “organic” operation. Growers kept livestock and recycled their animal wastes to fertilize fields. They conserved their soil, rotated crops, and practiced long-term, sustainable agriculture. However, that all changed dramatically after World War II. Farmers moved away from raising mixed crops and livestock. Thanks to rising market prices, larger machinery, and high-yield varieties, they turned toward large-scale production of grain. Without animal manures, farmers opted for chemical fertilizers. The North American factories once used to produce wartime explosives began churning out synthetic high-nitrogen fertilizers, and the nerve agents developed and stockpiled for warfare led to the production of organophosphate pesticides.

The organic movement didn’t spring up to confront the use of chemicals overnight. It grew from studies and observations around the world by prominent people on both sides of the organic debate who laid the groundwork.

Father of Synthetic Fertilizers

The shift away from natural growing took root in the mid-1800s, when German scientist Justus von Liebig and agronomist Carl Sprengel independently preached the “Law of the Minimum”: that plant growth was limited by whatever single nutrient was lacking in the soil. The science is still used today and is a key part of soil testing and plant health. But the reductionist thinking led to an over-reliance on synthetic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) to feed plants and boost production. For that reason, Liebig is sometimes referred to as the father of the fertilizer industry.

Advocate for Spiritual Growing

As chemical fertilizers gained popularity in Europe, scientist, clairvoyant, and philosopher Rudolf Steiner lectured on the importance of balancing animals, plants, and soil in a more holistic approach to farming. His talks in 1924 led to the publication of Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture. Steiner, who advocated an understanding of the spiritual connection to farming and nature, pioneered the biodynamic farming movement.

Observer from India

British botanist Sir Albert Howard, an adviser and farming researcher in India from the early 1900s to 1931, observed the healthy relationships among India’s farmers, their animals, and the crops they grew. His books, An Agricultural Testament and The Soil and Health, noted the importance of the farm as an ecosystem and the recycling of compost and animal waste to feed soil organisms and build humus. Howard is often described as the founder of the organic movement, although it wasn’t called organic at the time.

Spreading Howard’s Word

Sir Howard inspired the work of British scientist Lady Eve Balfour, who wrote The Living Soil in 1943. Howard’s teachings also helped spark the research of American J. I. Rodale, who was the first in the United States to use the word organic to describe sustainable and natural agriculture in an article in Fact Digest in 1940. Rodale later launched Organic Gardening magazine and established the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania, which became a prime source of information for the organic farming movement.

Pesticide Whistle-Blower

Scientist and author Rachel Carson sounded the alarm on chemical pesticides in 1962 with her groundbreaking book Silent Spring, which illuminated the dangers of DDT and acted as a call to action against the widespread use of chemical pesticides. Environmental concerns about DDT helped turn consumers to the fledgling organic farming movement, whose followers grew steadily in the 1960s and 1970s, increasing the demand for naturally produced pesticide-free food.

Apples and Alar

In 1989, a 60 Minutes report on research linking the apple growth-regulator Alar to increased cancer risk sparked a backlash against chemicals in food. Actress Meryl Streep became a famous face for the Alar alert, and growers looked for ways to salvage the reputation of apples, some turning to the label “organic.” At the time, there were only regional organic certification groups with varying standards for defining the term organic. The industry needed national standards.

Organic Foods Production Act

In 1990 Congress approved the Organic Foods Production Act “to establish national standards governing the marketing of certain agricultural products as organically produced products; to assure consumers that organically produced products meet a consistent standard; and to facilitate interstate commerce in fresh and processed food that is organically produced.” The program, implemented in 2002, uses independent certifiers to ensure that farmers who call their products organic adhere to sustainable agricultural practices and avoid using chemical pesticides and fertilizers derived from synthetic means or human sewage. Certified organic farmers are also prohibited from using genetically engineered organisms.