Welcome!

What is organic farming?
Consumers are concerned about the foods they eat. Chemical control of pests and weeds have allowed mass production and distribution of foods to our nations grocery stores. Organic growers do not use chemical poisons, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. We believe that food quality, nutrition and health are better served by growing organic, not to mention safety of our environment. Some of the methods that we use to farm organic are by using natural fertilizers to amend the soil and avoid herbicides by burning control measures or manual labor controls for weeds. Damaging insects are controlled by allowing predator bugs to flourish in the orchard. 80% of the bugs are “good guys” who kill and eat the “bad guys”. We love to see lady bugs, praying mantises, lace wings and spiders in the orchard. They kill and eat the damaging pests eggs and larva. Mating Disruption is a fascinating approach to pest control. Pheromones of certain pests are impregnated into “bag tie” strips, which are then distributed throughout the orchard. Pheromones are the means that allow the females to attract the males. The females lay eggs and metamorph into larva, which is the damaging stage to fruit trees and fruit. By filling the orchard with the pheromones using the disruptors, the males can’t locate the females, and consequently don’t mate. Seems cruel to males on the outset, however, is very effective.

How is organic certified and who certifies it?
The Colorado Department of Agriculture certifies the orchard organic if the farm maintains chemical free status for 3 years. The farm is inspected and records reviewed every year. A National Organic Standards Act was passed a few years ago, and every organic farm must now adhere to the same organic standards.

Is organic better?
Organic food demand is growing at the rate of 20% per year. People are concerned about their food after reading about mad cow disease, salmonella in tomatoes, apple Alar food scare and e-coli in spinach. Unlike conventional farms, Certified Organic farms are inspected every year. Consumer Reports published a study in February 2006 on pesticide residue on foods and found that peaches are in the top 10 foods where high levels of pesticide residue were found. There is evidence that organically grown fruits and vegetables have higher levels of vitamins and minerals.