Dealing with pests organically

I was speaking with a customer this week about pests and how we deal with them without harmful synthetic chemicals. Our founding Farm Manager, Callum Champagne, explained it best:

“There is a bit of confusion in the community about organically certified pesticides. We’ve previously written about why we are not certified organic, but how we still adhere to organic principles and practices. And like all organic farms, we use organic pesticides as a part of a multi-pronged strategy to prevent pests from destroying our crops.

Our first line of defence against pests is diversity: diversity of crops, crop rotation, and biodiversity in non-commercial parts of the farm. The more diverse an ecosystem is, the more resilient it is and so, as much as possible, we try to create a functioning ‘agro-ecosystem’ on our farm. We also try to stay on top of harvesting to eliminate ideal pest conditions.

These preventative measures work much of the time, but when pests like snails, aphids, or white fly start to take over, we turn to approved organic pesticides to reduce pest populations and save our crops.

What’s the difference between these and synthetic pesticides used in non-organic farming? In simple terms, organic treatments break down in soil and water quickly and only harm the pests they are targeting. Unlike so many synthetic chemicals, they do not harm people, the soil, or the environment.”

I hope that explains it! Enjoy,

Lindsay Burlton
Fair Food Coordinator

In your box this week:

Note: We sometimes need to make changes to what we pack in your veg box based on the quantity or quality of produce that we can harvest and source. If you have any questions about what is in your box, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Feature Veg: Kohlrabi & Broccoleaf

 Kohlrabi: A member of the brassica family and a stable veg in Germany, kohlrabi tastes a bit like broccoli stem, mild radish, or cabbage. You can eat the leaf, stem, and bulb of this plant so nothing goes to waste! Cook the greens and stem like kale or silverbeet and be sure to peel the bulb before you roast, sauté, pickle, or shred it.

Broccoleaf: Although they’ve been around for centuries, broccoli leaves have recently been marketed as a “new” vegetable. And they are incredible! Broccoleaf can be used in the same way as kale, though it’s a little sweeter in flavour. Enjoy it with light dressing in a salad, seared on the grill, baked into chips, or blended into a smoothie.