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 Post subject: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:29 am 
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I just found out that a local greenhouse has shares available in their CSA Program. My concern is they aren't an Organic operation. A half bushel of produce averages out to about $10.00. I'm not sure I am going to pursue this because of the commercial farming that they do. Any thoughts?


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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:48 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:45 pm
Posts: 1531
Location: Ottawa, ON
In terms of both healthfulness and culinary quality I do not believe Organic can solely determine the outcome. You can make some very bad food (in both respects) while sticking to organic methods and materials, and can make some very good food while not qualifying as organic. I think you need to judge an operation based on its product and its merits as an organization, not whether they adhere strictly to the organic guidelines.

Commercial farming isn't a sin. We have a local commercial farm that supplies a lot of best restaurants around here; the produce (esp if you go to the farm, not their stall at the market) is incredible quality and the practice careful responsible farming as far as I can tell/see. They are both commercial and non-organic, but are very much worth buying from IMO. But too there are several very small 'boutique' farms that are organic and also produce very wonderful produce, though all the successful ones are smart enough to produce more exotic things to avoid competition with the bigger boys. And I've had some awful organic produce, culinary wise, and some of the allowed organic pesticides are pretty nasty if used in excess (and organic is not a guarantee it is not used in excess). Bad fertilizer usage can also bite you on organic, especially for items which are not cooked and difficult to clean well.


Last edited by Paul Kierstead on Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:54 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:27 pm
Posts: 526
Location: Finger Lakes Wine Country
A farmer often chooses not to certify her crop as organic because of the expense, time and audit trail requirements. She can still produce fantastic agricultural products that are safe and nutritious.

Here is a list of farming practices from Local Harvest. Most farms should be familiar with them. Give your local greenhouse a chance to sell you on the goodness of agricultural approach.

Quote:
Certified Organic
There are many organizations worldwide that certify produce as being grown in a manner that does not harm the environment and that preserves or improves soil fertility, soil structure, and farm sustainability. Farms that are certified organic are shown as such in LocalHarvest.

Naturally Grown
Some of our farms prefer not to pursue an organic certification, but do follow organic principles in growing their produce.

Certified Naturally Grown
CNG is a grassroots certification program created specifically for farmers that sell locally and directly to their customers. CNG's certification standards are based on the National Organic Program but with some variation, including improved livestock living conditions and more explicit access to pasture requirements.

Transitional
Organic certification standards are very strict, and it usually takes years for farms the achieve them, as all pesticide and chemical residue from the soil is slowly broken down and leached away. Farms marked as "Transitional" are farms in the process of getting their certification, but that are not quite there yet.

Conventional
Conventional farming does not necessarily have to be as destructive as large scale chemical agriculture. There are many small farms worldwide that sparingly use chemicals when needed, and that otherwise follow good guidelines in the care of their environments and communities. We list those farms in LocalHarvest too.

Biodynamic
Based on a series of lectures given by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924, Biodynamics is a method of agriculture which seeks to actively work with the health-giving forces of nature. It is the oldest non-chemical agricultural movement, predating the organic agriculture movement by some 20 years and has now spread throughout the world.

Grass Fed / Pastured
Grass fed, or pastured, animals are raised on pasture, as opposed to being kept in confinement and fed primarily grains. Pasturing livestock and poultry is the traditional method of raising farm animals, is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the most nutritious meat, dairy and eggs
.

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Last edited by jim262 on Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:57 pm 
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Posts: 2305
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
STEPS TO TAKE:
Determine your age (consult driver’s license, if necessary), consider what you’ve done to yourself in that time, determine whether redemption is possible. In my case, 63, there ain’t a hope in Hell that eating organic will matter. Go for it! :lol: :twisted: :shock:


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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:40 pm 
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wino wrote:
STEPS TO TAKE:
Determine your age (consult driver’s license, if necessary), consider what you’ve done to yourself in that time, determine whether redemption is possible. In my case, 63, there ain’t a hope in Hell that eating organic will matter. Go for it! :lol: :twisted: :shock:


According to the Church Of Granola Gaia, deathbed conversions to the True Way are still possible.

:twisted:

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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:29 pm 
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wino wrote:
STEPS TO TAKE:
Determine your age (consult driver’s license, if necessary), consider what you’ve done to yourself in that time, determine whether redemption is possible. In my case, 63, there ain’t a hope in Hell that eating organic will matter. Go for it! :lol: :twisted: :shock:



I agree. I signed up with another CSA that is a small family owned farm. Not organic, but responsibly grown as much as possible. They use paper mulch for weed control and no insecticides because they also raise Bees. They also have an 80' x 13' hoop house and will provide early and late greens longer than most CSA's in this area. Their annual crops include Asparagus, Strawberries, Raspberries and Rhubarb. The vineyard has 6 types of grapes. The orchard has Plums, Persimmons, Cherrys Paw Paw, Plumcot, Asian Pear and Apricot. The field crops include Onions, Sweet Corn, Watermelon, Pole Beans, Wax Beans, Peas Garlic, 3 types of Squash, Edamame, Spinach, Potatoes and Carrots. Later this year, they will have eggs and if the Bees do their job, Honey.

They deliver each week, but they do have a U pick during plentiful harvest times for their Strawberries (10 quarts per visit, 1 per week) Raspberries, (4 quarts, 1 per week) Grapes, (1 Bushel, 1 per week) and all other fruit ( 1/2 bushel, 1 per week) Of course if they have a bad season for any of these items obviously these amounts will be less or none at all.

They only sell full memberships for $600 and only 10 memberships a year. I was one of the last ones for this year.


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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2013 8:58 am 
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I received an email today letting me know that I will be getting Fresh Asparagus tomorrow from my CSA.


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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2013 9:15 am 
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Location: PA
Sounds like it's going to be a lot of asparagus! :)

We signed up for a small share (feeds 2) through August. Our first bundle is the first week of June.


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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Wed May 29, 2013 1:41 pm 
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I received another 4lb bag of Asparagus today and an Email update stating the following.

Sweet corn is up. We lost about 1/2 acre (under water). We still have about 4.5 acres.
Peas are planted
Beans (green pole, yellow wax) planted
Peppers, tomatoes, egg plant brussel sprouts, summer squash transplanted on paper and irrigated.
Strawberries have been replanted for next year (on paper and irrigated)
Strawberries look to be about 2 or 3 weeks out (Looking good!)
Asparagus is done.
Raspberries are comming along fine. We weeded them. Some have blossoms on!!
Cucumbers look good.

Hoop house:
We expect grape tomatoes incouple of weeks. They have blossoms.
Cumbers should start blossoming within 2 weeks
Peppers look great (no blossoms yet)
As soon as it dries out we will plant the following:
Spinach
Carrots
Collards
Watermelon
Lettuce
More Peas
More Beans
Edidble soy beans

We have had a very wet Spring here in Michigan, so planting is later than usual for this Farm. I asked about Rhubarb. The brochure has limited next to the listing, so I hope by asking I will be earmarked for some when it's ready.


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 Post subject: Re: Non Organic CSA
PostPosted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 12:40 pm 
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I received 2 quarts of Strawberries on Tuesday and I am getting 4 more quarts tomorrow. This weekend is a U Pick weekend, so I will be going and picking some more Strawberries on Saturday. I also received some Rhubarb two weeks ago. So far, I am really glad that I joined this CSA. All the produce so far has been excellent.


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