Organic farming gets ugly
Warning: viewing some of these photographs before a meal can cause extreme nausea.
You may have the impression that those of us living and farming the organic life exist in this kind rural paradise. We live close to the earth, eat the healthiest food known to mankind, and have powerful arms. But I’m hear to tell you, it ain’t always a bed of roses.
In fact, it can get downright ugly as evidenced by this week’s invasion of the lovely cabbage worms and loopers. I have special names for non-beneficials and all of them are profane. Let’s just say my special word for the worm, also begins with a "C."
It kindof serves me right. For months I have been proudly showing off my organically raised cole crops: worm-free broccoli was my pride and joy. A mini forest of perfectly erect (this is getting suggestive) Brussels Sprouts and, my ultimate accomplishment: gargantuan heads of cauliflower. And all of it without cloaking the whole darn bed with floating row cover, a kind of protective cloth used frequently in organic gardening by farmers a lot smarter than me.
I think most anyone can grow broccoli with some success but cauliflower, cauliflower is a different story. Cauliflower is hard. Cauliflower takes time. Cauliflower takes work. And I had grown the most beautiful cauliflower you’ve ever seen. Just 2 weeks ago I lovingly enclosed the soccer ball-size heads with the large outer leaves, tying them with twine so they would blanch to a creamy white rather than yellowing in the sun.
Our extension agent, Patti Meads, visited one day and exclaimed at the sheer beauty of them and how the cabbage moths hovered over the bed but never landed. What was my secret? Patti asked. I smiled, a little smugly, rolling off my organically approved arsenal. "Oh that," I said, "Why, I just dust it with diatemaceous earth mixed with little Bt and alternate with a Neem spray. It’s easy!"
HA!
After our Second Coming storms last Friday followed by the 90+ temperatures, the dreaded "C" worms appeared and, seemingly overnight, turned my formerly gorgeous brassicas into Irish lace. I was able to rescue the Brussels sprouts and most of the cauliflower but the last of the broccoli and all the cabbage bit the dust. As we cleared them out (taking them to a dumpster, far, far away) a cabbage broke open pouring forth the vilest, most putrid gunk ever to slide slowly down your leg, revealing (if things weren’t bad enough) the evil cabbage maggot (special name begins with "F").
And then … I cried.
Cabbage maggot or not, I still say it’s a rural paradise.
Two completely different questions for you:
1. For no good reason, I’m wary about buying meat at my local farmer’s market. I know I shouldn’t be, but I am. How can I be assured I’m getting a good product–are there specific questions I should ask?
2. I’m swimming in okra, and there’s only so much fried okra and okra stew a girl can make. What else can I do with it?
Comment by Kristyn — July 25, 2006 @ 4:24 PM
Hi Kristyn,
One of the great pleasures of shopping at the farmer’s market are the relationships you form with the vendors.
I’m not a very trusting person (!) so buying meat or chicken at the supermarket pretty much on blind faith — unless they provide the source and how something was raised (100% grassfed or naturally without growth hormones or antibiotics it’s entire life — is the one thing I really do not do. That probably has to do with the fact that when I was a food editor for magazines I got to tour slaughterhouses and processing plants and once your eyes are opened to how the vast majority of meat and poultry are raised, slaughtered, and processed, it changes how you view the world. I imagine there would a lot more vegetarians.
The term "natural" by the way, which you see all over the meat department — even on Tyson chicken products — is a meaningless term unless the label explains in more detail what they mean by natural.
I buy my chicken, beef, and lamb from local farmers — Mac and Ann from Elmwood Stock Farm — and their meat and poultry are certified organic. That means they do not give their animals antibiotics or growth hormones and the animals are fed certified organic grain. Also, organic and naturally raised animals are processed at slaughter facilities only on certain days to keep it separate from conventionally raised products (this also costs the farmer more and is one reason why organic and grassfed meat and poultry cost more). I’ve also visited their farm and seen the nice life the animals lead before they’re slaughtered so I feel pretty good about buying and eating their products. Plus they’re absolutely delicious.
But back to your question and here’s the crucial one to pose: Ask the farmer if his cattle are given growth hormones or antibiotics their ENTIRE life.
This is important because even major beef companies have sometimes labeled their meat as antibiotic and hormone free because the USDA allows this claim even though the animals may have been on these drugs earlier in their life. How is this deception possible you ask???? By law cattle are taken off these drugs a specified number of days before slaughter so that there will not be drug residues in the muscle. However, people with allergies to certain antibiotics have been know to have reactions to beef products so obviously, residues can still be present.
Also, not every animal is inspected and tested for residues and there are dozens of antibiotics that can be used on beef cattle, so it all depends on which one the inspector chooses to test for. That day. (There are more dirty little secrets, but this comment is long enough already).
So, stick with the local farmer by all means and if he or she is at all hesitant about answering your questions (most I know are happy to tell you about how they raise their animals) then shop elsewhere. There is a lot more grassfed and truly naturally raised meat available now and it’s worth seeking it out.
Comment by Susie Quick — July 26, 2006 @ 10:54 PM
Okra you say?
Our okra is just coming on right now. I planted a Thai variety and the Clemson Spineless, which is the most common, and the Thai okra is beating the domestic okra by a mile in terms of productivity. It’s also very tender and stays that way even when I overlook it and it gets as long as a hot dog.
Here’s a recipe even bona fide okra haters love (it has converted a few). Let me know how you like it!
Honest Farm Okra with Tomatoes, Ginger, and Basil
Cooking small okra pods whole keeps them from becoming viscous.
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon peeled, chopped fresh ginger
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
1 pound small fresh okra, untrimmed
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Place the oil, garlic, ginger, shallot, and pepper flakes in a heavy skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Add okra; cook, covered, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Comment by Susie Quick — July 26, 2006 @ 11:02 PM