Food for Thought

Drive down a country road in the summer and every other field will be planted in soybeans. The farmer’s ‘beans’ will almost certainly be transgenic, genetically modified to withstand multiple doses of a herbicide soup designed to try to kill the pesticide-resistant weeds that Nature continually creates. So why aren’t these soybeans grown organically? The short answer is that it is much more demanding – it is not a ‘plant, spray and walk away’ type of crop. But why don’t we let the author of this month’s article explain right here how he does it.

They were laughed at when they said they were going to grow organic apples. Much too difficult, they were told. Being young and determined they went ahead anyway. Now, 13 years after buying their 48-acre farm near Hudson, QC, Eric and Anick are growing 20 different varieties of certified organic apples, along with other tree fruits.

Want something different to offer to your CSA or farmers’ market customers? If you like a challenge, try growing ginger. A few farmers in our region are experimenting with this tropical crop and at Long Road Ecological Farm, Xiaobing Shen has been growing it successfully since 2020. But it does take some planning. Because of its long growing season, planting starts in early January and harvest continues into November. In this month’s article, Xiaobing tells us about all the steps in between.

Hot August days often make us wish for a juicy slice of watermelon. If you are a farmer, you have probably decided that melons are not worth growing for market, given more profitable crops and unpredictable summer weather in our region. If you are a consumer, you are likely faced with buying one from our erstwhile friendly southern neighbour. In this month’s article, François Biron tells us why he grows tons of melons every year on his farm in the Outaouais. He also shares the secret of growing seedless watermelons.

If you sell or shop regularly in a farmers’ market you may have noticed that it has gradually become more colourful. No, it’s not the signage, it’s the flowers – buckets and bouquets of locally grown cut flowers, many of them grown organically. Farmers have increasingly added flowers, often as an additional source of income. At Franktown House Flower farm near Wakefield, it has been the principal income stream for over 10 years. From selling in local markets to wholesale to supporting the creation of the Ottawa Flower Market, Danielle has been a leading proponent of flower power on the farm. She tells us how she did it in this article.