Lil' pests n' bugs are something that every farmer has to deal with at some point, some crops more than others! How do we get rid of pests?

1. We physically remove them. Yep, if there's a bunch of squash beetles running around on our plants, we just pluck them off while we're weeding.

2. We leave them alone. Sometimes we just leave the bugs alone and hope the birds eat some of them!

3. We over-plant! We'll plant a little more than we need, that way if we lose some crops it's no biggie!

4. Cayenne Pepper! For anything that's getting nibbled on by little rabbits or chipmunks, we'll make a spray by soaking organic powdered cayenne pepper in water + apply it to the plants! Almost all mammals are sensitive to the capsaicin in spicy peppers, and once they learn our crops are spicy, they leave em' alone for the rest of the season. The pepper washes off in the rain (though the animals remember!) + it leaves no effect on our vegetables :-)

5. Invisible Deer Fencing! To keep deer out, we use an "invisible fence", which is just a few strands of fishing line surrounding our plot. Since the deer can't see it, they can only feel it, they get nervous to go past it! We've had no deer damage in our plot (other then when we forget to close off the fence), and our area is chock full of deer!!

6. We might just stop growing a certain crop that keeps getting mowed down by pests + we'll try again in the future.

7. We let ppl know about the advantages of a little cosmetic insect damage! Did you know that bug-bitten plants can contain higher levels of antioxidants because the plant has an immune response to its injuries? We don't usually trust brassicas that don't have a few nibbles on em' ;)

Weeds? Yeah, we got em'. We don't use any herbicides + our plot has about 80 trillion seeds in the seedbank! Sometimes in mid-season, our plot looks chaotic, weed-ridden, and hectic! But don't worry, the soil is happy, the bugs + birds are happy, + we're pulling tasty stuff out of the ground just the same :-)

Our soil has never been used in industrial or conventional agriculture, so no forever chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides have been sprayed or accumulated on our plot (or anywhere on the farm)! We use lots of biodegradable materials in our plot (like cardboard, woodchips + straw) + also load it up with tons (literally!) of local compost each season. Plus, we have a "precision depth roller" on our walk-behind tractor so we only usually disturb the topmost inch or two of soil, allowing the creatures n' good things in the soil to stay put + be happy :~)

We are proudly Certified Naturally Grown, which we consider the cool grassroots alternative to certified organic!! We didn't want to certify as organic because we are a little bitter that the USDA "owns" the word organic, therefore leaving countless truly organic farms without a way to describe themselves! We love the CNG movement because it's accessible to farmers, provides scholarships for new farms + is peer-reviewed! Each year our farm is visited by a CNG farmer, and likewise we visit + help re-certify a fellow farm. We've met so many great farmers through this process + made lifetime friends, learned valuable tricks of the trade, + just overall value the vibes of CNG. Not to mention they don't allow the use of any synthetic herbicides or pesticides, and follow most of the same rules that USDA organic has!! One thing we also love is that under CNG you cannot confine animals. In USDA organic, you can! So yeah, although we are not certified organic, we well exceed the requirements + we love being Certified Naturally Grown!! <3

Sometimes we get asked if we have any livestock, like poultry, beef, or pork! Although we respect other farmers keeping these traditions alive with better practices, we are so uncomfortable with the idea of killing animals + selling them! Again, no shade on anyone else! All the animals with us on the farm are pets + rescue animals. We'd only consider adding animals that could live out their full, natural lives with us.

Thanks for taking the time to learn a bit more about our practices!!

Have a specific question about something we do or don't do? Don't hesitate to contact us + we can chat! :-)