HOW WE DO "ORGANIC"

Three years ago, when I decided that I wanted to turn this traditional farm into an organic one, I looked up what products were authorized by the government for such a thing.  The products I found ( which a lot of certified organic farms use like:Entrust and Serenade) were harmful to fish and fowl. This confused me as you might suspect. So, I did more research and found out that deregulation had loosened the perimiters of what was deemed acceptable levels of chemicals to be consumed by the blind-folded public. Getting certified organic isn't our main concern. We know we are doing things the way they should be and understand people get it. No fancy title, no cloak, we are just keeping a close eye on our small farm.
       I want to give you a list of aids I use in growing.  For pest control I use a product called Bt. It includes concentrated forms of mint leaf, citranela, and other natural occurrences. Please click on this link for more info on Bt ( http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05556.html )  For fungus I use vitamin D milk (1/2 gallon/ acre) added to a cornmeal tea that is sprayed every week or so. I also spread cornmeal on the ground for the roots to soak up. This year I am going to be spraying coffee.  That's right, plain old coffee on the plants for good pH and nutrients. I will also be spraying the bushes with compost tea for the same reason.  The basic idea here is: the healthier the plant, the more resistant to disease and insects it is.
- Joe