Practices
Sustainability
We grow a variety of common produce and shelf-stable goods and sell them directly to consumers and through local farmers’ markets. In 2022, we increased the size of the raised bed house significantly to be able to increase production and to allow us to finally offer subscription boxes in addition to our sales at area Farmer’s Markets.
Our raised beds are optimized for the right soil type and composition for the vegetables we will grow. We use drip irrigation to ensure consistent watering. We don’t dump chemicals onto your food. We continue to evolve the farm and plan to enhance production and operations by expanding into hydroponic assets in the next 2 years. This move will enable our subscriptions to be available year-round.
FAQs
What do we mean “Semi-Organic?”
National Organic Program regulations (§ 205.x) were adopted to bring standardization to the use of the term organic. Farm operations that grow and process organic foods must be certified by USDA-accredited certifying agents. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is a USDA-accredited certifying agent for producers located in Maryland. MDA also offers a registration program for exempt operations.
We control the contents of our beds and all additives. Seeds and seed treatments are mostly organic and never synthetically treated or genetically engineered. NO GMO HERE! Many of our seeds are our own: many of our plants are grown from seeds sourced from prior years’ crops! We use certified organic seed starting soil and rely on locally sourced organic compost and soil mixtures from local vendors. Water is sourced from an on-site well.
Soil fertility is primarily managed by crop rotations, interplanting, and organic soil amendments. You’ve heard of the “Three Sisters,” right? Corn gives up the height of its stalks for the beans to climb. Beans pay back the corn by providing nitrogen to fertilize the soil and helping to stabilize the stalks in high winds. The corn helps the beans stay out of the way of the squash by letting them climb up the stalks. The squash leaves are big, and the vines provide soil moisture retention and help to deter weeds. We also use compost and manure rather than chemical fertilizers.
We manage weeds without chemicals. We have always used a combination of tarps, newspaper, cardboard, straw, mulch, and good old-fashioned weeding to control weeds.
We manage pests and diseases without harsh chemicals. Neem oil and Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) based organic insecticides are on hand, but hopefully, we don’t get to that point! Have you ever seen a sack of praying mantids hatch? Or how about green lacewings attacking aphids at the first sign? Ladybugs also have a special place in our lives to destroy garden pests and usually get most of the tomato worm eggs (we make sport of removing hornworms by hand when needed). We also find some traps helpful for pest management: yellow sticky traps for things like squash beetles, beer baths for slugs, and soy-oil baths for those darn earwigs.
GY6F has not applied for organic certification under the Final Rule under § 205. We do meet many of the requirements but have not applied nor been inspected.
Can you grow something specifically for me?
- We have grown specific herbs for unique flavors in chef-created dishes.
- We have grown vegetables for use in traditional ethnic dishes.
- We have grown trays of specific microgreens by request. Hey - Some like them spicy, some don’t!
What about eggs?
