Three decades ago, Janet Brians was one of a handful of organic
farmers in San Benito County. Her neighbors thought she was weird
for not using pesticides on her row crops, but for Brians, who
comes from a long line of farmers, switching to conventional means
was never an option. With time, others in the county have caught on
to the benefits of organic farming and today some 30 percent of
local farms use organic techniques, according to the San Benito
County Farm Bureau.
Hollister – Three decades ago, Janet Brians was one of a handful of organic farmers in San Benito County. Her neighbors thought she was weird for not using pesticides on her row crops, but for Brians, who comes from a long line of farmers, switching to conventional means was never an option. With time, others in the county have caught on to the benefits of organic farming and today some 30 percent of local farms use organic techniques, according to the San Benito County Farm Bureau.
The growth – there was just a handful of farmers even a decade ago – has reflected an increased demand of organic fruits and vegetables by health-conscious consumers who have created a new market for farmers, said Paul Hain, president of the Farm Bureau.
“Organic farming has become a corporate enterprise and those who are most successful in it are the ones who put the product in the hands of the consumer who then decide how to use it,” said Hain, who owns 80 acres of organic walnut orchards and raises about 2,000 free-range chickens a year.
But even he didn’t start out farming organically. There was too much risk associated with the venture and he was hesitant to make the switch. But after realizing there was a niche for it, he began looking into what it entailed and found himself being more and more taken with the idea.
“The initial draw was the potential for more money,” said Hain. “But as we did research and found out more about it, I realized that it’s the only way I want to farm,” he said.
Organic produce is any food that is cultivated without the use of chemicals such as fertilizers, insecticides and artificial flavoring or additives, according to the Federal Organic Foods Production Act. The legislation requires organic farmers to be certified by the state and, in California, goes so far as to inspect produce while it is on market shelves. However, only about five percent of overall production in the country is organic and continues to be dwarfed by mainstream producers.
Despite that, many San Benito County farmers have followed in Hain’s footsteps, some guided by their beliefs and others by their wallets.
Brians, whose farm and orchards are located off Shore Road, said her farm was a reflection of her personal philosophy of the world in which she lived.
“If we want to be sustainable and have air that is pure and water that is clean, this is the only way to go about it,” she said.
Contamination from agriculture is one problem associated with conventional farming because rain rinses chemicals found in fertilizers and pesticides into the watershed where it pollutes rivers, lakes and the ocean. Organic farming eliminates the risk and uses other techniques to create soil that is more abundant and vitamin-rich, proponents say.
Other practices include composting materials from the farm, using cover crops in between plantings which help release more nitrogen into the soil and planting hedge rows to act as natural wind barriers and breeding grounds for beneficial insects which protect crops.
Phil Foster, who farms bell peppers, cabbage, celery and melons, in addition to owning 12 acres of orchards, also relies on an unlikely ally to help him deal with pesky gophers who like to sneak on to his fields at night. He has set up nests for owls who keep the rodents at bay by hunting them, eliminating the need for chemical sprays. In addition, his company, Phil Foster Ranches, also relies on a variety of marketing strategies from holding sale days on the ranch every Saturday to attending local farmers markets and distributing directly to retail outlets.
“We are always thinking of ways to improve what it is we are doing,” said Terence Welch, a sales manager at the ranch.
Foster did not always embrace organic farming and honed his skills working for a large commercial farm in the Central Valley. But soon after arriving in the county, he decided to take a gentler approach to the land. He hired a marketing company to help him figure out his business strategy and began with a trial run of organics on five acres. Although it was slow going at first, Foster saw a lot of potential and soon switched entirely to organic produce.
“I saw it as a kind of gamble but stuck with it and over the years continued transitioning,” he said.
Organic farming is not new. In fact, it is the way all farming was done up until the 1940s when the first fertilizers were introduced. By the 1960s, it was a full-blown industry, with only small, family-owned farms continuing the century-old tradition of farming without pesticides.
Although no health benefits of organic produce have been proven, there is a “perception that organically grown food is healthier for you,” said Hain.
However, Hain is a true believer in the power of organic because he feels good about his land and the people that are enjoying the walnuts from his orchards and chickens from his ranch.
“Not only do you get better quality food, but you are working with the environment rather than dominating it,” he said.
Karina Ioffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected]
