The amount of certified organic farm land in San Benito County
has increased nearly 2,000 percent during the past decade,
mirroring a statewide increase in organic farming fueled by a
hunger for produce grown without chemicals.
In 1994 there were about 200 acres of organic farm land in the
county. Last year about 4,000 acres were reported, according to
Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich.
Hollister – The amount of certified organic farm land in San Benito County has increased nearly 2,000 percent during the past decade, mirroring a statewide increase in organic farming fueled by a hunger for produce grown without chemicals.
In 1994 there were about 200 acres of organic farm land in the county. Last year about 4,000 acres were reported, according to Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich.
“Organic farming is one of the few areas of growth within California’s agricultural industry,” said Jake Lewin, director of marketing for the Santa Cruz-based California Certified Organic Farmers, which certifies about 75 percent of all organic farms in California.
“The marketplace is changing and growing as organic produce becomes increasingly more popular,” he said.
The root of the difference between conventional and organic farms is philosophical. While organic farms try to dominate the earth through the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, organic farmers try to work in cooperation with the land and environment, said Terence Welch, sales manager for Phil Foster Ranch in San Benito County.
Organic farming protects workers and the environment because it does not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and the produce is safer to eat because it doesn’t have chemical residue, he said.
“It’s the single best choice out there for overall environmental and worker safety,” Lewin said. “It’s beneficial to the land, the neighbors, the workers and the farmers themselves.”
Phil Foster Ranch has been completely organic since it began in 1989. Today it grows a wide variety of vegetables and melons, apples and cherries. In addition to not using pesticides, organic farmers find other ways to work with nature to produce chemical free crops.
At Phil Foster Ranch they use natural compost for fertilizer, grow cover crops in the winter that naturally add nitrogen to the soil and plant flowers between crops that attract beneficial insects for pest control.
Federal law mandates that any organic producer that sells more than $5,000 worth of produce must be certified. Inspectors from the county Agricultural Commission check on organic farms, Matulich said.
“When someone wants to register as organic, we do what we call a farm inspection,” he said.
The state Department of Food and Agriculture reimburses the county about $1,500 per year.
“They pay us to do spot inspections,” Matulich said. “We look at farms that say they are organic to make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to.”
Organizations such as California Certified Organic Farmers visit farms and perform rigorous inspections to make sure that farms are truly organic.
“They need to go through a three year transition,” during which farmers can’t use any chemical pesticides or fertilizers, Lewin said.
Also, farmers must show that they are using natural methods of pest control, such as beneficial insects, he said.
Organic farmers face unique challenges, which conventional farmers rarely encounter, Welch said.
“The biggest challenge is we have to understand the cycles of disease and insects and intercept them early in the cycle, because we can’t use heavy duty chemicals like conventional farmers,” he said. “It’s a different way of looking at farming. We’re feeding the soil life land that feeds our plants.”
Luke Roney covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected].
