The Rural Voice, 1985-07, Page 28Open House at Oak Manor Farms
gricultural chemicals cover a
multitude of sins. Without
toxic chemicals to depend
on, a farmer must practise more exact
management, says Joe Smilie, a
farmer and a consultant for Pro-
gressive Agri Systems of Quebec.
The terms "organic farming,"
"biological farming," and
"ecological farming" are all inter-
changeable as far as Smilie is con-
cerned, and each requires the more
exact management style he speaks of.
These terms describe "buffet
agriculture," where the plant dines
on the spread provided by the soil.
Experts discuss organic farming
Dave Reibling's farm near
Punky Doodle's Corners has
more than 25 grain bins
located around the milling plant. The
bins, each painted brown, look like
giant mushrooms, and are a central
part of Oak Manor Farms. Across the
laneway is the office and store which
sells many of the products grown and
milled at the farm. Everything from
split peas to oatmeal lines the shelves
of the small on-farm outlet. For
Reibling, health food stores are a
market for much of the 350 acres of
specialized crops he grows. One of
the reasons Reibling was able to
cultivate this specialized market is the
manner in which he grows his crops.
He operates an organic farm.
About 15 years ago, he gradually
moved away from conventional farm-
ing in the chemical -use sense, and
"established a different relationship
with the soil," he told more than 100
guests attending Oak Manor Farms'
Fourth Annual Open House in June.
The open house is an international
event sponsored by both Canadian
and American organizations.
Because organic farmers are a
minority, this event allows them the
opportunity to share their ideas with
other farmers. Visitors attending the
event, about a 20 -minute drive from
Stratford, included local cattle and
pork producers looking for a better
way to use their livestock's manure
effectively. Other visitors were
gardeners, college professors, health
shop owners, other organic farmers,
consumers from Toronto, and
members of the media.
Part of the story of organic farm-
ing was told in the field through
demonstrations. The theory of prac-
tices was first established in a
classroom setting. Experts having ex-
perience with organic farming includ-
ed: Gary Lean, a senior instructor at
Sir Sandford College, Lindsay, who
also manages a small dairy herd and
practises organic methods on his own
farm; Joe Scrimger, a member of the
Michigan Organic Growers' Associa-
tion, who is a practising farmer in
that state and also works as a consul-
tant; Joe Smilie, a farmer and a con-
sultant for Progressive Agri Systems
in Quebec; and Laurence Andres, a
biodynamic farmer from the
Tiverton -Kincardine area.
26 THE RURAL VOICE
"We feed the soil, and it feeds the
plants," he explains.
The purpose of this adaptation of
farming practices is to create a
healthy climate for plant growth
without the use of chemicals. Conver-
sion to organic farming is challenging
and requires diligence. Dave Reibling
felt the growing pains at Oak Manor
15 years ago: "The first few years are
tough." Smilie equates "taking the
soil off chemicals to taking a junky
off dope." Smilie, along with other
experts, shared his knowledge of
organic farming at the annual open
house at Reibling's organic farm near
Stratford.
Some people have called organic
farming a "return to the past,"
acknowledges Smilie. He disagrees.
"We feel we're on the cutting edge of
the future. The latest available
technology is used where possible.
"It's not a return to the past, but we
don't throw away the lessons we have
learned either."
It is more difficult for a cash crop
farmer to move into organic farming
than for a livestock man to do so,
although it can be done. Farmers with
livestock have the advantage of
manure as a base for their compost.
Composts also provide an opportuni-
ty to utilize other wastes, says Gary
Lean, a senior instructor at Sir
Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay
who attended the open house. He
recalls a neighbour burning 200 bales
of "black" hay. This material could
have been used for composting.
Composting
Composts generally cannot be pur-
chased. A compost is something you
make yourself on your own farm and
thus is "the best fertilizer money
can't buy," Smilie says. The compost
is not actually a fertilizer, it is an in-
oculant for the field, he explains. Ap-
plied at approximately 10 tonnes per