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Agriculture 2006 Use of pesticides turns farmer to organics By Heather Crawford Citizen staff The popularity of organically grown foods began to gain momentum in the 1980s when pesticides were being pushed on many farmers said Bob Passmore, an organic beef producer out of St. Marys. It was the pressure to use pesticides that changed his mind. Passmore was using traditional means of farming and started the transition to organic in 1982 when his son was born. "I saw [farmers] using pesticides with their bare hands, and then they were wearing gloves and then eventually they had to have the whole suit on and I thought this wasn't for me." The transition from traditional farming to organic takes' approximately three years Passmore said. "It takes that long for the chemicals in the land to [clear out].- The goals of transitioning to an organic farm are to build healthy, fertile soil; manage weeds, pests and diseases within tolerable levels without the use of chemicals, to establish all aspects of organic farm management as required by organic standards including record keeping and certification, to prepare for marketing certified organic products and to maintain a viable level of income, Passmore said in a presentation he made at a workshop sponsored by the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario about ecological farming. In order to become a certified organic farmer, it is necessary to contact an accredited certified agency, submit fees and documents as well as have an organic plan, he said. The agency will then inspect and review the application. Organic producers are concerned not only with chemicals in what they are .producing but in the quality of the environment around them. Most certifiers require some record of recent soil tests from farmers. Maintaining soil fertility is a basic principle of organic farming. In order to test soil farmers must first get a soil sample tube that is stainless steel or chrome plated. About one cup of soil per 20 acres is sent to a qualified lab. "For most people the basic test is good enough," Hugh Martin said in an article for Ecological Farming in Ontario called Have you Soil Tested? "Not testing is like putting money in the bank and not knowing how much is there. Nutrient levels do not change quickly but they need to be watched for trends because once they are low it can be very difficult to improve them." Ann Slater, a farmer from Lakeside, just outside of St. Marys has known organic farming her whole life. Slater grew up on her parents' farm where she says they were 'always looking for new ways to [produce naturally]. That was unheard of back then but my parents were very environmentally conscious." Slater is involved in communitysupported agriculture. She has lambs and a market garden and sells a box of produce to customers every week between May-November. "You don't get to choose what you get," she said. "But it's all organically grown." Slater said community-supported agriculture is so popular she already has a waiting list. - "A lot of farmers seem to think bigger is better," Passmore said. "That's what's being pushed but that's not what organic farming is about." For the most part, organic farms are relatively small because of the amount of labour involved to ensure that the produce is free of synthetics. "It's the kind of thing where the demand for the product is greater than the supply," he said. "A lot of people are interested in buying organic." Both Passmore and Slater are noticing more interest from conventional farmers to make the transition to organic. "Even if they haven't fully committed to organic, a lot of farmers are interested in finding out what is involved and getting information," Passmore said. According to the Ontario ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the world market for organic food has been growing rapidly for over a decade. Growth of retail sales in North America is predicted to be 15-20 per cent per year in the next few years. The retail organic food market in Canada is estimated at $1.3 billion in 2003 and $14-17 billion (Cdn$) in the U.S. A majority of Canada's organically-produced commodities are exported, especially soybean and grain crops. Canadian Organic Growers report 613 certified organic farms in Ontario in 2001. Government position worries farmers Has Canada's position on banning research on the "terminator gene" changed? It's a question farmers are asking. Speaking to the March 4 Members of Parliament meeting held by the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, Robert Emerson, visiting president of the Bruce Federation explained that in 2000 there had been such an outcry against the genetically: engineered technology that would prevent farmers from keeping their own seed for replanting, that the United Nations called for a ban on further research. But the U.S. government never supported the ban and one company continued to do research, Emerson said. Then at a meeting in Italy a month ago, Canada, New Zealand and Australia called for reopening of the debate 'against terminator gene research. Paul Steckle, MPP for Huron- Bruce, promised to raise the issue when the Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture reconvenes. Paul Mistele, vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture said the Canadian Federation of Agriculture had recently passed a resolution calling for an investigation into the effect of terminator gene technology for Canadian farmers. Good eats Organic farmer says use of pesticides behind momentum that began in 1980. ;e .s A , • Take full advantage of all your wide open spaces with a powerful, agile New Holland BoomerTM Series tractor. Choose from a full family of models, from 18-hp sub-compacts all the way to 55-hp utility tractors. All Boomers offer superior comfort and maneuverability. And all make short work of chores from mowing to loading, hauling, snowplowing and tilling. You also get features you won't find on competitive models, like clutchless forward/reverse shuttling and options like hairpin-turning SuperSteerm and automatic 4WD SensiTrakiM. Get more. Visit the specialists, your New Holland dealer.