bers her grandmother’s saying “One year’s seed, seven years’ weed,” so she knows that intensive weeding and killing of the weeds’ seeds now leads to less weeding over the years.


She may or may not purchase crop insurance, since as an organic farmer she has to pay a 5 percent premium to get the same coverage as her neigh- bors who use chemicals. The people at insurance companies have not read the studies that show how organic crops outperform chemical crops over time – especially in bad weather. Hmmm. Maybe she’ll write a letter.


She checks for pest and disease problems on a regular basis. Since she is more likely to have a diverse group of crops, she tends to have less catastrophic problems, but every farmer has to deal with harsh weather, diseases, and insects now and then. Fortunately, the birds who flock to her farm keep the insect pests under control. But if they aren’t on top of the problem, she might bring in some beneficial insects to eat the problem insects. If her crops are diseased, she tries to understand what is out of bal- ance and correct it, either with a min- eral supplement or a USDA approved organic remedy.


There will most likely be a flood or drought – organic farmers have the same weather as chemical farmers but it will affect them differently. A flood may cause some erosion and runoff. But because organic crops have bigger, deeper, and stronger root systems (because the soil is health- ier), the crops are more resilient, the plants and the soil absorb more water, and overall there is less damage and less crop loss. In a drought, the added strength of the plants’ roots and sponginess of the soil make the crops more resilient and able to survive water deprivation longer. (Maybe she doesn’t need that insurance after all!)


Now it’s time to talk about sex again. The bees and butterflies are all over the farm, pollinating and helping that procreation along. She is concerned about colony collapse disorder in the


Organic Manifesto


How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep us Safe by Maria Rodale


In Organic Manifesto, Maria Rodale, CEO of Rodale and granddaughter of the man who started the mod- ern-day organic food movement, answers that question firmly: Buy organic food.


Going organic is the single most critical (and most DOABLE) action we can take right now to stop our climate crisis. Every acre of ground that’s farmed organically has the potential to pull thousands of pounds of warming greenhouse gases out of our air. Plus, organic food is healthier for your family!


bee community, but her bees seem to be doing all right. They are, as the song by the indie rock band Plants and Animals goes, “working hard, but hardly working.” Even if there’s a flood followed by a drought, it will probably be a good year. And all her animal babies are growing up fast, too. The chickens are laying, the piglets are fattening up, and the cows are producing just enough milk to make the best cheese and ice cream ever.


At some point during the year, an organic inspector will come to make sure that she is following the rules, so people who buy organic will know it truly is organic. Keeping up her certification is a hassle and costs her a few thousand bucks per year, but it gives her the right to charge enough for her crops to cover her costs with a little bit extra left over. She has no government subsidies to fall back on. The government doesn’t “bail out” or- ganic farmers. But she also has more freedom and sleeps well at night. Nor does she have to deal with the “gene police.”


We can and must create a world that is more than sustainable, that is regenerative. It is time to begin the process of healing our world.


Organic Manifesto Available at your local bookstore or order a copy on the web at: organicmanifestobook.com


Her harvest is not a single event, but rather many smaller ones, so her risk is spread out over the year. Since there has been such high consumer demand for organic foods, she has a few more choices than chemical farmers do of


where and how to sell her crops. She might have formed a CSA (communi- ty-supported agriculture) group that allows her friends and neighbors to buy her goods in advance and receive a weekly distribution in return. Maybe they even help her do the harvest- ing! She might have a stand at the local farmers’ market, where she can look her customers directly in the eye as she sells the labors of her love. A local restaurant might feature her products on its menu, which helps her win credibility in the community. If she is certified organic, rather than an “underground practitioner,” she might


organicshoppermag.com 21


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