Here's a little perspective on certified organic farming

[S.Annadana]

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GOT A QUESTION? Send your question for the Master Gardeners to Cabarrus Neighbors. E-mail cabarrus@charlotteobserver.com, fax it to (704) 786-2185, send regular mail to 371 Concord Parkway N., Concord, NC 28027. Or send your question directly to Cabarrus extension horticulture agent David Goforth at David_Goforth@ncsu.edu, call him at (704) 920-3320 or fax to (704) 920-3323. Q. I live in Concord and would like to support our local (Piedmont) Farmers Market; however, buying organically grown produce is important to me. I know that Davidson is starting a farmers market, and I saw that they will have several organic vendors. Are there any certified organic farmers at the Kannapolis market? If there are not certified organic farmers, are there any who practice organic methods?

There are currently no certified organic farmers at the Piedmont Farmers Market. Some practice organic methods on part of their production, but to my knowledge, no one would be able to certify all their production.

This is the second time this week I have gotten this question. You and the other questioner are probably not ready to learn this, but here's a little perspective:

The maximum theoretical lifetime risk of every pesticide I use is roughly equal to driving 60 miles in N.C. traffic. So if I used the maximum amount of pesticides (which I don't by a long shot), three trips to Davidson would put you at just as much risk as eating my fruits and vegetables for a lifetime.

Many products at the local farmers market are grown the same way. The scale that most local growers are operating on means their family eats from the same crop that is on the table at the market.

By the way, I run into a common perception that "organic" means the same as "pesticide free." That is not true. There are pesticides that can be used in organic production.

There are pesticide-free products at the Piedmont Farmers Market, because on some crops you just don't need pesticides. If that is important to you, ask the grower.

As far as quality is concerned, most qualitative studies compare large-scale commercial fruit and vegetables to large-scale commercial organic production at the store shelf. Cumulatively, organic production is winning this comparison.

Comparing small-scale local production is a different story, and the results are not clear at all. You can figure out quality through a taste test or a refractometer, or by asking about the source and amount of nitrogen used on the crop.



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GOT A QUESTION?
Send your question for the Master Gardeners to Cabarrus Neighbors. E-mail cabarrus@charlotteobserver.com, fax it to (704) 786-2185, send regular mail to 371 Concord Parkway N., Concord, NC 28027. Or send your question directly to Cabarrus extension horticulture agent David Goforth at David_Goforth@ncsu.edu, call him at (704) 920-3320 or fax to (704) 920-3323.


Master Gardeners Q&A | David Goforth


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David Goforth, horticulture and forestry agent with the Cabarrus Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, teaches the Master Gardener course for Cabarrus County.

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[mhc123]

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