March 29, 2005
Growers of organic fruit need a boost from research
Wenatchee World, by Dennis Nicholson
My neighborhood is unlike any other I know. It is made up of third- and fourth-generation growers, many of whom live in the same homes that their grandparents or great grandparents lived in, and work the same ground that their grandparents once worked. Peshastin Creek watershed has provided local orchards water for their crops for more than 100 years. Hot days and cool summer nights make this mountainous river valley the perfect place to grow the world's best pears.
Five years ago, I embarked on an effort to make sure our valley also grew the world's healthiest pears: I decided to start farming organically on part of our 85-year-old pear orchard. I jumped into this challenge because it seemed like the smart thing to do.
Concerns for the health of my family, my workers and their families, about spray drift on neighbors and passing cars, and for protecting endangered species in nearby rivers and streams motivated me to look at switching to organic practices.
I quickly learned that growing organic pears involved a steep and rigorous learning curve. Conventional pear-growing practices were predictable, and produced fairly consistent results. When I transitioned into organic practices I learned there were many challenges. I needed help.
I looked for help in the agriculture community but found little until I ran into John Dunley, Ph.D., of the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research Center in Wenatchee. Dr. Dunley heard my concerns, and suggested I recruit my neighbors to participate as well. I was intrigued, so I talked 10 of my neighbors into meeting with Dr. Dunley.
World's best or not, our growers have faced dark days during the past decade. Consolidation of retail grocery chains and inexpensive imports from Southern Hemisphere growers have bid down the price of pears to the point where local growers were losing money on each pound they produced. Hearing that consumers might be willing to pay a premium for organically grown pears convinced me and my neighbors to work with this WSU scientist. From that meeting, the Peshastin Creek organic and "low pesticide input" program was started.
The premise of an areawide organic or low pesticide input program is to stop using broad-spectrum pesticides which harm both "bad" bugs and "good" bugs. Instead, pest management practices become more focused on only impacting the "bad" or target pest (not the good or beneficial ones), and using less harmful or non-chemical approaches. In our meetings with Dr. Dunley we talked about insect resistance to conventional pesticides, regulatory issues on the horizon and how to market pears grown in a socially and environmentally responsible way.
The name Gently Grown was chosen to become the brand name for the pears grown in the Peshastin Creek program. Currently, Gently Grown pears are being sold in niche markets in San Francisco Bay Area stores.
While we have had some success, the transition from conventional to organic or low-pesticide-input systems isn't easy for growers. Today's farmers and ranchers face a complex set of issues when they break away from conventional farming inputs. These issues need to be addressed by systematic, forward-thinking research. And the results of this research need to be made available to growers, with concrete and practical solutions that can be applied to their growing practices.
The Peshastin Creek growers were able to get some assistance from WSU in getting our program started. But for us to achieve true success—growing practices that nurture the soil, protect our families, employees, consumers, and fish and wildlife while bringing acceptable economic returns -- we need more help. We need substantial research from WSU now, and extension agents to bring the research to growers.
Washington state legislators have an excellent opportunity in this legislative session to help. WSU has developed an innovative program called the Biologically Intensive and Organic Agriculture Program (BIOAg), focused on finding biologically based solutions for growers and developing products that help them keep more of the food dollar. Organizations and individuals concerned about family farms, a healthy environment, and fresh healthy food are banding together and requesting $2.6 million in the state's 2005-7 budget for this much-needed program.
BIOAg is the kind of program that producers need to supply the fastest growing sector of the food industry—organic and sustainably grown foods. This program would be a major benefit to rivers and streams, a benefit to agricultural workers and to the growers and their families who work with herbicides and insecticides during the growing season, and to consumers. By investing in the BIOAg program, the state Legislature and WSU can help family farmers thrive in Washington state while ensuring a healthy environment for all.
The members of Peshastin Creek Growers want to continue their tradition of family farming well into the future. We've had some help getting our program started but realize that much more needs to be done. Research that will give growers the tools they need to help them make the change to sustainable agricultural practices.
Nicholson is a grower on Peshastin Creek, a member of the Peshastin Creek Watershed Association, a past director of Blue Bird Inc., and a Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network Leadership Team member.
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