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For the first five years of existence, Montalbano
Farms has been a certified organic farm. We leased
land from the Growing Home organization in
Marseilles, Illinois and learned how to grow
organically, literally and figuratively, from the
ground up.
As we transition to our new farm, organic rules
require us to grow organically for three years before
we can become a certified organic farm. During this
time, Montalbano Farms is working with the
independent Ohio Ecological Food and Farm
Association (OEFFA). Our farm contracts with
OEFFA to lend guidance on the organic regulations
set by the US Congress, to provide oversight and
review of all farm records and activities, and to
perform an annual on-site inspection of the farm's
facilities. We choose to be certified organic because it
provides a credible and verifiable record of trust
between our farm and its customers. Montalbano
Farms will be a certified organic farm in 2013.
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But organic farming is more than just a certificate from the United States Department
of Agriculture.
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Organic farming is less about what we cannot put on our fields and more about how
we manage the land we have. Of course, petroleum-based fertilizers, neurotoxins,
ripening gases and hormone disrupters are not allowed (nor do we want them!). And
the organic standards also expressly prohibit genetically modified seeds and plants.
Most importantly, however, organic farmers have a responsibility to build soil health,
to utilize air and water resources in a sustainable manner, to provide financial stability
to all farm workers, and to teach others about environmental stewardship.
At the end of the day, we grow organically because we want to leave the world a
better place than when we got here. It's a lot more work than conventional farming
but we believe that our produce speaks for itself. We think you'll love it.
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