CROP ROTATION & DIVERSITY
We grow a wide variety of crops, which enables us to disrupt disease and pest cycles without chemicals, as well as insulating us from the potential financial risk of any particular crop failure. Utilizing a detailed, long-term plan for rotating our crops between fields is a very important method for preventing disease and insect damage to our crops.
EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
Over the years Tim has contributed to a number of informational videos by Buddy Tignor and Vern Grubinger.
Our Sustainable Agricultural Practices
Crossroad Farm is committed to the goal of Sustainable Vegetable Production, “a productive and profitable agriculture that protects natural resources and builds strong communities.” We have been developing and practicing methods of sustainable farming for over 30 years. Our management practices aim at growing healthy, safe, non-polluting crops.
We use cover crops, grown between cash crop cycles in order to reduce soil erosion and water pollution. These crops also help maintain nutrients in the soil. Green manures are crops grown to add nutrients, particularly nitrogen and organic matter, to the soil, thus feeding future crops.
We coordinate use of pest and environmental information to design and implement pest control methods that are economically, environmentally and socially sound. IPM may not completely eliminate the use of all pesticides, but it endeavors to minimize their use while boosting crop return through the use of multiple, complementary techniques such as those described below.
Through precise timing of tractor and hand cultivation methods and the use of stale seedbeds, we can control the weeds without chemicals. However, as sustainable farmers we recognize that increased tractor use is energy intensive and should be carefully used.
The process of carefully inspecting a crop for insects and diseases, both destructive and beneficial, allows us to sustain acute awareness of the condition of our crops and to address any pest control concerns early, for lower-impact management.
We use pesticides only if and when pest population densities will cause significant economic damage. We make a conscious effort to choose pest control materials that are relatively non-toxic to people with few environmental side-effects, many of which are approved for use in certified organic crop production.
These are modifications of the crop production system. For example, we implement sanitation practices that inhibit pest development, such as reintegrating crop residue to the soil immediately once harvesting is finished. Through nutrient and irrigation management, as well as alteration of planting times or plant spacing, we are able to optimize crop health while significantly limiting our use of chemicals.
This is a method of biological control through the use of naturally-occurring or introduced beneficial organisms to regulate or suppress pest populations. Natural systems create equilibrium in the environment. Some insects that are harmless to our crops will organically control pests, if we are mindful of maintaining this equilibrium. In our philosophy, the natural enemies of pests that exist everywhere in nature should be preserved and encouraged whenever possible.
Row covers modify the crop environment by providing a barrier against insect damage as well as an insulating layer which helps regulate moisture and temperature for excellent, early yields. We rely heavily upon the use of row covers to bring our customers very early crops of high quality.
