Suzanne DeMuth, Bob Hoover

Macedon, NY

Crops Grown:

beans, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, guirds, garlic, greens, kholrabi, leeks, lettuce, melons, onios, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, rhubarb, soybeans, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatillos, tomatoes, watermelon, flowers, herbs

Growing Practices:g

No synthetic chemical pesticides or herbicides are used.  Harmful insects and plant diseases are controlled with botanical and non-toxic products, with mechanical barriers such as floating row covers, and with crop rotation.  To minimize pest and disease problems, the farm uses sanitation measures and specific crop varieties with higher levels of insect or disease resistance.  Beneficial insect populations are encouraged with intercropping, specific nectar and pollen plants, and plant diversity.  According to Suzanne, “we use farm-made compost, (mostly) organic fertilizers, and cover crops to improve soil quality and/or manage weeds.  We apply biodegradable mulches (instead of plastics) to suppress weeds, enrich the soils, and conserve moisture.  On a limited basis, and for just a few crops that are more at tractive to pests, we use products that are approved for organic production.”