Organic Pesticides
By Rhys Williams

Intro by Sarah Stone

Organic agriculture is often seen through rose colored glasses. Many people believe pests of organically grown crops are solely kept in check through weeding, cultivating, and/or biodynamic companion planting (i.e.: putting the tomatoes next to the basil). But organic crops like their conventional cousins are sprayed to deter pests. I’d love if our farm was a kind of Eden , with frolicking butterflies and bugs, living in harmony with our plants. Nibbling a bit, but never taking too much. Unfortunately the reality of organic growing is less of a fairy tale. I asked Rhys, one of Featherstone’s farmers to elaborate on our pest management program to give you all a bit of insight into organic farming and the compromises it demands.

One of the myths that is associated with organic agriculture is that we don’t use pesticides or fungicides in our crop production. We use both as does every other organic farm. Pesticide and fungicide use is very much apart of our industry and both are used in varying degrees throughout organic agriculture. I am in charge of pesticide application at Featherstone and depending on the crop and the weather it can keep me very busy. There is a large difference between our spray program and a program at a non organic farm. The biggest difference is in the material we use. For control of insects, we use sprays that are derived from naturally occurring compounds. The most widely used insecticide is made from the roots of the Chrysanthemum plant. It is highly effective against insects but breaks down in the sun and leaves no residue on the plant. To prevent worms on the broccoli we use Bacillus Thuringiensis, a bacteria that is found in the stomachs of most mammals including humans but is deadly to caterpillars. It also breaks down very quickly and leaves no residue. The downside of an organic spray program is the amount of times we must spray. Since all the sprays we use stay on the surface of the plant they break down quickly. To prevent blight on tomatoes a conventional farmer will use a fungicide that will enter the plant through the leaves and fight blight internally. We use a copper spray that is applied after rain. It has a short life span but has to be monitored or it can affect copper levels in the soil. Too much cooper does harm to our soil by killing off beneficial organisms. When I began farming organically I was surprised at the amount of spraying that goes on. But the majority of organic customers don’t want holes in their arugula from beetles or worms on their cabbage. If people see worms on our crops at farmer’s market they won’t buy our produce. So we try very hard to grow healthy plants that are able to repel pest pressure to reduce the amount of spraying needed. But knowing we do have the ability and resources to spray allows us to maintain a balance between the beneficial insects and the more harmful ones.

Produce Info, Storage and Tips

Beets and Beet Greens: Don’t toss away your beet greens. They’re tender, tasty and good for you too!The greens can be simmered (covered) in water or chicken/vegetable stock for about 20 minutes until desired tenderness. You can first sauté some red onion and garlic, then add the chopped up tops (they wilt down like spinach).  Then add 1/2 cup of water or stock.  Cover and simmer.  Try adding about a tablespoon of orange juice to it toward the end, then salt & pepper to taste.  You can also use the beet greens in a stir fry with some soy sauce much like a cabbage. Beets are high in folic acid (especially important if you’re pregnant). How to store: Store beets and their greens separately. Take off all but an inch or so of the greens before you store in separate plastic bags in the vegetable drawer in your refrigerator.  Make sure the roots are dry and don’t wash them until you're about to cook them.  Moisten a paper towel and wrap the greens in it before placing them in the plastic bag.  Beets can keep for quite a while (3 weeks!) but you have to use the tops within a few days.  Peel beets after they are cooked. Rub cooked beets in a paper towel or peel under cool water.

Dill: The leaves wilt quickly upon harvesting, but this will not affect flavor. To store: Spritz whole stems lightly with a fine spray of water, wrap loosely in paper towels, and place in a plastic bag. Store in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. It should last up to a week or longer. You can also trim the stems, place in a glass with an inch of cold water, loosely wrap the top with a damp paper towel, and invert a plastic bag over the top before storing in the refrigerator. Fresh dill sprigs can be frozen for up to two months, but be prepared for it to darken a bit in color. No need to thaw it before using. The flavor of dill weed diminishes greatly the longer it is cooked. Add it at the last minute for full flavor and aroma.

Braising Mix: We included a mix of Tatsoi and Mizuna in this week’s box. You can use it for salads, but I suggest cooking it. Braise it in a little water, olive oil, or chicken/veggie stock, or throw it in a stir fry. Tatsoi has spoon-shaped, dark green leaves. It is high in calcium and it has a much stronger flavor than Bok Choy. Mizuna has deep green and saw-toothed leaves. It has a mild yet tangy flavor. It’s a salad green related to Chinese cabbage and makes an excellent addition to soups, simply add the shredded leaves at the end of cooking; the heat of the broth will cook them up.

Lacinato Kale: Also called Dinosaur Kale has dark green leaves that are exceptionally nutritious. They contain boat loads of carotenoids, including zeaxanthin and lutein, which are powerful antioxidants that protect us from degenerative illnesses like cancer, cardio-vascular disease and age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness among the elderly). For years, kale also has been touted as one of the best vegetable sources of calcium — which is especially important for vegans and others who don't consume dairy products. Steam it and mix it in with some pasta. Kale also freezes well, just blanche, squeeze out excess water and put into Ziploc and freeze.

Basil: Keep basil dry until you use it. It tends to turn black when exposed to any moisture. Throw it on some homemade pizza, or whip up a batch of pesto. If you don’t think you’ll use it all before it goes bad, chop it up and then freeze into ice cubes. To thaw, you simply drop a few in a strainer and let the ice melt away or just drop them frozen into a sauce or soups. 

Greens and Bulgur Gratin

(recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine)

1/2 cup coarse bulgur
2 pounds assorted greens such as kale, collards, spinach, Swiss chard, or use your braising mix.
6 large garlic cloves, minced (use your scapes!)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
6 ounces chilled mozzarella, grated coarse

For topping
1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a heat proof bowl pour enough boiling water over bulgur to cover by 1 inch. Cover bowl with a
plate to trap steam and let stand 20 minutes. Drain bulgur in a large fine sieve, pressing out excess
liquid, and transfer to a bowl. Keeping each variety of green separate, tear greens into bite-size pieces, discarding stems. Still keeping greens separate, wash thoroughly by dunking in a sink full of water and transfer to a colander to drain. Put coarser greens (kale or collard) in a 4 1/2- to 5-quart kettle and steam in water clinging to leaves, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add delicate greens (escarole, spinach, Swiss chard, and/or mustard) to coarse greens and steam, covered, stirring
occasionally, until just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain greens in colander, pressing out excess liquid. In a large heavy skillet cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened but not golden. Stir in greens and bulgur and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan and remove skillet from heat. Preheat oven to 400F. and lightly oil a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Spread half of greens mixture in dish and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Spread remaining greens mixture over mozzarella and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Gratin may be prepared up to this point 8 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Make topping:
In a small bowl with a fork stir together bread crumbs and oil until crumbs are evenly moistened. Sprinkle topping over greens mixture and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until bubbling and top is browned lightly.