At Taft Farms we pride ourselves on producing the finest vegetables without the aid of pesticides. Utilizing the IPM strategy we can grow our products without adding harmful chemicals to your food or adversely affecting the environment.
A new addition to our farm operation has now
arrived. We will be growing "Pasture chickens". Traditionally raised and
processed eating chickens contain many chemicals our bodies do not need.
Our chickens will be eating healthy, natural pasture grains.
When we first began our transition from conventional farming in 1972, we found we needed to use only minimal amounts of sprays to achieve acceptable yields - reducing our need for chemicals by as much as 80 percent in the first few years. Today our crops would meet the qualifications of "organically grown" produce by any definition now existing - Indeed our sweet corn, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, squash, cucumbers, melons, potatoes and several other vegetables have not been sprayed in several years. Also, our strawberry crops have been grown using these methods since 1987 with no chemical insecticides or fungicides needed!
We at Taft Farms have been making considerable progress in our efforts to eliminate the need for agricultural chemicals on the crops raised on our 200 acre family farm. We have developed a program that has enabled us to maintain the high nutritional value and outstanding flavor of our crops. Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) is one method where a farmer uses all of the means at his disposal in order to control a particular pest. IPM includes the extensive use of natural predators coupled with constant field scouting along with crop rotation and biological pest controls. Sprays can remain a part of an IPM program, but they are a last resort rather than the first line of defense.
Our growing program begins with IPM, but it goes much further than that. We maintain that plants grown in soils that have been enriched by selected green and animal manures and proper elemental nutrition will be naturally resistant to most plant disease and insect attacks. These crops will also be superior in nutritional value and taste. Use of frequent soil testing along with crop rotation ensures proper plant nutrition. Cover crops are chosen that will prevent erosion and enrich the soil. We make use of alternative planting techniques that we have developed over the years - including mechanical and alleleopathic methods to eliminate weeds. Our philosophy is to eliminate the need to spray rather than just change what is sprayed.
We are encouraged by the enthusiastic way our friends from far and near have welcomed our pesticide free produce. Comments have come our way from people all over the world who feel as we do about the importance of wholesome, chemical free food. Dan has been called upon to share the expertise he has gained with other farmers throughout the United States and the world. We at Taft Farms are grateful for the support of our customers as we strive to refine our farming methods towards our goals of caring for the earth as we continue to grow healthful produce.