On Tuesday September 11th, our class headed off campus to a small organic farm where we met Martha, the founder of this beautiful place. She gave us a tour of the grounds and an insight into the enormous amounts of hard work that go into organic farming. Martha explained to us how everything is accounted for in an organic farm, from the soil to the animals that come by for a snack! It is important to understand the cycles and chain reactions that happen within this small environment, as every factor affects the food that is produced.
Martha went on to explain how this farm’s soul purpose is to show people that while organic farming is hard work, the final product is always worth it. Although the farm has always struggled financially, they always value the important work they are doing over any amount of profit. They want to show people that it feels good to eat good, it’s that simple! Martha’s goal for her farm is to do as much as possible to make the least amount of impact on the environment, as she always ensures the land from which she produces her food is being respected. Martha shows so much gratitude for her land and all the plants she works with, and she is so in tune with all the different organisms. She explained how when certain plants aren’t thriving in the system, it is important not to push, and to instead let go and trust that the earth knows what is best for the system at that time.
Unfortunately, Martha has faced an extreme lack of support from the university for years, as the agriculture program has such a large impact in the university’s values. The University of Guelph is partnered with many farming organizations and pesticide companies that help pay for not only the agricultural program, but the institute as a whole as well (Livesey, 2017). Accepting donations and funding from pesticide manufacturers causes a large debate on the safety of the company’s product, as there is often not a full disclosure that the company is funding the research involving the product itself (Livesey, 2017). This corruption in the system causes industry-funded scientists to mandate an incredibly high amount of verification before they will accept something as toxic (Livesey, 2017). This exploitation is a main factor in the lack of support Martha receives for her farm, as she refuses to use any pesticides or toxins in her system.
We all learned a great deal about organic farming, as well as its amazing cycles and products. We finished our tour off by taste testing some of the delicious raspberries right off the bush! We were also accompanied by a dog, Shep, who spends a lot of time helping out on the farm. Before we left, we spent some time getting our hands dirty in the garden while helping to pull some weeds. This was a great way to feel the energy of the farm and to gain even more insight to the amazing efforts that go into organic farming. Overall, I realized that life is a lot like organic farming, you get out of it what you put into it!
Reference: Livesey, Bruce. “Big Agro on Campus.” The Walrus, 11 Apr. 2017, thewalrus.ca/big-agro-on-campus/