Row cover: another reason organic costs are higher

Ever wondered why organic fruits & vegetables cost more? The main reason is increased labor and more costly materials.

One reason shown here in picture. We have a problem in this part od the country with an insect pest called the "flea beetle". It's not really a flea. Anyway, it loves to eat the delicious leaves of brassica crops... think arugula, mustard greens, all the asian greens, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. On a conventional vegetable farm, a low-cost insecticide chemical would be sprayed, taking a few minutes, and that would be it. On an organic farm, we use no chemicals. Instead, we fight flea beetle attacks by using "floating row cover", which you see pictured. Costly to purchase, and takes a lot of time & labor to lay it over the beds.

Pictured is just one of many beds being covered now at Wishful Acres Farm.

www.WishfulAcresFarm.com

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Logger

Sustainable heat :-)

Wood stove focal point

The wood stove was installed last fall here at our farmhouse. Since then it has been the focal point of our house. I wake up before the rest of the house, get ready, and have the fire going by the time everyone else is awake. The kids get dressed in front of the stove, lounge around it, do homework here, and my oldest son (age 8) cooks on top of it almost daily.
I would say this was our best purchase in rehabbing the farmhouse. We love it!
My husband's Christmas gift from us and my parents was a log splitter. He loves it, and now we're able to process our own firewood.

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