Standard Process Inc.

Keeping Farm Critters in Check

August 2007 News From The Farm SP News Article

Christine Mason,
Farm Manager

Summer on the farm brings the warm, gentle breezes to create perfect growing conditions for organic vegetables, as well as for one of our farm's biggest challenges–little critters. We pride ourselves on using organic products for our supplements and for keeping little critters in check without the use of pesticides. This takes work and dedication.

Outside in the field, we use crop rotation as our main form of bug control. A squash bore may think he died and went to heaven in a patch of pumpkins, but he could care less about kidney beans. So, we never put the same crop in the same field for at least five years, which has worked well for us. One reason this works is because insects tend to lay eggs in the soil and crop residue of their preferred crop. If they hatch and their preferred crop is nowhere in sight, they tend to get hungry and either starve or leave.

We've learned this through trial and error and by attending many educational sessions, including entomology lectures. With this knowledge, we are slowly learning how to use the calendar for bug defense–certain bugs thrive in cooler spring weather and certain bugs thrive later in the year.

I personally believe that all of the cover crops that are constantly growing on this farm have been an asset. I am not sure if they are working as "trap crops" or if they are hosting so many beneficial bugs that our "bad bugs" are under control. Whichever the case, we don't (and hopefully won't) have significant issues in our crops. The University of Wisconsin has enlisted us in an organic entomology study to try and analyze the effect of all of our cover crops on insect populations. I will be very interested to read their findings!

Standard Process also has to maintain organic protocols in our farm processing areas. Inside, we use blue lights to lure unsuspecting winged creatures to sticky glue traps. We also have a brand new strategy that we are proud of–gigantic screens (for our large, overhead doors). The glue traps work well, but the best control is to keep them out of the building in the first place!

For rodent control, which really isn't a problem for us, we utilize live traps inside and outside all of our buildings. These are monitored on a biweekly basis and I receive a "critter" report from our exterminator that is recorded and stored at the farm.

Now, we just need to figure out what to do about those pesky mosquitoes...