Today’s consumers are concerned about where their food comes from and how it is raised. As a consumer myself, I am also interested in buying food that is safe and raised in an environmentally friendly manner. As a farmer, I embrace many practices to help protect the environment.  

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At my family farm, we raise the Del Monte peas and green beans that you would find on your dinner plate. We are also proud to raise one of your favorite movie snacks, Weaver Popcorn.  Since our soils are sandier soils we have decided to wait until the spring to spread our dry fertilizer plant food to reduce runoff or leaching. Our farm also uses the practice of side-dressing nitrogen that places the nutrient in the right place, the root zone, and also allows us to use the fertilizer during its time of maximum uptake to greatly reduce waste.

 

Another great tool that we have in our area is the use of pivot irrigation to “spoon-feed” our nutrients to our plants. 

In addition, we have a safety feature on the irrigation pipe called a check valve. This is used to ensure that nothing flows back into the irrigation well, keeping our water safe.  The technology for the nozzles we use during irrigation has improved over the years. The newest nozzles cut down wind and sun evaporation, which has reduced run time for irrigation. These are just a few practices of many that we and other farmers in our area use to be safe stewards of our environment. 

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As a 5th generation farmer, I take pride in what I do and look forward to paving the way for the next generation. I enjoy learning about the new technologies and practices that will take farming to the next level of environmental stewardship.  On a personal level, I take the time to raise healthy plants that provide the natural nutrition that my family and your family deserve.